You’ll probably notice a sharp drop in your toddler’s appetite
after his first birthday. Suddenly he’s picky about what he
eats, turns his head away after just a few bites, or resists
coming to the table at mealtimes. It may seem as if he should be
eating more now that he’s so active, but there’s a good reason
for the change. His growth rate has slowed, and he really
doesn’t require as much food now. Your toddler needs about 1,000
calories a day to meet his needs for growth, energy, and good
nutrition. If you’ve ever been on a 1,000-calorie diet, you know
it’s not a lot of food. But your child will do just fine with
it, divided among three small meals and two snacks a day. Don’t
count on his always eating it that way, however, because the
eating habits of toddlers are erratic and unpredictable from one
day to the next. He may eat everything in sight at breakfast but
almost nothing else for the rest of the day. Or he may eat only
his favorite food for three days in a row, and then reject it
entirely. Or he may