How Can Toddlers Eat So Little and Still Have So Much Energy?
A toddler’s verve can be baffling to the parent who has watched the same child barely touch a single piece of food on their plate.
The constant movement and chattering that goes hand-in-hand with toddlerhood are exhausting for all involved. And a toddler’s ability to go non-stop can be baffling to a parent who has watched the same child barely touch a single piece of food on their plate.
It may cause parents to wonder how toddlers eat so little yet have so much energy. This wonder may turn to worry when the hours of what seems to be very limited eating stretch into days. A toddler’s appetite can be just as mysterious as what brings on a tantrum — and just as distressing.
Between 20 and 60% of parents state that their young children are not eating optimally — that they are too selective and picky, eat too little, fail to advance to more complex food, and eat junk food. Parents worry that their toddlers won’t grow.
But a study published in the journal Pediatrics, found that being a picky eater was only weakly associated with poor growth, as well as eating only a limited variety of foods. Another study in Paediatrics & Child Health found that the majority of toddlers who experience a decrease in their appetite are healthy and have an appetite that is appropriate for their age and growth rate, and that even though toddlers vary considerably in what and how much they eat during the day, their total daily energy intake remains fairly constant.
Toddlers need less food than you may think
Parents may feel the need to try to force their children to eat more than they need because they fear that poor appetite might cause poor health or a nutritional deficiency, not fully understanding that toddlers aren’t growing as quickly, so they naturally have less of an appetite and need fewer calories. This phenomenon is sometimes called physiological anorexia, or referred to as an appetite slump.
Even though it doesn’t seem like your toddler is eating enough to grow, they probably are. In their first year, babies gain an average of 15 pounds, doubling or even tripling their birth weight, while a toddler gains only about four or five pounds each year, up to the age of five. With this slowed growth rate, a toddler’s appetite and food intake becomes more erratic.
Toddlers require roughly 40 calories per inch of height, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This means toddlers from one to three years need, on average, between 1,000 and 1,400 calories a day, depending on their size and activity level. Most days, the average two-year-old needs just 2 ounces of protein, 3 ounces of grains, 1 cup each of fruits and vegetables and 2 ounces of dairy, according to the USDA’s recommendations. Yet, they may not eat this much every day. Their appetite will fluctuate with their energy needs. A good rule of thumb? Serve balanced meals that include at least three of the four food groups, and healthy snacks that include two of the four food groups.
Energy-dense foods — particularly foods where the calories are coming from healthy fats, protein, and complex carbohydrates — help toddlers meet their energy needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association state that getting 30% of energy from dietary fat for toddlers and kids is sufficient for adequate growth. Not only does the high energy density of fat help toddlers meet their high energy requirements, it also plays an important role in neural development, immune defense and maturation. They also note that getting less than 30% of energy from fat may be associated with inadequate intakes of vitamins and minerals and increased risk of poor growth. (If you’re concerned this may be your child, speak to your pediatrician.)
Trust toddlers to figure out how much food they need
The appetite center in the brain regulates and adapts to a toddler’s changing dietary needs, which allows toddlers to self-regulate their food intake. Pediatricians encourage parents to trust their child’s appetite, even when it seems nonexistent.
If toddlers are especially reluctant to eat at one meal, they tend to make up for it later. Instead of offering frequent snacks to compensate, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests offering regularly scheduled healthy meals. This prevents toddlers from getting over-hungry and then bingeing — and helps them learn to self-regulate.
Even when toddlers do eat, parents don’t always have a good sense of appropriate portion sizes. In general, a toddler eats one fourth to one third of an adult portion — basically, the size of their fist. But there is no such thing as an “exact” portion size for toddlers, so pressuring your toddler to finish a meal — or even finish what you perceive to be an appropriate portion — can prevent them from understanding their body’s natural satiety cues and can create anxiety around eating.
Forced feedings interfere with the normal pleasure of eating and can compromise the parent-child relationship, becoming power struggles that may set the stage for future eating disorders. Instead, sit down to meals at the table together, in a relaxed setting without screens or toys, and trust your child to know when they’ve had enough.
When to worry about a lackluster toddler appetite
Sometimes a change in appetite can be a sign of something more serious, so call the doctor if your child has any of the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain with eating
- Weight loss or poor weight gain
- Decrease in energy
- Missed milestones
- Symptoms of illness (for example, diarrhea or fever)
- Gagging on or vomiting some foods
Otherwise, as long as your child is energetic, happy and active, and is making steady gains on their height and weight charts, you really don’t need to worry about an appetite slump. Take the long view and strive for a nutritionally-balanced week — not day. And know that your child’s appetite will stabilize and improve as they become older and need to eat more, usually right around the time they start kindergarten.
