Toddler Healthy Eating and Growth

During the early years of your child's life, their growth is monitored by a health professional using a WHO (World Health Organisation) growth centile chart. These can be found in your child's red book.
Fruit and Vegtables

Add colourful natural foods to your child's diet

Did you know that adding colour to your children's meals will help them live a longer, healthier life? Colourful fruits and vegetables can paint a beautiful picture of health.

Research shows children who stay a healthy weight tend to be fitter, healthier, better able to learn, and more self-confident. They're also much less likely to have health problems in later life. Children whose parents encourage them to be active and eat well are more likely to stay a healthy weight and grow up healthy.

Get Active

Top Tips 

Here are 4 key ways you can help your child maintain a healthy weight: 

  • Be a good role model; Children learn by example. You can encourage your child to be active and eat well by doing so yourself. Set a good example by going for a walk or bike ride instead of watching TV or surfing the internet. 
  • Encourage between 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of physical activity a day to promote good health, but it doesn't need to be all at once. Several short 10-minute or even 5-minute bursts of activity throughout the day can be just as good as an hour-long stretch. For younger children, it can take the form of active play, such as ball games, chasing games, riding a scooter, and using swings, climbing frames and see-saws at the park. 
  • Keep to child-size portions. Try to offer your child healthy-sized portions; more than a handful is a waste. A good tip is to start meals with small servings and let your child ask for more if they're still hungry and avoid using adult-size plates for younger children. It may also help if you encourage your child to eat slowly and have set mealtimes. 
  • Eat healthy meals, drinks and snacks; children, just like adults, should aim to eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Getting 5 A Day shouldn't be difficult as almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your child's 5 A Day, including fresh, tinned, frozen and dried. Remember, when the fruit is blended, juiced or dried it releases sugars. This increases the risk of tooth decay, so it's best to only offer water or milk as a drink and dried and blended fruit at mealtimes. Aim for your child to get most of their calories from healthier foods like fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (preferably wholemeal).
Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide
Child in basket with mural on wall of steps
WHO Child Growth Standards
Toddler Learning & Development
Speech and Language

Achieving Milestones

Achieving milestones involves learning and mastering skills like sitting, walking, talking, skipping, and tying shoes. Children learn these skills, called developmental milestones, within fairly predictable time scales but very much at their own pace, so it's impossible to tell exactly when a child will learn a given skill. Developmental milestones give a general idea of the changes to expect as a child gets older. 

Not all children develop at the same rate so try not to compare with other children even those in your own family. 

As a parent, you know your child best. If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with your child's development, talk with your GP or Health Visitor. If your child is already at nursery let them know about your concerns too.

Top Tips

  • Physical activities don't have to be time-consuming or complicated, focus on opportunities for your child to explore and move around. This can be done by taking them on walks in the park or letting them play in the garden. 
  • Help your child to solve problems by providing activities that stimulate their minds, such as puzzles, games and reading. 
  • Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Sleep is crucial for a child's physical and mental health. 
  • Make sure your child has a safe and stimulating environment free from hazards with a variety of toys and books. 
  • Encourage and provide opportunities to mix with other children. This can be in groups, nursery, in the park, with siblings or at play dates. 
  • Routines are important for children because they provide a sense of order and will help your child feel secure and comfortable. 
  • Be patient and have realistic expectations for your child as sometimes development can be slow and frustrating. Take things one day at a time and eventually, you will see progress.

If you think your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think there could be a problem with your child's development, talk with your child's doctor and share your concerns. Don't wait!