UK TODDLER ‘CENSUS’ RELEASED

The first-ever ‘Census’ of the UK’s toddlers is released Tuesday 9 August 2011

A snapshot of what it’s like to be aged one to three in Britain today, the ‘Census’ reveals our pre-schoolers are an impressively sociable and cultured lot.  85% own designer clothes, they average ten friends (rivalling mum) and enjoy nearly £1,000 of activities a year, including ‘soft play’, swimming and even yoga classes!

However, the wide ranging survey also reveals the impact busier lifestyles and a lack of consistent information for parents are having on the nation’s toddlers when it comes to the ‘state of their plates’. This comes in the wake of long-standing concerns about toddler nutrition.

Junk, fast and convenience food play a worryingly big role – 86% of toddlers surveyed had tried chips, 80% had tried pizza and chips, 68% had tried chicken nuggets and 40% had tried Chinese takeaway. 1 in 100 parents say they’ve never cooked a meal for their child and those who do only rotate an average of ten recipes across lunch and dinner.

Our toddlers are more likely to eat burgers than broccoli, spend longer watching TV or playing on a computer than they spend on their meals (just 46 mins a day) and six in ten have already visited a fast-food restaurant.

Meanwhile, the inconsistent information available on toddler diets means it’s perhaps unsurprising eight out of ten parents don’t realise that toddlers’ nutritional needs are not met if they eat the same meals as adults. Historically, vitamins A, C and D, omega 3 and iron are lacking in many UK toddlers’ diets. In fact, the UK Departments of Health even recommend all children be given vitamin A, C and D supplements from the age of one to five – but three quarters of toddlers are not given these.

And toddlers’ typical fussy or faddy eating proves a serious stress to parents trying to encourage good eating habits, with 44% even feeling they have to stretch the truth to other parents about their toddler’s diet.

The ‘Census’ highlights that the crucial and unique toddler years have often been overlooked when it comes to nutrition, development and advice; suggesting we think of our one to three year olds as not just toddlers but ‘Little One-ders’, in a bid to address this.

Listen to the Podcast here with Nutritionist and mum of two, Amanda Ursell Child psychologist and dad, Dr Richard Woolfson.