HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY. You have graduated from being an infant to a toddler. How awesome is that. You must be wondering how time flies. You munchy must be around 9.5 kg at this age. Good job momma! This graduation comes with different nutritional requirements. At this time the child needs an increment in calories intake including some cholesterol and healthy fats to enhance her growth and development. According to Healthychildren.org , a child should consume about 1000 calories a day. A child consuming 1000 calories needs 33g to 45 g of fat per day and the quantity can increase if the baby is underweight. Some good sources of healthy fat include Avocado, milk, nut butter (especially peanut butter) and purified fish oils. Ensure that your baby has any of this daily. By this age, the child has mastered the art of swallowing and a bit of chewing (for those with teeth) so they can have family meals.  Before we go to the sample meal plan, here are some tips of feeding your toddler.

1. Have feeding routine-This is very important. Give meals, fruits and snacks the same times daily.
2. Continue breastfeeding- I know the child looks all grown and can have nutrients from the foods they take. Don’t quit breastfeeding just yet. You want to boost your child’s immunity. Nothing compares to breastmilk. So keep going mama.
3. Introduce full fat milk- Now you can comfortably serve cow milk to your child. Milk is a great source of protein and calcium. Ensure your baby has a cup daily.
4. Give water- Please do not forget to give water between meals. Otherwise you will be crying of constipation. Plus, water is a cleansing element.
5. Supervise the child during meal time- They are still young at this age. Even they are on Baby Led Weaning (BLW) be there to watch incase to ensure that they don’t get chocked.
6. Serve food in small pieces or mash- This is the choking age. Cutting small pieces of food will ensure that your baby is able to chew and swallow the food without straining. Don’t be ashamed of mashing. Your child’s safety comes fast.
7. Be patient- Trust me, your patience will be on trial. Today they will love a certain food, tomorrow they will dislike it. For picky eaters, you may use similar ingredients but prepare in different ways to make more interesting.

Here the part you were waiting for! THE MEAL PLAN: Early morning: Breastmilk 8:00 AM : Breakfast Iron fortified cereal with whole milk 10:00 AM: Fruits salad/pounding/juice blend 1 Banana, Slice of pawpaw, 1 tree tomato 12:00 Noon: Lunch Minced beef Amaranth (terere) Ugali 3:00 PM: Yoghurt 100ml of natural yoghurt 1 passion fruit 6:00 Dinner Mashed pumpkin and beans You may also serve the same meal as lunch if you had prepared enough. 8:00 PM Milk 200 ml of milk or breastfeed Late night Breastfeed Note that you can breastfeed anytime based on demand. Remember to give water in between meals. This is just a sample daily meal plan for a toddler. You can switch any ingredient and prepare in any way that your baby like. Am tempted to give you a quick recipe. Though you need to like and follow my page on facebook for A NEW RECIPE EVERY WEDNESDAY! How cool is that? Mushed pumpkin and beans Ingredients Slice of pumpkin Half cup of boiled beans 1 carrot 1 tomato 1 small onion 1 tsp of cooking oil Pinch of salt. Method Place cooking oil in a sauce pan. Add onion, stir and cook till golden brown. Add salt and sliced tomato and grated carrot. Stir and cook for two minutes. Add peeled sliced pumpkin and stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Add bean and stir. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add water. Stir and let it cook till the pumpkin is tender. Mash and serve. It’s very delicious. You can serve it as a family meal too. See also:https://old.wowmom.co.ke/weaning-meal-plan-and-recipes/ I hope this article is useful. Like it below. Share with pother moms. Like and follow me on facebook for more informative post like this. See you soon.                ​