12 months onwards

It is important to remember that your toddler is not just a mini adult
They are still growing and developing rapidly, which means they still have high energy and nutrient requirements in relation to their size

Due to their rapid growth and development, your toddler needs energy and nutrient rich foods
This means ensuring that their diet is relatively high in fat compared to an adult diet, to provide sufficient energy, and low in fibre, to avoid filling them up before they get the nutrients they need
To ensure a varied and balanced diet, a variety of foods should be offered from the main food groups. For more information see the ‘Eating from the five food groups’ section of our website
Some key nutrients still need special consideration, see below:

Your toddler needs foods which supply a good source of energy (calories) to meet their requirements for growth and development
Meat, fish, eggs, pulses, milk and full fat dairy products, along with nuts, seeds and oils, are all good sources of energy

Iron is needed for growth, healthy blood and brain development
Iron deficiency anaemia is a common childhood nutritional deficiency in the UK and ROI
For more information on iron, go to the ’nutrition matters’ section of our website

Zinc is essential for growth, development and the immune function
Useful sources of zinc include meat, fish, pulses, wholegrain cereals, cheese, eggs and milk

Vitamin C is necessary for normal growth and development, and helps with iron absorption
Good sources include peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, berries, blackcurrants, oranges, mango and kiwi

Vitamin A is essential for normal growth and development, healthy skin and eyes and also in the immune function
Good sources of vitamin A include liver, oily fish, whole milk, cheese and butter. Carotenes (which are converted to Vitamin A) can be found in good quantities in dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and orange coloured fruits and vegetables

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption; deficiency can cause poor bone growth and rickets
Useful sources of vitamin D include oily fish, liver, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals

Milk as a drink should begin to play a less important role in meeting dietary requirements from your baby’s first birthday
Toddlers aged 1-3 years need approximately 350 ml of milk per day (or as other dairy foods, if milk consumption is poor)
Full fat cows’ milk should be continued until your toddler is two years old and then semi-skimmed can be introduced if there are no growth or dietary concerns
Toddler milks are specially formulated to complement the diet of young children over one year old and can help ensure a toddler is getting a good supply of some key nutrients