Toddler Eating

Milk
Toddlers need 2 cups of milk each day. Until your child is 2 years old or you are advised by your health care provider, stick with whole milk.

Meat and Beans
Your toddler needs 2 ounces of meat and beans each day. This requirement is remarkably small: Just 1/3 of a can of tuna or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter will do it for the whole day.

Grains
Toddlers need 3 ounces of grains each day. At least half of these grains should be whole grain.

Vegetables
Your toddler needs 1 cup of vegetables each day. In addition, try to offer a variety of vegetables over the course of a week. Choosing by color makes it easy.


Fruits
Your toddler needs 1 cup of fruit each day. Most of this should come from fruit and not from fruit juice so that your child doesn't miss out on necessary fiber. Try to limit juice consumption to 4 ounces a day.

Fats and Oils
Your toddler needs 3 teaspoons of fats and oils each day. Most of this will come from items used to fulfill other requirements like meat, peanut butter, milk and cheese.

What is a Toddler Serving Size?

It's easy to worry about the vitamins and nutrients your toddler is getting each day. It gets a little easier, though, when you realize that a toddler serving size is quite small. You'll be reassured to know that your toddler is probably eating plenty. All of these serving sizes are based on USDA dietary guidelines. Overall, your toddler should be getting between 1,000 and 1,400 calories from all the food groups each day. Only active toddlers should be regularly consuming calories in the upper end of that range.