how much should my 17 month old be eating?

[kristin378]

i know that every kid is different and that some days they wolf down every crumb in sight and other days they seem to eat only a few crumbs.

however, i just don't have any idea what a "general" aim should be for his average daily caloric intake.  i don't even know what i should expect to be a good healthy sized meal for him.

some days he refuses to eat any supper at all.  i am of the mind set that he isn't going to have special meals prepared for him, he can take or leave what is offered.  i try to give him things he will like and get him to taste new things now and then.  i just worry about putting him to bed at night if he has refused to eat supper or had only very little.  he is super picky here lately as well.  he won't eat any sort of meat at all most days.  some days he will eat some cut up hot dog or rolled up sandwich meat, but that is rare.

he doesn't talk yet or have a way that he communicates to us that he is hungry so i am very concerned about it.  my pediatrician is no help on the matter, or at least for giving me some peace of mind.

[LisaM]

I'm not sure about amounts etc., but all I wanted to say was that with dd1 at about 16 months old she started refusing to eat lots of foods she had liked before and I like you worried about her going to bed with no dinner etc.  I would explain to her that this was her dinner and there was nothing else so if she didn't want it it would go in the bin.  I would give her some time to see if she wanted it a bit later on but if not then I would get her to watch me throw it away so she knew it was gone.  I hated her not eating anything before bedtime but it never made any difference to her sleep, she still slept through.  Also, she has only ever not eaten dinner a few times, we still have the same rule now, nothing else is on offer.

DD2 on the other hand is 17 months and eats A LOT!  So I will be interested to see what other replies to get regarding how much to eat cos I'm sure she eats too much but so hard to know.

[skatty]

My 17 month old is pretty similar, very inconsistant with her eating! She also eats the same as us, I know what she likes and she isn't so keen on meat so I will sometimes give her tuna sauce on her pasta when we have meat but then she will want to try ours too. I really worry when she doesn't eat dinner but I give her some milk before bed and she is fine, obviously just not hungry. DD also doesn't have words to say she is hungry but I keep a fruit bowl on display and she will point and ask for a "nanna" (banana) or point and squeal to what she wants, perhaps you could try that if you don't mind him snacking on fruit?

I think this is all really normal and I reckon most kids of this age are having a lot of movement in their gums with molars and canines, that's enough to put anyone of eating 

[Aly Mac]

My 16month DD is the same.  Today she even refused fruit, which was unheard of.  I"m just trying to relax about it really, which I know is hard. For her 4/5 meals a days, I give her as much as she wants, of a range of food, that I know she likes and new stuff or stuff that she has refused in the past (I just keep trying).  I figure as long as it's healthy she can eat as much as she likes... today , she hardly ate anything! I know though, that she would eat a whole packet of milk arrowroot biscuits if I let her  but of course I don't. 

Oh, I also find teething or tiredness will also make her eat less.  I also make sure she doesn't fill up on milk or water too close to dinner, and try to space out the meals so she is hungry enough, esp for dinner.

[EmMUK74]

I have no idea what standard portions would be.  some days DD will eat twice my portions and snacks and still be hungry, other days she'll barely eat a piece of toast all day!  I am a firm believer that toddlers know what they need and when they need it, they are still connected to their appetites and body needs in a way most of us have lost.  I limit her sugar intake (they are very specific treats) but meat, veg and fruit is unlimited as much as she wants if she's hungry.  and if she doesn't want anything that's fine; we always sit to table at meal times but she doesn't have to eat anything if she doesn't want.

[nona]

i agree w/ pps. my LO eats a ton compared to other kids and i let him eat all he wants until he is finished. we do have those days when he eats a few bites or doesn't want what is served him and then he hands me his plate/utensil and puts his arms in the air for "all done". i try NOT to say "one more bite", etc b/c he knows when he is full or not hungry and i don't want to force him.

however, i understand your concern re: communication. my 16 mo is getting better w/ talking but we use some sign language, particularly at meal times which is incredibly helpful. he also picks up new signs very quickly. he signs "eat", "drink", "more", "all done", "banana", etc. i know it seems crazy to start now but it is SO helpful.  we had a lot of whining at mealtimes that drove me crazy and that has stopped.

as far as general portions, there is a sticky in this section that discusses portion sizes. also, you could always offer a small amount and if he eats most of it, then cont to give him more until he stops eating.

HTH!

[tylersmommy]

We do the same, we give let Mackenzie eat as much as she wants as long as it's healthy. She usually tells us when she's done, but if she doesn't and she starts goofing around, that's a sign that mealtime needs to be over. Some days, she eats a ton, others, not so much. And yesterday's favorite often gets tossed right back at me the next day, so I just give her a small portion at first and then offer more if she accepts it. We never coax her to eat "one more bite" or continually offer different things until she eats. If she isn't hungry, that's okay.

She also really likes choosing her food. She can't always say what she wants but she can point. If I hold up a strawberry or a yogurt container, she can point to which one she wants.

Neither of my kids have ever been big meat eaters, and TBH, DH and I really aren't either. I just make sure to offer lots of protein (dairy, peanut butter, etc). As for iron, I still keep dry infant cereal on hand and stir it into lots of different things throughout the day.

Such a roller coaster ride, isn't it?

[nona]

She usually tells us when she's done, but if she doesn't and she starts goofing around, that's a sign that mealtime needs to be over.

yep, that happens here alot. lately, cade has been handing his bowl/placemat to us and if we're lucky we catch it before he drops it on the floor. 

that's a good idea about offering options. i need to start doing that.

melissa - cade & Mck have matching dimples!