Warning:Babies can easily choke on hot dogs, nuts, seeds, popcorn, chips, grapes, raisins, raw vegetables, and peanut butter. Do not serve these foods. Never give your baby honey or foods made with honey. Your baby could get very sick or even die.
Feeding Your Baby Birth to 8 Months
Use this information as a guide for introducing foods to your baby.
Birth
Your Baby:
• Sucks and swallows liquids.
• Pushes tongue out.
For the first year:
• Breastmilk.
• Baby formula with iron.
Breastmilk is best for your baby! Always hold your baby if you bottle feed. Never prop the bottle or put your baby to bed with a bottle.
4 to 6 months
When your baby can:
• Sit with support.
• Hold head steady.
• Keep food in mouth and swallow it.
• Start baby cereal with iron.
Begin with plain rice cereal. Then try oatmeal and barley. Mix cereal with breastmilk or formula. It should be thin at first. Feed cereal from a spoon only. Do not put cereal in the bottle.
5 to 7 months
When your baby can:
• Sit without support.
• Begin to chew.
Start teaching your baby to drink water from a small cup.
Start:
• Fruits and vegetables -begin with vegetables first.
• Smooth strained or pureed cooked vegetables.
• Strained or pureed fruits.
You can use a strainer, blender, or food grinder. Offer plain food without added salt or sugar. DO NOT give your baby homemade: carrots, spinach, beets, turnips, or collard greens before 6 months.
7 months
When your baby can:
• Use a cup with help.
* Start fruit juice.
* Limit juice to 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per day.
Mix 2 ounces of juice with 2 ounces of water.
• Always give juice in a cup.
No orange or pineapple juice yet!
7 to 8 months
When your baby can:
• Grasp and hold onto things.
Start strained or pureed:
• Meat - No hot dogs!
• Chicken.
• Beans.
• Cottage cheese.
• Plain yogurt.
• Cooked egg yolk mashed with breastmilk, formula, or yogurt. No egg whites! 0 Mashed tofu.
Offer a variety of foods. Let baby begin to feed self.
Be patient when feeding your baby. Babies need time and practice to earn to eat. They are messy eaters. Always sit with your baby while baby eats.
Feeding Your Baby 6 to 12 Months
Use this information as a guide for introducing foods to your baby.
6 to 8 Months
When your baby can:
• Grasp and hold onto things.
• Sit without support.
• Begin to chew.
• Use a cup with help.
Frist:
• Start with smooth, strained, or pureed cooked vegetables. Do not add salt or sugar.
• Start teaching your baby to drink water from a small cup.
Then:
• Try strained or pureed soft fruits. Do not add sugar.
• Start fruit juice. Limit juice to 2 ounces per day. Mix 2 ounces juice with 2 ounces water.
Always give juice in a cup.
Offer a variety of foods. Let your baby start to feed itself. You can use a strainer, blender, or baby food grinder to make baby food.
Later (7 to 8 months) try:
• Strained or pureed meat or chicken.
No hot dogs!
• Strained or pureed cooked beans.
• Cottage cheese.
• Plain yogurt.
• Cooked egg yolk mashed with breastmilk, formula, or yogurt.
No egg white!
• Mashed tofu.
8 to 10 months
When your baby can:
• Take a bite of food.
• Pick up finger foods and feed herself.
• Use a cup.
Start:
• Mixed grain baby cereal.
• Fruits and cooked vegetables, mashed with a fork.
Try finger foods:
• Small pieces of mild cheese.
• Toasted bread squares, unsalted crackers, or small pieces of soft tortilla. 0 Small pieces of soft, cooked vegetables and peeled, soft fruits.
• Cooked plain rice and noodles, mashed or chopped. 0 Small pieces of cooked, ground meat, chicken, or fish. Take out all bones and tough parts.
• Small pieces of tofu.
• Do not add salt, sugar, fat, or spices to baby's food.
• Let your baby feed itself.
• Keep giving your baby new fruits and vegetables, so baby will like lots of different foods.
• As your baby eats more solid food, it will drink less breastmilk or formula.
10 to 12 months
When your baby can:
• Chew and swallow soft, mashed, and chopped foods.
• Use a cup.
• Start to use a spoon.
Start: Small pieces of cooked, soft foods the family eats:
• Cereals, bread, and crackers.
• Fruit and cooked vegetables.
• Cooked soft meats, cooked beans or lentils, cooked egg yolks. * Casseroles.
• Let your baby feed himself with a spoon or his hands.
• Let your baby sit at the table with the family.
• Start using the bottle less and the cup more. Give your baby a small cup of breastmilk, formula, or water to drink with his food.
• Wean your baby from the bottle little by little around 12 months. If you wait longer, baby may not want to give up the bottle. Bottle feeding can cause tooth decay.
• Your baby will be eating more food and drinking less breastmilk or formula.
1 year
When your baby can:
• Chew and swallow soft table foods.
• Use a spoon.
Start:
• Whole milk, a little at a time.
• Cooked whole egg.
• Offer your baby 3 small meals a day plus snacks.
• When your baby gets used to whole milk, offer her 4 ounces in a cup, 4 times a day.
• Give your baby whole milk from age I until age 2.
• Serve your baby liquids from a cup only.
WARNING: Babies can easily choke on hot dogs, nuts, seeds, popcorn, chips, grapes, raisins, raw vegetables, and peanut butter. Do not serve these foods. Never give honey or foods made with honey to babies under 1 year. Your baby could get very sick or even die.
Helpful Information
1. Hold your baby close if you bottle feed. Never prop the bottle or put baby to bed with a bottle.
2. Be patient when feeding your baby. Babies need time and practice to learn to eat. They are messy eaters. Always sit with your baby while baby eats.
3. Bottles are for plain water, breastmilk, or formula. Give juice in a cup only. Never give sweetened drinks like Kool-Aid@, sodas (pop), punch, gelatin water, or sugar water. Offer your baby about 4 ounces of plain water a day, in a cup.
4. Never force baby to finish a bottle or food. Your baby is the best judge of how much to eat. They will tell you when they have had enough by turning their head away, closing their lips, pushing food out of their mouth, or throwing food on the floor.
5. Feed your baby from a small dish, not from the jar. Feed with a small spoon. Use a clean spoon to take more food out of the jar. Your baby , s saliva (spit) can spoil the food, which may cause diarrhea. Throw away any left-over food or liquids in your baby's bottle or dish. Store left-over jar food in the refrigerator. Use within 2 days.
6. Add one new food at a time. Wait five days before giving your baby another new food. Watch for allergic reactions,
7. Some allergic reactions are:
• Skin rash.
• Gas.
• Breathing problems.
• Diarrhea.
Foods that may cause allergic reactions are cow's milk, orange juice, egg whites, wheat products, corn products, fish and other seafood, soy products like soy milk and tofu, peanuts or other nuts, peanut butter, chocolate, strawberries, and raw tomatoes. Most babies outgrow these allergies.
8. Buy plain foods. Avoid buying combination dinners. You can make your own combinations with meats, vegetables, and rice or noodles. These are healthier and less expensive.
9. Offer fruits for dessert. Babies do not need baby desserts like puddings, custards, and cobblers.
10. Wipe baby's teeth with a soft damp cloth after meals.
11. Wash your hands and baby's hands with soap before feeding baby. Wash the high chair tray with hot soapy water after baby eats.
Feeding Your 1 to 5 Year Old
Children know how much they need to eat. But they do not know what kinds of foods they need. When it is time to eat, offer your child healthy foods. You decide what to serve and when to serve it. Let your child decide how much to eat from the foods you serve.
• Serve your child 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks every day.
• Serve a variety of healthy foods every day.
• Children eat more on some days than others.
• What your child eats in one day may not match the food guide. Think about all the foods he eats over several days.
• It is normal for children to eat less after the first year. They are not growing as fast.
Food Guide Pyramid
a. Breads, Grains, Cereals 6 to 11 servings
b. Vegetables 3 to 5 servings
c. Fruits 2 to 4 servings
d. Milk Products 3 to 4 servings
e. Protein Foods 2 to 3 servings
f. Fats, Oils, and Sweets
Children know how much they need to eat But they do not know what kinds of foods they need. When it is time to eat.. (otter your child healthy foods
1to 3 year old
One Serving is About
Breads, Grains, Cereals (6 to 11)
Bread, tortilla, roll, muffin, pancake, waffle 1/2
Dry cereal 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Noodles, rice, cooked cereal 1/4 to 1/3 cup
Crackers 2 to 4 small
Offer your child some whole grain foods every day.
Vegetables (3 to 5)
Cooked or raw 2 to 3 tablespoons
Offer your child a dark green or yellow vegetable every day, like carrots, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, or squash.
Fruits (2 to 4)
Fresh 1/4 to 1/2 small
Canned or frozen 2 to 3 tablespoons
Juice 112 cup
Offer your child a good vitamin C fruit every day, like an orange, strawberries, melon, mango, or papaya.
Milk Products (3 to 4)
Milk or breast milk 112 cup
Cheese 3/4 ounce
Cottage cheese 1 cup
Yogurt, pudding, or custard made with milk 1/2 cup
Frozen yogurt, ice cream 3/4 cup
Give your child whole milk up to age 2, then lowfat milk.
Protein Foods (2 to 3)
ANIMAL PROTEIN
Meat, chicken, turkey, fish 1 ounce
(2 tablespoons)
Egg 1
VEGETABLE PROTEIN
Cooked dry beans, lentils, tofu 1/3 cup
Peanut butter 1 tablespoon
Meats and beans have the most iron!
Fats, Oils, and Sweets
Give your child these foods only once in a while.
Start with small servings. Give about 1 tablespoon of each food for each year of your child's age. For example, if your child is 2 years old, serve her 2 tablespoons of vegetables and 2 tablespoons of rice. Let her ask for more.
Warning: Children under age 4 can choke on foods like hot dogs, popcorn, nuts, raw carrots, grapes, jelly beans, gum, and hard candy. Avoid these foods. Cut hot dogs into very small pieces. Always stay nearby when your child eats. Children can choke if they run and play with food in their mouths. Be sure your child sits down to eat at the table. Always wash hands before and after eating.
How Can I Make Mealtimes Happy?
• Make mealtime a family time. Children like to eat with other people. Sit down and eat meals with your child.
• Try to have meals and snacks at about the same time every day.
• Do not bribe, play games, or force your child to eat. Children need to control their own eating.
• It is normal for children to play with their food. If your child stops eating or throws food, take the food away.
• Young children are messy eaters. Expect your child to spill. She can use a child spoon or fork or her fingers at this age.
• Relax and enjoy your meal. Do not make your child's eating the center of attention.
• Keep the TV off during meals. Make mealtime a quiet time for talking.
• Set a good example. Eat many different kinds of food. Your child will want to eat what you eat.
How Can I Make it Easier for My Child to Eat?
Serve foods that are:
• Bite size or easy for your child to hold.
• Soft and easy to chew.
• Mild and simple.
• Not too hot or too cold.
• Have a lot of colors, textures, and shapes.
Always stay nearby when your child eats. Children can choke it they run and play with food in their mouths. Be sure your child sits down To eat at the table.
Sample Menus For Your Child
1 to 3 year old
Day 1 Day 2
Breakfast 1 scrambled egg 1/4 cup cereal
1/2 slice toast 1/4 banana
1/2 cup of milk 112 cup milk
Snack 1/4 apple, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup yogurt
3/4 ounce small cheese pieces 2 crackers
water water
Lunch peanut butter sandwich 1/2 cup vegetable beef
(1 slice bread, 1 tablespoon soup
peanut butter) 112 tortilla or 2 crackers
2 tablespoons peas 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup milk
Snack 1/2 cup dry cereal 1/2 slice toast with 1 table
1/2 cup juice spoon peanut butter
water
Dinner 2 tablespoons baked chicken soft taco with beans and
2 tablespoons mashed potatoes meat (112 tortilla, 2 table
2 tablespoons broccoli spoons beans, 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons applesauce meat)
water 1/4 cup rice
2 tablespoons cooked carrots
1/2 orange, sliced
water
Snack 2 graham cracker squares 4 animal crackers
1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup milk
Children this age only need 3 to 4 small servings of milk or milk products every day. No more than 16 ounces of milk per day. Limit juice to 1/2 cup per day. Serve fruit instead of juice when you can. Your child should be drinking only from a cup now, not a bottle.
If your child is thirsty at other times, offer her water instead of sweet drinks. Sweet drinks can make your child feel full. Then she will not be hungry for meals or snacks. If you are still breastfeeding your child, that's great! Breastfeed after meals and at night.
4 to 5 year old
One Serving is About...
Breads, Grains, Cereals
Bread, tortilla, roll, muffin, pancake, waffle 1
Dry cereal 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Noodles, rice, cooked cereal 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Crackers 6 small
Vegetables
Cooked or raw 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Offer your child a dark green or yellow vegetable every day, like carrots, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, or squash.
Fruits
Fresh 1/2 to 1 small
Canned 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Juice 3/4 cup
Offer your child a good vitamin C fruit every day, like an orange, strawberries, melon, mango or papaya.
Milk Products
Milk 3/4 cup
Cheese 1 ounce
Yogurt, pudding or custard made with milk 3/4 cup
Choose milk and milk products that are lower in fat.
Protein Foods
Meat, chicken, turkey, fish 1 1/2 ounces
(3 tablespoons)
Egg 1
Cooked dry beans, lentils, tofu 1/2 cup
Peanut butter 2 tablespoon
Fats, Oils, and Sweets
It is O.K. to give your child these foods once in a while.
Start with small servings. Give about 1 tablespoon of each food for each year of your child's age. For example, if your child is 4 years old, serve them 4 tablespoons of vegetables and 4 tablespoons of rice. Let them ask for more.
How Can I Get My Child Interested in Eating Healthy Foods?
• Kids like to help plan meals and shop. Let your child help pick out fruits and vegetables at the store. Try to go when he is not tired or hungry.
• Kids also like to help in the kitchen. Even a 4-year-old can wash fruits and vegetables, tear lettuce for a salad, cut up soft fruits with a plastic knife, or stir batter for muffins.
• Your child can set the table and help clean up. He will be proud to help!
• Your child can help you fix fun, healthy lunches for preschool or kindergarten.
Kids love to learn about how foods are grown and made. Here are some ideas:
• Plant a garden or even a few plants in pots.
• Visit a farm or fruit stand.
• Pick fruit.
• Tour a bakery or dairy.
Sample Menus For Your Child
4 to 5 year old
Day 1 Day 2
Breakfast 1 scrambled egg 1/2 cup cereal
1 slice toast 1/2 banana
3/4 cup of milk 3/4 cup milk
112 orange, sliced
Lunch peanut butter sandwich 3/4 cup vegetable beef soup
(2 slices bread, 2 tablespoons 1 tortilla or 4 crackers
peanut butter) 3/4 cup yogurt
1/3 cup peas water
1 ounce small cheese pieces
water
Snack 3/4 cup dry cereal 1 slice toast with 2 table
3/4 cup juice spoons peanut butter
water
Dinner 3 tablespoons baked chicken soft taco with beans and
1/3 cup mashed potatoes meat (1 tortilla, 1/4 cup
1/3 cup broccoli beans, 3 tablespoons meat)
1/3 cup applesauce 1/3 cup rice
3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup cooked carrots
1/2 apple, sliced
3/4 cup milk
Snack 4 graham cracker squares 8 animal crackers
3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup milk
Children this age only need 3 to 4 small servings of milk and/or milk products every day. Limit juice to 3/4 cup per day. Serve fruit instead of juice when you can. If your child is thirsty at other times, let her drink water, instead of sweet drinks.
Developed by the California Department of Health Services, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Branch. For more information about WIC, call (888) 942-9675. Brought to you by The California Children & Families Commission. Funded by Prop. 10. For more information please call (800) KIDS-025.
