How Much Should I Expect My Young Child To Eat?
How much should I expect my young child to eat? Children's appetites vary considerably from day to day, and even from one meal to the next, so you shouldn't expect (or demand) a clean plate at every meal. It's tough to know how much food you should serve, but a good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of each food per year of age, up to about age 5. Don't be too concerned that a child gets the right amount of nutrients at each meal or snack. It's more important that nutrient needs are met by averaging intakes over time – over a day or a week.
Suggested meals and snacks
| 1 to 3 years | 4 to 6 years | |
| breakfast | ||
| milk | 1/2 cup | 3/4 cup |
| juice, fruit | 1/4 cup | 1/2 cup |
| cereal | 1/4 cup | 1/3 cup |
| bread | 1/4 to 1/2 slice | 1/2 slice |
| midmorning/ midafternoon snack | ||
| milk | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup |
| bread or | 1/4 to 1/2 slice | 1/2 cup |
| graham cracker (2" X 2") or | 1 | 2 |
| vanilla wafers | 2 | 4-6 |
| lunch or dinner | ||
| milk | 1/2 cup | 1/2 to 3/4 cup |
| meat/meat alternative | ||
| poultry, fish, cheese | 1 oz | 1-1/2 oz |
| cooked egg | 1/2 egg | 1 egg |
| cooked dry beans or peas | 2 tbsp | 1/4 cup |
| peanut butter | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| vegetables, fruit | 2 tbsp | 1/4 to 1/3 cup |
| breads (whole grain or enriched) | 1/4 to 1/2 slice | 1/2 slice |
 | From Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents. Copyright © 1995 by Sandra K. Nissenberg, Margaret L. Bogle, and Audrey C. Wright. All rights reserved. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. To order this book visit www.wiley.com. |
From Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents. Copyright © 1995 by Sandra K. Nissenberg, Margaret L. Bogle, and Audrey C. Wright. All rights reserved. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To order this book visit www.wiley.com.
