Eat smart!

Feed your child the types of food that promote strong bodies and mental growth. At the same time, make mealtimes occasions when your child bonds with the family and learns how to act socially.

Learning and growing takes a lot of energy! Make sure your baby is getting all of the nutrients she needs. Good nutrition is essential for your child's physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Both breast milk and infant formula provide the proper nutrients for your infant, although breast milk also offers added immunity and protection from illness, is perfectly formulated for babies' digestive systems, and saves money. The high fat and cholesterol levels in breast milk and formula are essential for brain and cell formation and provide your baby with the energy she needs for exploring and learning from all sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences. Poor nutrition can result in delayed physical development and slowed intellectual growth. These delays can lead to poor social and emotional skills. Starting good nutrition habits early on leads to continuing healthy habits throughout life.

Developmental milestones

  • Your infant will be hungry frequently. Feeding time is a wonderful time for you to bond with your child. Holding your child close, talking to her, and providing her the nutrients she needs teaches your child to trust and love you. Developing this close relationship with your child provides the foundation for her to learn to have positive relationships with other people in the future.
  • Between 4 and 6 months of age, your child will start to eat solid foods.
  • By 6 to 9 months, your child will begin to have an eating routine, and soon she will be able to feed herself.
  • Between 6 and 12 months, your baby's first tooth will appear. Prevent tooth decay by not letting your child sleep with a bottle or with any sugary liquid lingering in her mouth. Clean your child's new teeth with a soft brush and water or non-fluoridated toothpaste.
  • Between 9 and 12 months, your child may wean or refuse a bottle and start to drink from a cup. She will also be able to eat finger foods. Avoid feeding your child finger foods that could cause choking, such as nuts, raisins, and popcorn.
  • Between 18 months and 2 years, your child will be able to feed herself with a spoon, use a straw, and wash her hands.

For more information, see Feeding Your Newborn, Introducing Solid Foods, and Prevent Baby-Bottle Tooth Decay.

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Eat smart!

A healthy diet will give your toddler the energy she needs to learn and grow. Your toddler is going to be walking, babbling, exploring, building, and learning from every experience. Healthy meals with a variety of foods give your toddler's body the nutrients it needs to develop. These nutrients provide the energy for learning, too. Poor nutrition, on the other hand, can lead to an excess of sugars, fats, and salts, or an absence of important vitamins and minerals, which keep the body from functioning properly. Poor nutrition can result in delayed physical development and slowed intellectual growth. These delays affect every aspect of your child's life, including social and emotional skills. Starting good nutrition habits early on leads to continuing healthy habits throughout life.

Developmental milestones

  • Between 2 and 3 years, your child should have almost all of her teeth and should be eating a variety of foods. She should be able to use a spoon.
  • Even though you may not be eating the same foods, your child will appreciate being included in family mealtime. Try to make meals relaxed and fun. This is a wonderful time to talk to your child and demonstrate positive social interactions, as well as teach the importance of healthy meals and routines.
  • Great healthy snack ideas for your toddler include:
    o Peeled and sliced apples, pears, and peaches, bananas or other fruit with yogurt
    o Small pieces of cooked squash, potatoes, and carrots
    o Crackers, low-sugar cereal
    o Yogurt, milk, and sliced low-fat cheese

For more information on feeding your toddler, dealing with food likes and dislikes, and links to more information, see Introducing Solid Foods and Healthy Meal Times and Snack Choices.

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Eat smart!

Continue feeding your child a healthful variety of foods and limit her intake of sugars, salt, and fatty foods. This is also a great time to encourage your child to be physically active. Healthy eating and exercising habits that start when children are young are more likely to become routine as your child grows older.

Developmental Milestones

  • Between 3 and 5 years, all of your child's baby teeth should be in, and she should be feeding herself.
  • Your preschooler is skipping, running, playing with others, asking lots of questions, and learning from every experience. Proper nutrition is important to fuel these activities that stimulate your child's intellectual and emotional growth.
  • Your preschooler loves helping out with chores and knows how to follow simple directions. Having your child help you in the kitchen is a great way for you to spend time together. Your child may be able to help you stir, pour, set the table, or wash dishes.
  • Try to make meals relaxed and fun. This is a wonderful time to talk to your child and to teach the importance of healthy meals and routines.

For more information, see Healthy Meal Times and Snack Options, Unhealthy Eating Habits and Childhood Obesity, and Feed Your Child What's Good for Teeth.

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