Free toddler portion calculator
Toddler portion sizes and calories
Pick your toddler’s age and height to see portions, milk and daily calories.
Educational guidance based on AAP recommendations and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Reviewed by our dietitians. It’s written for healthy, full-term babies and doesn’t replace your pediatrician, who knows your baby. If your baby was born early or has a medical condition, feeding difficulty or known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer).
Toddlers need much less food than most parents expect: a portion is roughly a quarter of an adult’s. Enter your toddler’s height for a rough daily calorie estimate, and see a typical portion from each food group for 12–24 months.
Toddler portion size chart
A handy rule: offer about 1 tablespoon of each food per year of age, and more if your toddler is still hungry. Serve 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, about 2.5 to 3 hours apart.
For a full day of meals, snacks and milk, see the 15–18-month-old feeding schedule and the 19–24-month-old feeding schedule.
| Food group | One toddler portion | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | ¼–½ slice of bread, or 2–4 tbsp of pasta, rice or oatmeal | bread, pasta, rice, oats |
| Vegetables | 1–2 tbsp per year of age, about 2–4 tbsp | cooked, soft |
| Fruit | 1–2 tbsp per year of age, or ¼–½ of a small fruit | fresh, soft, cut small |
| Protein | 1–2 tbsp (about ½–1 oz), or ½ an egg | meat, fish, egg, beans, tofu |
| Dairy | ½ cup (4 oz) of cow’s milk or yogurt, or about ½ oz of cheese | milk, yogurt, cheese |
Tips for toddler meals
- Start small. Serve small portions and offer more if asked. Big plates can overwhelm a toddler.
- Watch the milk. More than 24 oz of cow’s milk a day can fill your toddler up and lower iron. See the 12–14 month feeding schedule.
- Water between meals. Water is the main drink. Skip juice and sugary drinks.
- Keep offering new foods. Picky phases are normal; it can take 10 or more tries before a food is accepted. More in baby refusing food.
Toddler portion sizes: questions parents ask
How much should a 1 year old eat?
Most 1-year-olds eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, with portions of roughly a quarter of an adult’s: about 1 to 2 tablespoons of each food, plus 16 to 24 oz of whole milk from a cup.
How many calories does a toddler need?
Most toddlers aged 1 to 2 need roughly 1,000 calories a day. A common estimate is about 40 calories per inch of height, so a 30-inch toddler needs about 1,200 calories. Needs vary with growth and activity.
How much milk should a toddler drink?
From 12 months, about 16 to 24 oz (2 to 3 cups) of whole milk a day. From age 2, about 16 to 20 oz of low-fat or skim milk. More milk can crowd out food and lower iron.
What is a toddler portion size?
A toddler portion is about a quarter of an adult portion. A simple rule is 1 tablespoon of each food per year of age, offered more if your toddler is still hungry.
My toddler eats very little some days. Is that normal?
Yes. Toddler appetite often changes from meal to meal and day to day as growth slows after the first year. Look at what they eat over a week, and ask your pediatrician if you are worried about growth.
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