13-month-old: Eating enough?

[SassyMummy]

My daughter is 13-months-old, and weighs about 13kg (she was born big, and has always been bigger than average).

Despite the fact that I'm pretty sure she's putting on weight, I don't know if she's actually eating all that much. Here's a regular days food intake:

Bottle: 250mL

Breakfast: Kiwi Fruit and Tub of Baby Yoghurt (Yoplait, not yakhult, which has tiny tubs)

Lunch: 1/2 sandwich (with tuna/smooth peanut butter/vegemite, cheese etc), baby muesli bar.

Dinner: Can baby food/small bowl of whatever we're having for dinner.

Bottle: 250-300mL

She also drinks dialuted fruit juice (about 1/4 juice 3/4 water) because she doesn't seem to drink very much water if it's on its own. She drinks about 360mL of this dialuted drink a day...sometimes a bit more.

She'll also sometimes have a breadstick/rusk during hte day...and likes to pinch bits of my meals...

What SHOULD a 13-month-old be eating...and how much? (And food suggestions would be great too!)

[the pero clinic]

Dear SassyMummy,

Children’s appetites and food intake can vary greatly throughout their development as their energy output levels and growth rates change. Your daughter is probably slowing down in her growth now that she is 13 months.

It looks as though she is eating a good variety of foods, although it mightn’t seem like much. Perhaps she would eat small healthy snacks if these were offered in between meals? Little ones need to eat small amounts frequently.

She also seems to be drinking quite a bit of the juice mixture. She may be gaining very short bursts of energy and appetite satiation from the juice sugars - instead of eating smaller snacks. Water is the best drink for children (and adults!). You may like to consider cutting down on the juice or removing it altogether – even if it is diluted – to promote plain water while she is still young.

For food ideas and guidelines for a toddler see:

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/phs/documents/cyhu/28111.pdf (http://www.health.qld.gov.au/phs/documents/cyhu/28111.pdf)


the pero clinic