6 Foods to make sure that your toddler avoids

17th October 2013

Throughout your pregnancy, I’m sure you got sick of hearing what you should be eating to make your baby brighter and healthier, and what you shouldn’t be eating because it’s harmful to the babies’ health.

Now that your gorgeous bundle of joy has arrived and is growing bigger by the second (or so it may seem), there are certain foods which should be avoided at all costs. Some of these are for your babies’ safety, such as to avoid choking hazards and others for their general well-being, to make sure their bones continue to grow healthy and strong!

So here are our top 6 foods to avoid giving your toddler:

1)       Whole grapes

These should be avoided purely for choking hazard reasons. Your baby could easily swallow the grape whole, blocking its airways, preventing breathing.

2)       ‘Low Fat’ foods

For babies and toddlers under 2, low fat foods should be avoided wherever possible. Babies and young children need the calories and vitamins provided from fatty foods. So, it’s always better to buy full-fat yoghurts and cheeses rather than the lower fat options.

3)       Raw and uncooked eggs

This may be one you’re familiar with from during your pregnancy. Eating raw and uncooked eggs can cause food poisoning due to the salmonella bacteria they contain. Unfortunately, babies and toddlers are one of the most susceptible groups to this illness so make sure you avoid this at all costs in your babies diet.

4)       Salty foods

Exposure to salty foods can be harmful for babies’ kidneys. Obviously avoid the most common salty foods such as crisps and chips, but make sure you don’t add extra salt to any meals you are cooking for the family that your child will be eating too.

5)       Peanuts and whole nuts

Peanuts and whole nuts should not be given to any babies or children under 5, as like grapes they pose a major choking threat. Providing the child does not have any allergies to this food group, they can eat them in small quantities so long as they are crushed or ground.

6)       Stringy foods

Stringy foods such as; celery and spaghetti noodles should be avoided wherever possible. If you do allow your child to eat these types of foods, make sure you cut it up into tiny pieces. Any swallowing whole could cause choking, so emphasise the importance of chewing slowly to your toddler and sit with them while they eat.

So now you know the 6 most harmful foods to avoid giving your child, but what about the years still yet to come? With child obesity on the rise you need to know the foods to avoid.

As a general rule, here the most harmful foods you should exclude as much as possible from your child’s diet:

• Fatty foods
• Fried foods
• Fast food
• Sugary drinks- juice without sugar and water only
• Limited snacking – healthy snacking when necessary

They’re not hugely dissimilar to the food groups we highlighted earlier on, but the hardest part for those of you with older children is keeping tabs on what they eat when they’re not with you.

So if you can implement healthy eating and the benefits of it as much as possible in the home from an early age, then you can hopefully trust that they will not stray too far from the path of healthy eating.

Here at Tiny World, we understand the importance of a healthy balanced diet for your children, that’s why we ensure they’re always given healthy food choices throughout their day.

To find out more information about healthy eating, please do not hesitate to give your nursery school in Nottingham a call today.