Question about toddler servings of food
By guss2000
@guss2000 (2232)
United States
September 19, 2008 8:37pm CST
My son is just over two years old and has recently started eating more whole foods. He was a preemie and up until a few months ago ate mostly baby food. We have eliminated all baby food at this point, but we still keep in quite a bit of "mushy" foods (pudding, mashed potatoes, veggies we can mash up, applesauce). However, he loves eating finger foods-- and as long as he eats the food, we allow him to eat whatever he can, and wants.
There are days when he can eat a cup of rice krispies cereal for breakfast, an entire grilled cheese sandwhich for lunch, and a big dinner--- but their are other days where we beg him to eat half of the sandwhich, or half of whatever he has on his plate.
How much should a serving of food be for a 2 year old?
Are there stomachs still as a big as a fist as they say they are when the are infants?
I dont want to feed him too much and force him to eat when he's full, but I also want to make sure he is eating enough too.
He has a g-tube and I have to monitor all of his calories during the day because I have to pump the difference of what he needs at night. The doctor wants him to have 30 ounces of liquid a day and 1500 calories. If he doesn't eat all of his calories, then I pump him with Pediasure at night to make up for the calories and the liquid intake.
Anyway, aside from his health requirements-- I just wanted to know if the serving amounts I'm giving him at meals are right. Tonight he ate probably not even 1/2 a hot dog (cut into bites without skin), a few bites of collard greens and maybe 6 or 7 carrot pieces. Is this really enough?
Not only am I going bonkers trying to keep his calories right each day, his nit-picking eating is making me crazy!!
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1 response
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
22 Sep 08
Relax Momma and stop worrying. Your son is 2 years old and he knows when he is hungry and when He has had enough. Some times it is a good idea to let them lead with how much they want to eat. As long as he is eating a good variety and most days eating a goodly amount. When he is eating a lot he is growing or getting ready for a growth spurt. If you keep force feeding him he will have an eating problem. Why on earth does he have to have 1500 calories every day?
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@guss2000 (2232)
• United States
24 Sep 08
I know those calories are crazy aren't they?! He is on a strict diet by a dietician. He was a preemie, born at 26 weeks. Initially, his calories started out at 900 a day, whcih was SIMPLE when he was on baby formula. Then he changed to baby food and he needed about 1000-1200 calories a day, but I still used Pediasure so getting that intake was still sort of easy.
Once he started walking, he stopped gaining weight and noe he's NOT on baby food-- only whole food and still Pediasure. He needs 30 ounces of liquid and 1500 calories a day. The Pediasure is 240 calories in each bottle, and he drinks 3 (sometimes 4) of them a day. So roughly 720-960 calories of his calories are strictly from liquid. The other 500-600 calories he has to get from his 3 meals, and or snacks (and juice IF he drinks it). So, I try to make his 3 meals atleast 200 calories a pop, and then if I get a snack here and there in-- Thats good.
However, lately he's your typical toddler being so nit picky about eating. I know it's normal for that to happen but now it's so hard to get him to eat the 500-600 calories of FOOD that he has to have during the day. I'm trying not to worry if some days he comes out short but also trying to keep it as close as possible.
As for your question of WHY he needs all of this is because he was failure to thrive for soo long and he has a tracheostomy. He burns SOOO much calories just by breathing that he needs more calories than a normal person just to be able to grow. He also is very active so he is burning even more than a normal kiddo. So we try to feed him as much as possible.
Poor little guy is only 25 pounds and hasn't gained an ounce in forever.
They are now changing his Pediasure to somethig called Resource for Kids which will be 360 calories per 8 ounce bottle and I'll give him 3-4 of those a day, along with the 3 meals.
Not sure if I mentioned, but I pump (he has a g-tube) most of his liquid (Pediasure and soon to be Resource for Kids) in at night, so atleast his belly isn't getting all of that during the day and having to eat his meals.
I have a calendar that I record each calorie for the day on... it's insane. My best friend thinks its funny because I have no idea how tall my guy is at any second but I can tell you what he ate yesterday or last week down to a science.
The things we do for our kids!
I know what's normal for my boy, but I have no idea what a normal toddler would eat, so I'm curious to see what the differences are.
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@deebomb (15304)
• United States
24 Sep 08
Boy you really have a big job. But you also have to remember that all kids go through growth spurts. Ok Now when my kids were that age they were eating any and every thing that we ate. Here is a web sit that might help you. It can give you the calories and nutrient density of any good for you foods.
http://whfoods.org/eathealthy.php
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