Active three year olds need between 1,200 and 1,600 calories each day. Compared to a toddler, a three year old has a smaller stomach and energy needs relative to her size, so she tends to stay full on a smaller amount of food. It is important at this age to be cautious of portion sizes and how much your child eats. It is especially important to make sure you give small portions of any treats or high-fat foods because these can cause her to want to overeat. We want to give our three year olds the best nutrition, but knowing how to do that without giving in to quick fixes of empty calories can be challenging.
Three year olds need:
- grains: 4–5 ounces (half from whole sources),
- vegetables: 1 ½ cups,
- fruits: 1–1 ½ cups,
- milk: 2 cups,
- meat and beans: 3–4 ounces.
Foods to Introduce at Three
Around the age of three, it’s time to switch to skim or 1% milk and f ind more healthy fats and oils for your child in sources such as nuts and full fat cheeses. Limit the amount of milk and juice your child drinks, especially between meals, because it can make your child not hungry for solids. It is important to keep up with a routine of regularly planned snacks and meals so that your child can eat throughout the day. This helps her not overeat and be able to recognize her own hunger cues.
High-Fiber Foods
As your child grows older, the recommended portion will increase to roughly 14 grams of fiber per 1,000-calorie intake. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, so you should encourage your child to eat as many as possible. Other high-fiber foods include beans, whole grain breads, and cereals.
To figure out how much fiber your child (age 3–18) needs, take the child's age and add 5. The sum is the number of grams of fiber your child should have each day. For example, for a 3-year-old child: 3 + 5 = 8 grams of fiber.
Other high-fiber foods that are over 5 grams of fiber include barley, navy beans, baked beans, split peas, lentils, wheat flour, refried beans, prunes, and spinach, just to name a few. Many of these foods may be new to your three year old, so show them to your child before you cook them and let her learn a little about them. We want to help that picky eater consume more high-fiber foods.
A high fiber diet should be used to:
- relieve and/or prevent constipation,
- increase stool volume,
- help manage the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Family Style Eating
Your three year old’s diet should now reflect your family’s diet in the types of foods she is eating. Now is a good time to start introducing manners at the dinner table.
Try to have all meals at a table. This will help your child establish more routine meal times.
It is also a great time to socialize and have family time with your child. Practice those language skills with your child and model the back and forth of conversation.
Lastly, you can model manners and safe eating habits. Put food in bowls and encourage your child to serve herself with a spoon. Have your child say please and thank you when she wants more of something, use a napkin, and help her clean up any spills.
Finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed. Plan ahead by preparing the protein part of your meals for the week on a Sunday. Leave salad, vegetables, and fruit for right before. Planning cuts down on prep time.
