Advice for How Much an Active ~1 Yr Old Should Be Eating

I just started using Shaklee enviro. friendly and chemical free cleaning products, laudry supplies and dishwasher detergent(which is the best I've used). they are awesome and you can order them through their web site.

For eco friendly house cleaner, a little vinegar and some baking soda go a long way. Also, Dr. Bronners soap is good. The main brands of eco friendly stuff all seem to be the same to me.

Children are very good about knowing how much they can eat. Remember that their tummies are about the size of their closed fist. I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old that seem to eat or graze all day. They eat 3 meals and also 2-3 snacks during the day. It works out that they eat about every 2-3 hours. Some say that eating like that is better for them to give them continuous energy throughout the day. As you said, your son is very busy and their little bodies need continuous nourishment. But the thing I always try to remember is that their tummies are not very big and I don't push them to overeat.

Hi A.,

My son is turning one this month too (the 15th)! I also have a 4 year old and I remember asking the pediatrician about how much she should be eating, when to be concerned, etc. The doctor told me something that has always made me feel better when I was worrying: at the end of the day, think back about what your child has eaten and imagine it all on one plate. If all combined it amounts to what you would consider to be one small meal for YOURSELF, then that's the perfect amount. Best wishes & have fun celebrating your son's first birthday!

My 2 year old has been a "grazer" since he was born. It seems like he eats constantly, but it's okay. They are going through large growth spurts. They need the nutrients to feed their bodies and minds. Just make sure the snacks are healthy. If you think baby is getting chunky, then perhaps it's time to cut back. Try making more juices and kool-aid type drinks available. Sometimes we eat when we're really thirsty. If they are drinking a ton of juice a day, I might mix half water and juice or half kool-aid and juice.

My pediatrician said to give my son 1 tablespoon of each thing (i.e. fruit, meat, veggie, cheese) for each year of age. So at 1 year he should get a tablespoon of meat, a tablespoon of fruit, etc. I think my son eats way more than that. She said it is okay if he eats more than that, but that is a good way to measure how much they eat. Hope that helps!

If you're worried you can always offer him an additional snack, but as long as he seems happy why mess with it? He'll ask for more at meals when he wants it, and will stop eating when he's done. Kids are smart about food - really, they're much smarter than adults are!

IMMACU-10. Call Jackie at ###-###-#### and she can tell you how to get from wherever you are. I've been using it on EVERYTHING...laundry, carpets, windows, etc. I LOVE IT and never have to worry about chemicals!!

Actually, my husband is a distributor for Shaklee if you're interested. We use all of their products ourselves and loved them so much he became a distributor! :) Laundry detergent/softener/fabric sheets (which can then be recycled); dishwasher soap; dish soap; hand soap; makeup; lotion; baby bath; household cleaners; vitamins, etc etc. We're don't ever push...everyone has their own preferences, but if you have questions feel free to connect w/ me and I can give you more info. Or, you can go to www.shaklee.net/greenhomeaffects which is my husband's site. You can even email him directly if you have questions. What's nice is there's very little scent if any at all and it's all concentrated so you buy it less often. And all the packaging is recyclable, which is nice. In fact, there are over 100 uses for the Basic cleaner, including using it as a bug spray on your kids! It's THAT safe and yet very good at cleaning!

Anyway.... enough of that! :)

As far as your son's eating.... he sounds perfectly normal to me! And, you'll find more "spurts" in his eating from here on out, sometimes more pronounced than others. There will be times he'll eat nonstop and then times where he's barely eating anything at all. Don't push him to eat, kids this age really do know when they need food. My suggestion though is to make sure he's eating healthy snacks/meals to give him good calories instead of snacking or eating foods with "empty" calories. Sounds like, though, he's a very happy, healthy and well-fed boy! :)

Oh, and if/when I've been concerned (esp at those times my girls seem to eat nothing for a couple of weeks) don't hesitate to bring it up at his well-baby check up or even just call to speak w/ a nurse about it. Normally what they'll say is if he's happy and active his eating is totally fine they way it is.

CONGRATS on his first birthday!! SO FUN!!

A., I often wondered if I was feeding my kids enough. I still worry about it. I would say that before two I would not worry that you are feeding your baby too much. In fact, my ped told me that you should feed your babies food high in fat because it helps build the brain. She told me to add butter to all his veggies and give him food like avacados.
Eco-friendly cleaners-I haven't done tons of research but a lot of stores are starting to carry the Method brand. All their items are supposed to be natural and biodegradable. Their website is www.methodhome.com.

Good luck!

I love the cleaning products by Earth Friendly Products. My favorite is the parsley cleanser for general cleaning. You can get them at Jewel or sometimes Dominick's. Read the ingredient list on the back. I also use Seventh Generation for diapers, wipes, DW detergent, baby detergent and non chlorine bleach. You can also make a solution of vinegar and water when you are in a pinch.

I totally suggest Shaklee for your Eco-Friendly house cleaners, call Michelle Hughes at ###-###-#### and tell her you'd like to hear more about Shaklee cleaning products, tell her S. told you to call, you will be so glad you did!!!

My kids eating patterns vary. If they're hungry I don't refuse them food unless it's at nap time or bed time and I know they are just trying to stay up. If they aren't hungry I don't and can't force them. There have been days they haven't eaten but a few bites and days they eat like horses!
Also we use the cleaning products from Target and they are very good for the environment! I can't remember the name, but it is the Target brand.

Clorox just came out with a new line of "green" cleaners as well. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm part of the Clorox Mom Wire and they sent me 2 coupons for free products to try and and tell them what I think. I'm excited to see how well they work!

I use Seventh generation all purpose cleaner--it is non-toxic which is great but I don't know if it kills bacteria like a bleach based agent would. I like it for basic cleaning though.

Your son knows how much he needs to eat, so trust him. Feed hime when he's hungry and don't push food on him when he's not! It's the best way to avoid creating food issues (like over-eating and being overweight or creating control issues about food as in anorexia, etc) in the future.

My daughters nearing 18 months and the amount she eats at a meal differs from meal to meal. Sometimes she'll eat everything I offer her and sometimes she won't eat a thing. Babies are still pretty self regulating even at this age. I say , just watch him, he'll know when he's done and when he wants more. As long as all his check ups are fine, I say why mess with what works.

Good luck!

Thieves is a great all-natural cleaner that doesn't use any chemicals and is made from natural oils. You can get it from a Young Living Essential Oils distributer or from their website: www.youngliving.us
Go to personal products, it will be listed near the bottom as Thieves household cleaner. They also have cleaning wipes and a spray designed for household cleaning.

In terms of how much your son eats - my son is about the same age and he eats 3 meals a day (big breakfast, big lunch, smaller dinner) and nurses or has a small bottle when he gets up from naps. I know that not all kids let you know when they are finished eating, but my son is very good about that. He lets me know if he wants more or if he's had enough very clearly (he's learning signs too), so I give him what he wants. He's a lean child, so I don't worry about overfeeding him - he's always been rather skinny, but he's very healthy, and he gains weight healthily so I am confident he's eating enough. That's my child though, and I know that all kids are unique.

I just asked my ped the same thing! My little guy is so chunky and eats so much at meal times, I was worried I was over feeding him. The ped told me you can't overfeed a toddler. When they let you know they're hungry, feed them; when they push food away, they're done. Don't worry about too much or too little (and I liked what the person said about thinking about ALL the food from the day on one plate equally an adult's portion - good tip!) Sounds like you and your little guy are right on track!

A.-Good morning. Children will eat until they are full. Just make sure that you are giving him a lot of healthy food choices and you can not go wrong.

I have been specializing in natural, organic and homeopathic remedies for a number of years. I have been using miracle 2 products for everything from shampoo to baby soap, to cleaning my laundry. Check out www.miracle2network.com. The base of the products is aloe, coconut, etc...no added fragrances just use my full name to register and if you want something from the store Dr. Bronners!!

Make it a great day!!

T. V.
###-###-####
Park Ridge

Design your style, Design your purse-environmentally friendly fabrics, animal free products to choose from as seen on Rachael Ray and the Emmy Awards. www.bspurses.com/tvanschoyck

Shaklee and Seventh Generation are great "green" cleaners. Shaklee needs to be ordered but Seventh Generation can be bought at Target, Wal MArt and Babies R Us.

Wow I thought I would be one of the few that actually uses eco-friendly cleaners and would the only to respond to the question. Clorox just came out with their Green Works. I still don't know how much I believe that they could be completely green but we bought it and it doesn't seem to have any harsh chemicals in it. It seems to work a little better than Method, but I still think I'll buy Method next time as I'm just not that comfortable with using something by Clorox. And when it comes to your mover and shaker... you're doing fine. Their weight starts to slow down around 1 year as you can't keep them still for the next year. Oh yes, he will be moving as much as he can possibly do in one day for the next year or so. It's like they think that tomorrow, their legs won't work anymore so they have to use them all now.;)
J.

Method is the Target brand.

3 meals and a snack sounds great. If he is growing at his curve and your pediatrician believes all is well, you are doing a fine job. Like the previous post said, some days my kids are more hungry than others. I too also try and not give them snacks close to naptime or bedtime or when they'll be eating soon anyway.

You pretty much have a lot of this advice already, but it is correct that children will eat when they are hungry and not eat when they are full. Around this age is a good time to start to transition to a schedule (which it sounds like you already have). That way they know when they will be getting the next meal. If they choose not to eat at one meal, then they know the next time they will get food. Also I found with my daughter that sometimes she will eat a lot and sometimes not very much. Just as long as you are consistently providing a variety of foods, it should be fine. Nutrition is an average across meals, not just meal by meal. He will be fine :)