When your baby reaches 12 months, you will find that you no longer have to prepare separate meals for your toddler, as he or she will really be able to join in at family mealtimes. You may however need to modify the texture occasionally (for example, if meat is quite chewy). When preparing the meal, if you wish to add strong spices and flavourings, add them at the end once you have put your child's portion aside.
Babies 12 months and older
With their first birthday, your child leaves infancy behind and teeters into toddlerhood with many important milestones to come. First steps and first words bring increasing independence, and with such an interesting world out there sometimes hard for them to find the time for food!
However challenging it might be, ensuring that your growing toddler's nutritional needs are met is essential. Relative to their body weight, toddlers need a lot more energy, protein, iron and calcium then adults. It's hard to believe, but a toddler needs just as much iron every day as an adult male. The best way to give your toddler the chance to receive all the nutrients they need is to offer them a variety of foods. Including your toddler in family meals is a good way of getting variety into their diet. Children learn by imitating those around them, so if the rest of the family is eating something, the better the chances your child will give it a try as well.
Offering your toddler a range of foods at this stage is also important for later in life, as the foods we are exposed to in our first years set the basis for the foods we enjoy as adults. Studies have shown that up to 70 per cent of food preferences are well established by the time we are three years old.
Read about:
Karicare Toddler milk
- specialised milks packed with nutrition>
Feeding toddlers - joining in
with family mealtimes>
