Here’s how much your toddler should eat

Food is close to every mother’s heart. All the issues you probably consider daily are what your child eats, how they eat, and how much they eat. However, South Africa continues to have the highest rate of obesity in sub-Saharan Africa, with one in four girls diagnosed as obese and one in five boys. This means that many of us overfeed or don’t feed our kids correctly. Although too much screen time combined with a lack of physical activity can play a role in childhood obesity, the amount and type of food on a plate is often too much for a tiny tummy.

Did you know that the amount of food your toddler eats varies from meal to meal, and while fixating on portion sizes and daily servings is never healthy, it is essential to ensure that your toddler eats a healthy balanced diet most of the time?

Infants should eat portions of food each day from the following food groups:

• Starchy foods (bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta, etc.): At least one serving daily
• Fruits and vegetables: At least two to three servings daily
• Dairy foods: At least three servings daily
• Protein: At least two to three servings daily
• Fats: At least two servings daily

Recommended portion sizes for toddlers

Foods high in sugars and fat Toddlers under two don’t have huge energy requirements and shouldn’t be offered these foods. Toddlers older than two shouldn’t be offered these foods more than once a day, with chips, chocolate, and ice-cream only offered once a week.

• Chocolate – 2-4 small squares
• Chocolate buttons – 6-8 small buttons
• Chocolate-covered biscuit – ½-1 biscuit
• Cupcake – ½-1 small
• Ice cream – 2-3 heaped tbsp
• Muffin – 1/8  –¼ large
• Digestive biscuit – ½-1 biscuit
• Popcorn – ½-1 small cup
• Sorbet – 2-3 heaped tbsp
• Chips (tortilla or crisps) – 4-6

  Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and pulses

• Bacon – ¼-1 rasher
• Chicken drumstick – ½-1 drumstick
• Chickpeas or hummus – 1-2 tbsp
• Egg – ½-1
• Fresh fish – ¼-1 small fillet
• Ham – 1½-4 wafer-thin slices
• Lamb – ½-1 slice
• Lentils – 2-4 tbsp
• Mince – 2-5 tbsp
• Nut butter (opt for sugar-free) – ½-1 tbsp
• Nuts (ground, chopped, crushed) – 1-2 tbsp
• Sausage – ¼-1 medium

  Starchy foods

• Bread (always opt for wholegrain) – ½-1 medium slice
• Bread roll – ¼-¾ roll
• Cornflakes – 3 heaped tbsp
• Couscous – 2-4 heaped tbsp
• Muesli – 1-4 tbsp
• Naan bread – 1/8  –1/3 naan
• Oatcakes- 1-2
• Pasta – 2-5 tbsp
• Potato chips – 4-8 thick-cut chips
• Rice (always opt for brown) – 2-5 tbsp
• Rice cakes – 1-3 medium cakes
• Weet-Bix – ½-1½ biscuits

    Dairy foods Milk should be given in a cup, mug, or glass.

• Cheese – 1 slice or triangle
• Cow’s milk – 100-120ml
• Grated cheese – 2-4 tbsp
• Yoghurt (opt for plain) – 125ml

  Fruits and vegetables

• Apple – ¼-½ medium apple
• Avocado – ½-2 tbsp
• Banana – ¼-1 medium
• Broccoli – 1-4 small florets
• Carrots –  2-6 carrot sticks
• Clementine – ½-1 fruit
• Cucumber – 2-8 small sticks
• Grapes and berries – 3-10
• Orange – ¼-½ orange
• Peas – ½-2 tbsp
• Raisins – ½-2 tbsp
• Spinach – ½-2 tbsp
• Sweetcorn – ½-2 tbsp
• Tomato – ¼-1 small

  Foods containing more than one food group

• Stews or casseroles – 2-5 tbsp
• Lasagne – 2-5 tbsp
• Macaroni cheese – 2-5 tbsp
• Pizza – 1-2 small slices