Of all the threats that surround your precious little toddler, children's diseases and high fevers are probably the least that you may need to worry about. More insidious are the everyday threats that you may not even realise exist.
Toddlers - a crucial developmental stage
You are probably aware that this phase of development is the most crucial of all. Between six and 35 months, we not only grow physically, but also mentally at a very high rate unparalleled in our lifetime. This is the time the foundation for our future health is laid. In fact, children between 1 and 3 years of age require twice the calories and iron that we do as adults.
It is therefore not enough to feed the child what you may eat yourself. Adult diets may often be bulky and your pre-schoolers require energy-and-nutrient-dense diet as their stomach capacity is limited. What constitutes a good diet for you may not be good enough to meet your pre-schooler's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Making every bite count at this stage is crucial for two reasons. First, at that age, children are unable to eat large meals at a time and, second, an adequate supply of micronutrients will serve as the building blocks for a healthy life.
As opposed to macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats, micronutrients are required by the body only in minute quantities. However, these small amounts are central to their healthy growth. For instance, DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid is essential for brain and retinal development at this stage and is found in fatty fish. Certain oils like soya supply Omega-3 fatty acids but not preformed DHA which needs to be synthesised in the body from the parent Omega-3 fatty acid. Similarly, calcium and magnesium are minerals that are crucial for growth and found in milk and milk products, greens; zinc, found in peanuts, high protein food like meat and legumes, stimulates growth, reduces chances of infection and boosts immunity and other enzyme activity. And these are just a few of the essential vitamins and minerals.
Is your little one eating right?
You may feel that your child is already getting adequate amounts of all these crucial nutrients, but take a look at the figures. According to some diet surveys in India, three out of four pre-school children drink less than 30% of the suggested milk intake. Additionally, nine out of ten children (1- 3 yrs) fall below normal height range.
Even educated mothers from relatively affluent households may often fail to ensure an adequate dietary intake for their little ones.
We are all familiar with the reasons - fast-paced lifestyles that tend to make cooking traditional recipes difficult; the fuss that children themselves create when faced with green leafy vegetables and plain milk; their insistence on less healthy alternatives like potato chips and soft drinks; and of course, the tendency of kids at this age to want to eat meals on their own rather than being fed by an adult… All these might lead to gaps in their nutrition. However, there are solutions available.
What you can do 
Exposing your child to a wide variety of flavours and textures at this stage will help to lay the foundation of healthy eating habits that will stay with him or her, life long. You can make regular mealtimes interesting and a learning experience for the child - try involving your little ones in the preparation of their meal. Encourage them to ask questions and have them assist in the process whenever feasible.
Periodically feeding them small, nutritious snacks is a better idea than trying to force feed them three meals a day. Ensure that you have a supply of healthy munchies such as fruits and roasted whole grain snacks ready at hand.
You can also vary your cooking methods to maximise the nutritional value in each meal. For instance, minimising the heating/cooking duration helps retain essential vitamins to some extent.
*Steaming is another option because this causes lesser loss of nutrients than frying.
*Soaking cereals and pulses before cooking boosts the nutrient value of the food.
*Digestibility of the cereal is also increased by malting (soaking cereals like jowar, barley and others overnight) to improve their digestibility and enhance their nutritive content. These can further be added to milk for a tasty and healthy liquid snack.
*It is important to use the water in which cereals or pulses are soaked, so as to retain the B- vitamins that get mixed in the water.
*Sprouting is another good option. Moong dal for instance, if sprouted and served in an appetising salad, boosts vitamin intake and encourages amylase production which, in turn, improves digestion and reduces colic to which youngsters are so prone.
*Finally, remember to always wash fruits before cutting and not after, as this helps retain essential nutrients.
 A diet considered adequate by you and milk alone might not be enough to ensure a sufficient intake of micronutrients. Fortunately, some of the new health food drinks in the market can lend a helping hand. They appeal to young palates and are easy to prepare and digest. They combine the nutritional qualities of milk, malted barley and wheat.
In addition to providing supplemental calories from carbohydrates, fats and protein, they provide essential vitamins and minerals which are so crucial to your child's development, and currently some of the health drinks are being fortified with DHA, which is important for brain and retinal development.
Nutritional health drinks prepared from home resources are cheap and good. However, people who cannot make them at home may use commercially available health food drinks. Also, their appealing flavours make it easier for mothers to persuade their fussy pre-schoolers to try them.