Now that your baby has grown into a rambunctious toddler, making sure that he gets proper nutrition from his daily diet can be a lot trickier, especially if your child is a picky eater. But giving in is not the answer; in fact, it's crucial to ensure that your child establishes proper eating habits so that they will understand nutrition facts later on. Luckily, you can rest assured; with our easy-to-follow Healthy Eating Guide for Toddlers, introducing healthy food to your little one has never been easier!

Tips on How to Ensure Your Child Gets the Nutrition They Need
Although feeding babies can be a difficult task, making sure toddlers have a healthy, balanced diet can sometimes seem more like an Olympic event.

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters and fickle ones as well. They might refuse one food, while binging on others for weeks at a time before eventually tiring of them.

While you might worry about whether your toddler is getting the nutrition she needs, remember that children this age only typically eat one to two full meals daily; although it is important to keep preparing three well-balanced and nutritious meals.

Also, think about your child's long-term healthy eating habits. While your child may not be meeting the basic daily nutrition requirements outlined by the Food Pyramid for Kids,

if they are eating healthy foods overall on a weekly basis, then you needn't worry. Remember that unlike infants, toddlers don't go through very many physical changes and so therefore don't require as many calories.

If you're still concerned about your child's eating habits, talk to your child's doctor about possible vitamin supplements. Keep an eye on your child's energy levels; even if he is eating only small amounts of healthy food, if his energy levels seem normal, then he's probably fine.

Follow these guidelines for a step-by-step approach to healthy eating for your toddler:

 never use food as a bribe, reward or punishment; this will only cause eating habit problems later on in life.  make sure that dinnertime conversation is pleasant; don't discuss your child's eating habits during dinner.

 limit food and drink to the table or high chair and try to make sure your child doesn't fill up on snacks or sugar-filled juice before dinnertime. And be sure to offer about two healthy snacks a day.

 be creative: make mealtime fun! Make a 'face' on your pizza out of vegetables and other toppings like green pepper, mushrooms and pepperoni; or try making a healthy dip for chicken fingers.

 if your toddler doesn't want to eat a certain food, don't force him to eat it and don't offer an alternative; this will only cause more serious eating problems later in your child's life. And don't worry, your toddler won't starve if he misses a meal.

 offer your child smaller portions; larger portions can be overwhelming for a young child, especially if he's already a poor eater.

 fortify foods and snacks with healthy ingredients; for example, add fresh blueberries to low-fat bran muffins and cauliflower to spaghetti.

 if your family has a history of being overweight, don't talk about calories or weight. The focus of your child's diet should be nutrition, not dieting.

 visit a farm or orchard; get your child interested in food and how it's prepared.

 let your child play at sous-chef! Involve your child in the planning and preparation of meals; let him wear his own apron and give him easy tasks to start, like mixing ingredients or adding toppings.

 set a positive example for your children. If you maintain healthy eating habits, your child will be so much more likely to as well.

Tips on Introducing Healthy Foods to Your Toddler
Introducing new foods to a picky eater can be challenging. But it's important to introduce healthy ingredients now and again in order to ensure that your children get the nutrition they need.

Here are some simple tips that will make sure your toddler is on the road to healthy eating:

 be honest about new ingredients. If you're mixing in spinach with a dish, tell your child. Say, "I've added a yummy new ingredient to our dinner tonight: spinach." Hiding ingredients and not being honest about them will only cause resentment later on.

 introduce new foods in small amounts; for example, offer your toddler a tablespoon of peas, instead of a plateful. That way, he won't feel so overwhelmed and he'll be more likely to try the new food he's being offered.

 introduce new ingredients with something your child loves; try adding sweet peas as a new pizza topping Never force your child to try something, but don't give up either. Try introducing that new ingredient in different ways until your toddler tries it. Never give up on your child's diet needs; her lifelong healthy eating habits depend on it.

Kids Food Pyramid Guide: Healthy Eating Guide for Your Children
It can be difficult to get your children to establish healthy eating habits, especially if your children are picky eaters, which is why a food pyramid guide for kids is so essential - not only to help you become more educated about the nutrition your child needs, but also for ensuring she establishes healthy eating habits early on.

Nutrition Facts: The Food Pyramid
The Food Pyramid for children is an essential tool to healthy eating for children.

Based on the four food groups, the food guide pyramid for kids stresses above all variety and nutrition. Children, from toddlers to pre-adolescents, are encouraged to have a variety of foods from each color group per day and to eat more of certain healthy foods and less of others. How much of these foods children should eat is regulated by their age, sex and activity level.

The food groups included in the kids food pyramid guide are grouped by color:

 ORANGE: Grains Parents should make sure that half of their children's intake of grains comes from whole grain sources, such as whole wheat pasta and rice. Four to eight year olds require 4-5 ounces (which is the equivalent of a serving) of grains a day; girls 9 to 13 years of age require 5 ounces of grains daily while boys the same age require 6 ounces a day. Grains are important to a healthy diet because they are made up of carbohydrates, which give children energy.

 GREEN: Vegetables Children should eat a variety of vegetables like peas, legumes and broccoli, as vegetables are great sources of vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, and fiber, which aids digestion. Children 4 to 8 years old should have 1 to 1 and ½ cups of vegetables daily, while girls ages 9 to 13 should have 2 cups of vegetables daily. It is recommended that boys from 9 to 13 years old have 2 and ½ cups of vegetables per day.

 RED: Fruits Fruits should be central to any child's diet, as they are an excellent source of nutrition and vitamins, like vitamin A, which helps build healthy eyes and skin. Fruits like blueberries, oranges and apples are especially great for children's health. Children four to eight years old should have 1 to 1 and ½ cups of fruit daily, while boys and girls 9 to 13 years of age should have 1 and ½ cups of fruit servings a day.

 BLUE: Milk An excellent source of calcium (which helps build strong bones and teeth), milk and milk products like yogurt, low-fat cheese and calcium-fortified orange juice are essential components to healthy eating for children. Children 4 to 8 years old should have 1 to 2 servings of milk a day, while girls and boys from 9 to 13 years old should have 3 servings of dairy products daily.

 PURPLE: Meat Meat is an excellent source of iron, which provides children with energy. Opt for leaner choices for your child's diet like skinless chicken and turkey. Four to eight year olds should have 3 to 4 ounces of meat daily, while 9 to 13 year old girls and boys should have five ounces of meat daily.

While not an actual food group, oils are another component to healthy eating for children. Although oils contain fat, small amounts are essential for proper development; good sources of healthy oils are fish, nuts, canola oil and corn oil.

The food pyramid for kids also stresses the importance of regular exercise for children; so try enrolling them in swimming classes or going bike riding together. Also, limit your children's intake of fat and sugars in order to ensure that your children are on the road to a lifetime of good health.