# Max avocado consumption for an 19 mo toddler?



## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

What do you think is a reasonable amount of avocado for an 18 mo old to consume on a daily basis. I usually limit it to about 1/4 of a large but I am wondering if that is too low. He LOVES avocado and although not verbal yet, can actually say AH (for AH-VO-cado which we sing whenever we hand it to him).

He is still nursing 3-5/day. I stopped pumping last month and we just ran out of freezer bm. He isn't much interested in cow's milk so I am concerned about his fat consumpution. We won't try nuts until he is 2.

He eats a pretty balanced diet for his age overall.


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## Miasmamma (Sep 20, 2006)

I can't see how more than that would hurt him. It's a fruit after all, and it's loaded with good for you stuff!


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

I think more than that is just fine, it's load with antioxidants and healthy fats. The fat is usually why it's recommended limited for adults (I disagree w/ that too personally, healthy fats are good) Remember toddlers need fats for brain development, usually why whole milk is recommended but there are far better sources of it - breastmilk, of course, and avocado is another.

My son ate TONs of avocado as an infant, often half of one in one sitting (after 10 mos or so, he didn't eat more than a bite or two of anything before then). (he doesn't like it right now though) I think your 19 mos old will be fine with more.

As far as I know, other than the high fat content, there is no reason to limit avo's....and no reason (it's a bad idea) to limit fat in toddlers. (Limiting fried foods, great. Healthy plant fats? Not so good).


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## blueridgewoman (Nov 19, 2001)

Absolutely what azmomtoone said--healthy fat is definitely important for babies and toddlers. I would probably limit it to one a day, but that's more economic than anything-- organic avocadoes are expensive!


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## SquishyBuggles (Dec 19, 2008)

More than that should be totally fine, avocados are super good for you! I'd also limit to one a day due to cost issues!


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

ds would eat an ENITRE avocado if I didn't want to eat some of it too. I don't think he could eat too much.


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

like others said if he likes the avocado let him have as much as he would like. fats in this context isnt an issue and they are great for him.


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## kittyhead (Oct 28, 2005)

my 2.5 year old loves avocados... he has eaten avocado almost every day since we first introduced them when he was tiny. i try to keep it to one a day or less because they are pricey more than anything. this kid would live on avocados, bananas and raspberries if i let him.


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

OMG! My DD, 18 months, loves avocados. They are her "most favoritest food in the whole widest world!"









She can easily eat a whole one in an entire sitting. I always let her...they are sooo good for her!

Sometimes, we argue over who gets to finish. She typically wins.


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blueridgewoman* 
Absolutely what azmomtoone said--healthy fat is definitely important for babies and toddlers. I would probably limit it to one a day, but that's more economic than anything-- organic avocadoes are expensive!









Very good point....and they don't keep well either.... those have been our only limits here too.

Honestly, I did wonder about the fat content ONCE, when DS was eating Avo off my salad, with Olive Oil.... (I was eating the whole salad overall, ok....but he was just eating avo & oil).... So I said something about wondering if that was too much fat for a toddler at once..... DH's answer was something along the lines of.... "You're right, it probably is too much, don't let him have anymore, we'll go to McDonald's later."
He's right of course, silly us worrying about the fat in an avocado when most kids this are consuming chicken nuggets and french fries daily.

You're LO's just fine, and lucky to have a mama that's concerned about nutrition.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

oh yeah, we LOVE avocados here. I really don't think it is bad since, like other's have said, it's the good fat.

When the huge ones are on sale we stock up (but still, they don't last very long around here)


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

Thanks all. I should have mentioned that the only reason I was limiting it was because I thought it might be hard to digest. I don't limit his consumption of healthy fats.

We live in Los Angeles so organic avocado is not such a luxury. Not cheap really but not so expensive.


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JudiAU* 
Thanks all. I should have mentioned that the only reason I was limiting it was because I thought it might be hard to digest. I don't limit his consumption of healthy fats.

We live in Los Angeles so organic avocado is not such a luxury. Not cheap really but not so expensive.

Very lucky! The non-organic ones are like $3 apiece here now. (other then occasional sales)

Avocados are actually recommended as first foods, along w/ bananas. So not hard to digest at all.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Unless he's eating so much that he vomits, gets diarhea, or other GI complaints from the avocados, I can see no reason to limit their consumption! Well, I could see affordability and availability being issues, but that's kind of a separate issue from "how much can he safely eat."


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## onthemove (Aug 5, 2004)

the 18 month old I look after has an avacado a day!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

DD regularly eats 1/2 an avocado a day, and sometimes a whole one. Other days she won't have anything to do with them! It's a fave, and we've never had issues with her eating too much.

Mandarin oranges, on the other hand, can cause major blowouts (she ate 3 one day with my dad when she had a cold and it was the only thing she'd eat for him).

She eats almost exclusively organic, but avocados are on the "safe" list for chemicals if anyone is worried. We buy non-organic sometimes and I feel okay about it. I think it's EDF that does the "top 10" worst and best conventional fruits/veggies for chemicals and avo is on the best list.


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## blueridgewoman (Nov 19, 2001)

I worry more that since they're fatty, they can hold more dioxin. It's the dioxin levels that concern me in this case, not the pesticide levels.....

But yeah, I've seen them as high as $3.99 here. Dd actually hates them but sucked down some guacamole I'd made the other day so I'm going to try to reintroduce. Luckily, our WF has a bag of four for about $5.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

How does the dioxin get into them? I thought that it accumulated in the fat of animals, but have never heard it related to fruits. Truly curious - I've never heard that before and I work in the toxics and natural resource area.


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