What should my child eat daily? That’s the question parents everywhere ask, especially when the food battles begin. Countless times you have stood in the kitchen, wondering what should your child be eating every day.
You’re packing lunch boxes, planning dinners, bribing with fruit, or wondering if a whole day of bread and tea is enough. Feeding kids isn’t easy, and the good part is, you don’t need a degree to get it right.
This blog breaks down child nutrition by age group, using simple, local foods you can find in your kitchen or at your neighborhood market. So whether you’ve got a 6-month-old, a toddler who says no to everything, or a pre-schooler with endless energy, here’s your go-to guide.
What Should My Child Eat Daily from 0–6 Months: Just Milk Is Enough
At this stage, it’s simple. Breast milk (or formula) is all your baby needs. No pap, no water, no solids, just milk.
- Feed on demand—watch for hunger cues like hand-sucking, lip-smacking, or fussiness.
- Breast milk provides all the essential nutrients, hydration, and antibodies for your baby’s first six months.
- If you’re formula feeding, make sure you’re using it correctly.
In fact, breast milk alone is enough to support your baby’s growth and immune system during this time.
Meanwhile, if you’re not producing enough milk or have concerns, don’t worry—there are ways to increase supply and get help.
If you’re worried about low milk supply, check out our [BREASTFEEDING GUIDE]
What Should My Child Eat Daily from 6–12 Months: Let’s Introduce Solids
By 6 months, your baby needs more than milk alone, especially nutrients like iron, zinc, and protein. This is the golden window for introducing solids, while continuing regular breast or formula feeds.
We’re not just feeding for fullness now, we’re feeding for growth, development, and healthy eating habits later in life. The goal is to gently expose your baby to different food textures, flavors, and nutrients while still offering their usual milk feeds.
Here’s a guide to nutrient-rich, easy-to-digest foods you can start with:
- Still give milk (breast or formula), but now add:
- Pap with milk, or nuts and seed mix, or fruits, or peanut butter, or mashed egg.
- Mashed potato, yam, plantain.
- Pureed rice, veggies, beans
- Well cooked meat – chicken, deboned fish etc.
- Pap with milk, or nuts and seed mix, or fruits, or peanut butter, or mashed egg.
Get our [6 MONTHS+ NUTRITIOUS & EASY RECIPES]
Bonus Tips:
- Introduce one new food at a time, and watch for reactions.
- Avoid salt, sugar, honey, and cow milk at this age.
- Offer solids 1–2 times a day after milk feed, then gradually increase as baby gets more comfortable.
- Always supervise feeding and make sure food textures are safe.
Start small and increase the variety slowly. Texture, taste and nutrition are all important now. You’re training their taste bud. And don’t forget to keep them properly hydrated.
Need help figuring out how to start solids without stress? Our [WEANING MADE EASY AND MEAL PLAN] is filled with sample menus and answers to common questions about weaning.
Healthy Meals For Kids 1–3 Years: The Toddler Tornado
Welcome to the age of food drama. One day they love rice, the next day it’s war. Toddlers are fussy, but they’re also growing fast. They need food that fills them up and fuels their growth.
What a toddler should eat daily:
- 3 meals + 2 snacks each day
- Offer from all 6 food groups: carbs, protein, healthy fats, fruits, veggies.
Examples:
- Breakfast: Pap + groundnut paste or mashed boiled egg
- Snack: Banana + unsweetened yogurt
- Lunch: Rice + beans + stew + veggie (like ugu or spinach)
- Snack: Homemade smoothie
- Dinner: Swallow (like amala or eba) with okra or egusi soup
Don’t worry if they don’t eat much in one sitting, it’s the quality they consume over a few days that counts.
And if your toddler is super picky? Don’t sweat it. We’ve helped hundreds of parents in our [PEDS NUTRITION CHALLENGE] Sign up now and you will be glad, you did.
What Should My Child Eat Daily from 4–6 Years: Big Energy
At this stage, they’re already in school, become more active, and their brain and body demand more fuel. They need meals that keeps them energized, strong immunity and focus for learning. Get our nutritionist approved [IMMUNITY BUILDING GUIDE]
What a preschooler should eat daily:
- 3 balanced meals + 2 filling snacks
- At least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable every day
- Water – lots of it!
Meal Sample:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal + milk + banana
- Snack: Watermelon
- Lunch: Yam porridge with ugu and fish
- Snack: Homemade meat pie
- Dinner: Rice + chicken + cooked carrot and green peas
Get creative with colors and presentation. Kids eat with their eyes first. To get more recipes to make nourishing and balanced meals for your children, Get our [12 months and beyond] recipe here.
Why It’s Important to Know What Your Child Should Eat Daily
Ultimately, what your child eats today impacts their growth, development, and overall health. By offering a wide variety of healthy foods, you’re setting them up for a lifetime of good eating habits. Therefore, start early with nutritious meals, and they’ll be more likely to embrace healthy choices as they grow. Nutrition4kidsng has a wide variety of short courses to put you on the right track. You can explore them [HERE].
In Conclusion, Feeding your child doesn’t need to be complicated; start by utilizing the food you already have available, focus on giving a diverse range of foods to ensure varied nutrients and expose them to different tastes and textures. Following these steps will help reduce feeding stress and promote a healthier, more sustainable approach to nourishing your children.
