Quantity of food for 1 year old baby


Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 1-Year-Old

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Ages & Stages

Ages & Stages

​​After your child's first birthday, you'll probably notice a sharp drop in his or her appetite. Maybe your child is suddenly turning his or her head away after just a few bites and/or is resisting coming to the table at mealtimes. Despite this behavior and increased activity, there's a good reason for the change. Your child's growth rate has slowed; he or she really doesn't require as much food now.

Tips for Parents:

  • One year olds need about 1,000 calories divided among three meals and two snacks per day to meet their needs for growth, energy, and good nutrition. Don't count on your child always eating it that way though—the eating habits of toddlers are erratic and unpredictable from one day to the next! For example, your child may:

    • Eat everything in sight at breakfast and almost nothing else for the rest of the day.

    • Eat only the same food for three days in a row—and then reject it entirely.

    • Eat 1,000 calories one day, but then eat noticeably more or less over the next day or two.

  • Encourage, but don't pressure or force your child to eat at a particular time. Hard as it may be to believe, your child's diet will balance out over several days if you make a range of wholesome foods available.

  • One year olds need foods from the same basic nutrition groups that you do. If you provide your child with selections from each of the basic food groups and let him or her experiment with a wide variety of tastes, colors, and textures, he or she should be eating a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins. 

  • Don't restrict fats from your one-year-old's menu. Babies and young toddlers should get about half of their calories from fat. Cholesterol and other fats are also very important for their growth and development at this age. Once your child has reached age two, you can gradually decrease fat consumption (lowering it to about one-third of daily calories by ages four to five). See Preschoolers' Diets Shouldn't Be Fat-Free: Here's Why for more information.

  • Be sure the food is cool enough to prevent mouth burns. Test the temperature yourself, because he or she will dig in without considering the heat.

  • Don't give foods that are heavily spiced, salted, buttered, or sweetened. These additions prevent your child from experiencing the natural taste of foods, and they may be harmful to long-term good health.

  • Your little one can still choke on chunks of food. Children don't learn to chew with a grinding motion until they're about four years old. Make sure anything you give your child is mashed or cut into small, easily chewable pieces.

    • Never offer peanuts, whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (unless they're cut in quarters), whole carrots, seeds (i. e., processed pumpkin or sunflower seeds), whole or large sections of hot dogs, meat sticks, or hard candies (including jelly beans or gummy bears), or chunks of peanut butter (it's fine to thinly spread peanut butter on a cracker or bread).

    • Hot dogs and carrots— in particular—should be quartered lengthwise and then sliced into small pieces.

  • Make sure your child eats only while seated and while supervised by an adult. Although your one-year-old may want to do everything at once, "eating on the run" or while talking increases the risk of choking. Teach your child as early as possible to finish a mouthful prior to speaking.

Additional Information from HealthyChildren.org:

  • Sample Menu for a One-Year-Old 
  • Making Sure Your Child is Eating Enough
  • Serving Sizes for Toddlers
  • Selecting Snacks for Toddlers 
  • Airplane Choo Choo: A Feeding Guide for Children (National Dairy Council)​

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Serving Sizes for Toddlers - HealthyChildren.org

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Ages & Stages

Ages & Stages

A toddler's daily energy requirements are not very large. After tripling their birth weight by their first babies, a child's growth slows down. So, the amount they eat does not need to be huge.

A general guide for feeding your toddler


  • Each day, a child between ages 1 and 3 years needs about 40 calories for every inch of height. This means that a toddler who measures 32 inches in height, for example, should be taking in an average of about 1,300 calories a day. However, the amount varies with each child's build and activity level.

  • The child's serving size should be approximately one-quarter of an adult's.

Example of an average toddler-sized meal


  • One ounce of meat, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans

  • One to 2 tablespoons of vegetables

  • One to 2 tablespoons of fruit

  • One-quarter slice of bread

Your toddler will get enough calories along with all the protein, vitamins, and minerals they need from an average daily intake similar to the chart below.

Food Group

Servings Per Day

Number of Calories Per Day

One Serving Equals

Grains

6

250

  • Bread - 1/4 to 1/2 slice

  • Cereal, rice, pasta (cooked) - 4 tbsps

  • Cereal (dry) - 1/4 cup

  • Crackers - 1 to 2

Vegetables

2 to 3

75

  • Vegetables (cooked) - 1 tbsp. for each year of age

Fruits

2 to 3

75

  • Fruit (cooked or canned) - 1/4 cup

  • Fruit (fresh) - 1/2 piece

  • Juice - 1/4 to 1/2 cup (2-4 oz.)

Dairy

2 to 3

300-450

Protein (meat, fish, poultry, tofu)

2

200

Legumes

2

200

Peanut butter (smooth only)

95

More information


  • Sample Menu for a Two-Year-Old
  • Selecting Snacks for Toddlers
  • How to Get Your Child to Eat More Fruits and Veggies
  • Ask the Pediatrician: How do I help my picky eater try more healthy foods?

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Union of Pediatricians of Russia

Nutrition for children from 1 to 3 years of age

The period from 1 to 3 years of life is a crucial stage in the transition to an adult type of nutrition, which has certain features. In order to ensure that all the necessary nutrients enter the child's body and at the same time prevent an excess of individual nutrients, nutrition should be balanced and varied. nine0003

The daily amount of food for children aged 1 to 1.5 years should be 1000-1200 g, from 1.5 to 3 years - 1200-1500 g, the amount of food in one feeding should not exceed 300-350 ml. The diet consists of three main meals per day and two snacks. It is considered optimal when breakfast is 25% of the total energy density of the diet, lunch is 30–35%, dinner is 20%, and additional meals are about 10%. In general, the child can eat the same food as the rest of the family. nine0003

In the diet of a child of 1–3 years of age , must be present daily: meat of animals or poultry, dairy and sour-milk products, vegetables, fruits, bread, cereals, vegetable and butter; fish and eggs are included in the diet 2-3 times a week.

Cereal products: bread - 2-3 servings per day, cereals and side dishes - 1 time per day
Fruit and/or vegetables: at least 5 times a day
Dairy products: at least 3 servings per day (including those used to make cereals, yoghurts, fermented milk drinks, cottage cheese, infant formula or breast milk). nine0003

Domestic pediatricians recommend, when compiling a diet for children aged 1–3 years, preference should be given to specialized children's dairy products of industrial production that meet high quality requirements and safety indicators for this age. Most children's dairy products are additionally enriched with vitamins and/or minerals and other biologically active components, taking into account the physiological needs of children of this age. At the same time, in foreign recommendations, children over 1 year old are offered the gradual introduction of whole cow's milk, which is rich in fats necessary for proper growth and development, the absorption of vitamins A and D, the development of the child's brain and nervous system. nine0003

Meat dishes: 2-3 times a day
Fish dishes: 2-3 servings per week
Eggs: 2-3 per week
Dietary fats: 3-4 teaspoons of butter and/or vegetable oils per day

When cooking, use the minimum amount of salt and sugar, and do not add them to industrial products.

Offer your child a variety of foods and let them choose for themselves. Children love to eat on their own, so if possible, offer food that the child can eat with their hands. nine0003

It is important to remember that a baby can choke on pieces of food, so whatever you give your baby should be crushed or cut into small pieces that can be easily chewed.

Do not give to a small child: nuts, whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (unless quartered), whole carrots, seeds (such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds), round candies, legumes, raisins, because a child can eat them choke.

Also in the diet of children of the first 3 years of life should not be present:

Mushrooms; canned snacks, pickled vegetables and fruits
Home canned food
Dry concentrates for side dishes
Hot sauces, mustard, horseradish, pepper, vinegar, mayonnaise
Natural coffee
Juices and drinks in the form of dry concentrates; sweet carbonated drinks
Products containing food additives (flavorings, dyes of artificial origin, including chewing gum), popcorn
Combined fats; cakes and pastries

It is important to remember that children of this age should not be given too spicy and spicy foods.

How to feed a child at 1 year old? Balanced baby nutrition: sample diet

Proper nutrition of a child in a year is an important condition for harmonious growth and development. In addition, a properly composed diet helps to strengthen the immune system. Receiving new products, the baby gradually gets acquainted with the diet. Pediatricians advise paying attention to the child's diet, its proper balancing. nine0003

Nuances of nutrition

The diet of a child in 1 year is subject to the following principles:

  • should be complete, meet all the needs of the body, provide vitamins, micro- and macroelements;
  • diversity. As many combined foods as possible should be present in the diet daily;
  • all food must be chopped.

To properly balance the diet, it is necessary to include specialized foods. They should be designed according to the needs of the child's body in a year. If you have any doubts or questions regarding the nutrition of your baby, you can seek advice from our doctors. They will remotely select an individual diet, tell you about all the nuances of the nutrition of one-year-old babies. nine0003

Diet must not be violated

The most advantageous is the diet according to the schedule. An individual nutrition program contributes to the rapid accustoming of the child to the daily routine. Even intervals between meals will not let the baby get hungry. According to the WHO, a child's diet at 1 year old should include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an afternoon snack.

Meal plan for the day:

nine0080

Name

Description

9.00 - breakfast

If the child gets up early, in this case it is permissible to feed an hour earlier. All other meals are shifted by an hour

nine0002 12.30 - lunch

Before dinner, it is recommended to take a walk, which will increase the appetite. For long walks, a snack is allowed two hours before the main meal.

16.30 - afternoon snack

The amount of food is small. Eating easy

nine0002 19. 00 - dinner

Dinner is served on the table two hours before bedtime.

Important! When preparing food, it is necessary to refuse zazharki, fatty and fried foods. The first meat broths merge. Salt and sugar are added in a minimal amount.

Which products to prefer

WHO recommends including the following foods in the children's menu: nine0003

  • dairy products. Children under the age of one year do not give milk in its pure form. It is replaced with breast milk or mixtures. Kefir and yogurt are introduced gradually. Their fat content should not exceed 3.2 percent. Sour cream and cheeses are allowed to be given no more than twice a week;
  • cereals. Porridge for a one-year-old child is given only for children. Adult coarse cereals are poorly digested in the baby's body. Allowed: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, corn, rice porridge; nine0066
  • vegetables fruits. By the age of 1, the child is familiar with apples, pears, bananas, prunes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, potatoes. After a year, kiwi, beets, peas, apricots, beans are introduced into the diet. Legumes are given twice a week. The rest of the vegetables and fruits are allowed for use every day;
  • meat fish. Hake, pollock, cod are given twice a week, low-fat meat varieties - daily;
  • oil. Butter and vegetable oils are added to ready meals. If the child already chews well enough, it is permissible to smear butter on bread. vegetable oils are chosen only unrefined; nine0066
  • eggs. Up to a year it is allowed to introduce quail eggs, after a year they give chicken no more than three times a week.

Case study: One-year-old Pasha's mother made the following menu for him for the day, which she plans to feed him until he is 1.5 years old: For breakfast, porridge/vegetable dishes, cottage cheese 200 g, drink 100 ml. Lunch consists of salad - 30 g, soup - 50 g, second meat course - 50 g, vegetables / cereals - 70 g, compote - 100 ml. For an afternoon snack, mom offers ryazhenka or kefir - 150 ml, cookies, crackers - 15 g, juice, fruits - 100 g. For dinner, cereals / cottage cheese / vegetables are served - 180 g, fermented milk products - 100 ml, fruits - 50 g. nine0003

Further, the weight of the products will gradually increase with the age of Pasha. Mom made up the optimal variant of the diet together with specialists.

Prohibited products for children from the year

The list of products not recommended for baby food includes:

  • any kind of sausages, sausages;
  • fried food;
  • smoked meats;
  • exotic vegetables, fruits; nine0066
  • caramel, chewing gum;
  • products containing flavor enhancers, dyes; flavors.

Children are limited in food with a lot of cholesterol, nuts. The latter can cause an allergic reaction. It is not advisable to give mushrooms, as they overload the child's digestive tract. For all questions, you can contact our doctors at any time of the day. They will remotely adjust the diet and help balance it. nine0003

Norm of food per day for a one-year-old child

The total daily calorie content should not be less than or more than 1300 Kcal. However, these figures are relative, as each child is individual. Someone develops quickly, and someone vice versa. And such children may need a supplement in the diet.

For breakfast, babies should consume at least 300 ml, for lunch - 420 ml, for an afternoon snack - 180 ml, for dinner - 300 ml. nine0003

Dr. Komarovsky advises to purchase only seasonal products. In his opinion, they will be able to provide the maximum benefit for the growing body of the child.

Daily menu for a one year old baby

Experienced doctors recommend feeding the baby up to 6 times a day. There should be 4 main meals.

Breakfast

In the morning, it is preferable to give milk porridge. Milk is diluted with water before use. Proportions for cereals: 200 ml of milk per 2 tablespoons of cereals. Twice a week it is permissible to serve an omelet from 1 egg. Prepare an omelette for a couple. You can add dill. It stimulates digestion. Wash down with compote, weak tea. nine0003

Snack

Yogurts and fruit purees are allowed here. They stimulate the production of gastric juice, digestion. A healthy snack is a baked apple with cookies. Fruit purees from jars, children's drinking yogurts are suitable.

Lunch

Lunch is the main meal. It can be only the first or second course, or maybe all together. Soups are cooked thick, rich, satisfying. Broths are prepared on boneless pulp. The first is drained, and vegetables are added to the second broth. Let's add some oil. The second offers cereals on the water, vegetables, salads, meat or fish. Spices, roasts are excluded. nine0003

High tea

For a small snack, cottage cheese casseroles, milk porridges, cheesecakes, cookies with compote, milk are suitable. Cow's milk is administered with caution. Start with small amounts, diluted with water. Observe the reaction, as cow's milk is considered an allergen.

Dinner

Dinner is scheduled five hours after the afternoon snack. Vegetable puree, porridge, stew with meat or fish are served. It is allowed to add a little oil to the stew. nine0003

When breastfeeding, the second dinner is allowed in the form of mother's milk. Children who are used to eating at night are gradually weaned from night feedings.

What to consider when formulating a diet

The nutrition of a one-year-old child should be in compliance with the regimen. You can also create a kind of ritual that will look like a joint table setting, decoration with bright napkins, original food serving.

nine0002 If for some reason the child refuses to eat this or that product, he is not completely excluded from the diet. It is recommended to add it in small quantities, mixing with the main dish.

If the baby refuses to eat, it is recommended to shift the time. Perhaps the child did not have time to get hungry. Or you can go for a walk and work up an appetite.

All meals are served in sequence. Don't put everything on the table at once. In this case, the baby will be confused, will try to try everything at once. nine0003

It is necessary to introduce new products with caution, in turn, starting with small portions. At the same time, the reaction of a small organism to innovations is closely monitored. In case of allergic reactions, the product is completely excluded.

Sweets in the form of confectionery, sweets, chocolate are not offered to kids. Small amounts of honey, syrups, jams, dried fruits, cookies are allowed.

FAQ

nine0002 What must be present in the menu of a child at 1 year old?

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The diet must be present: meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, bread, butter. Fish and eggs are given up to three times a week.

What are the most common mistakes parents make when preparing meals?

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The most common mistake is a monotonous diet, consisting of the same products. It is important to try to feed your baby a variety of foods. This will allow him not only to get acquainted with new products, but also to replenish the stocks of necessary substances. nine0003

Is it permissible to include solid food in the diet if the teeth erupted a little?

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Solid foods help form healthy eating habits. In addition, it is useful for teething. Hard pieces help form the correct bite.

Should I put my baby to sleep after eating?

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After eating, the baby is drawn to sleep. However, putting him to bed right away is not right. If the child walked a lot, spent a lot of energy, in this case, yes, it is allowed to sleep after eating. In all other cases, after eating it is better to play. nine0003

What to do if a child refuses to eat with everyone at the age of one?

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You can't force feed a child.


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