Portion sizes for a toddler

[Dontfartbackinanger]

Does anyone know the official guidance on this?
DD is 18 months old. She was ebf and tracked the 50th percentile for weight for a long long time. She only has a bit of cows milk now but eats really well.

DH took her to get weighed and she’s now between 50th and 75th percentile.

We did BLW and I’ve always given her as much food as she wants from the meal we eat. I’m more relaxed now so she has a biscuit once/twice a week at toddler groups.

I’m worried she’s over eating cos of moving up the percentiles when she’s always tracked the 50th.

I’m not huge but generally overweight and I want her to have a good relationship with food.

Am I doing the wrong thing by letting her eat as much dinner as she likes? She can eat so much pasta!!

Or am I being silly for worrying as she’s only 18 months old.

Wish I’d been able to ask the HV but it was DH who took her to get weighed.

It's all about balance OP. LEtting her eat a tonne of pasta probably isn't great long term as it's not a really nutritious food. Better to encourage her to eat some pasta and make sure it's with some protein and veg too.

Just keep offering her a good variety of WHOLE foods. Avoiding processed foods as much as possible is the key to a good diet.

Self-regulation is important....they know when they're hungry and when they're not. So never try to cajole her to eat. Leave her to manage her appetite and if the food on offer is balanced and healthy, all will be well.

Agree that pasta isn’t great. If she’s eating lots of it, try swapping to whole grain pasta.

I really don’t think there’s a problem though. Did the HV check how tall she is too? Without that measurement, the weight is pretty meaningless.

No they never check how tall she is! I think I’ll take her again in 3 months and talk to HV then.
I thought you weren’t meant to give babies whole grain all the time??

She’s not fussy at all - she’ll was eating the aubergine with last nights pasta. But it’s the pasta / potatoes and protein part of the meal that she’ll eat most of and then a bit of the veg. But then she’ll eat loads of butter beans and cherry tomatoes another day.

I’m getting overly anxious about nothing I think!

First steps nutrition is an independent public health body. It’s got great resources for portion sizes www.firststepsnutrition.org/eating-well-early-years

That’s perfect! Thank you so so much!