Two years is an important milestone when it comes to children’s eating habits and the food they eat. By the age of two, your baby needs a lot of nutrients in his body, and milk is not enough to meet the needs of their growing bodies. So while it’s important to always feed them healthy baby food, 2-year-old baby food is an especially critical topic. In fact, at this age, your child is out of food and should eat three main meals a day along with one or two snacks.
They can eat everything you eat, but obviously their food shouldn’t be that spicy, if at all. It is important to prepare food for 2-year-olds and follow a set schedule for your toddler. To help ease the process of putting one together, you can check out the following tips for a 2-year-old baby food schedule. But remember also to follow your baby’s cues and adapt her well according to her tastes and preferences.
Perfect meal for 2 year olds early 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 bowl of sambhar
1 slice of whole wheat bread + cucumber / tomato sandwich
Oatmeal
1 cup of vegetable poha
1 cup upma
1 ragi dosa / chila
Are you hungry again? Give them some late morning snacks:
1 fruit cut into cubes
1 cup of vegetable soup
Lunch time? Here are the healthy food options for 2 year olds:
2 teaspoons healthy seasonal vegetables with 1 roti or ½ cup rice and ½ cup dal
½ cup of baked vegetables like carrots, beans, and / or potato
½ cup of rice with kadhi / rajma / chana
½ cup khichdi with seasonal vegetables
Night snacks that can serve as baby food for 2-year-olds:
½ cup milk with chocolate / banana muffin
1 cup of smoothie
1 piece paneer / vegetable cutlet
½ cup fruit chaat
Corn flakes with ½ cup milk
½ cup of fruit yogurt
Healthy Baby Food 2 Year Old Dinner Options:
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 of rice with granulated soybeans
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 2 year old baby food and you can always experiment with what your child likes. So, combine these options to create your own 2-year-old baby food schedule.
Parents should also keep the following tips in mind when putting together the 2-year-old baby food schedule:
1. Offer your baby plenty of water
2. Avoid offering sugary and carbonated drinks and fast foods.
3. Give at least two servings of green vegetables
4. Get them into the habit of eating fruits.
5. Use honey as a sweetener whenever you can
6. Eat healthy yourself, as your children learn by watching you.
7. make desserts an occasional affair