I just emailed my doctor about this last night and this was her response.
FEEDING YOUR TODDLER
Toddlers are active, curious, and fun. They may also have quirky eating habits that make them challenging eaters. Here are some tips for feeding
your toddler.
• Eat family meals together with the TV off. Keep mealtime relaxing and fun. Meals together allow you to model the eating habits you want your child to have. Let your child see you eating breakfast and enjoying fruits and vegetables.
• You decide what food to serve, and where and when to serve meals and snacks. Then let your child decide whether he is hungry and how much to
eat. Don’t make your child clean his plate.
• Children’s appetites naturally go up and down. When your child is sick or teething he may not eat much. At other times he may eat a lot. The amount of food a child eats varies from day to day.
• Toddlers will sometimes want to graze or snack throughout the day instead of eating meals. To encourage your toddler to eat at mealtime, it’s okay to limit snacks and just serve water an hour or two before a meal.
• Toddlers need small portions. A good rule of thumb is to serve 1 tablespoon of a food for each year of age. For example: serve 3 tablespoons of peas for a three-year-old. Let your child ask for more if he wants it.
• Give your child healthy choices. For example, ask if he wants an apple or a banana as a snack. Avoid soda, sweets, chips and fast food, which are not good for your child and can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
• Avoid bribing or rewarding with food. Give hugs and attention as rewards instead.
• Avoid foods that could cause choking: whole nuts, grapes, hot dogs, popcorn, chunks of meat and vegetables, peanut butter and hard, chunky candy.
• Toddlers can be messy eaters. Your child will eat with his hands most of the time, but encourage him to use a child-size spoon and fork too. Minimize the mess by serving small portions, using large bibs, and keeping towels handy. Remember, your child is learning how to eat and needs practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
My toddler is a fussy eater. What should I do?
- It is common for toddlers to be picky eaters. Your child is growing more slowly than he did as a baby and may not have as much of an appetite. He is becoming more independent and saying no to many things, including food. Some toddlers are not interested in trying new foods. All these things are normal but can be frustrating. Your child will learn to like new foods when he sees, smells, and (hopefully) tastes them over and over again. Be patient. Don’t make extra work for yourself by making a special meal for your toddler. Feed your toddler like the rest of the family. He can eat most of the foods you eat, as long as they are soft and/or cut into small pieces that are easy to handle.
What if my toddler won’t eat vegetables?
- First, keep serving vegetables and showing your child that you eat and enjoy them. Second, remember that fruit has many of the same nutrients
vegetables do, so serve a variety prepared in different ways. Your child may like to dip vegetables better than eating them plain. Beans and peas can also help make up for vegetables. Many young children enjoy refried beans, hummus, beans and rice, and bean soups.
What if my toddler won’t drink milk?
- Don’t force your child to drink milk. Serve cheese, yogurt, and foods made with milk, such as pudding, custard, and creamy soups. Add nonfat dry milk powder to yogurt, smoothies, and mashed potatoes. Try serving milk extra cold with ice, in a special cup, or with a special straw.
What are some healthy, portable snacks for toddlers?
- Think of snacks as a chance to serve your child nutritious food, not just cookies or crackers. Plan ahead and keep a small cooler or lunchbox full
of snacks to go. Some nutritious choices include:
• fresh fruit like bananas, sliced pears, strawberries, or cups of applesauce or diced peaches
• fresh vegetables like thin zucchini strips, diced cooked carrots, cucumber sticks, red bell pepper slivers, etc.
• cooked small pasta shapes such as shells, bowties, orzo, etc.
• half sandwiches on soft, whole grain bread
• cheese with whole grain crackers
• low fat yogurt
• small containers of whole grain cereals
GUIDELINES FOR DIET
GRAINS:
Number of servings per day: 4 to 6
Serving size: 1/4 slice of bread, 1/2 cup cold cereal, 1/4 cup cooked pasta,
1/4 cup hot cereal, 1/4 cup rice, 2 to 3 crackers
Some healthy ideas: Choose whole grains as often as possible. Serve oatmeal, corn tortillas, crackers made from whole wheat, corn, or oats, 100% whole wheat bread, and whole grain cereals.
VEGETABLES
Number of servings per day: 2 to 3
Serving size: 1 to 2 tablespoons or 3 ounces of vegetable juice
Some healthy ideas: Make sure vegetables are cooked soft and cut up so toddlers can chew them. Offer orange vegetables like carrots, cooked squash or yams, as well as green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach.
FRUIT
Number of servings per day: 2
Serving size: 1 to 2 tablespoons, 1/4 piece, or 2-3 ounces fruit juice
Some healthy ideas: Limit 100% fruit juice to 4 ounces (1/2 cup) per day and serve it in a cup only, not a bottle. Serve water to a thirsty child. Offer a variety of fruits including orange fruits such as apricots, mango, papaya, and peaches, and citrus fruits like oranges and mandarins.
PROTEIN FOODS
Number of servings per day: 2 to 3
Serving size:1 to 2 tablespoons meat, poultry or fish, 3 tablespoons beans, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 egg, 1/4 cup tofu
Some healthy ideas: Meats can be hard for toddlers to chew, so offer ground meats (meat loaf or meat balls), and cut other meat into small pieces. Serve hard-boiled and scrambled eggs, chopped or mashed beans, bean or pea soup, tofu and hummus. Fish without bones is another good choice.
DAIRY
Number of servings per day: 2
Serving size: 8 ounces of milk or soy milk (up to 24 oz. per day), 8 ounces yogurt, 11/2 to 2 ounces of cheese
Some healthy ideas: Continue to breastfeed for as long as it works for you and your child. At 12 months, you can also serve your child whole cow’s milk or soy milk. After age two, switch to nonfat or low-fat milk. Always put cow or soy milk in a cup and wean your child from the bottle between 12 and 18 months. If your child drinks soy milk, make sure it is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
You can help your child have a healthy weight and strong body now and in the future: serve a variety of healthy foods and make sure that your child
plays actively for an hour every day. Remember that the eating habits your child learns now are the foundation for healthy habits later in life.
Resources
Web sites
- Kids Health:
KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health
- Children’s Nutrition Research Center Resources for Parents
Web Links -- General Nutrition Information for Parents
Books
- Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter
- How to Get Your Kid To Eat….but Not Too Much by Ellyn Satter
- American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child’s Nutrition: Making Peace at the Table and Building Healthy Eating Habits for Life by
American Academy of Pediatrics et al. Newsletter
- Tiny Tummies Food and Nutrition Newsletter for Parents
Tiny Tummies celebrates food and families!
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of medical advice or care you receive from your child’s physician or other health care professional. If your child has persistent health problems, or if you have further questions, please consult your child’s doctor.
I just emailed my doctor about this last night and this was her response.
FEEDING YOUR TODDLER
Toddlers are active, curious, and fun. They may also have quirky eating habits that make them challenging eaters. Here are some tips for feeding
your toddler.
• Eat family meals together with the TV off. Keep mealtime relaxing and fun. Meals together allow you to model the eating habits you want your child to have. Let your child see you eating breakfast and enjoying fruits and vegetables.
• You decide what food to serve, and where and when to serve meals and snacks. Then let your child decide whether he is hungry and how much to
eat. Don’t make your child clean his plate.
• Children’s appetites naturally go up and down. When your child is sick or teething he may not eat much. At other times he may eat a lot. The amount of food a child eats varies from day to day.
• Toddlers will sometimes want to graze or snack throughout the day instead of eating meals. To encourage your toddler to eat at mealtime, it’s okay to limit snacks and just serve water an hour or two before a meal.
• Toddlers need small portions. A good rule of thumb is to serve 1 tablespoon of a food for each year of age. For example: serve 3 tablespoons of peas for a three-year-old. Let your child ask for more if he wants it.
• Give your child healthy choices. For example, ask if he wants an apple or a banana as a snack. Avoid soda, sweets, chips and fast food, which are not good for your child and can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
• Avoid bribing or rewarding with food. Give hugs and attention as rewards instead.
• Avoid foods that could cause choking: whole nuts, grapes, hot dogs, popcorn, chunks of meat and vegetables, peanut butter and hard, chunky candy.
• Toddlers can be messy eaters. Your child will eat with his hands most of the time, but encourage him to use a child-size spoon and fork too. Minimize the mess by serving small portions, using large bibs, and keeping towels handy. Remember, your child is learning how to eat and needs practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
My toddler is a fussy eater. What should I do?
- It is common for toddlers to be picky eaters. Your child is growing more slowly than he did as a baby and may not have as much of an appetite. He is becoming more independent and saying no to many things, including food. Some toddlers are not interested in trying new foods. All these things are normal but can be frustrating. Your child will learn to like new foods when he sees, smells, and (hopefully) tastes them over and over again. Be patient. Don’t make extra work for yourself by making a special meal for your toddler. Feed your toddler like the rest of the family. He can eat most of the foods you eat, as long as they are soft and/or cut into small pieces that are easy to handle.
What if my toddler won’t eat vegetables?
- First, keep serving vegetables and showing your child that you eat and enjoy them. Second, remember that fruit has many of the same nutrients
vegetables do, so serve a variety prepared in different ways. Your child may like to dip vegetables better than eating them plain. Beans and peas can also help make up for vegetables. Many young children enjoy refried beans, hummus, beans and rice, and bean soups.
What if my toddler won’t drink milk?
- Don’t force your child to drink milk. Serve cheese, yogurt, and foods made with milk, such as pudding, custard, and creamy soups. Add nonfat dry milk powder to yogurt, smoothies, and mashed potatoes. Try serving milk extra cold with ice, in a special cup, or with a special straw.
What are some healthy, portable snacks for toddlers?
- Think of snacks as a chance to serve your child nutritious food, not just cookies or crackers. Plan ahead and keep a small cooler or lunchbox full
of snacks to go. Some nutritious choices include:
• fresh fruit like bananas, sliced pears, strawberries, or cups of applesauce or diced peaches
• fresh vegetables like thin zucchini strips, diced cooked carrots, cucumber sticks, red bell pepper slivers, etc.
• cooked small pasta shapes such as shells, bowties, orzo, etc.
• half sandwiches on soft, whole grain bread
• cheese with whole grain crackers
• low fat yogurt
• small containers of whole grain cereals
GUIDELINES FOR DIET
GRAINS:
Number of servings per day: 4 to 6
Serving size: 1/4 slice of bread, 1/2 cup cold cereal, 1/4 cup cooked pasta,
1/4 cup hot cereal, 1/4 cup rice, 2 to 3 crackers
Some healthy ideas: Choose whole grains as often as possible. Serve oatmeal, corn tortillas, crackers made from whole wheat, corn, or oats, 100% whole wheat bread, and whole grain cereals.
VEGETABLES
Number of servings per day: 2 to 3
Serving size: 1 to 2 tablespoons or 3 ounces of vegetable juice
Some healthy ideas: Make sure vegetables are cooked soft and cut up so toddlers can chew them. Offer orange vegetables like carrots, cooked squash or yams, as well as green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach.
FRUIT
Number of servings per day: 2
Serving size: 1 to 2 tablespoons, 1/4 piece, or 2-3 ounces fruit juice
Some healthy ideas: Limit 100% fruit juice to 4 ounces (1/2 cup) per day and serve it in a cup only, not a bottle. Serve water to a thirsty child. Offer a variety of fruits including orange fruits such as apricots, mango, papaya, and peaches, and citrus fruits like oranges and mandarins.
PROTEIN FOODS
Number of servings per day: 2 to 3
Serving size:1 to 2 tablespoons meat, poultry or fish, 3 tablespoons beans, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 egg, 1/4 cup tofu
Some healthy ideas: Meats can be hard for toddlers to chew, so offer ground meats (meat loaf or meat balls), and cut other meat into small pieces. Serve hard-boiled and scrambled eggs, chopped or mashed beans, bean or pea soup, tofu and hummus. Fish without bones is another good choice.
DAIRY
Number of servings per day: 2
Serving size: 8 ounces of milk or soy milk (up to 24 oz. per day), 8 ounces yogurt, 11/2 to 2 ounces of cheese
Some healthy ideas: Continue to breastfeed for as long as it works for you and your child. At 12 months, you can also serve your child whole cow’s milk or soy milk. After age two, switch to nonfat or low-fat milk. Always put cow or soy milk in a cup and wean your child from the bottle between 12 and 18 months. If your child drinks soy milk, make sure it is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
You can help your child have a healthy weight and strong body now and in the future: serve a variety of healthy foods and make sure that your child
plays actively for an hour every day. Remember that the eating habits your child learns now are the foundation for healthy habits later in life.
Resources
Web sites
- Kids Health:
KidsHealth - the Web's most visited site about children's health
- Children’s Nutrition Research Center Resources for Parents
Web Links -- General Nutrition Information for Parents
Books
- Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter
- How to Get Your Kid To Eat….but Not Too Much by Ellyn Satter
- American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child’s Nutrition: Making Peace at the Table and Building Healthy Eating Habits for Life by
American Academy of Pediatrics et al. Newsletter
- Tiny Tummies Food and Nutrition Newsletter for Parents
Tiny Tummies celebrates food and families!
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of medical advice or care you receive from your child’s physician or other health care professional. If your child has persistent health problems, or if you have further questions, please consult your child’s doctor.
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How much milk should our babies be drinking?
She is an interesting doc to say the least.
Yes we are still on formula. Because of the crazy formula journey we had and her lack of interest in the table food our Dr wanted to keep her on formula to hopefully completely outgrow the milk problem completely. I can't wait to be finished with formula...that extra $50 every 12 days will come in handy I tell ya! 
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