How much does your 12 month old eat? is this a lot?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Seems like my 12 month old ds never stops eating, and no, he hasn't got worms. Yesterday, he had:

Breakfast: A piece of toast, a banana and a box of raisins
Midmorning: 8oz bottle, malted milk biscuit
Lunch: Jar of veg lasagne (yeah yeah, I know but I was having a pot noodle) and two yoghurts
Afternoon snack: two breadsticks, a piece of cheese and a tangerine
Dinner: Loads of mashed potato, peas and sweetcorn, a sausage and some of my cheesy bake, pot of fruitapura
Bedtime: 8oz bottle

Seems like loads to me, and he still scavenges for more when we eat anything. I don't know any other toddlers, is it a lot of food? I'm scared of overfeeding him as I'm overweight. He's chubby but not really fat, here's a pic.

Should I cut anything down or just leave him to it?

[nappyaddict]

does he eat it himself or do you feed him? i would be inclined to say if he is feeding himself then he's not over eating. babies will usually stop when they are full.

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I only feed him squidgy stuff like yoghurt, fruit puree or jars of stuff. He starts smacking the spoon and rubbing his face if he's had enough when I'm spoonfeeding him. Rarely happens though! He eats everything else himself, with gusto.

[babyOcho]

Not weaning my DD yet so cannot comment.

But your DS is really cute

[curleyshirley]

My dd is 12 months and what you describe is pretty much exactly what she will eat in a day, day in day out. She has always loved all food, never had any problems with ehr eating, and instead I constantly worry that she eats too much! She would eat more if I gave her more, but I dont because I feel clearly she doesnt need anymore than that. But simiarly,she will scavenge for everything and whenever we are with friends and babies, she will eat whatever she is offered! She is on the 98th percentile for weight (and was in fact born on that) but also on height as well, and as a result, the HV say dont worry at all. Similarly, she is chubby but doesnt look like a 'fat baby'. So I dont have answers I'm afriad, just to say I have a similar DC to yours - and also worry about it, but having expressed these concerns to my HV, have been reassured I shouldnt be worrying (at least not for now!). HTH.

[wingandprayer]

My 13 month eats very similar amounts and we tend to find he eats more when he's teething for some reason. DS never stops though- constantly crawling and climbing, so he's going to be burning loads of calories. I think as long as you are giving them healthy stuff, and I would class everything above as that, then don't worry. You can't force feed them at this age. DS is quick enough to shake his head when he's had enough or he just starts throwing it on the floor.

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

That's reassuring, curlyshirley! I don't know what percentiles ds is on just now, his 12 month check is in a fortnight so I'm sure they'll say if there's anything wrong.

Thanks babyocho, he is a bit scrummy.

[VinegarTits]

I wouldn't worry, as long as he is a healthy weight and is happy, sounds like he has a healthy appetite.

[curleyshirley]

and just looked at the pic - your DS is indeed extremely cute and looks perfect size!

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

x posts wingandaprayer, yeah ds is always on the move I spose.

I guess I'll stop worrying for now. I'm just so determined he isn't going to be overweight because of me!!!

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

my 13 month old in a normal day eats;
brekkie; dry cereal and a beaker of milk or porridge and raisins both with youghurt and banana afterwards.
lunch; sarnie made with a whole bun or two slices of bread, more fruit and either yoghurt or jelly.
snack; cheese cubes and more fruit
dinner; pasta or cooked dinner or fajitas - she loves fajitas, dessert would be custard or rice pudding or strawberry smoothie
supper; porridge or if she is really lucky and im lazy she will have milk and jaffa cakes

it seems all she does is eat. what yours is eating sounds like a perfectly normally amount to me.

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I wouldn't have thought of giving ds fajitas! God I can only imagine the mess.

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

i have a living hoover dog that sorts out most of the mess! she is more messy with her pasta. she barely drops any of her fajitas she is too busy shovelling them in her mouth, her pasta and sandwhiches she deliberately feeds to the dog!

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Ds has a manky habit of deliberatly dropping things on the floor at the end of the meal, then screeching to get out of the highchair, then when we put him down in the livingroom he immediately attempts to scramble back to the table to stuff the dropped bits of dinner in his mouth before we get a chance to pick them up. Who needs a dog?

[ten10]

Sounds completely normal to me, my ds eats a similar amount except probably a bit more.

at waking has 7ozs of milk

at breakfast he has a potion of porridge which i would struggle to eat, then a whole banana and always scavenges some of my toast too.

mid morning and mid afternoon has a Humzinger bar and a couple of rice cakes, or fruit and a couple of biscuits or something similar

Lunch and Dinner he has cooked meals, which are about half what I would have as a portion. then has yogurt and fruit and sometime some bread too.

but is on the 9th centile for his weight - how did that happen?

[cornflakegirl]

My DS ate loads when he was that age - think it was a growth spurt. Now he's a typical toddler - eats one proper meal every couple of days. He has also always been chubby rather than skinny.

[nappyaddict]

ds used to eat loads at that age. now at 2 he is like CG's ds and eats maybe one proper meal a day if that.

[JenAT]

I only wish my dd ate that much!
She is just 11 months, and on average day has
7oz milk when wakes,
half weetabix or 5-6 spoons porridge, and a few mouthfuls of toast for brekkie.
Rice cake or small biscuit for snack.
5-6spoons spag bol or similar for lunch, and nibbles on finger food like pitta, cheese. Any veg given just lobbed on floor. small fromage frais.
Teatime often refuses anything spoonfed, toast, crumpet few mouthfuls,If I'm lucky she will crush a strawberry and maybe suck it before throwing it at the cat. She would happily live on fromage frais, pitta and icecream!
Bedtime 7oz milk.
She is a tiddler, just on 2nd centile, but simply can't make her eat anymore food.

[pulapula]

I would say if he knows when he's full (pushing spoon away etc) they he's not over-eating. I wouldn't worry. My DS was the same at 12 months- we never knew his limit and could quite easily eat:

200ml Milk, 1.5 weetabix, 1 toast, yoghurt, 1 banana (yes all of the above) for breakfast
Jar/good sized meal, fruit for lunch
ditto for tea
snacks/milk in between and before bed
Happily ate finger foods and off spoon

Now at 13 months, he generally refuses all cereals (except dry cheerios finger food), maybe has a nibble on a piece of toast and a bit of banana but plays with the rest, takes one spoonful from a jar and rejects the rest, turns his nose up at old favourites and isn't bothered about fruit which he used to love.

Make the most of his food enjoyment for now- you never know it could all change tomorrow and you'll be worrying about him not eating enough!