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Ages & Stages

Serving Sizes for Toddlers

A toddler’s energy requirements are not very large. Here’s a general guide for feeding your toddler. Each day, a child between ages 1 and 3 years needs about 40 calories for every inch of height. This means, for example, that a toddler who measures 32 inches should be taking in an average of about 1,300 calories a day, but the amount varies with each child’s build and activity level. The child’s serving size should be approximately one-quarter of an adult’s. For example, here’s an average toddler-sized meal.

One ounce of meat, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans
One to 2 tablespoons of vegetable
One to 2 tablespoons of fruit
One-quarter slice of bread

Your toddler will get enough calories along with all the protein, vitamins, and minerals he needs from an average daily intake similar to the following:

Average Daily Intake for a Toddler

Food Group	Servings Per Day	Number of Calories Per Day	One Serving Equals
Grains	6 servings	250 calories	Bread, ¼ to ½ slice Cereal, rice, pasta, cooked, 4 tablespoons Cereal, dry, ¼ cup Crackers, 1 to 2
Vegetables	2 to 3 servings	75 calories	Vegetables, cooked 1 tablespoon for each year of age
Fruits	2 to 3 servings	75 calories	Fruit, cooked or canned, ¼ cup Fruit, fresh, ½ piece Juice, ¼ to ½ cup (2-4 oz)
Dairy	2 to 3 servings	300-450 calories	Milk, ½ cup Cheese, ½ oz (1-inch cube) Yogurt, 1/3 cup
Protein group: meat, fish, poultry, tofu	2 servings	200 calories	1 oz (equal to two 1-inch cubes of solid meat or 2 tablespoons of ground meat) Egg, ½ any size, yolk and white
Legumes: dried beans, peas, lentils	2 servings	200 calories	Soaked and cooked, 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup)
Peanut butter (smooth only)		95 calories	1 tablespoon spread thin on bread, toast, or cracker

Last Updated: 5/11/2013

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.