Just Plate It - How Much Should My Toddler Be Eating?

Toddlers may still have a lot to learn in life but I believe they have the ability to eat intuitively. When it comes to meal time I try to follow the lead of my toddler. When first feeding my toddler full meals, I felt so overwhelmed by how much to feed her. Was she getting enough protein, or veggies or too much fruit?!

And then I thought about it a little bit more. How did I even know how much to feed myself? At my own meal I follow my intuition and I fill my plate with the proportions I think I need in that moment. And ah ha - why not do that for my toddler too! I use our salad plates which are smaller than my average dinner plate and I put all of the food on it that I plan to offer my toddler. It helps me visualize the full meal and have a sense of what she is eating.

She is a great eater too might I add. If she wants more or less of something I do not fight it, because everything I am offering to her is made up of whole foods that are great for her developing body.

Another decision that we made that I contribute to her great ability to eat is that we do not give her milk. I do not believe that milk should be a requirement at mealtime. I personally think it is a glass full of empty calories. Yes, Vitamin D, Calcium and protein is important for our children, but they can absorb a lot more by spending time every day in the sun , eating their broccoli and/or taking a supplement. When a toddler has a cup of milk with their meal, their bellies fill up on that one source of nutrition, deterring them from getting a more well-rounded meal. Read up more on that topic, here is an article I like.

There are some helpful charts and guidelines that you can start looking into to get a sense of different types of foods and the portions that are recommended by age. Check out this one here.