One-year-old’s diet – facts and myths

He is more and more independent, and the skills he learns and improves every day help him actively discover the world around him. This is what the yearling is like, who – although he only blew out the first candle from the birthday cake – seems so big and independent. This is what makes him sometimes – especially at the table – to be treated like a smaller version of his parents. Meanwhile, the child is still developing after the first birthday, and his need for some nutrients is even several times higher than in adults (per kilogram of body weight) 1. So what should his diet look like? Elżbieta Nowak, an expert at BebiKlub.pl, presents the facts and debunks the greatest myths.

The yearling is now ready for a diet from the “adult” table – MYTH

Although a child’s diet after their 1st birthday is already varied and the yearling shows an increasing interest in what their parents eat, their diet should still be different from that of older family members. An improperly balanced menu of adults, on the one hand, may provide a toddler with too little nutrients that a child needs for proper growth and development, and on the other hand, it may be a source of too many ingredients that should be avoided in the diet of the youngest, such as salt .

A one-year-old child needs a carefully planned diet that meets his or her specific nutritional requirements – definitely different from that of older children or adults. Dietary recommendations for parents can help in composing the daily menu of a yearling – an example is the model food plate developed by experts from the Institute of Mother and Child, which illustrates the share of individual product groups expressed in portions in the daily menu2.

Further part under the video.

A small child has big needs – FACT

A little child is not a little adult. Of key importance for his still intensive development is a properly balanced diet that will cover the increased demand of the yearling for important nutrients compared to an adult3. After the first year of life, the child actively learns the surrounding world and is still developing intensively, therefore his demand for nutrients is very high – much greater than in an adult. A yearling needs as much as six times more vitamin D and four times more calcium and iron than its parents (per kilogram of body weight) 4. That is why it is crucial to provide him with the right amount of these nutrients along with his daily diet. This is important due to the role of individual vitamins and minerals – e.g. vitamin D and calcium are necessary for the proper development of bones and teeth, vitamins A, C and D are important for the proper functioning of the immune system, and iron and iodine support proper cognitive development.

Milk is still important in the diet of a one-year-old child – FACT

A properly balanced diet of a one-year-old child should include products from all groups, i.e. vegetables, fruits, fats, cereal products and protein products, including meat, fish and eggs, as well as milk and dairy products, as well as water. Experts recommend that the daily diet of a one-year-old child should include three portions of milk, including modified milk, and a portion of dairy products (including kefir, natural yoghurt, yellow or white cheese) 5. Milk and dairy products are good sources of e.g. calcium, which – along with vitamin D – is needed by a child to build strong bones. Vitamin D is also essential for the proper functioning of the immune system.

Any milk is good for a baby – MYTH

When, for legitimate reasons, breastfeeding is not possible or cannot be continued beyond the age of one, parents should include milk in the diet of the yearling. It is worth remembering that, according to the recommendations of experts, cow’s milk should be introduced into the child’s diet in amounts no more than 500 ml per day. This is due to the amount of nutrients contained in this product. Because although cow’s milk is a good source of calcium, it is poor in vitamin D, iron and iodine, which are key ingredients for the development of a yearling. Experts point to the benefits of giving baby formula 6. Already two cups (200 ml) of modified milk tailored to the needs of a toddler help to cover the needs of a small child for important nutrients, such as calcium, iodine, iron and vitamin D. This applies not only to a yearling, but also to a two- or three-year-old, therefore modified milk, also in the case of slightly older children, may be helpful in balancing the daily diet.

See also:

1. What should a six-month-old baby eat?
2. Little child’s diet – what to eat and what to avoid?
3. How to consciously compose the diet of the youngest?

Footnotes:

1 Calculated per kg of body weight in accordance with: Nutrition standards for the Polish population and their application edited by M. Jarosz et al. NIZP-PZH, Warsaw 2020.

2 Weker H., Rowicka G., Dyląg H., Barańska M., Strucińska M., Więch M., Guide to nutrition for children aged 1 to 3. Practical application of nutritional norms and recommendations, Institute of Mother and Child, 2020.

3 Calculated per kg of body weight in accordance with: Nutrition standards for the Polish population and their application edited by M. Jarosz et al. NIZP-PZH, Warsaw 2020.

4 According to: Nutrition standards for the Polish population and their application, edited by M. Jarosz, E. Rychlik, K. Stoś, J. Charzewska, National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw 2020.

5 Weker H., Rowicka G., Dyląg H., Barańska M., Strucińska M., Więch M., Guide to nutrition for children aged 1 to 3. Practical application of nutritional norms and recommendations, Institute of Mother and Child, 2020.

6 Ibid.