Toddler – Page 9 – First 1000 Days

Professor Michael Turner welcomes the First 1000 Days Movement

First 1000 Days Team

“I warmly welcome the launch of this new website “the first 1,000 days”.

Toddler – Beef and Veggie Burger

First 1000 Days Team

“Yummy burgers packed with extra goodness.”

– Jenny O’Dea, Nutritionist, Danone Baby Nutrition

These burgers are also great to cook for all the family at summer barbecues. You can make them bigger for the adults in the family.

Serves 4

Professor Mike Gibney recognises the importance of the First 1000 Days

First 1000 Days Team

The importance of brain development in the First 1,000 Days is reflected in the extent to which the brain uses the energy consumed by infants.

Toddler – Cowboy Hotpot

First 1000 Days Team

“The colours and variety of textures in this dish will help your child to develop their taste and interests in new foods”

– Michelle Skelly, Clinical Dietician, Laois

What a great way to incorporate lots of vegetables and oily fish into your toddler’s diet. Sssssh don’t tell your toddler!

Serves 7

Baby – Easy Peasy Homemade Hummus

First 1000 Days Team

“Hummus is perfect to use as a dip for small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables, or as a spread instead of butter. Infants love the savoury fresh taste and it’s a great way to encourage them to self-feed which develops their hand and eye co-ordination and feeding autonomy.”

Ruth Charles, Paediatric Dietician, Westmeath

Serves 12, suitable from 6 months on;

Tip! Why not set aside some of this mixture for the adults in the family and spice things up by blending in some chopped red chilli if you dare!

Toddler – Creamy Pork and Apple

First 1000 Days Team

“Everyone in the family will love this tasty casserole dish, a different take on the usual pork with apple sauce.”

– Louise Reynolds, Dietitian, Danone Baby Nutrition

TIP – We often take the quality of our Irish pork for granted when you really can’t beat it anywhere else in the world! Chop the pork into nice small pieces that your toddler is able to tuck in to.

Serves 12

Toddler – Salmon Fish Fingers with wedges, roasted carrot & parsnip

First 1000 Days Team

“Salmon fish fingers – Ditch the processed fish and give this nutritious alternative to fish fingers a try!”

– Jessica Schram, Paediatric Dietitian, Dublin

Tip – Swap salmon with cod for a tasty alternative.

Toddler Nutrition

First 1000 Days Team

Watch this video to learn about the importance of nutrition in the first 1000 days.

Vitamin D Intake

First 1000 Days Team

Intakes of Vitamin D are also generally low in Irish toddlers indicating that many toddlers are at risk of missing out on this key nutrient for bone growth. Good dietary sources of vitamin D include eggs and oily fish.

Baby – Kiwi-Cado

First 1000 Days Team

“A quick and simple, nutritious and delicious snack for the little ones”

Jessica Schram, Paediatric Dietician, Dublin

Serves 6

Tip!

An avocado is ripe when its skin turns from green to a dark brown/green color.

A ripe avocado should “give” slightly when it is gently squeezed.

Never refrigerate unripened (hard) avocados because they will not ripen in cold temperatures.

Unripened avocados are best stored in a cool dark place until they have ripened.

To speed up the ripening process you can put the avocado in a brown paper bag and it should ripen in 3-6 days.

If you add a tomato, apple or banana to a paper bag in which you have placed an avocado this will speed up the ripening process and will usually only take one to three days to ripen.