High School Age People - What is a 'balanced diet' for a toddler?

[EmtheFishLady]

Is 23 too old for this?


I feed my daughter as follows:

Breakfast: Unsweetened Cheerios, Milk
Snacks: goldfish crackers, rice cakes, or fruit
Lunch:A Veggie, A Meat, and One Starch.
Dinner: Two Veggies, A Meat, Whatever our starch is, and usually something chocolatey for dessert.


I dunno if that' insanely balanced or not, but she's growing and she acts like a normal child, so I think I'm doing ok.

 

[stanglover2001]

Well, when I was in high school (5 years ago) I probably couldn't tell you what a "balanced diet" would be, but I guarantee you french fries from anywhere would not have been mentioned

I don't have any kids and don't eat a "balanced diet" myself

I still don't like veggies

(most atleast) but I know veggies are an important part of a toddlers diet... and no offense to whomever said baby food, but by 2 I'm sure they don't eat that anymore since they should be getting in teeth. I would say for balance, milk for calcium, veggies (carrot, peas, and anything easy to chew), fruits (but be careful with them, they all have natural sugar), rice and bread (not alot), and should be allowed especially by 2-3 meat (I would think stay away from beef and such from grease). All food should be in really small easy to swallow size to prevent choking, like hotdogs! (hotdogs are number 1 choking hazard to children because of shape!)

How'd I do? Am I ready to procreate?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

 

[welsummerchicks]

Here's what started the conversation.

We were watching an 'Emergency Room' show and a rather young couple - I'd guess both were about 19 or so - brought a kid in with bleeding (I mean bleeding a lot) gums, and he would not walk and would start screaming if someone tried to get him to stand up and walk. Xrays showed that the growth plates of his bones were extremely abnormal - he had stopped growing.

The doctor diagnosed the child with Scurvey - a severe Vitamin C deficiency. He couldn't believe it. He said, 'this is something I associated with pirates'. Scurvey is extremely painful and can cause death. It is only seen with the most grossly deficient diets.

He asked the parents what they fed the child: 'Oatmeal'.

Nothing but oatmeal? Yes, for several years.

No vitamins, no milk, no eggs, no meat, no protein of any type, no fruits, no vegetables.

The parents proceeded to look just horrified!

Oh! Do you have to give a toddler protein? Milk? Eggs? Fruit? Vegetables? REALLLLY????

They look at each other with horror, oh dear, we are supposed to feed our child protein, fruit, vegetables, so that he does not die of deficiency diseases, such as scurvy.

My SO was like, 'yes, the poor parents, they have no idea'.

I was like, 'COME ON, there is no WAY a person can get to be that age and have no idea that a baby can't grow and survive on packages of oatmeal and nothing else for years - even in HIGH SCHOOL they are taught about nutrition. When the child was born the hospital would give them nutritional information, they're bombarded constantly with it on TV and the internet, and every time they take the kid to the doctor, talk to a relative or any friends with young children, they are going to be told about nutrition.'

The replies indicate otherwise.

I know owe my SO ten bucks, and I have to throw flower petals whenever he enters the room, throw myself down and scream, 'I'M NOT WORTHY'

Unless, of course, a few of you step up and deliver some really excellent descriptions of a toddler diet.

 

[stanglover2001]

I think you don't have enough votes! I said I probably didn't know a good "balanced diet" that doesn't mean I'd leave every major food group out! I really can't believe at the age of 13-19 they didn't realize that oatmeal wasn't a complete meal for them to survive, so how is it complete for a growing baby! That's just awful parenting!!! People like that shouldn't bother having kids... or pets they'd try to feed a cat a vegitarian diet

I say more votes, don't degrade yourself to your SO until more young people have acctually answered!!

 

[Raiquee]

lol @ last sentence.

You know, there are stupid people of all ages out there. I also almost pull my hair in WONDER at the child abuse that happens in todays society and a lot of that isn't teenagers...

I just get offended because at the age of 22 having a child, with another one on the way, people think I am too young to raise a child. Quite the contrary, I had a friend who was 32, and she fed her son frozen chicken nuggets and chunks of cheese because "that's all he'll eat".

My baby ate EVERYTHING I made, for dinner or otherwise. No special "kids" meals, I think those are a crock. As long as they are able to chew the food, hes getting what i'm eating. I'm not stopping dinner to make mac n cheese cause someone doesn't like green beans.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Our doctor gave us a list of new foods to try at each well visit. As far as Lily goes, we aren't "omg everything organic" parents, but she eats a balanced diet. And even at meals we aren't home, I pack her lunch/dinner so she isn't eating crap. This parents have no excuse, because even in the baby food isle they have microwaveable meals with a pretty balanced diet. I don't think it'd be ideal...but it'd keep him from getting scurvy.

 

[PineappleMama]

A cookie in each hand?

Sign over the door of my old workplace sure you're shocked that it was a cookie store huh?

 

[redhen]

Whats wrong with feeding them fried chicken and frech fries and pizza all the time? They can get their veggies on the pizza..

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
I saw that episode!! I believe that every High School freshman should have a year of "Family Studies" where they have to take care different aged dolls so that they deal with different stages of development. Maybe there will be one less pregnant teen