As parents of a newborn, you should encourage healthy eating habits in your child from the very beginning. When transitioning to solid foods, gradually introduce age-appropriate foods. However, once the child has fully transitioned to solid foods, you should not give them “unhealthy” food just to fill their tummy, as this will instill bad habits.
Another thing to note is that the child’s growth rate slows down at the 12-month mark. This means that your child is not growing at the same pace as when they were a baby. The increase in weight and height is much slower. For example, your baby might grow 5-7 cm in height every three months in the first year. However, throughout the entire second year, they might only grow 7-13 cm. This directly translates to a need for less food.
Another reason is that toddlers are too restless to sit still and eat a complete meal at once. There is so much to do, so much to explore; for them, eating is just a waste of time. Also, by this time, your child has started asserting their independence and personality. They begin to realize that they can say no and that their different actions will elicit different reactions from you.
How much food does my child need from 12-24 months?
On average, your child from 12-24 months old needs about 1000-1400 calories per day, and it should come from the following five main food groups:
Dairy: 2 cups (256g) Includes: milk, yogurt, cheese. Note that you should serve only full-fat dairy products, as these are important for early brain development and are considered necessary for supplementing babies up to 2 years old.
Vegetables: 1 cup (128g) Includes: all vegetables, vegetable juices, as well as vegetable soups and purees.
Fruits: 1 cup Includes: all fruits and fruit juices. Serve more whole fruits than juice. Also, the juice should be 100% natural fruit juice that does not contain any added flavors, colors, or sweeteners.
Grains: up to 60g Includes: baby cereals, rice, wheat, oats, barley, bread, pasta, noodles, “cold” cereals such as cornflakes, etc. (include whole grains as much as possible).
Proteins: 57g Includes: eggs, all poultry (chicken, turkey), all meat, fish (boneless), lentils, legumes, and beans.
What if my child is not getting the necessary nutrition?
First, do not worry, as worrying will not solve any problem. Take a measuring cup (1 cup = 128g) and start measuring your child’s food intake over a certain period. Take, for example, a month. Once you have measured the average daily intake of all types of food, your doctor and you will be able to assess whether, for your child’s height, weight, age, and growth pattern, they are getting adequate nutrition or not.
Keep in mind that the stated daily required amount is indicative of a 2-year-old baby. Between 12 and 24 months, your baby is still in a transitional phase, so if they eat less or more, it should be fine as long as you offer all the food groups.
