What are the nutritional requirements for 2 3 year olds UK?

We aim to give people access to reliable science-based information to support anyone on their journey towards a healthy, sustainable diet. In this section you can read about how to make sure toddlers are eating well.

Page 2

Healthy eating habits developed in the early years can set a child up for good health in later life and a healthy diet is about getting the right balance of foods and drinks in the right amounts. The guide has portion size examples for a range of foods to give you an idea of what is appropriate to offer – children’s appetites can vary a lot so let them decide how much to eat.

For a quick reference guide – download the 5532 poster below. Yhere are more food examples and further information on issues like snacking, sugar, vegan diets and supplements in the 5532 booklet below.

Summary of issues and top tips:

• Knowing how much to feed young children of different ages - use the portion size ranges in the 5532 resource as a guide but remember that appetite can vary from day to day.

• What to do when your child wants more food - allow children to eat to their appetite. Serve smaller portions to start with, use child-sized plates and encourage slower eating to help them realise when they are full.

• What to do when your child refuses to eat all the food on their plate - avoid pressuring a child to finish their food. Instead, try to offer the food at a later mealtime

• How to measure out sensible portion sizes - use the 5532 resource or other portion size resources that include simple practical measures like spoonfuls or just counting out foods. You could also use child-sized plates/bowls/cups.

• How to find out what your child is eating at nursery, childminder or pre-school - there are guidelines although these are only compulsory in Scotland. You can ask to see their menus and policies and ask your child to tell you what they’ve eaten that day if they can.

Toddlers come in all shapes and sizes and so do the foods they eat. We know from research that parents and carers are often unsure about how much food to feed their young children. Portion size of foods and drinks is an important part of a balanced diet and offering appropriate portions for young children can help to reduce the risk of over-eating and support children in regulating their appetite.  This article highlights some of the things that parents and carers say they find difficult when it comes to choosing portion sizes for young children and provides tips on how you can overcome them.      

How much food should I serve pre-school children of different ages?

Young children need energy (from food) to grow and develop. As children get older, their body size increases, and they will typically eat more food as a consequence. Generally it’s a good idea to offer larger portions to older children than younger children but you can be guided by the size of your child and their appetite that day. The British Nutrition Foundation 5532 guide for 1-4 year olds provides portion size suggestions for a range of foods from each of the four main food groups. For many foods we give a range - taking pasta as an example, the suggested portion size is 2-5tbsp and it may be useful to think about the lower range (2tbsp) as being most suitable for a 1-year-old and the higher range for a 4-year-old (5tbsp).  

What if my child wants more than the recommended portion size?

Young children’s appetites can vary hugely from meal to meal and from day to day. Appetite can depend on things like how active they are, mood, how much they like the food and time since their last meal. Young children are usually fairly good at regulating their own appetite (they know when they are hungry and when they are full). Therefore, if a child eats more than usual at breakfast, they may well make up for this by eating less than usual later in the day. If you are concerned that your child is always eating larger than the recommended portions, you could try:

• serving smaller portions to start with and allowing them to ask for more if they are still hungry
• using child-sized plates or bowls (using adult-sized may encourage you to serve them too much)
• encouraging them to eat more slowly if they are a quick eater, as this can give their body more time to realise it is full.

What if my child refuses to eat what’s on their plate?

It is important that young children eat a variety of foods from the main food groups. The 5532 guide suggests how many portions from each of the food groups should be eaten per day. Pressuring children to eat, completely banning less healthy foods and using treat foods as a reward could actually decrease children’s liking of the foods you want them to eat. However there are lots of positive things you can do to help your child eat well:

• eat a healthy meals yourself, and eat with your child when you can (children are more likely to eat foods that they see others eating and enjoying)
• make mealtimes fun and inclusive (allow children to touch and smell foods and involve them in food preparation where possible)
• provide plenty of opportunities for children to try new foods (it may take 10+ attempts until they accept a new food!).

If a child regularly leaves food on their plate from a particular food group (for example fruit or vegetables), maybe try offering this again as a snack later on (for example offer fruit for dessert or veggie sticks as a snack). This may also help to reduce waste! For more information about feeding young children see our page on feeding your toddler or pre-school child.

Is there a quick way to estimate portion sizes that are right for my child?

We know that weighing foods can be time consuming, but there are more straightforward ways to measure portion sizes. Resources like 5532 present portion sizes in household measures such as tablespoons and for fruit and vegetables the NHS suggests that a portion is about the amount that fits in the palm of their hand. Using child-sized plates, bowls and cups can be helpful too. Be careful if you’re choosing pre-portioned snacks – if they’re aimed at adults, portion sizes may be too big for children and also check the label to avoid those that are high in saturates, sugar or salt.

Do I need to worry about how much my child is fed at nursery and preschool?

In the UK, there are guidelines that nurseries, preschools and childminders should follow to make sure that portion sizes, as well as food quality and the way they feed children, are appropriate. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland these guidelines are voluntary and in Scotland they are compulsory. If your child goes to a nursery, childminder or preschool, it’s always a good idea to have a look at their menus and policies on food. It’s also a good idea to ask what your child has eaten during the day - knowing which foods they’ve already has will help you to decide what to feed them later, to ensure their diet is varied. You could encourage your child to talk about what they ate and what they enjoyed that day if they can.

Growth slows somewhat during the toddler years, but nutrition is still a top priority. It's also a time for parents to shift gears, leaving bottles behind and moving into a new era where kids will eat and drink more independently.

The toddler years are a time of transition, especially between 12–24 months, when they're learning to eat table food and accepting new tastes and textures. Breast milk and formula were perfect for your child as an infant, but now it's time for toddlers to start getting what they need through a variety of foods.

Depending on their age, size, and activity level, toddlers need about 1,000–1,400 calories a day. Refer to the chart below to get an idea of how much your child should be eating and what kinds of foods would satisfy the requirements.

Use the chart as a guide, but trust your own judgment and a toddler's cues to tell if he or she is satisfied and getting adequate nutrition. Nutrition is all about averages so don't panic if you don't hit every mark every day — just try to provide a wide variety of nutrients in your child's diet.

The amounts provided are based on the MyPlate food guide for the average 2- and 3-year-old. For kids between 12 and 24 months, the recommendations for 2-year-olds can serve as a guide. But during this year, toddler diets are still in transition. Younger toddlers may not be eating this much — at least at first. Talk with your doctor about specifics for your child.

When a range of amounts is given, the higher amount applies to kids who are older, bigger, or more active and need more calories:

Milks is an important part of a toddler's diet. It provides calcium and vitamin D to help build strong bones. Toddlers should have 700 milligrams of calcium and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D (which aids in calcium absorption) a day. This calcium need is met if kids get the recommended two servings of dairy foods every day. But those servings provide less than half of the necessary vitamin D, so doctors often recommend vitamin D supplements. Your doctor will let you know if your toddler needs a supplement.

In general, kids ages 12 to 24 months old should drink whole milk to help provide the dietary fats they need for normal growth and brain development. If overweight or obesity is a concern — or if there is a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or heart disease — talk to your doctor to see if reduced-fat (2%) milk may be given. After age 2, most kids can switch to low-fat (1%) or nonfat milk. Your doctor can help you decide which kind of milk to serve your toddler.

Some kids may reject cow's milk at first because it doesn't taste like the familiar breast milk or formula. If your child is at least 12 months old and having this difficulty, mix whole milk with some formula or breast milk. Slowly adjust the mixture over time so it becomes 100% cow's milk.

Some kids don't like milk or cannot drink or eat dairy products. Explore other calcium sources, such as calcium-fortified soy beverages, calcium-fortified juices, fortified breads and cereals, cooked dried beans, and dark green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and kale.

Meeting Iron Requirements

Toddlers should have 7 milligrams of iron each day. After 12 months of age, they're at risk for iron deficiency because they no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not be eating iron-fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods to make up the difference.

Cow's milk is low in iron. Drinking a lot of cow's milk also can put a toddler at risk for iron deficiency. Toddlers who drink a lot of cow's milk may be less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods. Milk decreases the absorption of iron and also can irritate the lining of the intestine, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool (poop).

Iron deficiency can affect growth and may lead to learning and behavioral problems. And it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia (too few red blood cells in the body). Iron is needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Without enough iron and red blood cells, the body's tissues and organs get less oxygen and don't work as well as they should.

To help prevent iron deficiency:

• Limit your child's milk intake to about 16–24 ounces a day (2 to 3 cups).
• Serve more iron-rich foods (meat, poultry, fish, enriched grains, beans, tofu).
• When serving iron-rich meals, include foods that contain vitamin C (like tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries), which improve the body's iron absorption.
• Continue serving iron-fortified cereal until your child is 18–24 months old.

Talk to your doctor if you're concerned that your child isn't eating a balanced diet. Many toddlers are checked for iron-deficiency anemia, but never give your child a vitamin or mineral supplement without first discussing it with your doctor.