what does your toddler eat and drink in an average day ? advice needed

[jewels1900]

just wondering if anyone could tell me on average what their toddlers eat and drink in a day, my 20 month old hardly eats and just wondered what he should be having?

Not a lot at the moment :)

My DD goes through phases of eating loads then living on air for a bit.

On a good day she might have half a slice of toast plus fruit for breakfast, small bowl of pasta and meat/fish with veg for lunch with fruit or yoghurt for dessert then half a sandwich and veg or fruit for tea. Sometimes she'll have a snack of raisins or one of those organix bars as well. In addition she as 7oz of milk in a beaker at when she wakes up and at bedtime.

My 18mth DD barely seems to eat anything! POrridge for breakfast, maybe a nibble on something small mid morningish, lucnh today was a mini pork pie (seriusly, that was it), tiny glass of milk midafetrnoon, not much dinner (mostly corn on cob, bit of rice, bit of meat).

She drinks water with breakfast, midmorning, lunch, afternoon, dinner and bedtime. Not fussed by milk, especially if she's eating yoghurt or cheese at some point in the day.

She is growing taller and taller and seems to be mentally and physically developing, so I guess she's eating all she needs. I wish she'd eat more fruit, but that's my fault for not offering as I don't eat it. We love veg though!

HTH, it does seem that lots of them don't eat much!

AIR! But he does like bread and cheese. Also sausages from the butchers.. Also very cold bottles of juice (lots of)

I have the opposite problem. DS is 21months and has always been on the 99th centile (weight and height) although not weighed him in a while.
DS on an average non nursery day has a bowl of cereal usually topped up after a chorus of "more, more, more!", some fruit and occasionally some of my toast.
Lunch might be a half baked potato with tuna followed by some more fruit. Afternoon snack is usually a large handful of raisins (and more) and dinner maybe chilli, rice and a few tortilla chips followed by yoghurt.
He generally only has water to drink during the day but doesn't drink enough for my liking so will occasionally get a fruit shoot as he will drink it in seconds.
He has a cup of milk at bedtime not more than 4oz I guess.
The other day he got into the fruit bowl an hour after breakfast, which had been cereal and a banana, and hid under the table to peel and eat 2 more bananas!!!!
I guess you'd prefer my problem though. I just worry he'll never stop.

My 16 month old has weeks when he eats really well and others when he seems to barely eat at all.
He loves bready things, bread, crackers, breadsticks etc... I can't get him to eat fruit at all except the odd banana.

My failsafe (he will always eat) is lasagne.

Failsafe is a great word for it, captain. My DS (who is 22 mo) is Pasta and Strawberries. If he won't eat those I worry.

The thing that stops me from dissolving into paranoia is that I read somewhere that kids get their nutrition over a week, not a day. DS rarely eats more than one significant meal, and often that's breakfast (he's been known to put away a small bowl of cereal, two slices of toast and fruit without blinking).

If I eat when he's not eating, he always wants a piece of it, so I have to make sure I snack well. I have cereal bars around and find that, if he's not eaten brilliantly, and gets suddenly ratty, that does the trick.

I would rather take my lead from him than force feed him. I am not patent so I've had to learn that his mealtime takes a bit longer than mine and usually has a big pause in the middle.

If he's well and happy, be relaxed. Make a pile of grapes available in a bowl at all times if it's easier that he goes at his own pace. DS now says "hungry" and "drink" which makes things easier.

thanks everyone for your advice and tips