Nutrient Cheat

Sheet for Toddlers

(1-3 years)
 Nutrient Cheat Sheet
for Toddlers (1-3 years)
Toddlerhood—the period from 1 to 3 years—is a time of rambunctious personality development,
inexhaustible energy and curiosity, and endless opinions. Toddlers have high nutritional needs to fuel
this explosion of growth and development. At this time, most of a toddler’s nutritional needs must be
met with solid food; breast/human milk or formula will not be enough.

Certain nutrients play particularly vital roles in optimal growth, development, and overall health in
the first 1,000 days of life. Unfortunately, these nutrients are often inadequate in the diets of young
children worldwide.1,2 This guide contains a list of foods that contain these important nutrients,
including iron, zinc, vitamin D, calcium, and fat. Fortunately, many of the foods that contain these
nutrients are accessible and affordable.

After 12 months of age, many toddlers move from a phase of intense interest and exploration into
a new phase of food selectivity and fear of new foods, which can make for a challenging time.
To increase a toddler’s receptivity to new foods, ensure that toddler is hungry enough at meals for
nutrient-dense foods by establishing a consistent feeding schedule and limit cow’s milk, fortified milk
alternatives, or human milk to no more than 16 ounces per 24 hours. For children who are continuing
to consume human milk, remember that each milk feed equals a filling snack or small meal. Consider
setting a limit or establishing a nursing schedule to allow the child to develop a hunger drive and
interest in meals at the table, so milk doesn’t displace any valuable nutrients—particularly iron—
from solids.3

Regardless of the type of milk offered, it is important to recognize that cow’s milk, plant-based milks
or fortified milk alternatives are not meant to replace previous the amounts human milk or formula
consumed during infancy. In fact, you don’t have to ever offer cow’s milk as long as the child is
consuming other foods—like cheese, yogurt, and fortified tofu—that are rich in growth-supporting
nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and protein. If your child is dairy-free, then these
recommendations also apply to fortified milk alternatives like soy and pea protein milks.
1
Beluska-Turkan, K., Korczak, R., Hartell, B., Moskal, K., Maukonen, J., Alexander, D. E., Salem, N., Harkness, L., Ayad, W., Szaro, J., Zhang, K., & Siriwardhana, N.
(2019). Nutritional Gaps and Supplementation in the First 1000 Days. Nutrients, 11(12), 2891. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11122891
2
Dewey, K. G. (2013). The Challenge of Meeting Nutrient Needs of Infants and Young Children during the Period of Complementary Feeding: An Evolutionary Perspec-
tive. The Journal of Nutrition, 143(12), 2050–2054. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.182527
3
Domellöf, M., Braegger, C., Campoy, C., Colomb, V., Decsi, T., Fewtrell, M., Hojsak, I., Mihatsch, W., Molgaard, C., Shamir, R., Turck, D., & van Goudoever, J. (2014). Iron
Requirements of Infants and Toddlers. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition, 58(1), 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1097/mpg.0000000000000206

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Just as a toddler’s nutrition is important, it is equally important to honor their hunger, appetite, and
satiety. As long as you regularly offer whole nutritious foods at mealtimes and snacks, your child will
be on the right path to a healthy relationship with food and good overall nutrition.

Generally, a toddler has adequate nutrition when they’re alert, energetic, playful, and motivated;
have regular bowel movements; meet their developmental milestones; and grow taller and gain
weight consistently—these are holistic markers of your child’s overall health and nutrition. Beyond
that, there is no need to weigh your child, manage portion sizes, or count their calories or milligrams
of vitamins consumed. In fact, doing so can contribute to picky eating. Research shows that when
parents obsess over their child’s nutrition, the child is more likely to develop picky eating.4,5,6,7 If
you ever have any concerns about your child’s weight, growth, or development, contact your child’s
pediatric healthcare provider.

Food is much greater than the sum of its nutritional parts. Food provides more than just nourishment.
It provides enjoyment, promotes curiosity, and encourages an adventurous palate, and a healthy
foundation for now and the future. At the end of the day, know that offering a colorful and varied plate
and honoring your child’s hunger and satiety cues is an excellent, time-tested strategy to raising a
happy and healthy eater.

4
Ventura, A. K., & Birch, L. L. (2008). Does parenting affect children’s eating and weight status? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity,
5(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-5-15
5
Cardona Cano, S., Hoek, H. W., & Bryant-Waugh, R. (2015). Picky eating. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 28(6), 448–454. https://doi.org/10.1097/
yco.0000000000000194
6
Rose, D. (2014). It’s Not About the Broccoli: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating (Illustrated ed.). TarcherPerigee.
7
Moroshko, I., & Brennan, L. (2012). Maternal controlling feeding behaviours and child eating in preschool-aged children. Nutrition & Dietetics, 70(1), 49–53.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0080.2012.01631.x

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 Nutrient Cheat Sheet for Toddlers
(1-3 years)
Iron (Heme) Vitamin D Calcium
Beef Eggs (yolks) Almond Butter
Bison Herring Amaranth Leaves
Buffalo Liver Broccoli
Chicken (dark meat) Mackerel (canned)* Cheese (low sodium)
Chicken Liver Milk (whole, vitamin D-fortified) Chia Seeds
Clams (cooked) Mushrooms (check label) Collard Greens
Duck Rainbow Trout Goat Cheese
Eggs Salmon Kale
Goat Sardines Kefir
Haddock Swiss Cheese (fortified) Milk (whole)
Lamb/Mutton Tofu (fortified) Mozzarella (fresh)
Mackerel (canned)* Yogurt (fortified) Navy Beans
Oysters (cooked) Okra
Pork Ricotta Cheese
Quail/Quail Egg Zinc Salmon (canned with bones)
Salmon Almonds Sardines (canned with bones)
Sardines Amaranth (leaves or seeds) Sesame/Tahini
Turkey (dark meat) Asparagus Spinach
Veal Avocado Swiss Chard
Venison Beef Tofu (fortified)
Broccoli Turnip Greens
Chia Seeds Wheat Farina
Iron (Non-Heme) Chicken (dark meat) White Beans
Combine with Vitamin C-rich Chicken liver Wing Beans
foods to enhance absorption Chickpeas Yogurt
Almond Butter Crab
Amaranth Edamame
Black Beans Hemp Seeds Vitamin C
Black-Eyed Peas Kidney Beans Applesauce
Cannellini Beans Lamb Apricot
Cashew Butter Lentils Bell Peppers
Cheerios Millet Blueberries
Chickpeas Nut/Seed Butters Broccoli
Edamame Oats Brussels Sprouts
Fonio Oysters (cooked) Cantaloupe
Fortified Infant Cereals Peas Cauliflower
Hazelnut Butter Pine Nuts Cherries
Hemp Seeds Quinoa Grapefruit
Kidney, Lima, Pinto Beans Ricotta Cheese Kale
Lentils Scallops Kiwi
Navy Beans Sesame/Tahini Mango
Oatmeal (iron-fortified) Shrimp Oranges
Peanut Butter Spinach Papaya
Peas Teff Passion Fruit
Pine Nuts Swiss Chard Peas
Pumpkin Seed Butter Tofu Pineapple
Sesame/Tahini Turkey (dark meat) Plums
Spinach Wild Rice Raspberries
Teff Yogurt Squash
Tofu Strawberry
Wheat Farina Tomatoes

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 Nutrient Cheat Sheet for Toddlers
(1-3 years)
Fiber Vitamin B12 Fats
Amaranth Cheeses Almonds
Apples Chicken Liver Avocado
Apricot Eggs (chicken, duck, quail) Avocado Oil
Asparagus Ground Beef Bone Marrow
Avocado Meats (beef, bison, lamb, goat) Butter
Barley Nutritional Yeast Chia Seed
Beans Poultry (chicken, turkey, quail) Chicken
Bell Peppers Rainbow Trout Chicken Liver
Bitter Melon Salmon Coconut Oil
Blueberries Sardines Eggs
Broccoli Seafood (finned fish, mollusks, Flaxseed
Brussels Sprouts crustaceans) Ghee
Buckwheat Shiitake mushrooms Ground Beef
Bulgur Soymilk (fortified) Hemp Seeds
Cabbage Steak Lamb
Carrot Yogurt Macadamia
Cauliflower Olive Oil
Cherries (pitted) Pecans
Chickpeas Probiotics Pork
Collard Greens Kefir Pumpkin Seeds
Farro Salmon
Kimchi
Freekeh Sesame/Tahini
Labneh
Guava Walnuts
Miso
Jackfruit Yogurt
Sauerkraut
Kale
Khorasan Wheat (Kamut) Tempeh
Lentils Yogurt
Mango
Millet
Oats Omega-3-fatty acids
Okra Beans (kidney, fava, black, etc)
Parsnips Chia Seeds
Peaches Clams (cooked)
Pears Flaxseed
Peas Hemp Seeds
Potato Herring
Quinoa Mackerel (N. American, canned)
Raspberries Most seafood (finned fished,
Rutabaga mollusks, and crustaceans)
Sorghum Oysters (cooked)
Spelt Pecans
Spinach Salmon
Squash Sardines
Strawberries Sesame/Tahini
Swiss Chard Soy
Taro Walnuts
Teff
Tomato
Wheat Berry
Whole Wheat
Wild Rice
Zucchini

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By:
Corina Aycinena, MS RD
Venus Kalami, MNSP, RD
Rachel Ruiz, MD Board-Certified General Pediatrician and Pediatric Gastroenterologist

Last updated: August 9, 2022

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