It’s one thing to prepare and serve healthy foods. What’s tough is figuring out whether you’re feeding a child the right amount. How do you know how much to serve? The Pyramid Plan is based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children, which applies to kids age two and up. It provides the details about what and how much your two-year-old should eat. One-year-olds are another matter. You could go by the “rule of one,” as I call it: Serve one tablespoon of each food you’re eating at a meal for each year of your child’s life, plus the recommended 16 to 24 ounces of milk throughout the day. So, if you’re having mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and chicken for dinner, serve a one-year-old at least a tablespoon of each food. Here’s a suggested daily feeding guide for a one-year-old. Breakfast
4 ounces whole milk¼ cup whole grain ready-to-eat cereal¼ medium banana
2 graham cracker squares4 ounces 100 percent juice, preferably fortified with vitamin C and/or calcium
4 ounces whole milk1 ounce cooked chicken1-2 tablespoons cooked carrots½ teaspoon margarine or butter½ slice bread
4 ounces full-fat yogurt such as Stonyfield Farms YoBaby2-3 whole grain crackers
8 ounces whole milk½ cup cooked noodles with 2 tablespoons meat sauce2 tablespoons cooked green beans½ teaspoon margarine or butter, if desired¼ cup canned pears, drained and chopped
4 ounces whole milk6 animal crackers
