The article presents current knowledge of the principles of nutrition of children in second and third years of age. After first year of life the energy needs of the child is reduced to 90 kcal/kg/day and the growth rate is changed as well. Half of the energy is expended for physical activity, so the nutritional depends on child's physical activity. Energy supply should be from carbohydrates in 60-65% and from fat in 35-40%. The diet should be gradually enriched with fatty acids (PUFA) contained in vegetable oils, fatty marine fish, nuts and green vegetables. Up to second year of life, it is recommended a diet rich in fats, mostly derived from butter. Later, it should be progressively reduce animal fats to prevent obesity. A child should not be used for fatty meats and raw eggs because they contain avidin. Up to third year of age is preferable to administration of compound products such as "junior" milk than cow's milk. Featured cereal products containing carbohydrates are primarily whole wheat and coarse grits. Fluid intake in young children is about 950 ml/day. Best to drink is water, unsweetened herbal teas and natural fruit juices. The proper nutrition consists also the form. We should earn the child rituals and good eating habits. We should be guided by the 4U principle: variety, moderation, avoiding and regulating. Today, we could see an improvement in the nutritional status of Polish children, but sometimes there are shortcomings. The most common mistakes include excessive use of salt, not very varied diet, lack and impatient at meal times, nervous atmosphere during meals, and excessive grinding products.
