Getting the balance right with Kate Di Prima

S-26 GOLD TODDLER recently hosted a Toddler ‘Truth or Tale’ Mummy Panel, bringing mums together with dietitian, nutritionist and Practical Parenting regular Kate Di Prima to discuss fact and fiction of toddler nutrition. Kate acted as Chair of the event and was joined by our panel of toddler mums - Marisa, Chantal, Carlie, Amanda, Katie and celebrity mum Jessica Rowe.

How confident are you when it comes to the correct serving sizes for your toddler? A recent survey1 found that while the majority of mums (90%) are confident about the amount of food to give their child many aren’t sure when it comes to the details.

At a recent Toddler ’Truth or Tale’ Mummy Panel, Dietitian and Nutritionist Kate Di Prima discussed the confusion when it comes to the right serving sizes of fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat and fats for toddlers..

Kate talked about portion sizes, and trying to give our kids the correct number of serves each day, where we often picture adult-size servings. It’s important to remember that a toddler’s tummy is about the size of their fist, so a toddler-size serving is much smaller than many people expect.

Kate explained that an average serving size of fruit for a toddler equates to half a medium size piece of fruit, such as an apple or pear, or just one tablespoon of dried fruit like sultanas. With breads and cereals a serving size is one piece of bread or one cereal biscuit and dairy is just 250ml of milk. When considering these serving sizes, getting the right balance in your toddler’s diet seems much more achievable.

Kate’s Top Tip

Having trouble getting your toddler to try vegetables? Kate’s tip is to start small. “Start with one piece of carrot and one pea on their plate.” By encouraging them, you can gradually build up the amount they get each day.”

‘Getting the balance right’, in terms of energy and key nutrients to fuel growth and development is a high priority for mums. Research conducted by S-26 GOLD Toddler1 found that almost all mums with toddlers (99%) think it’s important their toddler is ‘getting a balanced diet with the right nutrients’.

Another tip from Kate is to look at your toddler’s diet over the course of a week and not to worry if the perfect balance isn’t there on each individual day. “Some days toddlers seem to live on air, and other days they’ll eat everything you put in front of them. Look at their diet across the week, rather than day-to-day and hopefully you’ll see the balance falling into place over that period.”

Questions from the Toddler ‘Truth or Tale’ Mummy Panel:

Carlie – When a little one has had their full daily portion and they’re still saying they’re hungry, are they hungry?
''Kate – If they’re hungry at certain times of the day this may be when their appetite kicks in. Giving them more for afternoon tea will help see them through to dinner time. Sometimes they could just be looking for something sweet.

Marisa – How can I get my son to eat meat and chicken? When I give it to him he just sucks on it.
Kate – Try chopping it into really small pieces. Often it’s just that the pieces are too big for them, toddlers have very weak chewing muscles to start with so small pieces are easier for them to pulverise.

Chantal – How do you define a treat?
Kate – A treat for me is a non-nutritive food. Its feel-good food, it doesn’t provide nourishment.

According to Kate, it is important to remember that getting the serving size equation right means your toddler is getting the right amount of nutrients and energy for healthy growth and development. Make sure you check out Practical Parenting online for more information on S-26 GOLD TODDLER Toddler “Truth or Tale”, with expert advice and insights from Kate Di Prima.

According to Kate, every child is different, and they will need different amounts at different stages as they grow and develop. However, as a general guide toddlers should have:

• 2 serves of fruit per day [1 serve = half a medium piece of fruit or 6-10 grapes]

• 3-4 serves of vegetables per day [1 serve = ½ a carrot or ¼ cup of cooked veggies]

• 1-2 serves of meat per day [1 serve = 1 egg or 30g of cooked meat]

• 4-5 serves of breads and cereals per day [1 serve = 1 slice of bread or 1 cereal biscuit]

• 2 serves of dairy per day [1 serve = 2 cheese slices or 250ml of milk]

• 1-2 serves of fats and oils ¬[1 serve = 2 teaspoons]

S-26 GOLD TODDLER is a nutritious milk drink formulated with a more appropriate energy level to help support a healthy lifestyle for growing, active toddlers. The energy per serve in S-26 GOLD TODDLER has been reduced by 15 percent which is similar to what you find in cow’s milk. S-26 GOLD TODDLER contains Omega 3, Iron and added B vitamins.

To find out more visit www.meandmychild.com.au

References
1. Research methodology: Survey conducted by Woolcott Research (June 2012) among 515 Australian mothers of children aged 1-4 across Australia.