The Infant & Toddler Forum’s (ITF) new meal planner is aimed at parents and carers of one- to four-year-olds and designed to simplify meal planning and encourage healthy eating habits for life.
It follows the launch of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s campaign to tackle the country’s obesity crisis last month.
The ITF’s meal planner been developed with the help of parents in the UK who were asked to share their ideas for turning evidence-based guidance on feeding toddlers into an easy and practical resource addressing which types of food in the right balance, how often different types of food should be offered, and how much should be on a toddler’s plate.
The new digital resource includes:
- 67 nutritious recipes for toddlers developed by a paediatric dietician.
- A 14-day meal planner featuring easy meal ideals and snacks.
- Photos of the recommended portion size for each recipe and snack.
- Guidance on how to combine a variety of meals and snacks to ensure toddlers receive a balance diet every day.
- Tips and tricks on saving money on groceries, ordering and shopping for food.
Recipes such as salmon and potato fish cakes with peas, chickpea falafel with potato wedges, and green beans and shepherd’s/cottage pie with green beans (pictured) are featured within the planner for dinner. There are also recipes for light meals such as baked beans on toast with cucumber and vegetable soup with garlic bread, while snack ideas include mini pancakes, crackers with butter and marmite, and a peanut butter sandwich.
The planner also breaks-down portion sizes for each food group:
- Breads, cereals, potatoes and other starchy foods
- Fruit and vegetables
- Milk cheese and yoghurt
- Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and pulses
- Oil, butter and fat spreads
The resource is supported by London Early Years Foundation, the Early Years Alliance and the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.
Lucy Upton, specialist paediatric dietitian and nutritionist at the Infant & Toddler Forum said, ‘Parents told us what they wanted and we listened. We are thrilled to launch the Toddler Menu Planner resource after almost two years in the making.
‘We know from our research that the early years present a critical window of opportunity to help shape healthy eating habits for today’s and tomorrow’s children and through the launch of the Toddler Menu Planner, we hope to reach as many families as possible to help reverse the childhood obesity trend’.
- The Toddler Menu Planner costs £4.99 and is available to download here