🍼 Overview
Between 1 and 2 years old, toddlers transition from baby food to family food. This phase is about independence, variety, and routine. While picky eating often begins during this stage, offering a wide range of healthy options and modeling positive behavior makes a lasting impact.
Toddlers are learning how to eat — not just what to eat.
✅ What to Expect
- Transition from breast/formula to whole milk (after 12 months)
- Serve 3 meals + 2–3 healthy snacks per day
- Appetite may vary daily — trust the toddler, not the calendar
- Begin using spoons, forks, and open cups with practice
🧠 Toddler Nutrition Basics
- Focus on iron, calcium, healthy fats, and fiber
- Encourage water over juice; avoid sugary drinks
- Whole milk is recommended until age 2 unless otherwise directed
- Offer a variety of colors, textures, and flavors
🍽️ Sample Meal Components
- Protein: eggs, beans, shredded chicken, tofu
- Fruits & veggies: soft, cooked, or bite-sized raw pieces
- Grains: oatmeal, whole grain toast, rice, pasta
- Healthy fats: avocado, olive oil, nut butters (thinly spread)
Avoid choking hazards: whole grapes, hard raw vegetables, popcorn, whole nuts, large spoonfuls of nut butter
🧩 Tips for Parents
- Serve small portions and allow second helpings
- Don’t force a clean plate — look for hunger/fullness cues
- Expect food throwing and refusal — it’s part of development
- Offer new foods repeatedly without pressure
- Eat together as often as possible — toddlers learn by watching
😵 Picky Eating Is Normal
- Repeated exposure helps (10–15 tries is common)
- Keep mealtime low-pressure and consistent
- Let your toddler explore, play with, and even reject food
- Focus on what they eat over a week, not a single meal
⚠️ When to Call Your Pediatrician
- Refuses most or all solid foods
- Shows signs of nutritional deficiency (fatigue, pallor, slow growth)
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Extreme food aversions or gagging at most textures
📚 Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics. “Feeding & Nutrition for Toddlers”
- CDC. “What Should Toddlers Eat?” – cdc.gov
- HealthyChildren.org. “Dealing with Picky Eaters: 12–24 Months”