Toddler Nutrition: Transitioning to the Family’s Food

You should encourage your child to try all kinds of foods at this stage, while still limiting salt and seasonings. It’s also important to avoid whole nuts until about 3–4 years of age due to the risk of choking. Cook their meals as you do for the rest of the family, using oil, sauce or whatever else you usually use during cooking. Avoid excessive fats and choose a healthy diet that your child can continue to follow later on.

Sample Plan and Ideas for What Your Child Can Eat from 12 Months Onwards:

Breakfast

• Milk: 250–300 ml in a cup.
  In addition to milk, your child should have a complete breakfast, such as:
  • Cereals with fresh milk (from 12 months onwards). As they grow older, you can add small pieces of raisins, prunes, etc.
  • A boiled egg 3–4 times a week (boil for 5–7 minutes), or alternatively, give them an omelet.
  • Cake (preferably homemade).
  • Bread or breadsticks with cheese and cucumber sticks.
  • Toast with cheese (yellow cheeses are preferred because they contain more calcium and have less salt).

Mid-Morning Snack (Elevenses)

• A seasonal fruit.

Lunch
Gradually start offering your child the family’s meals, choosing softer foods at first. For example, you can offer lentils (ideally with rice, i.e., a lentil-rice mix), vegetable-based dishes cooked in olive oil, or pasta (small shapes like “stars” or orzo) with minced meat and cheese—essentially what you would serve the rest of the family, just prepared in a more toddler-friendly form.

In the beginning, you can mash the food gently with a fork (without blending it) and then move on to giving it in small pieces.

Weekly Plan:

• 1 time per week: Vegetable-based dish (cooked in olive oil, known as “ladera” in Greek cuisine).
• 1 time per week: Legumes.
• 1–2 times per week: Fish (such as cod, sardines, sea bass, or salmon, preferably fresh).
• Continue to prioritize red meat (beef) cooked in any form, 2–3 times per week, ideally combined with green vegetables or served alongside a vegetable dish.

Afternoon Snack

• A seasonal fruit and a glass of orange juice, since at this age children often struggle to eat a whole orange.
• Yogurt (plain, full-fat yogurt, not a yogurt dessert) which you can pair with honey and some fruit.

Dinner

• Half a portion of the lunchtime meal.
• Pasta or noodles or trahanas (a type of Greek pasta) with cheese and/or tomato sauce.
• Toast.

Before Bedtime:

• Milk 250–300 ml.

The suggested diet above is indicative and should be adjusted to your family’s schedule. It can also be modified for children who have food allergies or intolerances. In all cases, your paediatrician will provide guidance on introducing toddler nutrition and advise which foods are recommended or not for your specific child.

Katerina Katsibardi, MD, PhD
Paediatrician
Doctor of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
www.katsibardi.gr

Note: Regular paediatric check-ups are recommended. This article provides general information, and in any case, you should consult your paediatrician.