Whenever a child grows up he/she will need all the essential nutrients like vitamins, proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats etc. A newborn feeds only on the Mother’s milk and that is enough up to a year. But beyond that, this diet is not adequate to offer all the essential nutrients.
Hence, parents need to begin feeding the baby with other foods to ensure that a balanced diet is attained. Only if your child has a balanced diet, he/she will grow up to be healthy and fit.
Some parents find it a bit confusing as to what they should provide their child and when. Below you will find a simple diet plan for your 1-year old baby. You can seek your doctor’s consultation for a proper diet plan.
1. For Breakfast
For breakfast the parents can provide you with any of the following things to their child:
• ½ or 1 stuffed parantha with vegetables or paneer stuffing.
• ½ cup cooked Dalia.
• ½ or 1 small stuffed cheela with vegetables for giving it a colorful look.
• ½ cup suji upma.
• 1 small idli.
• Poha.
2. Brunch
Give your child for the brunch a cup of juice or a bowl of fruit chat.
3. Lunch
Lunch should include all the essential nutrient-rich dishes. For lunch, the parents can provide you with any of the following things.
• ½ cup vegetable biryani.
• 1/2 cup daal and chapatti or ½ cup rice.
• ¼ cup of daal, some seasonal vegetables, and a small chapatti
• Any paneer based veggie with a chapatti
Or
• ½ bowl of rice.
4. Snacks
Give your child with a small bowl of fruit salad or a cup of vegetable soup or a glass of milkshake of your child’s favorite fruit or make fruit smoothies.
5. Dinner
For dinner, you should provide your child with something light and easy to digest food. Following is the list of dishes which you should give to your 1-year old child:
• ½ cup of soya granules along with some veggie and a chapatti
• ½ cup vegetable khichri with curd.
• Dosa with chutney and sambhar.
• A small vegetable pizza.
• Vegetable Cutlets.
• Aloo parantha with butter or curd.
Here are some important points that you can remember always when it comes to your baby’s diet. Keep in mind it is an important developmental stage, so that extra care is necessary for your baby’s diet.
• You can start giving new food to your child but only one at a time and check if your child likes it and is not allergic to it.
• Do not give your child things like nuts or popcorn which can have chances of choking your baby’s food pipe.
• Instead of breastfeeding start providing your child with whole milk so that it meets the need for fats in his body.
• Feed your baby 5-6 times a day in small proportions.
• Give him different things so that your child develops taste for all the things and enjoy eating them.
• Do not give your child chocolates, soft drinks, or any such thing that would make him addictive and harm him as these things include harmful chemicals.
• Encourage your child to eat fruits. Seasonal fruits are nutritious and very healthy.
To sum up,
Parents should provide their 1-year old child with all the essential things to eat so that their child learns to eat everything. They should try and make colorful dishes by adding different colored vegetables as children love to eat colorful things. Try making different shapes of chapatti to encourage your child to enjoy while eating.