AIBU to ask how much your one year old eats??

[MrsIanThornton]

My one year old DS was/is breastfed and used to regulating his own appetite so when weaning him, I've always kept giving him food until he has had enough.

We have a problem as nursery portion food on a plate and seconds aren't an option. They don't allow snacks even if I send them in, although at home he doesn't snack at all, just eats three really good meals a day.

He's chunky but on the same centile for height and weight and has been on the same centile for months.

What do you do with your one year old? Do you give set portions or let them decide?

At what age do I need to think about portion control? I have two medical conditions that I have to manage that mean I'm confident I understand balanced nutrition, but I have no idea on portions. The guidance leaflet on portions for one year olds shows portions about half the size that my DS would eat.

Will any of you share a typical food day for your one year old?

If it makes a difference, he is mega active and a big climber. Doesn't sit still for a minute.

Thanks!

DD's (13 month old) day today was -
7oz bottle- 4oz formula, 3oz whole milk (getting her used to the taste)
Breakfast- slice of toast with reduced sugar smooth peanut butter and two finger sized slices of melon
Snack- 3 x organix rice cakes and half a banana
Lunch (before nap)- brioche roll, 3 carrot sticks, 4 cucumber sticks, half a kids brand oat bar, munch bunch reduced sugar yogurt
Snack (after nap)- soreen bar and Ella's Kitchen smoothie
Dinner- boiled rice, chicken breast, broccoli, red and yellow peppers (all stir fryed with spray oil) and a table spoon of homemade sweet and sour sauce.
Afters- yogurt (DD doesn't like whole milk so we are bulking up on the other dairy products and wearing her onto whole milk in her bottle) with raspberries
Bedtime bottle after bath- 7oz made up like the morning one

DD doesn't sit still either, at her last weigh in a couple of weeks ago she was on the 75% percentile which is where she has been since birth. I would maybe try your DS on a couple of snacks a day? A yogurt etc between meal times and see how he does?

Also breastfeeding, DC is 19 months, very active and still on the same high percentile as birth

His lunch and dinner consumption do vary based on mood and activity, but the following is typical:

Breakfast - one pear, bowl of wheat cereal with full fat milk, one slice of toast with peanut butter

Snack (if requested) - sultanas or an oat bar

Lunch - scrambled egg or beans on toast, cucumber, pepper, yoghurt and raspberries

Dinner - veggie sausage, jacket potato with a little cheese, broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn, banana, grapes

Cups of water are always available

I haven't seen a portion control leaflet so don't know what amount is 'normal', I go with DC knowing whether or not they want to finish what's there. I don't do substitutes so if they don't eat what's there I don't offer an alternative. This works for us and they've never shown signs of being hungry in the night if they haven't eaten much at dinner.

Tissues, you've made me feel better. He eats a bit more than that but sits in the 75th also. The portions at nursery are nowhere near this! And the portions in the guidance leaflet are tiny.

I'm so sorry, I completely misread your part about snacks! I portion up DD's food and if she's still hungry I give more but at the moment what I give her suits her appetite (she follows me /the childminder shouting Yum if she's hungry).

My one year old can eat a scary amount!!! Some days it doesn't seem she eats much less then her big brothers who are 8 and 6

Thanks Duggee. He isn't hungry with me, and he's slept through for months, it's just nursery have what they deem a suitable portion and this isn't flexible.

The portion leaflet was eye opening and combined with nursery made me worry.

That's strange that they don't allow snacks, maybe if you let them know he is getting hungry when he's at home in between meals they will give him abit bigger of a portion?
I'm a bad first time mum- never read the guidance leaflets, never attended antenatal classes or gone to mum and baby groups But DD seems to be doing alright! I think the leaflets should come with a small print of 'take with a pinch of salt'. I know that nurseries have guidelines etc to follow but the amount they charge- I'm sure they could give your DS some more food on his plate- not like it's going to be equivalent to a free for all buffet!

Duggee I do the same as you- once DD starts chucking food around I take it away and I know she's done or if she's refusing to eat dinner, I make her a slice of toast if she is still hungry and that's it.

Mrs DC is currently our only so I can only compare with nephews, but they are all healthy and happy so it seems a reasonable guide.

I've quickly learned to filter about 90% of what we're told on pretty much any topic because so much is conflicting or fails to take into account individual factors.

As your DS is maintaining growth and appears happy with everything I'd maybe have a chat with the nursery to see what can be done to bridge the gap.

Out of interest, does their portion control guideline/the other leaflet differentiate between a 13 month old and a 23 month old? Because I can imagine there's a fair variance within the 'one year old' category.

Tissues that's the one! DC will either hand the plate back or turn away when finished - it's pretty clear

Now they have the words 'more', 'yes' and 'no' it confirms what I'd assumed their actions meant

When you say one year old, are we talking just one, or nearly two? There's quite a range there!

My 22 month old has up and down days with food but as a general guideline...

Breastfeeds upon waking; often takes quite a lot (if I let her)

Breakfast: usually a crumpet, half a bagel, or a piece of toast - she'll eat most of it. Or a bowl of cereal with cows milk

Mid-morning she'll generally beg a biscuit or toast at playgroup

Lunch: something like beans on toast, pasta with tomato sauce, omelette with bread and butter, pitta and hummus with fruit, cheese on toast

We don't tend to do afternoon snacks...

And then tea will be similar to lunch (depending what we had), or what we're having if it's a day we all eat together. Stir fry with peanut sauce, veggie sausage and mash and broccoli, pasta, lentil shepherds pie... and inevitably a yoghurt for after.

I try not to worry about portion size tbh; she is pretty good at self regulating. (Except with biscuits ) It has all gone a little odd lately as DD2 was born a couple of months ago and since then DD1 has really been wanting to breastfeed a lot more than before, which has obviously had a knock on effect with her food intake.

DS is 13 months and I worry about how much he eats sometimes. I'm not worried about his weight though as although he's 90th for weight, he's 98th for height and not chubby in the slightest.
At nursery he seems to eat more than at home, but that seems to be because they don't stop feeding him!

At home
6am - 6oz bottle
8am - breakfast usually banana weetabix minis or bear alpha bites
10am - snack. Usually fruit or vege sticks
Midday - lunch. 2 pikelets with whole earth peanut butter and a banana
Doesn't tend to eat an afternoon snack unless we are out because at home he has two naps but at nursery they have a 2 hour nap between lunch and 2pm.
Dinner - pasta with roasted veg/chicken curry/shepherds pie grapes and yoghurt
Before bed - 6oz bottle

At nursery -
6am - 6oz bottle
7:45 - breakfast usually rice crispies and generally two bowls
9:30 - snack, rice cakes and fruit
11:30 - lunch is their hot meal of the day so curry or spag Bol
2:30 - snack fruit and veg
4:30 - dinner which is usually a sandwich
Before bed (around 6:30) - 6oz bottle

Find it strange that your nursery don't provide snacks, he seems to be fed constantly there. I wonder if they almost use food as a distraction technique but he loves sitting at the table with his friends (and has been known to pilfer food from them as well!). If your dc is getting hungry, can they maybe double up the portions?

Also, DS has been baby led and does baby sign so he lets us know when he's finished or wants more by signing. As a general rule, if he starts trying to feed me or DH his food or pushes his plate away we take him out of the high chair.

DS is 17 months and my youngest of three.

He is just under 50th centipede for weight and 75th for height.

I generally don't give snacks, my children are very active but I'm not convinced they need them. DS does have milk once a day as a snack.

Breakfast: 1/2 small banana, 1 weetabix, 6oz milk.

Lunch: 1/2 finger roll with cheese and pickle, 4 skips, satsuma, bite of sisters pear.

Mid afternoon: 6oz full fat milk.

Supper: roast - small slice beef, 1 potato, carrots, peas. No pudding.

Bf on demand

Banana 🍌 and half a slice of toast
Two small slices of pizza
A fruit smoothie pouch
A few bites of cheese 🧀
Fish and broccoli
A yoghurt
A satsuma

Some days much less! Absolutely not sure about what's normal or not but can't bear to think of her hungry!

DS is 11.5 months, and also bf plus blw so used to self regulating. He's just under the 25th percentile and never stays still.

Today he's had-
8am - breastfeed
9am - French toast and berries (ate most of the berries and maybe half a slice of French toast)
11am - breastfeed before nap
1pm- cheese and broccoli pasta (most of a small ikea kids bowl) and an apricot formage frais
5pm- breastfeed, a cream cracker
7pm- few mouthfuls of dinner (then chucked it as tired) a grated apple, few blueberries, half a rich tea biscuit
8.39and 9pm - breastfed then sleep
He's very much a little and often eater.

No snacks in a nursery seems very strange, it usually seen as good practise to offer a healthy snack mid morning and mid afternoon.

DS is 18 months and hovers around 91st centile for height and weight.
Some days he eats more than others. He points to the kitchen or the snack drawer if he's hungry.
Today:

8oz full fat milk on waking
Breakfast:
Bowl of low sugar cheerios (oat ones) with whole milk
Banana
Mid morning: pear, fruit bar (those ones with baked fruit)
Lunch: cheese sandwich, 1 slice of bread...barely ate any, and a few grapes
Mid afternoon: 2 satsumas, few raisins
Dinner: 3 chicken dippers, potato waffle, peas, followed by 2 petit filous

He doesn't always have the afternoon snack but he barely ate at lunchtime.
His dinner the rest of the week is something more home cooked, but once a week he gets something easy that I know he will eat.

He might have a couple of rich tea biscuits throughout the day too.