In the First 1000 Days, nutrition affects your child’s brain development forever.Your toddler’s brain is highly flexible in the early years of life – just think of all that goes on in terms of language development, movement and social skills. Giving your toddler the best possible food for their brain will ensure they can maximise their full potential now and right throughout their lives.
Your toddlers brain is still growing and changing everyday. The brain reaches 50% of its mature size by about 6 months old and 85% of its final size by age 3. About half of your toddler’s energy intake goes directly to their brain – more than twice the energy an adult brain needs.Feeding your toddler with the right foods rich in iron and other important nutrients has a powerful impact on their brain development and future potential right throughout their lives.
Importance of iron:During the toddler years, your little one’s brain develops at an amazing rate. To power all that learning they need a healthy balanced diet, which includes plenty of iron. Include red meat, chicken, eggs, peas, beans, lentils and leafy green vegetables on a regular basis. Remember - almost one quarter of 1 year olds
in Ireland do not get enough iron in their diet.
Vitamin D: Intakes of vitamin D are also generally low in Irish toddlers indicating that many toddlers are at risk of missing out on this key nutrient for bone growth. Good dietary sources of vitamin D include eggs and oily fish.
Tailored, specific foods such as fortified milks, fortified breakfast cereals and growing-up milks can be a helpful addition to your toddler’s diet and can boost intakes of important vitamins, for example iron and vitamin D.
Lead by example: Eating as a family is important- toddlers learn by example and love to see what you are eating at the table. This will encourage them to have a wider, varied diet
