So your child is 2 years old now!!! With time the food habits of the child also changes. Your child has witnessed the phase of teething, eating solids and now is ready to enjoy the family meals. But see to it that you add less spices in your child’s food. Maintaining a food chart for 2 years baby along with some easy food recipes can help to plan your kid’s meals properly.

Below meal plans and food chart for 2 years baby attempt to maintain a balance of nutrients between meals by providing you with ideas for ensuring a healthy and balanced diet for your child; however, bear in mind that each child is unique, and you must feed according to his/her likes. (Why balanced diet is so important?)

Some Steps to Help Your Child Develop Healthy Eating Habits:

The baby’s sense of taste and flavor develops once he/she starts solids. This is the perfect moment for parents to inculcate a good eating habit in their children. 

• Follow meal timings and feed at regular intervals. It is important to establish a schedule to help your child develop a fixed mealtime by feeling hungry at the right time.
• Avoid snacks or liquid food like fruit juices or milk before the meal time. 
• Make sure you provide complete nutrition to your child by including nutrient-dense foods. 
• Teach eating etiquette and encourage them to eat slowly.
• Avoid unhealthy junk foods.

Foods for 2 year old baby:

Your toddler’s body is rapidly developing at this stage and he/she requires a variety of foods from all food groups. Make sure that you provide a balanced diet and choose toddler food recipes for 2 year old that provide good nutrition.

Here is a list of some foods that are important for growth and development for your child. 

Dairy and dairy products

 Dairy and dairy products are good sources of carbohydrate, protein and fat along with important vitamins and minerals like calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D are important for strong bones and teeth. Other dietary sources of calcium include dairy products such as yoghurt, buttermilk and cheese.

 In case of a child having lactose intolerance or milk allergies, the plant based milk alternatives is the best option. Also to meet the calcium needs of children, nuts and pulses can be included in the diet. 

Vegetables

Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytonutrients. These phytonutrients not only help in growth and development but also strengthens the immune system. The fibre-rich veggies eases the bowel movements and prevents constipation. Always include vegetables of different colours in toddler food recipes for 2 year old, such as:

• Green vegetables ( peas, beans, spinach. broccoli)
• Orange vegetables( carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato)
• Yellow vegetables( corn , capsicum )
• Red vegetables( Tomato )
• Purple vegetables ( Beetroot, cabbage)
• White vegetables ( Cauliflower, cabbage)

Fruits

The whole fruit or fruit juices can be given to the child. As the saying goes “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, it is essential to include fruits in diet to stay healthy and keep diseases away. Including fruits of different colours is essential, such as:

• Green fruits ( apple, grapes, kiwi)
• Orange fruits( orange, mango)
• Yellow and red fruits ( banana, strawberries, watermelon)
• Purple fruits (grapes, plum, blueberries)

Meat

Chicken is the best source of protein as it is abundant in amino acids. For developing children, chicken is a nutritious and filling option to consider. It is advised to avoid/ consume lesser quantities of red meat such as beef, mutton because of their high saturated fat. 

Fish

The best non-vegetarian food for growing children is fish. It has high quality proteins and vitamins, minerals. It is a rich source of omega 3 and Docasahexanoic acid (DHA). This helps in growth of brain tissues, bones and helps in maintaining good eyesight. 

HEALTHY OILS:

Nuts and seeds contain healthy oils such as essential fatty acids and minerals.

Citrus fruits

Vitamin C is important in kids for strengthened gums and  blood vessels. Scurvy is a serious illness caused due to its deficiency. Oranges and lemons are well known for their high vitamin C content. Other dietary sources of vitamin C include guava, tomato, banana, spinach etc.,. 

Sunlight

Vitamin D is necessary for the growth and development especially bones. And the efficient source of this vitamin D is sunlight. Other foods that contain Vitamin D are dairy products and meat.

Food chart for 2 years baby:

Here is an example of a food chart for 2 years baby. You can design a similar meal plan or toddler food recipes for 2 year old and follow it. 

	Breakfast	Mid morning	Lunch	Evening snacks	Dinner
Sunday	Milk and Moong dal cheela/ Dosa	Fruits and nuts	One-pot veggies meal	Vegetable cutlet	Ragi roti
Monday	Milk and Beetroot idli / Poha	Vegetable soup	Spinach curry, rice and dahi	Millet muffins	Vegetable khichdi
Tuesday	Ragi porridge made with milk	Fruits	Moong dal khichdi with curd	Carrot pasta	Vegetable pulao
Wednesday	Milk and Vegetable upma	Fruit custard	Vegetable biriyani	Millet pizza	Millet dosa with chutney
Thursday	Chapathi with vegetable korma	Dates and nuts	Rice and sambar / curd rice	Oats cookies	Egg rice
Friday	Milk and Bread sandwich	Vegetable salad	Paneer curry with chapathi and rice	Milkshake	Idli and sambhar
Saturday	Milk and Aloo paratha	Fruits	Egg curry with rice	Vegetable rolls	Masala khichdi

Homemade food recipes for 2 year old Indian baby:

Here are some food recipes for 2 year old Indian baby:

Pumpkin millet pancakes:

Why pumpkin seeds are beneficial for health?

Beetroot Idli with Chutney:

How beetroot can help in your child’s health?

Millet Upma:

Sprouted Moong dal cheela:

How soaking and sprouting helps in getting more nutrition?

One – pot veggies dish:

Vegetable cutlets:

Few tips to be taken care of while feeding your child:

1. It is important that you should not focus on the amount of food your 2-year-old infant consumes. It varies among the children. 
2. Do not include artificial supplements in your child’s diet. 
3. Your child’s eating habits should not be rewarded or punished as this might lead to a negative attitude towards food. 
4. While eating, do not allow your kid to watch his favorite cartoon on television. He/ she has to concentrate on the meal. 
5. Make sure you don’t force-feed your child. (How food format helps to feed nutrition to kids?)

Many people believe that eating nutritious food that is fresh and free of preservatives requires too much work, but with the proper motivation, it can become a habit rather than a burden! Your child’s diet should include a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, so that his palate will be stimulated and he will be less likely to lose interest in foods. 

Benefits OF ADDING DAILY NUTRITION SAVOURY SPREAD:

• Improves muscle strength and body weight with high protein (6g protein in 1 serving)
• Strengthens bones and improves height being rich in calcium
• Boosts brain due to high omega-3 and natural brain herbs
• Builds immunity due to presence of antioxidants and proven immunity herbs
• Increases breast milk supply for lactating moms also provides folic acid for baby development

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We know that preparing and feeding healthy foods everyday is a huge task. Even more tough when kids are picky eaters. Kids prefer certain foods and formats. It is not easy to feed kids bitter Ayurvedic herbs, variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds everyday.
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