So how much does your 15mo actually eat? How do you know it's enough?

This has probably been asked before, but I worry that DD doesn't get enough in. She has a healthy appetite and enjoys eating, but often she seems to have really only eaten a few mouthfuls of food, and some snacks and fruit by the end of the day.
Should I try harder to offer more? Coz I know if I bring out the pasta or another favourite, she will suddenly have room for more. Does this mean she was just sick of the food, or is she just full enough to suddenly be fussy, itms?
How can I tell she gets enough??

DD varies (almost 21 months) I think around the same age I was really worried but she's a happy and healthy kid who growth spurts like mad so I stopped worrying really. Some meals it will be a few mouthfuls of food but then she'll have mornings like this morning and have 3 weetbix or a couple of scrambled eggs with toast followed by half a banana, a bowl of yoghurt and well you get the drift. As long as I give her the option to eat and put a few favourites on there which sometimes even they won't get touched then I guess it's okay.

Does she seem to be growing/pooing/remaining steady on weight? I sort of realised that I'm going to worry no matter what and as long as I see growth progress and it doesn't decrease I'm a lot happier!

HTH!

Simply put, if she isn't getting enough she will be miserable!

More to the point though, I wonder exactly the same thing with our DS. He is super-fussy, but that battle is besides the point here. I cannot recommend a "correct" way of doing things, but I always end his meal off with something I know he will eat (usually toast or yoghurt). I have spoken to some nurses and naturopaths (largely because of his fussiness) and they all seem to be of the opinion that if he doesn't eat his meal, he should go without until the next meal and I shouldn't be giving him "empty calories". I did this for a week and he didn't eat / ate very little...as if no matter how hungry he was, he wasn't going to have something he didn't want. He just started crying for more and more milk. Anyway, I just couldn't do it and I honestly think that it is better for them to have a full tummy and be happy / sleep well than not to. Having said that, if your DD is happy, then perhaps she just doesn't have a big appetite? If it is dietary balance you are concerned about, you can always look into a multivitamin supplement? Also just bear in mind that they go through growth phases where they eat more/less, when it is really hot they tend to eat less and teeth can really interfere with food consumption too.

Good luck and I hope you find a solution that you are comfortable with - food is such a stressful thing in our home at the moment :(

At the moment we can't seem to fill our nearly 13 month old. He is on the go constantly when he's awake. He has an early morning BF, breakfast (by 6am) (then a second breakfast at childcare), morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, evening BF.

If he wakes up during the night and won't settle, I give him another BF or, if I feel like I don't have much milk a bottle of formula (which he's really taken to - polishing off 180ml).