Once your child is one year old, they can pretty much eat the same food as the rest of the family. This is when eating habits that often continue well into life are established. These tips can help you build good habits.

What food is good for young children?
Children need nutrition to grow and develop. Since young children do not eat as much as adults, they need food that is rich in vitamins and minerals. At the same time, it is not what the child eats at an individual meal or on an individual day that is important, but what they eat over a longer period of time. The goal is therefore not to try to make every meal perfect, but to provide good food overall.

Food that is good for children is also good food for the rest of the family. Since children do not know themselves what is good for them, you as a parent need to lead the way. A good rule of thumb is that you decide what to serve, while the child decides how much they want to eat.

How should children eat?
For children, just like for adults, it is good to eat a varied diet. That is, eating many different kinds of food. This will give your child the nutrition it needs – protein, carbohydrates, fat, various vitamins and minerals.
By serving different kinds of food, you also help your child get used to lots of flavours. Many children are skeptical of new foods and may need to try a new food several times to get used to the new taste. It may be easier to absorb a new taste if it is served with food that the child already likes.

While it is good to have a varied diet, it is not the end of the world if your child were to eat the same food for a whole week. Your child will not become malnourished because of it. What you can do is try to vary your side dishes and snacks instead. If your child only eats a few dishes over a long period of time, their diet can become too monotonous. Talk to the nurse at the children’s health centre about what you can do.

Your body thrives from getting food regularly – breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2-3 snacks. It also makes it easier for your child to learn the difference between being hungry and full. Avoid snacking between meals, so that your child can eat properly at mealtimes. It is also not good for your teeth to always have something in your mouth.

Food tips for small children

Breakfast and snacks:
• Milk or yogurt with muesli or unsweetened cereal
• Porridge with milk
• Sandwich and milk
• A mug of porridge
And ideally a piece of fruit or veg.

In some cultures, you eat leftovers from dinner for breakfast, which is, of course, just as good.

Since small children cannot eat too much at each meal, snacks are more important for children than for adults. A nutritious snack can consist of the same type of food as breakfast. If you continue to breastfeed, breast milk is also a good little snack that provides many nutrients, including omega-3 fat. Biscuits, cakes, ice cream and other sweet products do not contribute much nutrition, but have a lot of sugar. That’s why it’s wise to save them for special occasions.

Lunch and dinner:
Having cooked food for both lunch and dinner makes it easier to meet young children’s nutritional needs. A rule of thumb to aim for is to serve something from each food group every day:

• Potatoes, pasta, rice, bulgur, couscous and bread provide good carbohydrates and fibre, but also important minerals and vitamins, such as iron and folate (folic acid).
• Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils and tofu are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Meat, beans and tofu are good sources of iron.
• Vegetables, root vegetables, fruit and berries contain a lot of vitamins and other protective substances, but also fibre.
• Milk, cheese, yoghurt and vegetable drinks such as enriched oat and soy drinks are important sources of calcium and many other minerals and vitamins.
• Oil and liquid cooking fats are important sources of healthy fats. If the food is lean, your child may need a little extra fat in their portion.

Get your child used to drinking water or milk with food. Use cold water and run the tap until the water is cold, even when taking water for cooking. Hot tap water can, among other things, contain copper from the pipes.

Homemade or ready-made?
Many people enjoy cooking, while others may not be so used to cooking. However, cooking good food for young children does not have to be difficult! Both online and in cookbooks, there are many good and simple recipes you can try. There are also a lot of ready meals that are also suitable for small children.

Some are skeptical about industrially prepared food because it sometimes contains more additives than homemade food. Which is why it is good to know that all additives used in food are scientifically assessed and approved and safe for both children and adults. However, you may need to be careful and check that the products don’t contain too much salt or sugar.