Toddlers are no longer in a period of rapid growth as they were during the first year of life. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 years gain an average of 4-1/2 to 6-1/2 pounds annually. This is a huge growth decline when compared with the first 2 years of life during which time the child is expected to quadruple his or her birth weight. As toddlers' nutritional requirements decrease, their appetites decline, and their feeding patterns may become unpredictable. It is unrealistic to expect a toddler to eat a large amount of food at each meal every day. After all, a toddler's stomach is approximately the same size as his or her clenched fist.