19 - 23 month olds feeding schedule: Amounts, food chart, breastmilk

Q: How long between feeds can a 19 - 23 month olds go?

A 19 - 23 month old can likely go about 3 - 4 hours between eating. It may be more if they are napping or may be less if they are going through a growth spurt. Keep in mind that kids at this age have a variable appetite and may eat a lot during one meal and barely anything the next.

Q: Can you drop night feeds at 19 - 23 month olds?

Most toddlers at 19 - 23 months do not need night feeds. They should be able to eat sufficient calories during the day and be able to sleep long stretches at night. If your child is waking up hungry, talk with your healthcare provider.

Q: Why is my 19 - 23 month old eating less than usual?

At 19 - 23 months, your toddler’s appetite will likely vary greatly from meal to meal and from day to day. There’s usually no reason to be concerned if your toddler is eating less than usual for a short period of time. Sometimes, this may also be due to discomfort from teething or illness. If you have concerns about your child’s eating, reach out to their healthcare provider.

Q: Is 30 oz of milk too much for a 19 - 23 month olds?

Yes, typically 30 oz is too much milk for a 19 - 23 month old. If you are serving cow’s milk or another milk alternative, you may be wondering how much is too much for the day. It’s best to stick to no more than 16oz a day, so you don’t crowd out other important foods.

Q: Will my toddler get the nutrients they need from milk alternatives like oat milk?

Milk alternatives, such as soy, almond, or oat milk are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk but still can fit into a balanced diet. Most are lower in fat and protein than whole cow’s milk as well as lower in micronutrients like calcium and vitamin D if they aren’t fortified. If milk alternatives work for your family, be sure to make up for the missing nutrients with other foods.

Q: Should my kid be drinking whole milk or is skim milk okay?

Unless otherwise recommended by your healthcare provider, toddlers should drink whole milk until they are two years old. Their bodies need the fat for proper growth and development. After their second birthday, switch to low-fat milk if your family prefers.

Does it feel like your toddler is discovering something new every day? They may even be starting to show their likes and (strong) dislikes when it comes to food. This is a great age to continue working on healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food. Here’s what you may expect when feeding a 19 - 23 month old.

Table of Contents

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19 - 23 month old toddler sample feeding schedule

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How much to feed a 19 - 23 month old: Food chart

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Night feedings from 19 - 23 months old

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Common feeding challenges for 19 - 23 month olds

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6 tips for feeding your 19 - 23 month old toddler

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Takeaway

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19 to 23 month olds feeding schedule FAQ

19 - 23 month old toddler sample feeding schedule

At 19 - 23 months, your toddler is likely eating about five times a day. Here's what that tends to look like:

Three meals and two snacks: Roughly five eating occasions across the day.
Treat snacks as mini-meals: Offer nutritious, balanced options rather than thinking of snacks as smaller or less important.
Keep milk to about 16 oz a day: This is the AAP's recommendation, and it keeps milk from displacing other foods in your toddler's diet.
Nurse as long as you both want to: Most of your child's nutrition comes from solid foods at this age, and nursing can continue alongside that.

The schedule below is inspiration rather than instruction. What matters most is that it fits your family's rhythm and your little one's needs.

Time of day	Meal
6:00 AM	Optional nursing session (wake up)
6:30 AM	Breakfast
9:00/9:30 AM	Morning snack
11:30 AM	Lunch
2:30 PM	Afternoon snack
5:30/6:00 PM	Dinner
6:30/6:45 PM	Optional nursing session or pre-bedtime snack

How much to feed a 19 - 23 month old: Food chart

By now, most toddlers are running on three meals and two snacks a day, with solid foods doing the heavy lifting for their nutrition. This is also the stage where they’re often ready to experiment a bit more and tackle a variety of textures and flavors — soft, crunchy, chewy, or a little of everything in between. This can actually grow their brain [2]!

19 - 23 month feeding chart

Wondering what typical meals may look like for your toddler? Here's a sample menu to give you some ideas of what your child may consume in a day. In practice, adapt it to follow your own family's food and eating preferences.

Night feedings from 19 - 23 months old

At 19 - 23 months, toddlers typically do not need night feedings. Be sure to offer sufficient calories and opportunities to eat throughout the day to help them sleep well at night. If your family eats dinner earlier or you find your toddler is constantly hungry at bedtime, you may offer a small bedtime snack about 30 minutes before bed. Choose a mix of protein and carbohydrates, like milk and fruit or toast with peanut butter. If your child still wakes up hungry at night, talk with your family’s medical provider.

Common feeding challenges for 19 - 23 month olds

Between 19 - 23 months, toddlers are asserting independence like pros and this often shows up at the table.

Common feeding challenges at this age may be:

Toddlers may demand only certain foods, reject favorites, or want to eat the same thing every day.
Dramatic food reactions, like throwing food or gagging, may appear.
Sitting through a full meal can be tricky with their short attention spans; distractions like toys, noises, or other people often win.
Self-feeding is still messy and part of the learning curve.
Some days they eat everything in sight, other days barely a bite.
Resistance to new foods is common and can make mealtimes tense. Stay calm and know this phase is often short-lived!
Overreliance on milk or sippy cups can sometimes pop up at this age.

6 tips for feeding your 19 - 23 month old toddler

Tip	Notes
Avoid becoming a short-order cook	Selective eating is normal now. Keep serving the family meal with at least one familiar food.
Keep offering new foods	Serve new foods alongside favorites and count touching or tasting as a win.
Watch for added sugars	Convenience foods are fine in moderation. Check labels and keep added sugars low where you can.
Stay alert to choking hazards	Confident eaters can still choke. Keep cutting round or sticky foods.
Focus on balance	Toddler diets tend to even out across a week. Keep offering variety without pressure.
Time lunch around naps	Serving lunch before nap helps prevent hunger wakeups.

Find more details below:

Tip #1: Avoid becoming a short-order cook

Most children go through a selective eating phase around this age. They may refuse to eat foods they previously enjoyed and ask for their favorites at mealtime.
Instead of giving in to their wishes and making them a new meal, avoid becoming a short-order cook. This only encourages kids to ask for a favorite meal and limits their willingness to try new foods.
When in doubt, try saying something like: “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

Tip #2: Continue to offer new foods

Pro tip

Even if your child hesitates to try new foods, continue to offer them. Research shows that it may take many (like 15 times!) exposures to a food before your child tries it. Aim to serve a new food alongside a food your child regularly enjoys to make it seem less intimidating. Also, know that touching, licking, biting, and spitting out food are all positive steps!

Tip #3: Watch out for added sugars

Around this age, as your kiddo can eat more types of food, it becomes easier and easier to serve prepackaged convenience foods. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this! These types of foods can be part of a balanced diet and anything that makes the job of parenting a little easier is wonderful in our book.
That said, be aware of what you’re serving — when possible, read the nutrition label and do your best to avoid and limit added sugars.

Tip #4: Still be careful of choking hazards

It can be easy to forget that toddlers are still new eaters since they’ve mastered so much already.
Avoid high-risk foods like hard, round items as anything that’s overly chewy or sticky. Keep cutting up grapes, hot dogs, cheese sticks, nuts, etc. Aim to have your child sit while eating to minimize the risk of choking.

Tip #5: Focus on balance

It’s tempting to pressure your child to eat their veggies — of course, we all want our kids to be healthy and thrive. However, research shows pressuring kids to eat doesn’t really work, despite good intentions [4].
To help ease your worry, focus on balance instead of specific foods or nutrients. When you zoom out and look at a week, most toddlers at this age eat a fairly balanced diet.

Tip #6: Optimize lunchtime for naptime success

It can feel a bit difficult to squeeze in a midday meal and still get your toddler sleeping by nap time. While it may be tempting to forgo food for a nap, we don’t recommend it, at least not regularly.
Serving lunch before sleep helps to make sure your child doesn’t wake up early from their nap due to hunger. If it’s too hard to serve a full meal, try a split lunch with a smaller meal/snack before and another smaller meal/snack after naptime.

Takeaway

Expect ups and downs: Feeding a 19 - 23 month old toddler is exciting, but can test your patience at times. Kids at this age are testing their limits and independence, even with food, so do your best to still follow positive feeding practices.
Continue to introduce variety: Aim to serve a new food alongside a food your child usually enjoys to make it seem less intimidating. It can take repeated exposures for your kiddo to try (and possibly like!) a new food.
Prioritize safety: Keep in mind they are still relatively new eaters, so keep safety at the top of your mind! Cutting up foods to small bites and avoiding foods that are easy to choke on are important habits to maintain.

If you’re curious about what lies ahead when it comes to feeding, check out a 24 month feeding schedule. Take a look back at how far you’ve come by revisiting a 13 - 18 month feeding schedule.

19 to 23 month olds feeding schedule FAQ

How often should 19 - 23 month olds eat?

19 - 23 month olds should eat about every three hours or so. This helps to ensure they eat enough calories throughout the day, as they have small stomachs and expend lots of energy throughout the day. Continue to offer food on a schedule every two to three hours, even if they choose not to eat.

How long between feeds can a 19 - 23 month olds go?

Can you drop night feeds at 19 - 23 month olds?

Why is my 19 - 23 month old eating less than usual?

Is 30 oz of milk too much for a 19 - 23 month olds?

Will my toddler get the nutrients they need from milk alternatives like oat milk?

Should my kid be drinking whole milk or is skim milk okay?

Note: The content on this site is for informational purposes only and should not replace medical advice from your doctor, pediatrician, or medical professional. If you have questions or concerns, you should contact a medical professional.