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Canberra Health Services
Health Information Sheet | Canberra Health Services

Tuckatalk Food for your toddler 1 to 3 years

What to expect at this age

  • Your child’s weight gain should begin to slow down to 2 to 3kg per year
  • Toddlers are aware of their abilities and want to be in control. It’s important for parents and caregivers to set boundaries while letting your toddler learn to do things on their own.
  • A toddler’s hunger may change from meal to meal and day to day.
  • Toddlers can become fussy and may not want to try new foods. This is a normal part of their development.
  • The foods your toddler likes today may not be what they like tomorrow. This is a normal part of their development.

Promoting positive experiences at mealtimes will help your toddler develop positive food habits and feel good about eating.

Division of Responsibility in Feeding

The ‘Division of Responsibility’ in feeding is a guide that can help your child tune into their hunger and know what foods they enjoy.

As a parent or carer, your role is to decide:

  • WHAT food is offered
  • WHEN food is offered
  • WHERE food is offered

Your child decides:

  • WHETHER to eat food that is offered.
  • HOW MUCH to eat.

Responsive Feeding

The ‘Responsive Feeding’ approach helps create a positive eating environment, builds a trusting bond between you and your toddler, and supports your toddler to develop a healthy relationship with food.

Responsive Feeding allows your toddler to decide when to finish the meal.

Let your toddler decide when they have had enough to eat. Trust that they will eat enough to grow in a way that is right for them. This may look like your child:

  • turning their head away
  • closing their mouth
  • slowing down their eating
  • telling you (e.g. “no”, “I’m full”)
  • losing interest in food, becoming distracted or upset
  • holding food in their mouth.

No pressure

Make mealtimes pleasant, avoid using bribes and rewards to encourage your toddler to eat. Use positive and loving words during mealtimes. Celebrate your toddler when they eat new foods. Do not pressure your toddler to finish their meal – allow them to decide if they eat and how much they eat.

Offering a mix of different family foods

Offer different foods from the five food groups every day (see below). Offer your child the same meal as everyone else and ensure to include a food that they like to eat. Let your toddler eat using their own utensils or their fingers.

Offering new foods

Toddlers can be fussy when it comes to food. It can take up to 10 tastes (or more) before your toddler may learn to accept a new food. Offer new foods with foods that your toddler likes to eat. Remember, it is normal for toddlers to be fussy with food. Keep offering, with no expectations.

Setting a schedule

Provide meals and snacks every 2 to 3 hours during the day and only offer water in between. Include 3 main meals and 2 to 3 snack opportunities each day. Limit meals to no more than 30 minutes, and snacks to 20 minutes.

Sitting down to eat together

Create a space to sit down to eat meals and snacks. For example, set a table with placemats to show it is time for eating. Sit and eat with your toddler. This can be a great time for bonding.

Setting an example

You can show your toddler how to eat well. Let your toddler see that you are eating different foods from the five food groups. Children learn what to eat and how to eat by watching others. You are your toddler’s best role model.

Limiting distractions

At mealtimes, turn off screens like TV and phones and clear away other distractions such as toys and books, so that you and your child can focus on eating.

What to put on the table

Give your toddler foods from the five food groups in each meal or snack time. If your toddler is taller for their age or more active, offer extra servings. Remember to let your toddler decide whether to eat and how much to eat.

You can find more information in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating at eatforhealth.gov.au.

Vegetables

Offer around 2 to 3 serves each day. Vegetables can be fresh, frozen, canned, raw and cooked. Choose different colours and types of vegetables.
Example of 1 serve:

  • 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
  • 1 cup raw salad vegetables
  • ½ medium potato, sweet potato or cassava
  • ½ cup cooked or canned beans, chickpeas or lentils

Fruit

Offer around 1 serve each day. Fruit can be fresh, frozen, canned, and dried. Choose different colours and types of fruit. Only offer fruit juice sometimes, limit to ½ cup and dilute with water.
Example of 1 serve:

  • 1 medium apple, banana, orange or mango
  • 2 small fruits – apricots, plums or kiwi fruits
  • 1 cup of diced or canned fruit
  • 30g dried fruit
  • 1 cup frozen fruit, for example berries
  • ½ cup fruit juice (125ml)

Breads and Cereals

Offer around 4 serves each day. Wholemeal and whole grain options have more fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
Example of 1 serve:

  • 1 slice of bread, damper
  • 1 small English muffin
  • ½ medium roll, flatbread, paratha
  • ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, semolina, quinoa, porridge, noodles, couscous
  • 2 WeetbixTM
  • ½ medium sized roti
  • ½ cup cooked oatmeal

Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs, Legumes and Alternatives

Offer around 1 serve each day. Choose different types of meat and meat alternatives. Some children do better with soft, moist choices. Use sauces and gravies to soften. Limit fish high in mercury (e.g. swordfish, shark, barramundi) to no more than 2 days each week.
Example of 1 serve:

  • 65g cooked red meat – beef, lamb, kangaroo
  • 80g cooked white meat – chicken, pork
  • 100g cooked fish, canned fish or cooked prawns
  • 2 large eggs
  • 170g tofu or tempeh
  • 1 cup canned baked beans, mixed beans, lentils, chickpeas
  • 100g of falafel
  • 30g nut butter- peanut, almond, cashew or tahini.

Milk, Dairy and Alternatives

Offer around 1 to 1½ serves each day. Reduced fat milk and dairy is suitable for children from 2 years of age. If dairy is not tolerated offer calcium enriched dairy alternative. Choose lactose free dairy if your child is lactose intolerant.
Example of 1 serve:

  • 1 cup fresh cow’s milk, powdered milk (rehydrated), long-life milk, buttermilk
  • ¾ cup yoghurt (200ml)
  • 2 slices of hard cheese
  • 50g paneer
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese, cottage cheese
  • 1 cup custard or milk pudding
  • 1 cup soy, rice, almond or oat drink with added calcium (100mg of calcium per 100ml).

Where can I get more information?

  • Talk to your General Practitioner (GP).
  • Make an appointment with a Canberra Health Services (CHS) Community Dietitian by phoning (02) 5124 9977.

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For more support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and children contact:

canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au