Toddler Nutrition Guide for Healthy Growth and Daily Needs

What Are The Key Nutrients Toddlers Need Daily?

Toddlers need a mix of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals to support their growth and development. Breast milk or formula won’t meet all of a toddler’s nutritional needs at this stage, so they’ll need to satisfy them with other foods.

Key Nutrients for Toddlers

The nutritional needs for toddlers 1-3 years old are roughly as follows:

• Protein. Toddlers should eat about 13g of protein a day, or about 0.5g per pound of body weight.¹ Good sources include eggs, meat, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, and dairy products like yogurt and cheese.
• Healthy fats. Kids under 2 don’t have limits on how much fat they can eat. However, for kids older than two, fat should make up about 30% of their daily calories.²
• Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are your toddler's main energy source and should account for about 50% to 55% of calories.³ Focus on complex carbs like whole grain breads and cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
• Fiber. Fiber is mainly found in fruits and vegetables, and a toddler should eat around 19g of fiber a day.⁴
• Vitamins and minerals. These include 7mg of iron, 700mg of calcium, and 600 IU of vitamin D, among others.⁵

Why Balanced Nutrition Matters for Development

Good toddler nutrition supports growth and plays an important role in your toddler’s brain development and neural connections.⁶ It’s also what fuels your little ones’ tumbles, stumbles, and other acrobatics around your home.

How Much Should Toddlers Eat Each Day?

The nutritional needs for toddlers 1-3 years can vary depending on their height. One guideline is to add about 40 calories for every inch they are tall.⁷ So for the average toddler who measures 32” tall, that would be around 1,280 calories a day.

What matters more than hitting exact numbers is offering a variety of foods consistently across food groups.

Here’s a closer look at how much you should feed your toddler to meet their nutritional needs.⁸

How Can You Build a Balanced Diet for Your Toddler?

Building a balanced diet is important for toddlers, and you can do so by including a mix of food groups, focusing on variety and consistency, and encouraging regular meals and snacks.

• Offer something from each food group at every meal.
• Make fruits and vegetables a regular presence.
• Stick to a meal and snack schedule.
• Keep portions toddler-sized.
• Limit processed foods and added sugar.

When Should You Consider Additional Nutritional Support?

If your toddler is a picky eater, going through a food refusal phase, or has dietary restrictions, their diet may not be meeting all their nutritional needs. In these cases, toddler nutritional drinks or supplements can help fill the gap.

For example, Enfagrow^® PREMIUM Toddler Nutritional Drink is designed to complement a balanced diet and support healthy growth. But it’s just one option—browse our full range of toddler vitamins and nutritional drinks to explore the rest.

Just to be safe, always check with your pediatrician before adding any supplement or nutritional drink to your toddler's routine.

Conquer Nutrition for Toddlers

It’s exciting to finally share the joy of food with your child. What you feed them now can shape a lifetime of healthy eating habits that’ll support their growth throughout childhood. If you want more help managing their diet, join Enfamil Family Beginnings^® for toddler nutrition tips and product offers for every stage of your parenting journey.