How to help>Confident Parenting>Minimal Diet

Minimal Diet for a Child under 5

(adapted from Brazelton 1992 ‘Touchpoints’)

• 1 pint milk/ yoghurt/ cheese/ dairy ice-cream, or 4 ounces of cheese
  e.g. 1 day: cereal with milk + 1 yoghurt + cheese ( matchbox-size) 
• 2 ounces/ 100 g protein (+ iron): fish, meat, egg, cereals/ bread (iron-fortified), beans/ lentils or 1 iron supplement
  e.g. 1 day: 1 egg + some whole-grain bread/ fish/ baked beans/ dhal/ meat 
• 1 ounce/ 50 g fresh fruit/ fruit juice:
  e.g. 1 day:½ glass of orange-juice or ½ apple/ orange, some grapes
• 1 (piece) vegetable or 1 multi-vitamin tablet
  e.g. 1 day: a few peas, some carrot, tomato, potato, cucumber, broccoli

One Day (example)

• cereal with milk
• 1 yoghurt
• cheese ( matchbox-size),
• 1 egg/ some fish/ baked beans/ dhal/ meat
• whole-grain bread/ rice
• ½ glass of orange-juice or ½ apple/ orange, some grapes
• a few peas, some carrot, tomato, potato, cucumber, broccoli

Avoid non-foods

• sugar, chocolate and artificial sweeteners
• salt
• additives, E-numbers, food colours and colourings
• artificial flavours, esp. monosodium glutamate
• ready-made and highly processed foods