Here are a few tips and tricks when approaching nutrition for your toddler:

1. Milk feeds are secondary to all other forms of food.
2. If your toddler has a bottle before bed, it is more for comfort than it is nutritionally needed.
3. Healthy toddlers do not need milk feeds during the night. It does more harm than good. Milk bottles, at this stage, results in poor oral intake from food, lazy/fussy eaters or poor sleeping patterns, poor iron absorption (could lead to iron deficiency anemia) and too much weight gain.
4. Food should be solid or whole rather than mashed and should vary in taste, colour and texture.
5. Aim to offer 3 finger food meals and 2 snacks per day.
6. Please take a positive attitude towards toddlers emerging independence - especially with your infants’ diet. Allow self-feed, healthy food choices, participation during food preparation. This is especially important in strong-willed toddlers and fussy eaters.