Food Extras for Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers have small stomachs, thus foods should be nutrient dense served in small frequent meals throughout the day. Nutrient dense is defined as relatively rich in nutrients for the number of calories contained.  Sugar, sodium and additives add calories with little to no nutrients.

Sugar

The taste for sugar is acquired; feeding infants and toddlers sugary foods and beverages increases their taste for sweet foods, which may lead to displacement of nutrient dense foods (1). Excessive sugar in a toddler’s diet can cause tooth decay, diarrhea, and a reduction in appetites for nutritious foods leading to the interruption of the establishment of good eating habits (2). Parents should avoid giving children foods with added sugars or sweeteners. Fruits and 100% fruit juices contain naturally occurring sugars. Fruit juices should be limited to 5 ounces per day and may be cut with water but should only account for 60-90 calories daily or 15 calories per ounce. Chemically speaking, sugar is added to toddler foods, particularly teething biscuits, for dissolvability but should not represent the greatest ingredient volume nor be added in excess.

Sodium

The taste for salt is also learned in infancy and foods with added sodium or adding sodium to prepared foods for infants or toddlers is not recommended. Daily sodium intake should be as low as possible and limited to less than 1,500 milligrams per day. Babies have a limited ability to excrete excess dietary sodium which can lead to kidney problems later in life and possibly predispose a child to hypertension (3).

Submitted by: 

Kristen Jackson Slusher, MS, RD, LDN
Clinical Nutrition Specialist
East Tennessee Children's Hospital
P.O.Box 15010

2018 Clinch Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-541-8395 / Fax:865-541-8681
kjslusher@etch.com

References:

1. Liem, D.G., Mennella, J.A. (2002) Sweet and sour preferences during childhood; role of early experience, Development psychobiology, 41, 388-395.
2. Ismail, Amid I., (1998) The role of early dietary habits in dental caries development. Special Care in Dentistry, 18(1):40-45.
3. Guthrie, H., (1968). Infant feeding practices – a predisposing factor in hypertension? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 21, 863-867.