Two years is a major milestone when it comes to your little one’s eating habits and the foods they eat. At the age of two, your baby needs many nutrients in her body, and milk is not enough to meet the needs of her growing body. So while it’s important to always feed them healthy baby food, food for 2-year-olds is an especially critical issue. In fact, at this age, your child is outgrown and should be eating three main meals a day along with one or two snacks.
They can eat whatever you’re eating, but obviously their food shouldn’t be that spicy, if at all. It is important to prepare food for 2-year-olds and to follow a set schedule for your toddler. To help make the process of putting one together easier, you can check out the following tips for a 2-year-old baby food schedule. But also remember to follow your baby’s cues and adapt her health according to her tastes and preferences.
Perfect food for 2-year-olds first thing in the morning:
1 cup of milk
2-3 almonds soaked in water
For breakfast, they can eat:
1 small parantha + ½ cup curd
2 idlis with 1 sambhar bowl
1 slice of whole wheat bread + cucumber/tomato sandwich
Oatmeal
1 cup of vegetable poha
1 cup oupma
1 ragi dosa/chila
Hungry again? Offer them some late-morning snacks:
1 fruit, diced
1 cup of vegetable soup
Lunch time? Here are healthy food options for 2-year-old babies:
2 teaspoons of healthy seasonal vegetables with 1 roti or ½ cup of rice and ½ cup of dal
½ cup baked vegetables such as carrots, beans, and/or potatoes
½ cup of rice with kadhi/rajma/chana
½ cup khichdi with seasonal vegetables
Nighttime snacks that can serve as 2-year-old baby food:
½ cup milk with chocolate/banana muffin
1 cup of fruit smoothie
1 piece of paneer/vegetable cutlet
½ cup chaat fruit
Cornflakes with ½ cup of milk
½ cup of fruit yogurt
Dinner options for 2-year-old babies healthy food:
1 roti + ½ cup of seasonal vegetables
1 cup of vegetable pulao
1 vegetable parantha with chutney
1 small parantha with paneer curry
½ cup granulated rice with soy
The foods listed above are healthy food options for two-year-olds that are also easily digested. However, these are just a few examples of foods for 2-year-old babies and you can always experiment with what your child likes. So mix and match these options to create your own 2-year-old baby food schedule.
Parents should also keep the following tips in mind when putting together a 2-year-old baby food schedule:
1. Offer your baby plenty of water
2. Avoid offering sugary drinks, sodas and fast foods
3. Give at least two servings of green vegetables
4. Get them used to eating fruits
5. Use honey as a sweetener whenever you can.
6. Eat healthy yourself since your children learn by watching you
7. Make desserts an occasional affair