Feeding from 18 months to 3 years: what to eat and portion sizes

Moving from purées to family meals

By around a year and a half, most children can manage soft textures and small pieces. This follows on from complementary feeding from 6 to 12 months. The Spanish Association of Paediatrics recommends offering lumpy textures as early as possible, and no later than 8 or 9 months [1]. Delaying them has been associated with more difficulty accepting foods and eating less fruit and vegetables in later years [1].

At 18 months, smooth purées become less central. Offer foods mashed with a fork or soft pieces they can pick up with their fingers, as with baby-led weaning (BLW). Children learn to chew by trying a range of textures from their first year [2].

For a safe transition, choose textures that squash easily between the tongue and palate. Examples include cooked potato or sweet potato, very tender boiled carrot, pasta cooked until soft, or juicy strips of chicken. If your child has only had purées, put some whole food from your meal on their plate alongside a little purée, so they can explore without pressure.

How much meat, fish, egg and pulses do they need?

A serving of meat or fish is small. As a practical guide, it can be about the size of their palm, and it does not need to be served at every meal. In Spain, a study of more than 1,400 children aged 1 to 9 found that they ate more protein than European guidelines recommend [3].

Eggs, pulses (lentils, chickpeas or beans), fish and meat can be spread across the week. Pulses provide protein, iron and fibre. Well cooked and mashed, or whole if your child already chews well, they make a complete meal with vegetables and a little rice or potato. If a meal includes pulses, there is no need to add meat or fish as well. Eating a lot of protein in the early years may increase the risk of overweight later on [2].

How much milk and which dairy foods are suitable from 18 months?

Breast milk remains a good option. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends continuing breastfeeding until age two or beyond [4]. If your child drinks cow’s milk, choose whole milk, not skimmed or semi-skimmed [1]. At this age, the fat in milk provides energy and vitamins such as A and D.

You can offer up to three servings of dairy a day, preferably plain and unsweetened [1]. For example, a glass of milk (200–250 ml) and a plain, unsweetened yoghurt (125 g), or a glass of milk and a portion of low-salt fresh cheese. “Growing-up” milks are not routinely necessary [5]. If you use them, check the label because some contain added sugars. See “Growing-up milk”.

If your child does not want to eat or rejects new foods

Food neophobia—the reluctance to try new foods or even dishes a child used to accept—is very common between 18 months and 3 years. Growth also slows considerably after the first year, so a smaller appetite is normal. Pressuring a child to eat can increase their refusal and disrupt their hunger and fullness cues. See “Food neophobia and selective eating”.

The Spanish Association of Paediatrics sums this up as a division of responsibility: adults decide where, when and what the child eats; the child decides how much [1]. An initial refusal is not final. The same food may need to be offered 10 to 15 times, without pressure, before a child accepts it [1]. Stay neutral and serve small portions so the meal does not feel overwhelming.

Why avoid salt, sugar and ultra-processed foods?

At this age, it is recommended to avoid foods high in sugar, salt or trans fats, as well as sugary drinks [4]. After age two, less sugar is better. Added sugar contributes to tooth decay and gets children used to very sweet flavours, which can displace fruit, vegetables and pulses. Sugary breakfast cereals, “baby” biscuits and packaged juices contain a lot of sugar and are best left out of the regular shop.

The same applies to salt. From 1 to 3 years, the recommendation is to limit salt [1]. There is no need to add it: cooking without salt helps children get used to the natural taste of foods.

With fish, the concern is mercury. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) recommends that children under ten do not eat swordfish or emperor fish, shark (dogfish, shortfin mako, spiny dogfish, small-spotted catshark or blue shark), bluefin tuna or pike [6]. Choose smaller fish such as hake, whiting, cod, sole or sardines.

How to organise meals during the day

As a guide, 4 or 5 meals a day at a roughly regular but flexible time are enough [1]: breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and, if needed, a mid-morning snack. Each main meal can include a carbohydrate (rice, pasta, bread, potato or pulses), seasonal vegetables and a small serving of protein. Extra-virgin olive oil is a good choice for cooking and dressing meals.

Ripe fruit in pieces makes the best dessert and snack. Fruit juice offers no benefit over whole fruit and increases the risk of tooth decay [1]. Water should therefore be the everyday drink, with and between meals. Regular mealtimes and avoiding constant grazing help children arrive at the table hungry and more ready to take part.

What common mistakes do we see in appointments?

Families have very similar questions at this stage. These are the three difficulties we see most often.

Making up for a meal they did not eat. If a child leaves their meal and gets yoghurt or biscuits half an hour later, they learn that waiting brings a reward. Offer the next meal at its usual time, with no extras in between.

Counting spoonfuls. Focusing on how much a child “has to” eat turns the table into a negotiation. Appetite naturally varies from day to day at this age, and expecting a fixed amount only adds tension.

Using milk as a fallback. When a child eats little, offering more milk or a shake can be tempting. If milk replaces meals they have refused, they may not be hungry at the next meal, and the cycle repeats.

Should a child who is gaining weight quickly go on a diet?

No. Children this age should not be put on a diet or have their calories restricted. Paediatric professionals assess a child’s weight and height against growth charts during routine child-health checks. Restricting food for a young child can slow their growth and make their relationship with food more difficult.

If paediatric care identifies very rapid weight gain, the family’s overall environment is reviewed: fewer ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks and pastries in the cupboard; meals without screens; and active play every day. The aim is for the whole family to eat better while the child continues to grow at their own pace.