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Feeding Your ToddlerToddlers: 1 and 2 Year Olds

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

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:

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.

Toddler sitting in a high chair, feeding themselves with a spoon while spilling food on themselves and the chair.
Eating behaviourIdeas that may help

Strong likes and dislikes and may not want to try new foods

  • Learn about new foods together—your child may only want to try a new food when it’s their idea.
  • Let them see, touch, smell and taste the new food without forcing them to eat it.
  • Offer small amounts of a new food with familiar foods.
  • Offer the new food when your child’s most hungry (e.g., at the start of a meal) or when they’re with other children who like to eat that particular food.
  • Be patient and continue to offer new foods—your child may like a food one day and not like it the next.
  • Your child may need to see, touch and smell a food 10−15 times before they accept it.

Only wants to eat 1 or 2 kinds of food for a few days or longer (food jags)

  • Be patient, as your child’s favourite foods will change from day-to-day.
  • Keep offering a variety of foods—remember that they need to decide whether and how much of it to eat.
  • Serve the same meal to the whole family.
  • Include one or two foods your child likes with other foods.
  • Try not to cater to and serve your child only what they want to eat, as they need to learn to eat the same foods that the rest of your family is eating.

Will not eat a meal or snack

  • Listen to them when they say, “I’m full.” Your child’s appetite may change from day-to-day.
  • Let them know they can eat at the next meal or snack.
  • Offer only water to drink between meals and snacks.

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.