6 Reasons You Need a Feeding Schedule For Your One-Year-Old

This post is about 6 reasons you need a feeding schedule for your one-year-old .

Eating around the clock has become commonplace in today’s society. Everywhere we go, food is being offered. From playdates to sports activities to the grocery store, where free samples are handed out frequently.

As parents, it takes a lot of effort to not hand our kids a snack to keep them occupied or distracted. For me, it was the car. When my kids got into the car, they immediately expected to be handed a snack. They learned that behavior from me.

When the kids were young, we frequently hopped in the car in search of adventures. We found them, but sometimes they required being in a car for a longish drive.

If you’ve ever driven around for more than 15 minutes with four kids, you know that at about the 13-minute mark, two of them are going to start squabbling. This is where the art of distraction is your best friend.

But if you’re driving the car, you can’t exactly be magical and pull out that cute craft kit from last Christmas you’ve stashed in the closet for the day you need to be amazing on a minute’s notice. So what’s a mom to do?

Toss the kids a snack! It’s a quick fix to an immediate problem. The same holds true for being at home with your toddler who gets whiny. Eating something becomes a temporary distraction to solve a problem that may or not be hunger-related. Sometimes tots are hungry, but sometimes they just need to shift gears to be satisfied.

When Kissy and Nugget were both toddlers, somehow I lost my mind and assumed that feeding them on demand was the way to go. I nursed both babies on demand, but they were infants, and that’s acceptable for infants.

For a mom of toddlers, it’s absurd.

This is when I created a feeding schedule for the toddlers. We all got out of the kitchen when feeding was over. We were free to go do an activity. It was liberating for all of us.

What if My Child is Grazing on Healthy Snacks?

Healthy snacks are a great way to balance out nutritional needs during the day. For example, if your child doesn’t eat his/her eggs at breakfast, serving yogurt at snack time is a good idea to ensure your child is eating protein.

The choice of snack food is as important as the timing of the snack. Now, I’m not saying I never served fun snacks in the Chaos Kingdom. I certainly did. What I learned not to do, is allow my kids to graze throughout the day.

Breakfast was served. The kids sat down and ate til they felt full. Then it was over. And they left the kitchen until the next time food was being dished out. And that’s how we rolled for all snacks and meals.

Admittedly, establishing a feeding schedule for my toddlers was hard. It takes consistency. Like most things involving tiny humans, establishing routines is hard, but necessary. Let’s dive in!

The Benefits of Creating a Feeding Schedule for Your Toddler

Balanced Nutrition

Scheduled meals and snacks allow parents to ensure that their toddlers receive a balanced diet. When children graze throughout the day, they may fill up on less nutritious options like crackers or cookies, potentially missing out on essential nutrients.

Even if your toddler is grazing on healthy snacks, at mealtime he or she will either not be hungry or be overly hungry. Either way, they may not eat properly at the next meal.

Regulated Hunger Cues

Establishing a routine helps toddlers develop healthy eating habits and learn to recognize their hunger and fullness cues. When children are allowed to graze, they may not feel hungry at designated meal times, which can lead to picky eating habits or disconnection from their body’s natural signals. Regular meals and snacks encourage a more regulated appetite, helping toddlers become attuned to their body’s needs.

This is important because we want to teach them to know when their bellies are full and when to stop eating. We want them to feel hunger close to meal or snack time and sit down to eat. After a while, your child will learn to listen to his/her body and know when it’s time to eat and when it’s not.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

If you have toddlers, you know they thrive on consistency and predictability. Establishing routines is essential for tiny humans. Creating a feeding schedule is part of the routine.

Consistent meal and snack times create a sense of predictability and routine for toddlers. This predictability can be comforting and reassuring for children, helping them feel secure in their environment. It also allows them to develop a sense of expectation around meal times, reducing the likelihood of food-related tantrums or power struggles.

Social and Emotional Benefits

Sitting down for scheduled meals can be a bonding experience for families. It provides an opportunity for quality time together, promoting positive social interactions and teaching important skills like communication and table manners. Additionally, toddlers learn valuable lessons about patience, sharing, and gratitude when they eat as part of a routine.

I’m a big fan of sitting down to eat together. That gets more difficult as kids get older and extra-curricular activities dominate the evening hours.

Structure May Save You Money

As you develop a feeding schedule for your 13 month old, eating on the go may happen less frequently. The need to purchase overpriced packaged snacks may diminish as you plan and schedule meals and snacks.

For example, if you give your tot a healthy snack and then head to the grocery store, your child won’t need a snack on the go. He or she may want a snack, but you’ll know that it won’t be long before you’re home again and lunch will be served. By not giving in to the random snack request, you may be saving money on those prepackaged snacks and your child will be hungry and ready to eat lunch later.

Now I’m not saying I never gave my kids fun snacks. There were plenty of fish crackers and animal crackers served in the Chaos Kingdom. I’m saying that planning ahead and offering healthy snacks to fill them up before you leave the house, may eradicate the need to purchase overpriced individually packaged snacks and hangry meltdowns at the checkout line.

A Feeding Schedule Gives You Peace of Mind

If you know your child didn’t eat enough at a meal or snack, you know that another feeding opportunity will arise soon. If my kids didn’t eat a lot at a meal or snack, I wasn’t overly concerned because another feeding opportunity was coming in a few hours.

Setting boundaries and getting out of the kitchen was liberating. And the kids were fine. They learned to regulate their hunger fullness cues and came to the table ready to eat a decent meal.

Getting out of the kitchen allowed us the opportunity to enjoy time together. Mealtimes became less of a struggle. It was a win-win.

Establishing a feeding schedule for toddlers is a crucial component of their overall health and development. It ensures they receive a balanced diet, learn to regulate their appetite, and develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

But sometimes, you’ll find yourself on a long car ride, so keep some fun snacks handy. Just in case.

Do you have tips and tricks you’ve used to stop the grazing at your home? Please comment and share below!

You may also like: Tips To Encourage Picky Eaters to Try New Foods