As your baby becomes a toddler, they go through the transition from infant feeding to normal foods. Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, they should be encouraged to learn about and experience a variety of foods, developing their tastes and establishing a healthy relationship with food.

Use your normal, healthy, family diet as a starting point for your toddler’s diet. This will encourage them to try foods from all 5 food groups.

• Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles (preferably wholegrain choices)
• Vegetables and legumes
• Fruit
• Dairy foods (milk, cheese, eggs)
• Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes

A note on dairy; Human breast milk should be the major source of milk until your child is one year old (and may be continued past one year of age). From 6 months onwards, cow’s milk can be used in the preparation of meals, such as custard and cereal and other dairy foods like cheese and yoghurt may be given. From 12 months onwards cows milk can be offered.  Until your child is 2 years old, it is recommended that they have full-fat dairy foods and then opt for reduced fat choices as they get older.

By the time your child gets to their first birthday, they should have already experienced a wide variety of foods. The process of introducing solids allows your child to become accustomed to eating a range of foods from the 5 different food groups. It’s important that you continue to provide a variety of foods as your child grows, to ensure that they get all the nutrients they need.

In general, toddlers need small, frequent meals and tend to like regular times for meals and snacks. Their appetite may fluctuate from day to day, depending on their activity and growth. Its important to remember that, unlike adults, healthy children are very good at recognising when they’re hungry or full. You are responsible for which foods you provide, but they are in control of whether they choose to eat and how much.

Offer your child solid foods before breast milk, so that they get the right amount of nutrients from a variety of foods, rather than filling up on the milk alone. Cut food finely or cook until soft. By 1 year of age, they should be a able to chew with their gums and feed themselves with their fingers. Although meal times tend to be messy, encourage your toddler to explore different tastes and textures, feeding themselves where possible.

By 2 years of age, your child no longer needs food to be pureed or soft, but should still be provided in very small pieces. Always supervise your child when they’re eating, as toddlers can choke a lot easier than adults.

Encourage your child to try a variety of different foods. Even if they don’t like a food the first time they try it, offer it in small amounts, at different occasions and perhaps in different forms. The more your child becomes familiar with a food, the more likely they are to learn to accept it.

Avoid providing highly refined sweet or salty foods, such as lollies, soft drinks, chips, nuts and seeds, until your child is 5 years old. Not only are these foods a choking risk, but they are unhealthy and can establish poor eating habits. Similarly, do not use food as a reward or provide non-nutritious foods to make up for missed meals. You are the best role model for you toddler, so try to set a good example when eating around them.