Portion sizes for toddlers
Feeling confident about portion sizes
Click here to view our portion size tables
Your toddler needs a nutritious diet to thrive and grow. Give him/her a well-balanced diet with a combination of foods and drinks from the five food groups.
Our portion size ranges can be used as a guide for how much of each food to offer your toddler and they have been designed to ensure that his/her energy and nutrient requirements are met. (Except vitamin D, for which all toddlers need a supplement).
You can be reassured that if your toddler is eating within the range of portion sizes of a particular food, then he/she is eating enough of that food.
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Don't forget...! Toddlers don’t eat set portion sizes like many adults do (click for more) |
How much they eat varies widely from day to day and meal to meal. In general, if your toddler is taller or more active he/she will eat larger portions of some foods than if he/she is smaller or less active.
Allow your toddler to eat to his/her appetite. Don’t urge toddlers to finish everything on the plate or to eat more than they wish to.
See our Toddler Meals: How Much Do They Need? Guidance & Tips
Be careful about how much milk and milk products your toddler consumes, as too much can reduce appetites for iron-containing foods. Also, small portion sizes have been recommended for the foods high in fat and sugar because these low nutrient, energy-dense foods should be limited to prevent toddlers becoming overweight or obese.
In the food group tables, foods are listed in the first column, with the portion sizes (lower and upper ends of ranges) in the second column.
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A note about measuring spoons (click for more) |
In calculating the portions sizes, standard measuring spoons were used: 1 tablespoon is 15ml and 1 teaspoon is 5ml. Household spoons vary in size: tablespoons are about 15ml and teaspoons are about 5ml, but can be less.
Click here to view our portion size tables
These portion sizes are designed as a handy guide for parents and carers of toddlers. They will not be appropriate for toddlers with certain medical conditions or faltering growth, who will require the omission and/or addition of specific foods.
Also see our Combining Food for a Balanced Diet Guidance & Tips.
Tot It Up
Tot It Up is an easy to use calculator that provides you with a personalised analysis of your toddler’s diet.
