2 Year Old Meals

2 YEAR OLD MEALS

In preparing foods for your child from 2 to 6 years old, continue to make them as easy to handle as possible, and as appetizing as you can. A child of 2 with sufficient teeth may eat raw vegetables and like them this way.
 

Wash carrots, lettuce, celery, turnips, cabbage, rutabagas and cauliflower. Remove any tough spots or woody leaves or fibers, and cut into attractive sticks or break into leaves and flowers. Soak them in cold water until very crisp, then serve, as one vegetable at mealtime.
 

Preschoolers gobble up tiny sandwiches of whole-wheat bread, buttered (cut a regular-size piece of bread into quarters), and filled with bits of raw vegetable or fruit. Any you have on hand may be used this way—apple, carrot, tomato, lettuce, cabbage, and celery.

Prepare the vegetables or fruits as above, and cut into thin slices or easily managed bites. Such sandwiches should be passed only after your child has eaten a fair amount of his meal, for the preschooler will fill up on bread at the expense of other foods if you let him have his way.
 

Make cream soups thick enough so they won't slip from the spoon. Cut or chop such foods as tomatoes and spinach make them easy to manage.

Cereals and starchy desserts such as cornstarch, tapioca and rice puddings shouldn't be made too thick for your 2 year old (meals). Children like these dishes best when they're made with about one-half the amount of cereal or starch called for in adult recipes.
 

In seasonings, use pepper and spices lightly, if at all. Use one-half the amount of salt you would for adults and limit the amount of sugar added.

Make meat, liver, and fish loaves very moist with plenty of milk and several eggs.
 

To get the iron he requires, offer a child an egg a day, plus meat at each of the other two meals. Vegetables and fruits should also be offered at the other two meals. At this age, he may not be interested in a variety of foods each meal or day, and may eat less of a food than you think he should, but remember, it's up to you to place a balanced diet before him, and then it's up to him to decide just how much of it he'll eat.

The average child will drink around a pint of milk a day. It's not necessary that all this be drunk as a beverage; part the quantity may be used in cooking.

Vitamins A, D, and C should be continued as your doctor directs.

It's difficult for most children this age to go from their noon meal to the evening meal without a little something to eat at mid-afternoon. If your youngster does want a snack, make it it desirable food. Dairy products—milk, cheese, cottage cheese —make excellent snacks. A meat patty or slice of luncheon meat increases their protein intake. Fruit is a favorite. Skip ice-cream, cake, or other sweets as these can spoil appetites for supper.
 

Most two-year-olds can generally eat the food prepared the entire family. Few mothers have the time to prepare a special meal for a child, in addition to fixing dinner for the test of the family. Of course, if the evening meal is going to be late, then you'll want to plan an earlier meal for your hungry youngster. This will eliminate the possibility of unpleasant irritability.
 

At this age, a child especially enjoys eating with the rest of the family. His manners won't be perfect, and he'll still be a bit messy, but he'll welcome being an active part of the family circle. When he's through, let him get down. Otherwise, he's likely to play with his food, upset his milk, or drop silverware, while you're finishing dinner. Never force him to stay at the table until he's eaten the amount and variety of food which you think he should have. He'll probably eat fine at the next meal.
 

DAILY ROUTINE - TWO YEAR OLD

The daily routine (two year old) remains the same as to mealtimes, nap, and bedtime. Observe these as faithfully as you did when your child was an infant (even though he may occasionally object), and he'll continue to be happy, healthy, and for the most part, well-behaved.
 

It's a common weakness for parents to relax the routine as the infant becomes the toddler. And right there countless behavior difficulties get a start. Many of them can be avoided if you continue to see that your youngster eats the right things at the right time, and goes to bed at his bedtime. If you have held to regular times for these daily events so far, it will be easy to continue. Both you and your child will have learned the habit of regularity.
 

His day may begin at 6, 7, or 8 A.m., and end at 6, 7, or 8 P.M., according to your convenience and his sleep requirements. By all means arrange it so that Dad can have as much time as possible with his youngster. But whatever your child's routine is, stick to it as closely as possible.

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