How much does your 19mo eat?

[Galena]

I'm not really talking about range of food, more quantities.

My daughter is 19mo, but was 3 months prem and is the size of a 6-9 month old. She is not walking yet but crawls like the wind!

I have a major weight problem and don't want DD to end up the same way. I thought she ate a reasonable amount for her age, but then a friend commented on Tuesday that she had 'a lot of food' at lunchtime, and now I'm paranoid!

She has:
Breakfast:
Ready brek - smallish bowl
Sandwich - made with 1 slice of bread with either pate or jam, etc.
Pear - half to 3/4 of smallish pear
Milk - about 60 ml of cow's milk

Snack time:
Something - might be a few mini breadsticks, or some raisins or fruit or occasionally something chocolatey

Lunch:
Sandwich with egg mayo or cheese or some soup spooned over a slice of bread as finger food or cheese on toast, etc
Sometimes an individual portion of cheese or half a packet of wotsits/quavers/pombears, etc
Either fruit (banana or grapes) or a petit filous

Snack time:
Similar to morning snack

Dinner:
Whatever we're having - so could be a couple of little meatballs with some spaghetti and tomato sauce or 4 or 5 cocktail sausages with mash or 2-3 fishfingers with a few oven chips, or a bit of roast chicken with a roast potato and some veg. You get the idea.

For lunch her sandwiches are generally made with 1 slice of bread, unless it's egg mayo where she loves it so she has 1.5 slices of bread.

She stops eating when she's full and says 'Done' and we don't make her eat any more when she says this.

AM I overfeeding her? She does have a bit of a pot belly, but she certainly isn't huge (Not had her weighed recently, but last weigh in was 18 lb at 17 months).

[Galena]

Doh - forgot to say she has about 60-100ml cow's milk with dinner, and water the rest of the time.

[Galena]

Bump

[wannabeglam]

18lb at 17 months is not heavy I would say.

Get her weighed and see what she's like on the chart.

But what you want is for her to have good eating habits. Maybe have a look at what she eats. Perhaps swap chips for mashed potatoes and add some peas. And keep crisps for the odd treat.

She will watch what you eat so you will need good eating habits too. It's hard to change I know. I heard something good recently, that we should all eat what we like as long as we make it from scratch - nothing processed. Of course if you bake a cake it's easy to eat the lot! But if you freeze it in slices...you get the idea.

Perhaps the best thing is not to make food a big issue - fuel that happens to be pleasurable.

Have you seen the food pyramid - shows proportions of food groups that should be eaten - can probably search for it on internet.

[Galena]

Thanks Wannabeglam. She's below the 0.2nd percentile for her age - so I know she's small, but she's also below the 0.2nd percentile for height, so she's in proportion.

I do try to keep an eye on what she eats - she doesn't have crisps daily - probably max of twice a week. Chips perhaps once in a week and they are oven baked ones, not fried, etc. Peas she won't eat (in fact, she's a bit funny with veg - some days she'll eat it other days she won't, but there's always some on her plate).

Making all food from scratch is something to aspire to I think! We DO make a number of meals from scratch - bolognese, chilli, casseroles, soups, etc. We don't, however, make things such as bread ourselves, and nor do I think I'd find the time or energy to - I am not a great fan of home-made bread.

I have seen the food pyramid - I was a primary teacher and had to eat healthy eating! I'm not too concerned about what she eats overly, as I know I give her a good range. I'm more concerned about amounts as my friend commented that I'd given her a lot of food, and I didn't think I had!

[Brewster]

Sounds good to me.
If she isnt acting hungry and says she is done then all is good.

My little man goes through weeks where he stuffs his face all day long and others where he eats the bare minimum.

As long as they are thriving and not all skin and bones or all podgy and fat hangingover their trousers/nappies then all good.

They are so active at this age and just get more active so they need to be fed lots of keep up with that.They know when they are hungry and let you know!

My guy has always been a tough one to feed but if I have leant anything it is to relax about it all - they will eat what they want and you cant make them eat and unless they are huge and you are stuffing them full of chips and rubbish then all is fine!

[winnybella]

I would only say that she doesn't need bread at breakfast and lunch. Bowl of cereal/porridge and fruit is enough.

She shouldn't be having crisps at 19 mo- there's no need for it at all.Chocolate-occasionally, but not on regular basis.

Other than that sounds ok (although you do know what's inside coctail sausages? Minced uteruses etc plus smoked foods not good for children).

[wannabeglam]

My 21 month old eats, for example:

Breakfast:
1 weetabix mixed with fruit pot (won't have milk!)

Snack:
Goody fruit bar or piece of fruit

Lunch:
Half sandwich (ie one slice bread)
Yoghurt or fruit or scone

Tea:
small bowl of, say mash potatoe, casserole with veg - all pureed because won't eat them otherwise!
Yoghurt

if that gives you a hand. She's slim. I wouldn't be worried if she ate more because she's very slim.

If your baby is very slim, perhaps your friend was just saying she eats a lot for her size?

[reallytired]

Toddlers needd more fat than over fives and adults. The food period does not really apply to toddlers in the same way.

I would give your dd full fat yoghurt rather than petit filou. She needs fat in her diet rather than sugar.

If you are concerned about diet you could ask your hv or gp to refer you to a dietian. My dd is only slightly bigger than your dd although she wasn't premature and we were offered a referal.

[wannabeglam]

I agree under 5s need more fat. Everything full fat - nothing 'diet'. I thought Petit Filous was Fromage Frais which is higher in fat (unless the diet version which you don't want to use)?

Oh, and there's no way I'm making bread either!

[debka]

Kids are weird- my DD is tall and solid (but she's never been chubby), but eats about HALF as much as yours!! I think just keep offering her healthy appropriate food and she will eat what she needs.

[Poppet45]

She sounds like a great little eater and nothing to worry about at all. Sounds to me like the little lady is making up for lost time. Good for her!