Live Chat - Feeding Toddlers: Balancing Milk & Food Intake

Vandana Chawla 1. At this age, your baby needs 3-4 small solid feeds(1/2 cup in each feed) and 3-4 milk feeds. Offer small amounts and do not force feed... Finger Foods, like Small squares of Bread or toast, Slices of cooked veggies like carrot, sweet potatoes, Slices of soft fruits like Banana, pear, or slightly cooked apples rolled in cereals or Piece of Cheese/paneer. Some of the recipes that babies can enjoy at this age are oats/ragi porridge, rava/ragi kheer, fruit custard, khichadi, dal-rice, Upma, idli, soft dosa, yoghurt, cheese, paneer, pureed cooked beans, and egg yolk and variety of soups. 2019-02-22 15:01:51

Vandana Chawla Hi Nita, 2. Both milk and solid feeds are important at this age and it has to be an equal number of solid and milk feeds. So offer, 3-4 small solid feeds(1/2 cup in each feed) and 3-4 milk feeds. Try keeping a gap between milk and solid feeds and do not try to overemphasize one type of feed. If you are breastfeeding then try giving one more milk feed. Make sure that the amounts in solid feeds are not too big as this can reduce appetite for milk feeds and vice-versa. Liquids like soups should be taken as one solid feed. Give a variety of solid feeds so that all essential nutrients are included in the diet. Some of the good recipes for this age are oats/ragi porridge, rava/ragi kheer, fruit custard, khichadi, dal-rice, Upma, idli, soft dosa, yoghurt, cheese, paneer, pureed cooked beans, and egg yolk. You can create variety by adding fruit puree to porridge or kheer. You can even make pancakes with egg yolk, milk and wheat flour with some fruits added to make it healthy and tasty. 2019-02-22 15:03:31

Vandana Chawla Hi, 3. By this age, kids generally get bored of taking milk. So try offering milk in different forms and ways, like, milkshakes, milk smoothies, fruit custard, rice/ragi kheer, oats/ragi porridge etc. But make sure that all these recipes are low in sugar. You can keep them naturally sweet by adding fruit purees. In addition, serve milkshakes/smoothies in fancy glasses which makes it look interesting and appealing. Also, you can add powdered milk to different recipes like dals, soups, vegetable curries etc. Finally, increase other dairies in the baby’s diet, like cheese, paneer, dahi etc. 2019-02-22 15:05:18

Vandana Chawla Hi Shikha, Milk is a great source of Calcium, good quality proteins and vitamins like vitamin A, B2 etc. All these nutrients are essential during this time when your toddler is growing. So to answer to your query, Yes milk is very essential at this age. Its good that the child is eating oats, chapati but they are not excellent sources of Calcium or Vitamin A. As baby is liking these recipes, so try , try adding it to baby cereal like, ragi/oats/ daliya, or add it to chapati dough or make desserts with milk, like kheer, custard or even try making milkshakes /smoothies etc. You can also try adding powdered milk to vegetable curries etc. In addition, including dairy like cheese, paneer, dahi are other ways of giving milk to the baby. 2019-02-22 15:07:13

Vandana Chawla Hi Manasvini, At this age, you can give a variety of foods to your baby. Start with each food group and create a variety of recipes with it. For instance, take whole grains, like ragi, oats, daliya and you can make porridge, kheer, upma or dosa with it. Adding fruits or vegetables will give variety. Next take, dals and beans, you can add dal powder to chapatti atta, or make dal with vegetables or give sprouted dal or bean salad, or make khichadi or pulao with it. Next is an egg, if the child takes an egg, then give it as a scrambled/omelette or as a pancake. Lastly, nuts and seeds in powder form can be added to various foods. Milk and milk products can also be included as a milkshake, smoothies. All these are healthy plus giving all the essential nutrients that your baby needs. 2019-02-22 15:09:05

Vandana Chawla Hi Kavya, Kids at this age become a very fussy and picky eater. They need variety in food and they want food in an attractive way. Also, they prefer small meals not a full plate of roti, sabji, dal, rice. Give them small nutrient-dense 5-6 meals in a snack form in a day. To improve appetite, offer more of finger foods, which can be mainly sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat Bread, cheese/paneer or prepare omelette or pancake/paratha with different variations and cut it into different shapes with a biscuit cutter. You can make dal paratha, dal cheela with veggies added etc. This way they get dal and vegetables. Offer milk as a milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Avoid giving too many liquid calories like juices. Avoid adding sugar as this may reduce appetite. Keep a gap between liquid and solid feeds. Let your kids decide when and how much they should be eating. 2019-02-22 15:10:51

Vandana Chawla Hi Ekta, Warm milk given in the morning can work as a laxative food. In addition, Fiber, fluids and exercise are the best remedies for treating constipation. Fibre can come in the form of whole wheat grains like oats, ragi, whole wheat atta, fruits, veggies, dals, beans, sprouted dals and fluids like milk, chaas, soups and water all are great in keeping bowel movement healthy. Foods like prunes, dates, peaches, plums work as natural laxatives. Lastly, if the child is kept active that will also help in keeping the digestion healthy. 2019-02-22 15:11:54

Vandana Chawla Hi Amrita, Kids at this age become a very fussy and picky eater. They need variety in food and they want food in an attractive way. Also, they prefer small meals not a full plate of roti, sabji, dal, rice. Give them small nutrient-dense meals, more in a snack form. To improve appetite, offer more of finger foods, which can be mainly sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat Bread, cheese/paneer or veggie sticks or prepare omelette or pancake/paratha with different variations and cut it into different shapes with a biscuit cutter. Offer milk as a milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Avoid giving too many liquid calories like juices. Keep a gap between liquid and solid feeds. Lastly, do not force feed your baby and let your baby decide when and how much she should be eating. 2019-02-22 15:13:21

Vandana Chawla Hi Archana, At this age, your baby should be taking 3-4 milk feeds and 3-4 solid feeds (3/4 cup in each feed). Keep a gap between solid and milk feeds, offer solid feed only after 2-3 hours of milk feed, Try giving more of finger foods, same foods as the rest of the family is eating and encourage self-feeding as babies enjoy it. offer more of finger foods, which can be mainly sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat Bread, cheese/paneer or veggie sticks or prepare omelette or pancake/paratha with different variations and cut it into different shapes with the biscuit cutter. Offer milk as a milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Be patient and offer small amounts in every feed. Lastly, do not force feed your baby. 2019-02-22 15:14:56

Vandana Chawla Hi Anastasia, Kids at this age become a very fussy and picky eater. They need variety in food and they want food in an attractive way. Also, they prefer small meals not a full plate of roti, sabji, dal, rice. Give them small nutrient-dense meals, more in a snack form. To improve appetite, offer more of finger foods, which can be mainly sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat Bread, cheese/paneer or veggie sticks or prepare paratha with different variations, like by adding veggies or dal powder and cut it into different shapes with a biscuit cutter. Foods like idli, dosa, upma served in different shapes also attract kids. Offer milk as milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Avoid giving too many liquid calories like juices. Keep a gap between liquid and solid feeds. Lastly, do not force feed your baby and let your baby decide when and how much she should be eating. 2019-02-22 15:16:08

Vandana Chawla Hello Vigneswari, Kids at this age usually prefer to have snacky meals. Offering foods as finger foods or as small meals but nutrient-dense is the best way of keeping kids healthy. sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat bread, cheese/paneer or prepare omelette or pancake/paratha with different variations and cut it into different shapes with the biscuit cutter. You can make dal paratha, dal cheela with veggies added etc. This way they get dal and vegetables. Offer milk as a milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Avoid giving too many liquid calories like juices. Avoid adding sugar as this may reduce appetite. Keep a gap between liquid and solid feeds. Let your kids decide when and how much they should be eating. 2019-02-22 15:21:19

Vandana Chawla Hi Darshana, As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, Cow’s milk should be used only from 1 year of age as it can cause digestion related problems or allergies or even intestinal bleeding. Babies put on Cow’s milk at an early age are also at risk of developing an Iron deficiency. We will advise that if you are not able to breastfeed then Formula milk fortified with DHA and iron is the best option as it is closest to breast milk. Regarding timing, from 1 year and above kids should be taking 3-4 servings of milk in a day. As milk fills up the tummy, hence, keep a gap between solid and milk feeds. Remember, after 6 months of age, baby needs both solid and milk feeds. Do not overemphasize on one feed. 2019-02-22 15:24:55

Vandana Chawla Hi, At this age, your baby should be taking 3-4 milk feeds and 3-4 solid feeds (3/4 cup in each feed). Keep a gap between solid and milk feeds, offer solid feed only after 2-3 hours of milk feed, Try giving more of finger foods, same foods as the rest of the family is eating and encourage self-feeding as babies enjoy it. offer more of finger foods, which can be mainly sandwiches cut in different sizes, made with whole wheat Bread, cheese/paneer or veggie sticks or prepare omelette or pancake/paratha with different variations of flour, vegetables or fruits, like, fruit pancake, vegetable cheela made with dal, dal paratha etc. and cut it into different shapes with biscuit cutter. Offer milk as a milkshake, smoothie with many varieties of fruits and veggies. Try to serve foods in an attractive manner. Be patient and offer small amounts in every feed. Lastly, do not force feed your baby 2019-02-22 15:27:15

Vandana Chawla Hi Kaviga, To help baby gain weight, include high-calorie fruits and veggies like bananas, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes and avocados. Plus, include whole dairy products, like, cheese, paneer, yoghurt and add them to all the recipes. Even by adding boiled potatoes, grains like oats, ragi, daliya or beans like rajma, channa, soybean, quinoa or powdered nuts and seeds to various foods the calorie content can be increased healthily. Giving small feeds made of healthy foods and feeding more frequently makes a baby eat more amount of food in a day and that helps in healthy weight gain. Lastly try to make the recipes more interesting by offering more of finger foods, offer variety and offer foods in small amounts but serve it more frequently So keep trying these options. Regarding walking, babies are able to take a few steps without support only from 14-16 months, so do not worry about that. 2019-02-22 15:30:31

Vandana Chawla Hi Ananya, Babies should be introduced to a variety of foods with different textures from 7-8 months of age... But do not worry as you can start from now also. This can go in stages, First, start thickening the pureed food by adding cereal to food, keep the food very smooth, once the baby is used to this, next grind baby's food in a grinder to get a lumpy food texture, let baby get adjusted to this. Next, you can start adding grated apples, grated carrots, grated cheese to food and lastly start adding soft cooked pieces of veggies or fruits and then start giving finger foods like carrot sticks or apple slices rolled in cereal and so on... Slowly baby will get to know different textures. To help baby gain weight, include high-calorie fruits and veggies like bananas, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes and avocados. Plus, include whole dairy products, like, cheese, paneer, yoghurt and add them to all the recipes. Even by adding boiled potatoes, grains like oats, ragi, daliya or beans like rajma, channa, soybean, quinoa or powdered nuts and seeds for thickening recipes as said earlier, the calorie content can be increased healthily. 2019-02-22 15:35:17

Vandana Chawla Hi Ravi, To help baby gain weight, include high-calorie fruits and veggies like bananas, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes and avocados. Plus, include whole dairy products, like, cheese, paneer, yoghurt and add them to all the recipes. Even by adding boiled potatoes, grains like oats, ragi, daliya or beans like rajma, channa, soybean, quinoa or powdered nuts and seeds to various foods the calorie content can be increased healthily. If the baby is on mother's milk, then gradually you have to try weaning him off breastmilk. Replace one feed with solid or another type of milk feed. Do not worry, offering small nutrient-dense feeds will help in healthy weight gain. 2019-02-22 15:38:26

Vandana Chawla Hi, As your baby is already having a cough and has throat congestion, keep him well hydrated by giving warm liquids more often in the form of warm milk, porridge, warm soups made with vegetables and/or dal, and also warm water for drinking. Give small feeds and feed baby in an upright position. Till the time congestion or phlegm is present the appetite will be low. so do not worry, gradually all will be fine. Regarding medication, please consult your doctor. 2019-02-22 15:43:01

Vandana Chawla Hi Dev, During summers, baby needs to be kept well hydrated, plus due to outside heat, the foods given should be soft, easily digestible with less fat, sugar and spices. For breakfast, include foods like upma, poha, idli, sandwiches, vegetable rotis etc. Include milk as milk shake, smoothies, For lunch, give one-dish meal like vegetable dal pulao, bean pulao, sprouted dal pulao or veg roti or roti with beans etc and curd, and similar type for dinner. Give small frequent meals, fluids should be given in the form of water, milk, chaas, milkshake etc and limit intake of juices. Soft drinks and other cola drinks should be completely avoided. 2019-02-22 15:48:47

Vandana Chawla Hi, Since milk is easy to like food that tastes great, easy to consume, many toddlers prefer milk to eat solid foods. Therefore, maintaining a balance between the two is very important. Milk is healthy food, but too much milk in child's diet has been associated with lower intake of other foods, and a higher risk for iron deficiency as milk displaces other nutritious foods from the diet and too much calcium from milk interferes with iron absorption. With the tummy full of milk, the child may be less interested in exploring different textures and flavours of solid foods. Hence it is important that you go slow in this, gradually replace one milk feed with a solid feed; the child may cry or refuse initially, but be firm and offer an interesting food that kids like, for example, home-made pizza, home-made burger or pancake. Slowly all will be fine. 2019-02-22 15:55:42

Vandana Chawla Hello, As per the CDC BMI chart, it indicates that the child is underweight. but if the child is active, happy, alert not falling sick often, is doing well in school, is taking all meals well, then all is fine. But still, we will advise that you can get your child examined by a doctor. 2019-02-22 15:17:32

Vandana Chawla Hi Shravani, Kids at this age need 2-3 cups of milk in a day. It is always better to keep a gap of at least 2 hours between the solid and milk feed. Foods like a milkshake should be taken as a solid feed since it is filling and keeps tummy full for longer time. Also if you give food like cheela or paratha then give a small portion and try keeping the gap bit longer. So it will vary from one food to another. Make sure that at this baby takes 4-5 small meals more in a snack form. 2019-02-22 15:59:32