To instil the good habits you have shown your little one since changing her diet, follow our nutritionists’ advice.

What foods can your child eat?

Introducing small pieces
At Stage 4, your child is becoming accustomed to small pieces of soft foods. You can start to offer her thicker consistencies and pieces with a little more crunch.

Introducing raw fruits and vegetables

Vegetables
Raw vegetables: carrot, lettuce, cucumber, etc.
New cooked vegetables: celery, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Fruits
All fruits can now be eaten raw.

Take your child's specific requirements into consideration

Your little one is beginning to behave like a big child and can sometimes even eat like one.

Nevertheless, you may occasionally need to say “no”, as your child’s activities and body still require a specific diet. It should supply her with:

Protein: 5 to 10 teaspoons of meat or fish a day (25 to 50g).
Fats rich in essential fatty acids.
Sufficient carbohydrate to provide adequate levels of energy for your child’s development.
Vitamins and minerals essential for growth.
Opt for steaming and limit the amount of sugar and salt in your cooking.

Respect the rhythm of 4 meals a day

Breakfast, lunch, snack time and dinner:
Follow this rhythm so that your child will have enough energy and is able to avoid drowsiness. By following these specific eating times, you will also prevent your child from acquiring a snacking habit, which will increase the risk of excessive weight gain.

Teaching your child the pleasures of eating

Gaining pleasure from mealtimes plays a part in healthy digestion and assimilating nutrients. Take your child to the market and show her the brightly-coloured fruits, seasonal vegetables and other eye-catching foods.
Training your child to appreciate a variety of flavours is also a good way of reducing the risk of neophobia (fear of new things) in your child, which can occur when a child reaches the age of 2 or 3 and causes her to reject new foods.

Nutrition especially developed for your child

To help you with your routine, our nutritionists have drawn up a list of the top 9 tips on feeding your child between the ages of 15 months and 3 years.

Tip 1: Less protein

Why?
To prevent bad habits that can destabilise your child’s diet.
To avoid overloading your child’s still fragile kidneys.

How?
Give your child meat, fish or egg only once a day.
No more than 40 to 50g daily = ½ steak = ½ fillet of fish = 1 egg.

Tip 2: More iron

Why?
To help your child fight the risk of infection.

How?
Opt for iron-rich foods (e.g. red meat).

Tip 3: Less simple carbohydrates

Why?
To teach your child to appreciate different fruits.
To instil good eating habits.

How?
Choose something with fruits (such as NESTLÉ® Infant Cereals - Rice & Mixed Fruits variant).
Opt for oat porridge, cereals made with whole wheat and brown or wholemeal bread.
Avoid fizzy drinks (½ glass of coca-cola = 2 spoons of sugar + caffeine).
Water is the only fluid vital for the human body.
Sweeteners are not recommended for children.

Tip 4: Less salt

Why?
To instil good eating habits and the pleasures of natural ingredients in your child.
To avoid overloading your child’s still fragile kidneys.

How?
Use only a very small quantity of salt when cooking for your child
Avoid ready-made meals not formulated for children as they are designed to satisfy adult palates and often contain too much salt.

Tip 5: Lipids rich in essential fatty acids

Why?
Children require a higher intake of lipids than adults (35 to 45% of nutritional intake compared to 30 to 35% for adults*).
* Source: ANC 2001.
Essential fatty acids play a role in the development of your child’s cerebral and nerve system.

How?
Choose oils high in essential fatty acids, such as sunflower oil or corn oil.
Never use low-fat products (such as fat-free foods).

Tip 6: Encourage staggered meals

Why?
Spacing out meals, e.g four times a day, can help avoid snacking between meals and prevent the risk of obesity.

How?
Cereals that are rich in complex carbohydrates help to keep your child’s hunger at bay until dinnertime.
Give your child a full breakfast with infant cereals.
Prepare balanced snacks (fruits, cereals, etc.) to ward off hunger until the evening meal.

Tip 7: Getting your child used to eating small pieces

Why?
Learning to chew prepares your child for sharing the family meal and trying out different foods.

How?
Gradually test your child’s chewing capabilities (start with small pieces of soft food, move on to larger pieces and then crunchier ones).
Fresh fruits and raw vegetables are suitable for this training process.
Take this opportunity to start your child on new foods.

Tip 8: Train your child to enjoy family mealtimes

Why?
To make mealtimes special moments for the whole family.
To encourage your child to follow your good habits.
To avoid eating becoming a fight between parent and child.

How?
Try to stick to set mealtimes and enjoy these times yourself.
Vary the menus and make food presentation fun and appetising.
Choose a cooking style that keeps food as close to its original taste as possible
Encourage your child to like vegetables by combining them with something else, like pasta, noodles or corn.
Adapt the portions of different types of food to suit your child’s liking.

Tip 9: Encourage your child to be independent

Why?
Encouragement and admiration from parents will help your child make more progress.
Your child will naturally express a desire to do things by herself.

How?
Get special tableware (fun, plastic crockery – how about something featuring your child’s favourite cartoon character?).
Opt for food textures that stay on the spoon or can be picked up easily with a fork.
Use products that your child can manage on her own (small plates, plastic bowls, etc.).