Having a toddler means your little one is becoming more independent each day, something you’ll definitely notice at mealtimes too. They might insist on feeding themselves rather than having your help. Now that their finger-feeding skills have been mastered, they’ll want to play around with the spoon themselves. Socially, they’ll be excited to meet new people and will even try to join in on conversations. But be ready, because your toddler might also get familiar with words like “no” and “mine”—a way to express their newfound independence!
At this stage your little one will be well on their way to standing alone, and even walking alone. When they first start walking, you’ll notice it’s with their feet wide apart and toes pointed out, while they perfect their new found skill.
Your little one will be ready to start using baby cutlery around this time, and you will start to notice that instead of just dipping the spoon, they will now be scooping the food onto the spoon and will successfully get it into their mouths (rather than everywhere else!).
Toddler tummies are too small to get all their energy needs from 3 meals alone (like adults), and that’s why it’s important to supplement meals times with snacks so little one has enough energy to get through the day, ideally without a tantrum. It’s important to offer low GI snacks that offer a slow release of energy, rather than a spike in energy followed by a crash (tantrum). All of our snacks are portion controlled to prevent over eating, and designed for a slow release of energy.
Meals at this stage should contain large chunks of protein and vegetables, and your little one will be able to bite through a variety of textures by now, and use cutlery to break down bigger pieces.
Every child’s routine will likely be different, but as an example of a typical meal and snack structure for a 1 year old, the table below shows a good representation:
| TIME | FOOD |
| 7-8 am | Breakfast (including milk) |
| 9-10 am | Snack |
| 11-12 noon | Lunch |
| 1-2 pm | Snack and/or milk |
| 3-4 pm | Dinner |
| 5-6 pm | Milk before bed (brush teeth after!) |
Note, this is just an example of meals and snack times, timings will obviously be unique to your little one and to fit your family’s routine. However, note it is suggested that ideally toddlers shouldn’t go for more than around three hours without eating each day to ensure they are getting enough energy and nutrients to keep them going and growing.
