Is My Toddler Eating Enough?

Read time: 4 minutes

What to know about how much to feed your toddler

• Toddlers’ hunger and fullness can vary from day to day or meal to meal

• Generally, toddler portion sizes are about one-third of an adult portion size

• The Division of Responsibility can help your little one stay in touch with their own appetite

When your little one was a baby, they developed a fairly predictable feeding pattern. Whether breast or bottle feeding, most babies and parents get into a groove with the timing of feeds.

But when babies become toddlers, those eating patterns and habits can be a bit trickier to predict. Suddenly your toddler may be more selective, picky, and erratic with what and how much they eat, and this can vary from day to day, or even meal to meal!¹

Toddlers grow at a slower rate when compared to babies under the age of 1, making their calorie needs lower.^12,14 As a result, they may get full easily and not seem as hungry.²

In addition, toddlers are starting to gain some independence, and feeding is one place where they exert control to practice that independence.³ That meal or snack they gobbled up yesterday can go completely untouched today.

One thing is for sure – toddler feeding will keep you on your toes! It will also have you wondering: how much food does my toddler need for normal growth and adequate nutrient intake?

Toddler Portion Sizes

Before focusing on specific sizes and amounts, it’s important to recognize that your toddler’s appetite will be determined by different factors such as stage of growth and development, age, and activity level.⁴

Other factors such as travel, sleep regressions, and environmental changes can all impact little one’s appetites.

As a general rule of thumb, toddler portion sizes are about ¼ to 1/3 of an adult portion size.⁸

Young children need nutrient-rich foods just like adults, only in smaller sizes for their smaller (but growing!) bodies.

Read about: How to Help Avoid Giving Your Child Too Much Sugar and Salt

How many calories do 1 to 2-year-olds need?

Most toddlers aged 1-2 years need to consume between 700-1,000 calories per day.⁵

Here is what that might look like distributed throughout the day:

• ¾ cup of fruit, including fresh, frozen, or cooked/canned fruit

  • Offer fresh berries, sliced apples, and pears in a texture and size appropriate for your child’s development, or prepare smoothies with frozen fruit

• ¾ cup of vegetables, including raw, cooked, canned, and leafy salad greens depending on your child’s development

  • Prepare tomato sauce with pasta; offer soft veggies such as peeled, thin slices of cucumbers or zucchini with dip or hummus; and roast veggies to bring out their natural sweetness. As always, be sure to offer foods only in the texture and size your child can handle.

• 2 ¼ oz grains, with an emphasis on whole grain

  • This might look like 1-2 slices of bread or ½ cup cooked rice or pasta

• 2oz protein, whether animal or plant-based

  • Try a variety of protein sources such as a hard-boiled egg, lean meat, seafood, beans and lentils, tofu, and nut butters

• 1 ¾ cups of dairy

  • This can include cheese, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, and fortified soymilk or soymilk yogurt alternative⁶

Read more: Meal Plan for 12-Month-Old Toddler

How many calories do 2 to 3-year-olds need?

Most toddlers aged 2-3 years need to consume between 1,000-1,400 calories per day.⁵⁷

Here is what that might look like distributed throughout the day:

• 1 cup of fruit, to include fresh, frozen, or cooked/canned fruit

  • Offer fresh or frozen berries, sliced apples and pears

• 1.5 cups of vegetables, to include raw, cooked, canned, and leafy salad greens

  • Prepare tomato sauce with pasta, offer raw veggies with dip or hummus, and roast veggies to bring out their natural sweetness

• 4oz grains, with an emphasis on whole grain

  • This might look like 1-2 slices of bread or ½ cup cooked rice or pasta

• 3oz protein, whether animal or plant based

  • Try a variety of protein sources such as a hard-boiled egg, lean meat, seafood, beans and lentils, and nut butters

• 2.5 cups of dairy

  • This can include cheese, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, and fortified soymilk or soymilk yogurt alternative⁶

Read more: Meal Plan for 18 to 24 Months Old Toddlers

Is your little one a picky or selective eater? We can help! Chat with our team of registered dietitian nutritionists, fellow moms, and lactation specialists, available from Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm (ET). Chat now!

Read more: Picky Eating Guide

How do I make sure my toddler is eating enough?

1. Practice Responsive Feeding

Toddlers have the innate ability to regulate their own hunger and appetite cues, eating an amount that satisfies them.¹³ And we want them to have this awareness of their body’s needs!

However, when parents intervene by being strict about how much their child eats (whether by restricting food or coaxing their child to eat more), it can have negative consequences.⁹

Allowing them to stop when they are full or eat more if they are hungry helps them get the amount of food that is right for them at each meal and snack.¹³ This is called Responsive Feeding.

Learn more: Understanding your Baby’s Hunger and Fullness Cues: Responsive Feeding

2. Follow the Division of Responsibility

To help your little one stay in touch with their own appetite, parents can follow the Division of Responsibility.

Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility states that “Parents should take leadership with the what, when, and where of feeding and let your child determine how much and whether to eat of what you provide.”¹⁰

Giving your child the control to choose what they want from the balanced meals and snacks you’ve provided, and how much they need to feel satisfied, helps them tune into their own hunger and satiety cues and become more intuitive eaters.¹¹

Read more: The Division of Responsibility: Helping Avoid Picky Eating

3. Feed your toddler often and from all food groups

A toddler’s stomach is still pretty small, so they need to eat 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks to get enough nutrition. This also means they fill up quickly! Make sure you offer foods from all food groups to help them get the vitamins, minerals, and calories they need.¹⁵

At each meal offer a protein, a fruit and/or veg, as well as a whole grain.

Remember that snacks are also an opportunity to fill their bellies with nourishing foods! Too many ‘filler’ foods that are not nutritious can make it harder for your child to get enough of the vitamins and minerals they need for good growth and development. So make sure snacks are just as healthy as meals!

Read more:

Nutritious Snacks for Babies and Toddlers

4 Tips for Making Easy, Nutritious Snacks for Moms and Toddlers

4. Watch their growth and development

Remember, your toddler’s appetite and food preferences will fluctuate, but as long as they’re remaining steady on their growth curve, which your pediatrician uses to measure how consistently children are growing, you can rest assured that they’re likely eating the right amount of food for their body.¹⁵

Continue offering a balanced and varied diet and let your toddler eat the amount that is right for them.

Let's Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.

Our Happy Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too! They’re here to offer personalized support on our free, one-on-one, live chat platform Monday - Friday 8am-6pm (ET). No appointment needed, no email or sign-up required.Chat Now!

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