How to make sure your toddler is getting the right nutrition

For busy parents, having healthy on-the-go snacks handy is a lifesaver. But often, food touted as “healthy,” well, isn’t. To make things more transparent, organic baby food company Happy Family took a new step this month launching a new product line for babies older than six months, Clearly Crafted, so parents can more easily see what exactly they are feeding their child.

“Our company really values that parents know exactly what is in the food they are giving their kids. So for us, the first step was launching a clear pouch so you can literally see what’s in it,” Happy Family founder and CEO Shazi Visram tells us. “And second, we have all the information for preparing the foods, including where the ingredients are grown and who prepares them.” Here, Visram shares with us her tips for making sure your little ones are eating all the right stuff.

1. Teach your kids about food early on.

“Help your kids develop a healthy relationship with food as early as possible,” Visram says. Taking your kids with you to the supermarket and picking out fresh fruits and veggies together as well as having them in the kitchen while you cook both will help foster a healthy relationship with food.

Related: 8 ways to eat healthy

2. Know exactly what your child needs at every age.

Between the ages of one and five, the nutritional guidelines for kids changes, so Visram tells us it’s important to know exactly what they need as they grow. (Click here for a handy guide.) This is so important, she’s based the way Happy Family’s labels look based on it. “We show the exact proportions of each fruit and vegetable [on the label] instead of making it a guessing game,” she says.

3. Speak up at pediatric appointments.

If you have any questions at all about nutrition, your child’s pediatrician is there to help. “It’s up to the parent to say, ‘I want to learn about my son or daughter’s health,'” Visram says. If your child has any allergies, they can also recommend specific foods that will ensure your child is getting all the vitamins he or she on might be otherwise missing out on. “The more information you have, the better choices you can make,” Visram says.