Photo: @dianalupu via Instagram
Food is still a novelty for two- and three-year-olds. They’re figuring out what they like and what they really don’t. They’re exercising their will—and maybe driving you crazy. When they’re turning up their noses or pitching peas onto the floor, you just want to know: Have they eaten enough? Stay sane with this handy guide to a day’s worth of food—this is what a “serving” really looks like.
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• ½ cup fresh, frozen or canned
• 1 cup leafy raw greens (Tip: Lettuce may be a tough sell, but one cup of raw spinach cooks down to nothing when sautéed)
• 1 piece fruit
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• 1 slice bread
• ¾ cup hot cereal
• ½ pita, tortilla or bagel
• ½ cup cooked rice or pasta
• 30 g cold cereal (check the label—puffy cereals have more volume, so 30 g could be ½ cup Shreddies or 1 cup Cheerios)
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• 1 cup milk or fortified soy beverage
• ¾ cup yogurt
• 1½ oz cheese (most string cheese products are about ½ a serving each)
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• ½ cup cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
• ¾ cup cooked beans
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp nut butter
Read more:
How to know if your kid has a food allergy or food intolerance
Milk vs. water: What should your toddler be drinking?
Is your kid getting enough vitamin D?