Looking after toddlers can be tiring work, but new research has revealed that it should be the toddlers complaining of exhaustion.
Parenting on Female First
The little ones’ daily antics, which might include anything from tottering from one end of the sofa to the other, playing in their sandpit and even their afternoon nap, uses the same energy as an adult running 30 miles or playing eight hours straight of singles tennis.
Toddlers taking their first solo steps, navigating the front room on their tricycle, or clambering up the stairs for a cuddle are all heart-warming moments for a parent, worthy of photographs for the family album.
What mums and dads may not realise is that on a daily basis, the nutrition that little ones require to achieve these tiny milestones is comparable to the power grown-ups need to complete major feats, according to experts at Growing Up Milk Info.
The findings suggest that the constant running around involved in a day in the life of a toddler, means that the tots burn the same energy as an adult would cycling the 82 miles between London and Southampton and spending 250 minutes in the boxing ring.
The survey, called First Steps Research, highlights how a toddler’s daily activities are the same as an adult competing in 300 hours of football (that’s nearly four football matches) or a rowing session of six hours (plenty of time to cross the 21 miles of the English Channel).
Dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton said: “If a little one saw their mum or dad run a marathon every day they would be pretty impressed!”
“Of course, parents experience the same positive emotions when they witness the many milestones their toddler achieves each week - they are just unaware how much extra nutrition is needed to fuel this amazing development between the ages of one and three years,” she said.
Research was conducted by working out the average calories required to support a toddler on a daily basis in conjunction with their weight, resting metabolic rate and energy necessary for growth, development and activity. The result was that a toddler’s intake equated ‘pound for pound’ to a 3,600 calorie daily diet for an adult, enough to run marathons, climb Ben Nevis twice and box more than 83 rounds consecutively.
Getting the ‘right’ nutrition is the key point here, as additional research by Growing Up Milk Info reveals that more than three quarters (78%) of parents think their toddler’s dietary needs are met if they eat the same meals as the rest of their family. In fact, ‘pound for pound’ (per kg of body weight, per day) toddlers require:
· Nearly three times as much energy from food compared to adults
· More than four times the amount of iron and vitamin C
· Around three times the amount of calcium, zinc and vitamin A
· More fat than adults, particularly ‘good’ unsaturated fats
· Less salt in their food than adults
And when it comes to vitamin D, which is especially important for toddlers’ bone development, the Government recognises that young children are particularly vulnerable so it has defined a specific dietary requirement for toddlers.
In the UK, a typical toddler diet and sunlight are unlikely to provide enough of the vitamin D that little ones’ need. Further research by Growing Up Milk Info reveals nearly eight out of 10 parents are totally unaware of toddlers’ specific nutritional needs in relation to vitamin D, with the average British tot receiving only around a quarter of their daily dietary requirement.
“I hope the findings of the First Steps Research go some way to help parents understand why it is so important for our toddlers to get the ‘right’ healthy balanced diet designed to meet their special nutritional needs – including the right amount of vitamins – for this amazing period of growth and development,” added Dr Ruxton.