Table Food - How Much?

I would start giving him whatever you're eating, just VERY well cooked and cut up. Babies that young need to 'graze'. My girls would eat every 2 hours, but their "meals" would be a handful of cheerios and some applesauce, a yogurt and a few goldfish crackers, some macaroni and cheese - you get the idea. This way, even if they weren't eating much at each sitting I knew they would be eating again in 2 hours anyways.

I think it's a little unrealistic to expect a one year old to sustain on 3 large meals per day....but that's M..

My kids were done with baby food long before 1 year (because they didn't want M. feeding them, they wanted to feed themselves), so my experience is different.

I pulled the high chair up to the table and sat down next to them. I would have a plate full of my food and place a few pieces on their tray. When it was gone, I added to it. When they started trying to climb out or started throwing food, I just took that to mean they were done and helped them down.

I started to learn their behavior when they were hungry and responded with more food. Often times it would be a hour or two after their previous meal. Sometimes I would just notice it had been a couple of hours and offer them some food.

I really feel your best bet is to make it a lot less structured and just go with the flow. Follow his cues. He's getting to the age where they will eat and eat and eat (what may seem like an adult size meal) one day and then survive on 3 or 4 bites the next. It often seems like there's no rhyme or reason to their patterns. And there might not be. That's just what toddlers do.

I would definitely stop using rice cereal. It has little to no nutritional value. It's a starter food because almost no one is allergic. You're better off serving oatmeal or cheerios. Something that offers him more nutrition.

Relax and follow his cues. You'll be fine!

I'm thinking that at a year:
Breakfast: cereal and fruit
Lunch: a jar of fruit & a jar of veggies
Dinner: Jar of veggies and a meat
Snacks: various healthy fruits and veggies, some carbs 2-3 times per day.

That's the schedule that was given to M. by our ped.

We don't really do baby food in our house, but I would think it's a bit unusual to get to a year without eating "real" food. I also wonder - how many liquid calories is he taking in on an average day?

Typically, toddlers will eat when they're hungry and stop when they're not. But they definitely need the opportunity to learn how to do that, which it doesn't quite sound like is happening for your little guy.

If he's not ready for texture then start with simple things for him to play with like cheerios.

Here is a great site with feeding ideas/guidelines:

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/index.htm

Also, given the small amount that they do eat you want to make you maximize the nutritional value as you transition away from "baby"food. Avocado, small pieces of apple that you've zapped in the micro till soft, full fat yogurt, full fat cheese, whole wheat bread pieces, sweet potato, etc.

His tummy is incredibly tiny so give him just a bit at a time several times per day until he gets bigger but make sure that every time he eats he is at the table. That begins his lesson in table manners, what to expect and what is expected at meal times. I would also ditch the toys at meal time. Again, this is part of his learning process with eating meals and also self-regulating his intake.

Also, he should be getting 16-20 ounces of whole milk per day over the course of a day in a sippy or straw cup.