In the late 2000s I kept a personal mom blog called Nest Bliss. I reviewed books, wrote about the house and the girls, and was even in the Wall Street Journal. These posts are from then: light, young, a mom in her late twenties. I have edited them to stand on their own.
I have been worrying about Ava's diet lately and feeling like for the most part she needs more variety and that I might not actually be aware of how much food and what kinds of foods she should be eating. I found the following info below from IVillage really helpful. Especially the point that a serving of vegetables is 'one tablespoon per year of age'. That doesn't make me feel quite so bad! Also the formula for calories needed based on height is something I have been looking for. Daily requirements for a one-to-three-year-old: Protein: Minimum of 16 grams. For example, 16 ounces of milk plus one ounce of meat. Fat: T oddlers should get at least 30 percent of their calories from fat for energy and growth needs Calories: 40 calories/day/inch of height (1000 to 1300 calories/day) Calorie distribution should look something like this: 16 g protein = 64 calories 44 g fat = 396 calories 210 g carbohydrate = 840 calories Total = 1300 calories They also need: Sodium: 325 to 1000 mg. Vitamin C: 40 mg Vitamin A: 400 ug (micrograms) *Calcium: 800 mg. Even with two cups of milk a day, toddlers still need another 200 mg. Offer yogurt, cheese, tofu, and leafy greens. *Iron: 10 mg. *Zinc: 10 mg. A mild zinc deficiency in toddlers is common. Symptoms include poor appetite, sub-optimal growth and a reduced sense of taste and smell. The best sources of zinc are meat, eggs and seafood. *Folate: 50 ug. *The last four are the ones most often deficient in toddlers. Try to serve the following each day: 2 to 3 cups of milk (or yogurt, cheese and pudding) 4 servings of fruits and vegetables. (Serving size: one tablespoon per year of age.) One serving should be high in vitamin C and another in vitamin A. 4 servings of bread and cereal. One should be an iron-fortified cereal. A serving is about 1/4 to 1/3 an adult portion (1/4 slice toast, 1/4 cup pasta) 2 servings of meat, beans, eggs, tofu, or peanut butter. A good serving of protein should be served at every meal. One serving equals 1/2 ounce Article Source: http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpnutrition/0,,3b1k,00.html I don't know if this toddler menu link below is totally in line with actual nutritional guidelines but really I like reading these things to give me ideas for incorporating for fresh vegetables into Ava's diet - http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlermenus.htm