Feeding toddlers 12–24 months: meals, milk limits and portions

From 12 to 24 months, most toddlers do well on 3 small meals and 2–3 snacks a day, eating the same food as the rest of the family. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne toddler guide suggests three small main meals and 2–3 snacks, and the NHS guide to first solid foods says 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks from 12 months. Cow's milk can become a main drink, offered in a cup, but in moderate amounts.

How much milk depends on where you live: Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says no more than 500 mL a day, the AAP suggests about 2 cups (16 oz), and the NHS suggests at least 350 mL or 2 servings of dairy foods. Breastfeeding can continue for as long as you both want. This guide follows on from feeding at 10 to 12 months and covers meals, milk, breastfeeding, cups, portions, fussy eating, vitamins and safety.

How many meals and snacks does a toddler need?

The WHO figures come from its complementary feeding page, and the CDC's from its mealtime routines guide. The Royal Children's Hospital notes that toddlers may prefer small, regular snacks to a traditional meal pattern, and suggests nutritious snacks of fruit, milk products and wholegrain cereals.

Appetite drops for many toddlers. The CDC's feeding guide says children grow more slowly from around 12 months and might go a couple of days without eating much, and that over a week they should get what they need. It suggests regular meal and snack times rather than letting your child eat or drink continuously through the day. The Royal Children's Hospital says this is normal and doesn't mean your child is unwell or being difficult.

Who decides how much?

The Royal Children's Hospital splits the jobs: you decide which foods to offer, when and where; your toddler decides whether to eat, what to eat from what's offered, and how much. It says children lose their natural sense of how much they need if they're forced to finish their plate. The CDC agrees that your child doesn't have to finish the food on the plate or the drink in the cup.

How much milk should a toddler drink?

From 12 months, formula isn't needed, and pasteurised cow's milk can become the main milk drink. Guidance on how much differs, partly because some countries set a ceiling and others a floor:

The table draws on the Royal Children's Hospital, Australia's healthdirect dairy guide, the AAP's drinks guide and the NHS guide to what to feed young children. Healthdirect also says reduced-fat milk isn't suitable as a drink for children under 2.

Why the ceiling matters: the Royal Children's Hospital iron fact sheet says cow's milk contains very little iron, that drinking too much can fill a child up so they eat less iron-rich food, and that large amounts can reduce iron absorption. It lists children who drink large amounts of cow's milk among those at higher risk of low iron, and gives 9 mg a day as the Australian recommended iron intake from 1 to 3 years.

A few more points:

• Toddler milks: the NHS guide to drinks and cups says toddler and growing-up milks aren't needed, and the AAP says they offer no nutritional advantage over a well-balanced diet for most children.
• Plant milks: the NHS allows unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drinks from 1 year but no rice drinks under 5, and the AAP says only soy milk is nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk. See moving to cow's milk.
• Food first: the Royal Children's Hospital suggests giving food first, then drinks, at meals and snacks. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's guide to balancing solids with milk feeds also suggests solids before milk feeds from 12 to 18 months.

Should I keep breastfeeding my toddler?

If you both want to, yes. The WHO recommends continuing frequent breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond, and the AAP supports breastfeeding for 2 years or beyond, for as long as you and your child want. The Australian Breastfeeding Association says Australia's NHMRC recommends breastfeeding for as long as mother and child want, and that breast milk keeps playing an important role after the first birthday.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association says toddlers may feed quickly and less often, or sometimes more frequently. A breastfed toddler still needs meals and snacks of family food and water to drink. If you're ready to stop, weaning from the breast covers gentle ways to do it.

When should my toddler move from bottles to cups?

Around the first birthday. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says water and cow's milk served in a cup should be the main drinks after 12 months, the Royal Children's Hospital suggests offering all drinks in a cup, and the NHS says bottles should be discouraged once your baby is 1. The AAP's bottle-to-cup guide suggests completing the switch between 12 and 18 months, with an open cup by about 2 years.

The AAP explains why: toddlers who sip from bottles during the day often aren't hungry at mealtimes, and teeth constantly bathed in milk are at risk of decay. It suggests keeping bottles to mealtimes at first, then dropping the others, especially at naps and bedtime. Cups and dropping bottles has a step-by-step plan.

For other drinks, the AAP suggests 1–4 cups (8–32 oz) of water a day at 12–24 months. The CDC says juice isn't necessary and children under 2 should avoid caffeinated drinks; citing the AAP, it gives no more than 4 oz (about 120 mL) of 100% juice a day for ages 1 to 3, although the AAP's own drinks guide sets juice limits only from age 2. The NHS says any juice should be diluted, 1 part juice to 10 parts water, and kept to mealtimes. The Royal Children's Hospital says sweet drinks such as juice and cordial aren't needed.

How big should toddler portions be?

Only a few sources give portion sizes, and they're guides rather than amounts your toddler has to eat.

• AAP (US): the AAP's serving sizes for toddlers says a toddler's serving is about a quarter of an adult's, with about 1 tablespoon of cooked vegetables for each year of age. Its example toddler meal is 1 oz (about 30 g) of meat or 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans, 1 to 2 tablespoons each of vegetables and fruit, and a quarter slice of bread.
• NHS (UK): it suggests at least 2 portions a day of protein from plant foods, or 1 from meat, fish or eggs, and at least 1 portion of oily fish a week.
• healthdirect (AU): 1 to 1½ serves of dairy a day for toddlers aged 1 to 2.

Start with a small amount and let your toddler ask for more. The NHS suggests fruit and vegetables at every meal, full-fat cheese and yogurt up to age 2, and not making wholegrain foods the only starchy foods for under-2s, because fiber can fill them up.

Keep iron-rich foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, legumes and iron-fortified cereal on the menu. Once common allergy foods are in the diet, Australia's ASCIA, Australia's allergy specialist body, advises keeping each one going at least once a week; see introducing allergens.

What does a toddler feeding day look like?

This made-up example at 18 months follows the Royal Children's Hospital pattern of 3 small meals and 2–3 snacks, with up to three small drinks of milk. Your toddler's times and amounts will differ.

Example day — adjust to your toddler

Over the day this includes iron (cereal, egg, beef), several allergy foods (milk, egg, peanut, wheat) and about three small milk drinks. For a 15-month example, see the baby feeding schedule by age.

Why is my toddler suddenly fussy?

The AAP's advice on picky eaters says many children start to dislike unfamiliar foods, called neophobia, between 18 months and 2 years, and that it can take 15–20 tries to like a new food. The Royal Children's Hospital adds that refusing a food doesn't always mean dislike; toddlers may be testing your reaction.

What helps, from the AAP, the NHS guide to fussy eaters and the Royal Children's Hospital:

1. Keep offering. Serve new foods in small amounts alongside at least one food your toddler usually eats.
2. Don't force or bribe. The NHS says not to force food or use it as a reward; take rejected food away without comment.
3. Serve one family meal. Separate meals aren't needed, the Royal Children's Hospital says.
4. Eat together, screens off. Toddlers learn by watching and copying.
5. Keep meals short. The Royal Children's Hospital suggests removing food after about 20 minutes if your toddler loses interest.
6. Watch the snacks and drinks. The NHS says 2 healthy snacks a day is plenty, and the Royal Children's Hospital says some children fill up on milk or sweet drinks, leaving less room for food.

The NHS suggests looking at what your child eats over a week rather than a day. The Royal Children's Hospital also lists picky eaters among children at higher risk of low iron. Fussy eating goes into this in depth.

Does my toddler need vitamins?

It depends on where you live:

The NHS vitamins page says to keep to the dose on the label and not to give two supplements at once, such as cod liver oil with vitamin drops. The CDC's vitamin D page lists whole cow's milk, some fish such as salmon, eggs and fortified foods as sources. The Royal Children's Hospital vitamin D fact sheet lists children with very dark skin, little sun exposure, a premature birth or certain medical conditions as at higher risk. Don't start iron supplements on your own; the Royal Children's Hospital says too much iron can be harmful. See vitamin D for babies.

Which foods should toddlers avoid, and how do I prevent choking?

Most family food is fine, prepared safely. A few things still need care:

• Whole nuts: the NHS list of foods to avoid and the Royal Children's Hospital say no whole nuts under 5; use smooth nut butter or ground nuts.
• Other high-risk foods: the AAP's choking-prevention advice suggests keeping popcorn, hard or sticky candy, chunks of meat or cheese, whole grapes and raw carrot sticks away until at least 4, depending on development, and cutting food into pieces no larger than half an inch (about 1 cm). The NHS adds raw jelly cubes.
• Preparation: the Royal Children's Hospital says to cook, mash or grate hard fruit and vegetables, cut grapes in half lengthways and then in half again, and serve meat minced or in small pieces without bones.
• Salt and sugar: the NHS salt page gives a maximum of 2 g of salt a day at 1 to 3 years, and the CDC says children under 2 shouldn't have added sugars. The NHS suggests avoiding added sugar, including honey and syrup, up to age 4.
• Seated and supervised: the Royal Children's Hospital says young children should always sit down and be supervised when eating.

Foods to avoid covers fish, eggs and cheese.

What to do if your toddler is choking

The steps for children over 1 differ by country. St John Ambulance Australia uses up to 5 back blows with your child bent well forward, then up to 5 chest thrusts, alternating until help arrives. The NHS uses back blows, then up to 5 abdominal thrusts, and says to get medical help afterwards even if the object came out. If your toddler is coughing loudly, encourage them to keep coughing and stay with them. Choking vs gagging has more.

Hands-on practice makes a real difference. The AAP suggests a certified CPR and first-aid course, and the Royal Children's Hospital recommends that anyone caring for children does a first-aid course; choose one that covers children as well as babies.

When should I get help?

Call 911 now if your toddler:

• is choking and can't cough, cry or breathe, or becomes unresponsive
• has swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, noisy or difficult breathing, or becomes pale and floppy after a food
• is struggling to breathe or has blue, gray, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
• is floppy, much sleepier than usual, hard to wake or can't be woken
• has had no wet diaper or pee for 12 hours
• has green or yellow vomit

These come from the NHS guide to urgent help for under-5s and the NHS diarrhea and vomiting page.

Get medical help today (same-day doctor or your pediatrician's after-hours nurse line) if your toddler:

• needed back blows or chest or abdominal thrusts, even if they now seem well
• has hives or welts, swelling of the face or eyes, or vomiting soon after a food, and is breathing normally
• is refusing drinks as well as food, hasn't had a drink in 8 hours while awake, or has fewer wet diapers than usual

Talk to your doctor or pediatrician soon if your toddler:

• is losing weight, has stopped gaining weight or isn't growing as expected
• eats only a very small range of foods, or seems afraid to eat
• drinks a lot of milk and eats little, or seems pale and tired with a poor appetite
• is often unwell, or mealtimes are causing a lot of stress, which the Royal Children's Hospital lists as reasons to ask for advice

What's worth noting?

If you're worried, a week of simple notes is more useful than a single day: meals and snacks offered, roughly how much was eaten, and how much milk your toddler drank in total. Milk is often more than parents expect, and the pattern helps your doctor or pediatrician see whether drinks are crowding out food.