Over the last year, we have been working with HiPP Organic. During that time we have seen Eliza go from a tiny tot having her very first tastes of food to a walking, talking toddler with strong opinions about her meal times!
Now, she has graduated from the HiPP Wean team, and we are thinking about the best ways to feed an active toddler to ensure she gets everything she needs.
Did you know that the average toddler needs to eat roughly 95 kcal per kg of body weight? You can find out more information about toddler portion sizes on the HiPP website, as well as information about which vitamin supplements are right for your little one.
Portion sizes are something I find really difficult to judge, not just with Eliza but with the older kids too. Sometimes I put food on their plates and think ‘that can’t be enough, surely?’, forgetting how small their tummies actually are. It’s also important to remember that food refusal is a really common phase, and something most families will experience at some stage – stay calm, be reassured that is is a normal part of toddler development and that it will pass. They absolutely will not starve 😉
Eliza is a bit of a grazer sometimes. Although she loves to sit down to her favourite family meals such as spaghetti bolognese, roast dinner and curry, she also has days where she pushed away her main meal, preferring to eat little and often. I don’t worry too much about this – because to be honest, there are days when I feel exactly the same!
Over the next few months, as Eliza grows, we will simply be concentrating on providing her with a range of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks, letting her explore and discover, and making meal times fun. Hopefully, this well put her on the path to a healthy relationship with food, and provide her with everything she needs to grow and explore the world.