Toddler food - what to feed your child after the first year

How is toddler food different from baby food?

In the first year, your baby is just getting used to having digest food. By 12 months, she is having solids and feeding herself finger food.

After 12 months of age, you can start giving your toddler food that the family eats.

How much milk should my toddler have?

After 12 months of age, your baby can have cow's milk rather than formula or breast milk. Your toddler will only need about 2 cups of milk per day (so 16 ounces or 480 mls per day). Drinking more milk than that isn't good for toddlers as it can lead to iron deficiency.

How does drinking milk cause iron deficiency?

Cow's milk is a poor source of iron - unlike formula milk which is usually fortified with iron. Cow's milk can cause minor irritation of the stomach lining which can lead to slight blood loss and that lowers iron even more.

Toddlers love milk and would drink it all day but too much isn't good for them. Your toddler doesn't have high iron stores anyway and when she becomes low in iron (iron deficient) she will lose her appetite and only want more milk. Often mothers are so worried that their toddler is not eating that they are happy to give more milk - but that only keeps the problem going.

Your toddler shouldn't be having more than 2 cups of cow's milk per day (so 16 ounces or 480 mls per day).

How can I prevent iron deficiency?

Iron is important for learning so it's important you give your toddler food rich in iron like fruit, vegetables lean meat, chicken and fish. Don't give tea as this contains substances that stop iron being absorbed by the body.

Iron rich foods include:

red meat
beans
fish
eggs
cereals that say they are fortified with iron

You can increase the iron your toddler absorbs by giving her lots of Vitamin C as well. Foods high in Vitamin C include:

oranges and other citrus fruit
tomatoes
berries

Can I use low fat milk?

Toddlers need full fat milk until they are at least 2 years old. Children under 5 years should not be given non-fat milk but can have low fat milk after the age of 2 years.

Are there any restrictions for toddler food?

Your toddler does not need salt on her food. You may need to cook food separately if the family is used to salted food.
Toddlers can't digest wholegrain breads and so should only be given white bread until they are 15 months of age.
Don't give nuts to young children under 5 years of age- they can choke or the nuts can go into the airway.

How much food should I offer my toddler?

Offer small amounts frequently. I suggest 3 meals and 2 - 3 snacks per day - so breakfast, lunch and dinner are the meals and give snacks mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and perhaps before bed.

Approximate serving sizes for toddler food are one serving is the size of your toddler's palm of the hand.

For a main meal, there would be one serving of protein (eg. meat, eggs), one serving of carbohydrate (eg. bread, pasta, potato) and 2 servings of vegetables, so the equivalent of 4 servings which would be the size of 4 palms of your toddler's hand.

Alternatively, you can use the guide below which gives approximate sizes for toddler food between the ages of 2 and 6 years.

bread: 1/2 slice
cereal or pasta: 1/3 cup
ready eat cereal: 0.6 oz (24 g)
vegetables: 1/3 cup
leafy vegetables: just over 1/2 cup
potato: 1/2 medium potato
fruit: 1/2 piece
juice: 1/2 cup
canned fruit: 1/4 cup
milk: 1 cup
yoghurt: 6 oz (240 g)
cheese: 1 oz (30 g)
cooked meat: 1.5-2 oz (45 - 60 g)
beans: 1/3 cup
egg: 1/2 - 3/4 cup

How can I encourage healthy eating habits?

Have a healthy diet with 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day
Offer water as a drink for thirsty children. Milk or juice would count as a snack
Encourage plain foods - avoid too many sweet foods
If your toddler doesn't like cooked vegetables, offer raw vegetables - for example, carrots and tomatoes

Should I be worried my toddler isn't putting on much weight?

After the first year, weight increases are not as great as in the first year. Toddlers are often picky eaters but they only have to put on about 2 kg (4.4 lbs) per year. So toddler food only needs to contain about 1000 calories per day.

View growth charts.