Weight of 20 month old

[Frosty13]

Reposting here as I think in was in the wrong place!

Ok so my daughter has just turned 20 months. She was born at 8lbs exactly and was on the 75th centile which she followed and then went up to 98th at some point. I'm worried because she is now 12.8 kilos at 20 months which puts her in the 93rd. She is the weight of an average 2.5 year old! Shes not tall for her age, just above average on 55th centile.

Im worried what the health visitor is going to say at her 2 year old health review. Her diet is very good although she isnt a big fan of veg I still serve it with every evening meal, most of the time she doesnt eat it. and she loves fruit. She very rarely has any treats and drinks water or very diluted squash (sugar free).

I guess we could be more active, obviously hard at the moment but she does spend most if the day up and about. We have a garden that she likes to go in. And we try and go for a walk everyday. Before lockdown we would often go to the park. Although her favourite is the swing so not much activity for her.

I'm worried because I was an overweight child myself and I am an overweight adult, (trying hard now to lose weight.) I just dont want that for her 😒 I never felt comfortable growing up.

I dont know what else to do, on an average day she has about 1000 calories. She doesnt have milk bottles at all and hasnt done since 12 months.

Any advice?

Maybe post a typical days meals for her.
What portion sizes does she have?

@LovingLola

She has porridge for breakfast every single day. 35g porridge oats with about 180 mls milk. Mid morning snack is nearly always a banana. Typical lunch would be 1 slice of wholemeal bread made into a sandwich with about 10 grams of grated cheddar and spread with margarine. With some fruit usually strawberries and grapes or similar. She occasionally has a few (I mean like 4) of the organix baby crisps with this but not everyday. Afternoon snack apple or other fruit and organix cereal bar. Dinner, small portion of whatever er we are having, cottage pie, pasta bake, spag bol etc .. I think her portions are reasonable for her age I feed her from a small childs plate. Her calorie intake is never more than 1100

I make all the meals for the family from scratch as I am on a calorie counting diet. So I know how many calories are going into her meals and an evening meal for her is between 175 and 275 calories depending on what we have.

That's about the correct calorie intake I believe for her age (from memory). Does she have a high fat ratio- children need fat but could she have chicken or cucumber or salmon in her sandwich some days instead? Foes she have any biscuit sweet or cake? Does she have lots of cheese or fat with dinner or things like sweet potato or coconut milk or avocado. These might be better substituted. If she likes spaghetti bolognese why dont you try making a pasta sauce with lots of vegetables like red onions cooked down soft, courgettes cut small, maybe carrots diced small, aubergines and blitz when its very well cooked (add a tin if chopped Tom's and herbs) and serve like bolognese sauce. It will get her used to more vegetables. You can freeze potions in freezer bags. Also have it at lunchtimes sometimes? Things like (sounds odd) cooked pureed carrot with some veg stock (drained and seasoning and chick peas made like a cottage pie with mash on is popular with small children as its soft and very sweet. I leave chick peas whole and puree a can of cancelling beans in the carrots first to make it more nutritious. You can add onions and garlic at the start if you want. Is actually good vegan family meal. Fo you give slices of cherry tomato pieces of canned corn to pick up or pieces of plain rice cake or cucumber? They are all good to try.

Ultimately babies grow at different speeds. If she doesnt walk and climb a lot she might not have lost the extra yet or she might be a bigger person.

Conversley, It doesnt matter what we feed my daughter. She eats pretty much adult portions non stop,almost 3 90cm and 11kg. She cant gain weight. She seems happy and healthy do it's not worth worrying about I dont think.

@23:20GlamGiraffe, some great food advice, she dosnt always have cheese in her sandwich sometimes she has ham but she really doesnt like cucumber! I make the bolognaise sauce from scratch and its packed with veggies, she is really good at eating them in sauces or in my cottage pie but not so great if they are just on the side of her plate if that makes sense.

I thought perhaps she just takes after me being bigger but is that really a thing? I'm not massive just chunkier than average. Her dad can eat anything and not gain a single pound

My daughter was the same weight at that age. She didn’t look overweight, just not a skinny child. At nursery she didn’t look any different to the rest of the kids. Please don’t worry about it. As long as she’s eating healthy food and being active - those are the behaviours you need to encourage.
I grew up with a mum who was always dieting and thinking about food. I got put on my first diet at primary school and my sisters and I have always had issues with food and weight.
I’m determined not to let my daughter ever have the same issues or know if mummy is on a diet. I really want to encourage a healthy relationship with food for her.

@Whosaysyoucanthaveitall, thanks for your reply!

I am only worried because I too dont want my child growing up fat like I did and feeling terrible about it. My mum was lovely and would tell me I wasnt fat but I knew I was. I dont intend on letting her know about my own diets while she grows up but I feel there is so much judgement on a childs weight and they cant help but become aware. She will be weighed at her 2 year check, again in reception year at school and again in year 6. But we are told not to obsess over our childrens weight.

I know I sound mental! I wouldnt say my daughter looks fat but she is bigger built than some other children her age. Noone has said anything to me about her weight at all, everyone says she looks "normal" but then it's hard to tell if kids are overweight these days . Hopefully she will shoot up and not gain too much weight with it .

You are projecting your fears on your relationship with her and her relationship with food and this is a dangerous path.
You want to avoid her the suffering your endured and the lasting damage it has done to you and this is normal and right. There is something very disturbing about counting calories for a toddler. Observe and enjoy her growing and learning everyday, not analysing her eating or activity level.

You are doing fine and she can still change her food preferences.

With veggies, it is a bit of a hit and miss. If she likes them in sauce, why not try ratatouille or soups or mashed. Make a thick stew, which basically cutting them in cubes, and letting them simmer for an hours. Make a base of onions in 1 tbl spoon of extra virgin olive oil, add onions, then carrots, zucchini and let them melt at low flame. Midway through add a tomatoes, a some frozen peas.

The only suggestion. for a change would be to remove the ultra processed snack you give her. Baby crisps are junk food for baby and a cereal bar isn't a good daily choice. Give her a yoghurt with berries, or try making kale chips.
Try making hummus yourself and she can have it with some thin Italian breadstick or steamed green beans . Make your own cracker downshiftology.com/recipes/ultimate-seed-crackers/ or eatingrules.com/multi-seed-crackers/

She will develop a preference for the food you offer her, so if it is bread with ham or cheese and processed snack it will only make it harder and harder to like the real test of real food.
Food manufacturers are brilliant at presenting us ultra-processed food as the best for our babies, but concentrated juice is pure sugar and puffs or similar are Doritos in another shape.

Maybe some days, instead of grated cheese, offer avocado on toast, if she likes baked beans, you can makes similar dishes with other beans.
Oven roasted pumpkin or sweet potato is really nice. Cut int
BE adventurous and sit with her and have both the same meal.

Don't ask if she likes it, present it normally.
You can also offer some fish maybe. Make a small sauces with tomatoes, onion and a bit of broth and simmer a piece of cod in it

Maybe consider butter for her or you instead of margarine. Read the ingredients on the margarine label , so fake, so heavily processed . Butter has good vitamins .
If you go for real food, you can't go wrong. Don't reduce her portions, please.

Your DD is healthy and happy. She loves the swing, great, a happy toddler is the best thing ever.

Wow @LeGrandBleu way to make a mama feel terrible!!!

I do not regularly count her calories but as I noticed she was a bit heavy I did it one day just to see. I do not usually weigh or measure her food I just did it once to get a picture of how much she eats. After all how could I seek advice if I dont have information to give?

She does not eat the same things every day, a cheese sandwich is a typical lunch
not everyday, she will also have scrambled eggs, beans, pasta in homemade sauce amongst other things. and I did say she SOMETIMES has like 4 baby crisps. We also eat at the table as a family for every single meal. Eating the same foods without fuss. I always offer her everything she chooses what she does and doesnt eat.

Thanks for the info on butter vs Marge I will look into it.

You have misunderstood me, I wasn't trying to make you fell bad but give you ideas on how to present vegetables in a way she might like them.
I have hurt you, I am really sorry.
I know she has her evening meals with you, wasn't sure about the lunch and when saying sit with her it was for that meal.