Age-by-Age Guide to Feeding Your Toddler

Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board
Last updated: November 2008

Use this guide to find out what and how much to feed your child from age 12 to 36 months. (See our baby article for guidance on feeding children under 12 months.) Don't worry if your child eats more or less than the amounts listed — they're only meant as rough guidelines.

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Age: 12 to 18 months

Signs of readiness for self-feeding

• Can start to use a spoon himself (though proficiency will take a while!)

What to feed

• Whole milk
• Other dairy (soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese)
• Same food as family, mashed or chopped into bite-size pieces
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread, pasta, rice)
• New fruits: melon, papaya, apricot, grapefruit (citrus is now okay)
• New vegetables: broccoli and cauliflower "trees"
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; thinly spread smooth peanut butter)
• Citrus and non-citrus juice
• Honey is now okay

How much per day

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = 1 cup milk, ½ to 1 oz. cheese, 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese)
• 4 to 6 servings cereals and other grains (1 serving = ¼ to 1/3 cup cereal, ¼ cup pasta or rice, ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel)
• ¼ to ½ cup fruit
• ¼ to ½ cup vegetables
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter)
• 3 to 4 oz. juice

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

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Age: 18 to 24 months

Feeding skills to look for

• Self-feeding
• Food phrases like "more" and "all done"

What to feed

• Whole milk
• Other dairy (natural hard cheese, soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, pudding)
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oat, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread and crackers, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, rice)
• Fruit, cooked, canned or fresh, cut up or sliced (apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pears, cherries, grapes, plums, oranges, grapefruit)
• Dried fruit, soaked until soft so it won't pose a choking hazard (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, dates, pitted prunes, raisins)
• Vegetables, cooked and mashed or diced (carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, potatoes, peas)
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter)
• Combo foods like macaroni and cheese, casseroles
• Fruit and vegetable juices

How much per day

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk; ½ to 1 oz. cheese; 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese; ¼ cup pudding)
• 6 servings grains (1 serving = ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel; 1 or 2 crackers; ¼ cup pasta or rice; 1/3 to ½ cup cooked or ready-to-eat cereal)
• 2 to 3 servings fruit (1 serving = ¼ cup cooked or canned, ½ piece fresh; 1/8 cup dried; ¼ to ½ cup juice)
• 2 to 3 servings vegetables (1 serving = 1 to 2 tablespoons)
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter)

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

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Age: 24 to 36 months

Feeding skills to look for

• Self-feeding
• Eagerness to make own food choices

What to feed

• Low-fat milk
• Other dairy (diced or grated cheese; low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding)
• Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals)
• Other grains (whole wheat bread and crackers, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereal, pasta, rice)
• Fruits, sliced fresh or canned
• Dried fruit, soaked until soft so it won't pose a choking hazard (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, dates, pitted prunes, raisins)
• Vegetables, cooked and cut up
• Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter)
• Combo foods like macaroni and cheese, casseroles
• Fruit and vegetable juices

How much per day

One serving for a child this age is about ¼ the size of an adult serving.

• 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk; ½ to ¾ oz. cheese; ½ cup yogurt; ¼ to ¼ cup cottage cheese; ¼ cup pudding)
• 6 servings grains (1 serving = ½ slice bread or bagel; 1 or 2 crackers; ¼ to ½ cup pasta or rice; 1/3 to ½ cup cooked or ready-to-eat cereal)
• 2 to 3 servings fruit (1 serving = ¼ cup cooked or canned, ½ piece fresh, or ¼ to ½ cup juice)
• 2 to 3 servings vegetables (1 serving = 2 to 3 tablespoons)
• 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon peanut butter)

Feeding tips

• Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic.
• Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for.

Your child may seem to eat less than before — that's perfectly normal at this stage. If you wonder whether he's getting enough calories, use this guideline: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your child get about 40 calories a day for every inch of height.

For more info go to :

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-your-toddler_1736045.bc?scid=momstodd_20110315:2&pe=MlV5Q2RyUHwyMDExMDMxNQ..