Tag: Child feeding

Introducing nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods at 6 months, alongside breastfeeding, is crucial for a child's health. Feeding Littles is an online resource from a registered dietitian and an occupational therapist that takes a flexible and responsive approach to this transition.

A 2006 study in the journal *Appetite* showed that pressuring children to eat led to a lower intake of those foods, confirming that forcing a child to eat is counterproductive. Parents often employ strategies with good intentions, but some approaches can create negative associations with food that last a lifetime.

Most healthy babies are born with the remarkable ability to eat intuitively, crying when hungry and stopping when full, and research confirms that this is a natural human instinct. This innate skill, however, is often disrupted by environmental and parental factors as a child grows. Understanding this shift is key to nurturing a positive relationship with food from an early age.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), using toddler formulas for infants is unnecessary and potentially harmful; understanding the core difference between baby formula and NIDO is essential for parents. While both are milk-based powders, their nutritional composition, purpose, and age-appropriateness are distinctly different for an infant's needs versus a toddler's.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an average 2-year-old needs between 1,000 and 1,400 calories a day, depending on their activity level. This guide will help you understand how many calories should a 2-year-old toddler eat, along with practical tips for fostering healthy eating habits and ensuring they receive proper nutrition for healthy growth and development.