Introduction
A healthy feeding relationship helps your toddler learn healthy eating behaviours for life. You are responsible for what you give your toddler as well as when and where to give meals and snacks. Your toddler can choose whether and how much to eat.
Learn about common toddler eating behaviours (like strong likes and dislikes) and find ideas that can help.
How toddlers eat
- Eating well
- Eating behaviours
In this Section:
Eating well
You may notice that your toddler’s growth begins to slow down after they’re about 1 year old. As their growth rate slows, they may be less hungry and eat smaller amounts. Let your toddler listen to their body so that they learn to stop eating when they’re full.
Healthy food choices give your toddler the nutrition they need for growth and development. Offer your toddler:
- meals and snacks that include a variety of foods from Canada’s food guide. To learn more, visit Government of Canada – Canada’s food guide.
- a variety of textures—cut up, peel or grate foods, especially those that can cause choking
- iron-rich foods such as protein foods with iron and breakfast cereal fortified with iron. To learn more about iron-rich foods, visit Alberta Health Services – Iron Foods for Children Ages 1 and Up.
Make one meal for the whole family—everyone can enjoy the same foods, just cut up or prepare it a little differently for your toddler, if needed (learn more about different food textures). When your child watches you eat healthy meals, they’ll be more likely to develop healthy eating habits. Learn more about feeding your child.
Vitamin D for toddlers
Your child needs a supplement of 400 IU vitamin D every day to help meet their needs.
Eating behaviours
Toddlers like to eat with their hands, however they can also learn to use a spoon or a fork. They can usually drink well from a cup, although they may have trouble putting it down without spills. They’ll get better at these skills with practice. Mealtimes may still be messy.
You may have concerns about your toddler’s eating, as it can be hard to know what to expect from one day to the next. It may help to know what to do about some of the more common eating behaviours.
Eating behaviour | Ideas that may help |
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Strong likes and dislikes and may not want to try new foods |
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Only wants to eat 1 or 2 kinds of food for a few days or longer (food jags) |
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Will not eat a meal or snack |
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There will be times that toddlers may not want to eat a meal. They may not be hungry, or may be more interested in something else they’re doing. If your toddler often refuses meals or you’re concerned about their eating, call Health Link at 811 or talk with your health care provider. Learn more about feeding your child.
Off the bottle
Toddlers need to learn how to drink from a cup. If your child is still using a bottle, gradually replace it with a cup. Plan to replace their bottle with a cup by 12–14 months. Using a bottle for too long may:
- increase your child’s risk of tooth decay, especially if using the bottle for anything other than water
- affect the development of their face and mouth muscles
- make it more difficult for your child to give up their bottle later
Learn more about weaning your child from the bottle.
Milk
If you’re breastfeeding your toddler, your breastmilk meets all their milk needs. There is no need to give any other milk. If you’re not breastfeeding, offer your toddler 500 ml (2 cups) of homogenized whole milk (3.25% milk fat) each day. Serve milk in an open cup with meals or snacks.
Homogenized whole milk (3.25% milk fat) has a higher fat content, is important for brain development, and is a good source of energy. Lower-fat milk (2%, 1% or skim) can be offered to your child once they’re 2 years old.
If your child drinks too much milk, they can become too full to eat other foods they need. Milk is not a good source of iron, so you’ll need to give your toddler a variety of iron-rich foods to meet their needs. Learn more about solid food choices that are iron-rich. As your toddler eats more solid foods, they may drink less milk. If they drink less than the recommended amount of milk, 500 ml (2 cups) each day, you can add it to other foods, such as hot cereal and soup, or make a smoothie with milk and fruit in a blender.