A Toddler Relishing Bottle Of Milk
The Public Health Association of Australia has raised serious concerns over publication of the Paleo diet cookbook for toddlers, co-authored by celebrity chef Pete Evans. In Photo: Recent Study shows the in Australia, toddlers diet does not have enough meat to fulfill their iron requirement. Reuters

Poor diet among toddlers in Australia is becoming a major concern. As revealed by a latest study led by QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, poor diet is leading to iron deficiency and is triggering anemia among the kids.

The transition age from breast-milk to the normal diet is very crucial for healthy development. Parents typically experience a difficult time in feeding their kids as they simply refuse to try any new food.

The behaviour of refusing the food offered is normal among toddlers. It is a very common tendency among kids 1 to 3 years old to develop neophobia, which makes them cling to the formula food or mother's milk and refuse to try new tastes.

Medical experts constantly recommend balanced food once the child turns one. They should have enough intake of fruits, vegetables and good quality meat. Lack of meat in the toddler's diet can result in iron deficiency, which in turn can cause behavioural problems, low immunity, lethargy and a low rate of growth and development.

For healthy development, doctors recommend that day toddlers should be eating 65 grams of cooked lean meats, such as beef, lamb and kangaroo, per day.

Queensland University of Technology researchers have recently conducted a study on diets of more than 550 children between 12 and 16 months over a period of 24 hours. The results found were very disturbing. One in five kids did not consume meat at all. About half of those kids who ate meat consumed less than 30 grams as compared to the recommended dose of 65 grams per day.

The study found that only 56 per cent of kids consumed all five food groups, namely, fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat and dairy while 13 per cent ate food from only three or fewer groups.

A quarter of the children are still breast fed even if they were beyond 12 months old. Ideally, toddlers should have more diverse diet and their dependability on dairy products should lower at this point.

The research was led by Rebecca Byrne. She felt that too much reliance on formula and cow's milk led to toddlers being full and never in a mood to try new food. Frequent offerings of high nutrition food are highly recommended as it will help the child to get used to the new taste.

The project was part of a QUT's obesity prevention study, NOURISH, which monitored nearly 700 mothers and their kids under age five.