A two-year-old child can eat practically everything, always adapting it to his age in terms of quantities and taste, and we usually adapt our menu to his nutritional needs. Here we bring An example of a weekly menu for children from two to three years old I have prepared following the recommendations of the pediatrician and the practice of everyday life with a girl that age.
A varied, low-fat and balanced diet is the basis of this weekly children's menu. At this age, the child already shows his preferences for the foods he wants to eat. So if we talk about fruits or meats, there may be variations depending on the tastes of each child.
What matters is that there is variety, and that it is not always the same fruit or the same meat, since in that way the type of vitamins or proteins they receive is limited, while preventing them from knowing new flavors and textures.
Therefore, in this menu, which you can print below, you will find that you do not always have breakfast or dinner the same, although in essence the same nutritional needs for these meals are maintained. Because, for example, calcium can come from milk or yogurt, and carbohydrates and fiber from cereals or whole wheat bread.
AdvertisingTips for making a good children's menu
Variety and not getting accustomed to something fixed and monotonous is essential for children to grow up to be "good customers." So we have to have a pantry well provided of varied fruits and vegetables. The examples provided by fruits and vegetables try to combine the properties of all of them so as not to miss any of its benefits.
Regarding the quantities, I, like many parents, do not use the scale to weigh the food. When I talk about meat or fish in the main meals, let's think about the standard size of half a hamburger or three quarters. At this age it is enough, and the vegetable will occupy a more important part of the dish. When I talk about glasses of milk, I mean about 200 milliliters of whole milk.
It will depend on the habits of the child that he eats more or less quantity, and although it is true that when they stop being hungry they stop eating, it is also possible that they are greedy and do not find the limit easily, or that they eat too much sooner and do not reach dessert hungry, thereby missing an important part of the menu.
Another point to consider is the order and schedule of meals. At this age children usually make the main meal at noon later, so between breakfast and this meal there may be a light lunch. But they also may not make lunch before lunch, so the fruit that you don't eat at lunch can be distributed at breakfast, lunch or snack.
The order and composition of the snack and dinner can be exchanged. It will depend on whether you already have a family dinner (we can leave the dairy for a snack) or if the child goes to bed early (better to go to bed without having had too much dinner)
Nutritional needs of two-year-olds
If we summarize the amounts, the daily nutritional needs of children between two and three years are:
Calories ... 1,300-1,400 Kcal / day
Proteins… 30-40 grs / day
Carbohydrates ... 130-180 grs / day
Fat ... 45-55 grs / day
This weekly menu includes the intake of two eggs a week, a serving of vegetables, another of pasta and another of rice, as well as meat or fish daily. We have the meat five times a week, and we include chicken, veal and pork (it can also be veal and rabbit), without fatty parts. The fish is taken two or three times a week, a blue fish and another white fish.
The daily order in which these foods are offered can obviously vary, as long as we keep the quantities. Ideally, cook with little oil (and olive oil) and little salt. It is good that the bread is integral and / or rich in cereals. Cereals should not be too sugary or contain chocolate. The best thing is that they are basic or we make a mixture with several cereals, muesli type. The cookies must not be chocolate either. The best thing is that they are of the "Maria" or "Digestive" type, rich in fiber and low in fat.
The child's food consumption will be increasingly influenced by the habits of his family and the people around him, so we will have to take care of this point and eat in a healthy way as well.
Weekly menu for two year olds
Here you have the weekly menu so you can print it from home, just by clicking on the image. I also copy it below.
MONDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with a handful of cereals (corn) and one or two “Maria” or “Digestive” cookies. Half Kiwi
Lunch. An Apple.
Food. Grilled veal with boiled vegetables (potatoes, peas and beans). A pear.
Snack. A small sandwich (sandwich) of cooked ham and fresh cheese, with oil and tomato. A tangerine.
Dinner. A glass of milk with cereals (puffed rice).
TUESDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with half an integral toast, a little olive oil and cooked ham. A natural orange juice.
Lunch. A pear.
Food. Vegetable cream (zucchini, mushrooms, carrot). Boiled or grilled hake. Half yogurt with half fruit.
Snack. A french omelette with bread and tomato. A kiwi
Dinner. A glass of milk with a cookie.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with a handful of cereals (oatmeal, wheat and rice) and one or two cookies. Half Kiwi
Lunch. A banana.
Food. Pasta with chicken and sauteed vegetables (zucchini, peas, tomato, mushrooms ...). An Apple.
Snack. Homemade chicken and turkey scallop cooked with cheese and tomato. A fruit yogurt.
Dinner. A glass of milk with an integral cupcake.
THURSDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with half an integral toast, a little olive oil and cooked ham. A natural orange juice.
Lunch. A pear.
Food. Salad. Sauteed vegetables (zucchini and potato) with grilled pork loin. Half natural yogurt with half fruit.
Snack. A small sandwich (sandwich) of ham with oil and tomato. A little glass (a small bowl) of fresh cheese with fruit (kiwi, peach, grape, pear ...).
Dinner. A yogurt with cereals.
FRIDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with a handful of cereals and one or two “Maria” cookies. A tangerine.
Lunch. A peach, melon or fruit of the time.
Food. Almost vegetarian lentils (with beans, potatoes, carrots and ham taquitos). A natural yogurt
Snack. A french omelette with bread and tomato. Grape.
Dinner. A glass of milk with cereals.
SATURDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with a handful of cereals and one or two “Maria” cookies. Half peach
Lunch. A kiwi
Food. Rice salad. Grilled swordfish. Apple.
Snack. A small tenderloin sandwich with oil and tomato. A little glass (a small bowl) of fresh cheese with fruit (kiwi, peach, grape, pear ...).
Dinner. A yogurt with varied whole grains.
SUNDAY
Breakfast. A glass of milk with half an integral toast, a little olive oil and cooked ham. A natural orange juice.
Lunch. Macedonia of fruits and nuts.
Food. Vegetable stew (potato, mushrooms, leek and carrot) with homemade chicken and veal meatballs. A homemade flan.
Snack. A cream of mushrooms with tuna. A homemade milk and fruit smoothie.
Dinner. A yogurt with a cookie.
I hope your children enjoy this weekly children's menu and soon we will return with more ideas for a healthy and varied diet.
