portion sizes

[tink]

I'm just wondering what sized meal a nearly 14 month old should be eating. Jasmine is 12kg (born big...she's tall too.) and it seems she could always eat more. With her dinner time meal, I give her a 170g jar of baby food and she'll always come to our plates after she's done, for more. (for example, last night she had her jar and then had another equal portion of our risotto) Then she has a 250ml bottle of formula. She seems to have a bottomless pit for a stomach!

[the pero clinic]

Dear Tink,

If your little girl has always been at the upper end of the charts for height and weight, her current 12kg is not something to be concerned about. If she seems to be eating unusually large amounts and has jumped across a few lines on the weight chart, then it may be worth seeking some more specific guidance about her intake.

At 14 months, your daughter should be eating the same meals you are eating – with minor changes where necessary. Would you consider dropping the jar baby food and giving your little girl a meal of your pasta / rice / vegetables / meat instead? She may be legitimately hungry for more food, or she may just want to eat some of the grown up food because you are eating it.

Little ones are generally very good at eating more when they are hungry and stopping when they are full. Let her guide you with her hunger when serving her meals – there are no real ‘rules’ when it comes to meal sizes. Just make sure she is having a variety of food types (cereals, dairy, meat, vegetables, fruits, fats) every day.

the pero clinic