Food provides the energy and nutrients that babies need to be healthy. For a baby, breast milk is best. It has all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Infant formulas are available for babies whose mothers are not able to or decide not to breastfeed.

Infants are usually ready to eat solid foods at about 6 months of age. Check with your health care provider for the best time for your baby to start. If you introduce one new food at a time, you will be able to identify any foods that cause allergies in your baby. Allergic reactions include a a rash, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Many parents are concerned about peanut allergies. When babies can eat foods that contain peanuts depends on their risk of food allergies:

• Most babies can have peanut products when they are about 6 months of age
• Babies who have mild to moderate eczema have a higher risk of food allergies. They usually can eat peanut products at about 6 months of age. If you have concerns about this, check with your baby's health care provider.
• Babies who have severe eczema or egg allergies are at high risk for peanut allergies. If your baby is at high risk, check with your baby's health care provider. Your baby may need allergy testing. Your baby's provider can also recommend when and how to give your baby peanut products.

There are some foods that you should avoid feeding your baby:

• Do not give your baby honey before 1 year of age. Honey may contain bacteria that can cause botulism in babies.
• Avoid cow's milk before age 1, since it does not have all of the nutrients that babies need and babies cannot digest it
• Unpasteurized drinks or foods (such as juices, milks, yogurt, or cheeses) may put your child at risk for an E. coli infection. E coli is a harmful bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea.
• Certain foods that can cause choking, such as hard candy, popcorn, whole nuts, and grapes (unless they are cut into small pieces). Don't give your child these foods before age 3.
• Because it contains a lot of sugar, babies should not drink juice before age 1

Children need fruits and vegetables daily for healthy growth and brain development. Early eating experiences can also affect how we eat as we get older. This is why it is so important to introduce young children to healthy foods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and Vegetables

To help children grow strong, include fruit and vegetables with meals and snacks. Fresh, frozen, or canned options are all okay. With canned vegetables, look for products with low sodium. With canned or frozen fruits, choose those with little or no added sugars.

Prepare and store fruit and vegetables in single-serving containers. Then you’ll have a healthy snack ready when children are hungry.

How much fruit and vegetables children need depends on their age and how active they are. Use this chart as a general guideline, and use MyPlate Plan to calculate more precise recommendations.

Source: USDA MyPlate

Some changes in how food is prepared can make fruits and vegetables even healthier. For example, rather than serving children a cereal bar with fruit in it, offer them a few slices of whole fruit with unsweetened granola. Or instead of fried vegetables, shift to roasted vegetables.

Rainbow of Color

Include a variety of fruits and vegetables to make a rainbow of different colored foods on your child’s plate.
Here are a few examples:

• Fruits: bananas, strawberries, pears, oranges, melons, or avocados
• Vegetables: cooked spinach, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, or beets
• Whole grains: whole grain breads, crackers, or pastas
• Meats: lean beef, lamb, chicken, fish, or turkey (soft, small pieces for children 6 to 12 months)
• Dairy: pasteurized yogurts or cheeses

Foods to Introduce First

When children are about 6 months old, you can start introducing them to foods and drinks other than breast milk and infant formula. For most children, you don’t need to introduce foods in a specific order.

By the time children are 7 or 8 months old, they can eat a variety of foods from different food groups. Your child needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to grow healthy and strong.

Avoid giving certain foods and drinks to children younger than 12 months.

Drinks Matter, Too!

When your child is between 6 and 12 months old, you can offer:

• Water (4 to 6 ounces per day)
• Breast milk (if you are still breastfeeding) or infant formula

Once your child is 12 months old, you can begin offering fortified cow’s milk.

If you want to serve your children fruit juice, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until they are 1 year old. For children older than 1, serve only 100% fruit juice. Also, limit each serving to the recommended amount.

Beverages with no added sugars are the best choice. These include water and unsweetened, fat-free or low-fat milk. Low-lactose or lactose-free milk and unsweetened, fortified soy beverages are also healthy beverages.

Be Their Role Model

Once children are 12 months old or older, they will eat more of the foods that you eat. Healthy eating patterns set a good example for your children. Healthy eating patterns focus on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. It is also important to limit foods that are high in sodium and added sugars.

Unsweetened beverages are the best choice for adults too. See how to Rethink your Drink.  Also, MyPlate can help you choose healthy foods and drinks for your family.

Start your infant off on the path of lifelong healthy nutrition.

The first year of a child's life is very important time for proper growth and development. Since infants eat and drink such small amounts at this stage, it’s important to make every bite count!

Birth to 6 Months

• From birth to about 6 months, feed infants only breast milk. Continue to feed them breast milk through at least the first year of life, and longer if you want to. Learn about safe handling and storage of breast milk.
• If breast milk is not available, feed infants iron-fortified infant formula during the first year of life. Learn more about preparing and storing powdered infant formula.
• Give supplemental vitamin D to breastfed infants beginning soon after birth. If your infant receives both breast milk and iron-fortified formula, they may still need more vitamin D. Ask your healthcare provider if this is needed and for how long. 
• Do not use homemade infant formulas or those improperly and illegally imported. Toddler milks or formulas should not be fed to infants, as they are not made to meet the nutritional needs of infants.

Around 6 Months

• At about 6 months, infants will begin to show signs that they’re ready for solid foods. Every child is different. Here are some signs to look for:
  • Being able to control their head and neck
  • Sitting up alone or with support
  • Bringing objects to their mouth
  • Trying to grasp small objects, such as toys or food
  • Swallowing food rather than pushing it back out
• Foods to avoid that can be a choking risk for young children include hot dogs, candy, nuts and seeds, raw carrots, grapes, popcorn, and chunks of peanut butter. Take steps to decrease choking risks by:
  • Offering foods in the appropriate size, consistency, and shape that makes them easy to chew and swallow
  • Making sure the infant is sitting up in a highchair or other safe, supervised place
  • Ensuring an adult is supervising at mealtimes
  • Not putting infant cereal or other solid foods in an infant’s bottle
• Avoid feeding infants any foods that contain raw or cooked honey. Honey can contain the Clostridium botulinum organism that could cause serious illness or death among infants. Also avoid unpasteurized foods or beverages, such as unpasteurized juices, milk, yogurt, or cheeses, as they could contain harmful bacteria.
• Avoid raw (uncooked) foods and wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before feeding them to your child.

First Foods

• Complementary foods are foods other than breast milk or infant formula given to infants to help them get the nutrients they need. 
• Start your infant on nutrient-dense complimentary foods. Include foods, flavors and textures from all food groups.
• Include foods rich in iron and zinc, particularly for breastfed infants. Some examples are fortified infant cereals, meat, and beans.
• Introduce potentially allergenic foods along with other complimentary foods. This may reduce their risk of becoming allergic to these foods. These types of foods are:
  • Eggs
  • Cow milk products
  • Peanuts
  • Tree nuts
  • Wheat
  • Shellfish (like shrimp or crabmeat)
  • Fish
  • Soy
• However, wait until they are 12 months old or older to introduce them to cow milk and fortified soy milk.
• Since taste preferences develop early in life, avoid feeding infants foods and beverages with added sugars and limit those higher in sodium.

MyPlate Tips

Beverages

What your baby drinks is just as important as what your baby eats. Before 12 months of age, pediatricians agree that breastmilk, infant formula, and small amounts of plain water are the only beverages little ones should drink. Juice is not recommended -- even 100% juice. And experts recommend avoiding cow's milk until your baby turns 1 year old.

Added Sugars

Did you know that experts say there is no room for added sugar in a baby or toddler's diet? To keep sugar out of your child's diet, avoid sweet bakery goods. Once your baby starts eating foods around 6 months, offer your child small pieces of cut fresh fruit. Fruit is naturally sweet!

Introducing Foods - Safety

As you introduce foods around 6 months, remember safety first! You can make eating safer for your baby by steaming or cooking hard foods like carrots until they are soft, and by finely chopping, grating, mashing, or pureeing foods.

Vitamin D

Provide your baby with a vitamin D supplement soon after birth. Place a drop into a bottle, on your nipple, or in your baby's mouth once a day. Ask your doctor how much is right for your little one.

Allergenic Foods

When you start introducing foods around 6 months, experts recommend introducing peanut-containing products to infants before they turn 1 year old. Try mixing a small amount of creamy peanut butter with warm breastmilk or formula into a bowl of iron-fortified infant cereal. Make sure it's not too thick so your baby can enjoy it safely. Science shows that offering your baby foods like nut products -- as well as eggs, seafood, soy, and pasteurized yogurts or cheeses -- could prevent an allergy later in life.

Iron and Zinc

Did you know that offering your baby iron- and zinc-fortified infant cereal is a great first food? It provides two nutrients many young babies need and is a great way to start off introducing foods at around 6 months.

Introducing Foods - Timing

It is recommended that babies start eating foods at about 6 months. If your baby shows signs earlier, you can start foods as early as 4 months, but not any younger.

Brain Development

A baby's brain grows quickly. Help boost your child's mind by offering some first foods at about 6 months that contain important fatty acids, like cooked salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and trout. Offer your baby one ounce of fish once or twice a week. One ounce is about the size of three dice.

Developmental Readiness

Want to know if your baby is ready to start trying food? Look for if they can control their head and neck, sit up in a chair, and are grasping objects and bring them to their mouth. You just might have an active eater on your hands! Most babies start eating foods at about 6 months. If your baby shows signs these signs earlier, you can start foods as early as 4 months, but not any younger.

Variety - Foods, Flavor, Texture

Have fun feeding your baby their first foods starting at about 6 months. Expect the mess and remember that if at first you don't succeed -- try, try again! Sometimes a food has to be introduced up to 10 times before a baby likes it.

Introducing Foods - Safety

When it comes to introducing foods to your baby around 6 months, make sure they won't choke. Avoid foods like hot dogs, candy, nuts, seeds, grapes, popcorn, raw carrots, and chunks of peanut butter.

Honey

Honey is not safe for babies. Experts suggest waiting until your baby is at least 1 year old before offering them honey.

Introducing Foods - Safety

Infant cereal is a great option once babies start eating food at about 6 months. But putting infant cereal in a baby's bottle is not recommended and could cause your baby to choke. Experts recommend only putting breastmilk or formula in bottles.

Unpasteurized Foods

Some unpasteurized yogurts or cheeses may contain harmful bacteria. So, once your baby starts eating food at about 6 months, keep your baby safe by feeding only those that say "pasteurized" on the packaging.

Micronutrients, often referred to as vitamins and minerals, are vital to healthy development, disease prevention, and wellbeing. With the exception of vitamin D, micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be derived from the diet.

Though people only need small amounts of micronutrients, consuming the recommended amount is important. Micronutrient deficiencies can have devastating consequences. At least half of children worldwide younger than 5 years of age suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The World Health Organization recommends multiple types of interventions to address nutrition deficiencies.

The role of six essential micronutrients is outlined below.

Iron

• Iron is critical for motor and cognitive development. Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the consequences of iron deficiency.
• Iron deficiency is a leading cause of anemia which is defined as low hemoglobin concentration. Anemia affects 40% of children younger than 5 years of age and 30% of pregnant women globally.
• Anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of death for the mother and low birth weight for the infant. Worldwide, maternal and neonatal deaths total between 2.5 million and 3.4 million each year.
• Babies fed only breast milk, only formula, or a mix of breast milk and formula have different needs when it comes to iron.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A supports healthy eyesight and immune system functions. Children with vitamin A deficiency face an increased risk of blindness and death from infections such as measles and diarrhea.
• Globally, vitamin A deficiency affects an estimated 190 million preschool-age children.
• Providing vitamin A supplements to children ages 6-59 months is highly effective in reducing deaths from all causes where vitamin A deficiency is a public health concern.

Vitamin D

• Vitamin D builds strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium. This helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
• Vitamin D deficiency causes bone diseases, including rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
• Vitamin D helps the immune system resist bacteria and virsues.
• Vitamin D is required for muscle and nerve functions.
• Available data suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be widespread globally.
• Bodies make vitamin D from sunlight, but this varies based on geography, skin color, air pollution, and other factors. Also, sunlight exposure needs to be limited to avoid risk of skin cancer.
• All children need vitamin D beginning shortly after birth.

Iodine

• Iodine is required during pregnancy and infancy for the infant’s healthy growth and cognitive development.
• Globally an estimated 1.8 billion people have insufficient iodine intake.
• Iodine content in most foods and beverages is low.
• Fortifying salt with iodine is a successful intervention – about 86% of households worldwide consume iodized salt. The amount of iodine added to salt can be adjusted so that people maintain adequate iodine intake even if they consume less salt.
• The American Thyroid Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that pregnant or breastfeeding women take a supplement every day containing 150 micrograms of iodine. The American Thyroid Association recommends women who are planning a pregnancy consume a daily iodine supplement starting at least 3 months in advance of pregnancy.

Folate

• Everyone needs folate (vitamin B9) to make new cells every day.
• Folate is essential in the earliest days of fetal growth for healthy development of the brain and spine. Folic acid is another form of vitamin B9. Women of reproductive age need 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
• Ensuring sufficient levels of folate in women prior to conception can reduce neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
• Providing folic acid supplements to women 15-49 years and fortifying foods such as wheat flour with folic acid reduces the incidence of neural tube defects and neonatal deaths.

Zinc

• Zinc promotes immune functions and helps people resist infectious diseases including diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Zinc is also needed for healthy pregnancies.
• Globally, 17.3% of the population is at risk for zinc deficiency due to dietary inadequacy; up to 30% of people are at risk in some regions of the world.
• Providing zinc supplements reduces the incidence of premature birth, decreases childhood diarrhea and respiratory infections, lowers the number of deaths from all causes, and increases growth and weight gain among infants and young children.
• Providing zinc supplementation to children younger than 5 years appears to be a highly cost-effective intervention in low- and middle-income countries.
• When children are about 6 months old, it is important to start giving them foods with zinc.

What Does Iron Do?

Iron is a mineral that has many functions. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen through the body and supports a child’s ability to learn. Having enough iron in the body can help prevent iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.

What Happens If My Child Does Not Get Enough Iron?

If your child does not get enough iron, your child may develop anemia.

Anemia is when there are not enough red blood cells in the body or your child’s ability to carry oxygen throughout the body is lowered. There are many causes of anemia. In young children, one common cause is not enough iron. Children who do not receive enough iron either from iron-rich foods or supplements are at greater risk for developing anemia.

When Does My Child Need Iron? And How Much?

All children need iron. It is important at all stages of your child’s development. Babies fed only breast milk, only formula, or a mix of breast milk and formula have different needs when it comes to iron.

Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about your child’s iron needs at his or her next check-up.

Breast Milk

• Talk with your child’s nurse or doctor about if your child needs iron supplements before 6 months old.
• Once your child starts to eat foods, it is important to give foods with iron to meet nutritional needs.

Formula

• Your child’s iron needs can be met by standard infant formulas for the first 12 months of life.
• Choose a formula that is fortified with iron. Most commercial infant formulas sold in the U.S. contain iron.
• Standard iron-fortified infant formulas contain enough iron (12mg/dL) to support your growing child’s needs.
• Once your child starts to eat foods, introduce your child to foods that contain iron.

Mix of Breast Milk and Formula

• Once your child starts to eat foods, it is important to give foods with iron to meet nutritional needs.

Did You Know?

Preterm babies often need more iron than full-term babies.

In addition, preterm babies may need extra iron beyond what they get from breast milk or infant formula. Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about your child’s iron needs at his or her next check-up.

Once My Child Starts to Eat Solid Foods, How Can I Make Sure My Child Gets Enough Iron?

When your child is about 6 months old, you can start giving solid foods to your child. Make sure to choose foods that contain iron. Iron found in foods comes in two forms: heme and non-heme iron.

Heme iron is commonly found in animal products and is more easily absorbed by the body. Sources of heme iron include:

• Red meat (for example, beef, pork, lamb, goat, or venison)
• Seafood (for example, fatty fish)
• Poultry (for example, chicken or turkey)
• Eggs

Non-heme iron can be found in plants and iron-fortified products. This type of iron is less easily absorbed by the body and will require careful planning to get enough iron for your baby. Sources of non-heme iron include:

• Iron-fortified infant cereals
• Tofu
• Beans and lentils
• Dark green leafy vegetables

Pairing non-heme iron sources with foods high in vitamin C can help your baby absorb the iron he or she needs to support development. Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables include:

• Citrus fruits like oranges
• Berries
• Papaya
• Tomatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Dark green leafy vegetables

Making sure your child is getting enough iron is important. Some children may need more iron than others. Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about iron at your child’s next check-up.

Did You Know?

Your child needs to be screened for anemia.

At around 12 months, your child’s doctor or nurse will likely test to see if your baby has anemia. Anemia can occur among children who do not get enough iron. Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about anemia and iron at your baby’s next check-up.

What Does Vitamin D Do?

Vitamin D helps your child build strong bones and prevent rickets. Rickets is a condition of softening of the bones that can occur in growing children.

When Does My Child Need Vitamin D? And How Much?

All children need vitamin D beginning shortly after birth.

• Children younger than 12 months old need 400 IU of vitamin D each day.
• Children 12 to 24 months old need 600 IU of vitamin D each day.

How Can I Make Sure My Child is Getting Enough Vitamin D?

For babies who are fed only breast milk or who receive both breast milk and infant formula:

• Breast milk usually does not provide all the vitamin D a baby needs, so breastfed babies will need a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D per day beginning shortly after birth.

For babies who are receiving only infant formula:

• Vitamin D supplementation is not needed.
• Infant formulas are fortified with vitamin D.

For children who have started eating solid foods:

Make sure your child’s diet has foods with vitamin D. Some examples of foods with vitamin D include:

• Some fish (for example, salmon or light canned tuna).
• Eggs.
• Vitamin D-fortified products like plain whole cow’s milk (for children 12 months and older), yogurt, cereals, and some 100% juices.

Vitamin D supplements are another way to help children get enough vitamin D every day. Talk with your doctor or nurse about vitamin D at your child’s next check-up if you have questions.

Did You Know?

Your child’s age matters when it comes to cow’s milk. For children older than 12 months, plain whole cow’s milk is a great source of vitamin D.

Most cow’s milk sold in stores is fortified with vitamin D. For babies younger than 12 months, cow’s milk is not recommended because it may put your baby at risk for intestinal bleeding. It also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle easily and does not have the right amount of nutrients your baby needs.

What Does Zinc Do?

Children need zinc to grow and develop. Zinc is a mineral that is important for immune function, wound healing, and the senses of smell and taste.

When Does My Child Need Zinc? And How Much?

Zinc is important at all stages of your child’s development. When your child is about 6 months old, you can start giving solid foods with zinc to your child.
Children 7 to 24 months need 3 mg of zinc each day.

Once My Child Starts to Eat Solid Foods, How Can I Make Sure My Child Gets Enough Zinc?

It is important to choose foods that contain zinc. Examples of foods with zinc include:

• Zinc-fortified grains (for example, zinc-fortified infant cereals)
• Meats (for example, beef or pork)
• Dairy (for example, yogurt or cheese)
• Fish (for example, flounder)
• Shellfish (for example, oysters or crab)
• Legumes (for example, beans)

Foods with zinc are especially important for babies who are fed only breast milk. Levels of zinc in breast milk are high after birth and go down over the first 6 months. After 6 months, it is important to introduce foods with zinc to meet nutritional needs.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months, and then continuing breastfeeding while introducing appropriate complementary foods until your child is 12 months old or older. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years of age or longer.

Vitamins & Minerals

Breastfed babies need additional vitamin D and may need additional iron. Although breast milk is an excellent source of the nutrition your baby needs, he or she will need to get extra vitamin D (beginning at birth) and possibly iron from supplements.

Benefits

Breastfeeding is good for both you and your baby. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most babies. As your baby grows, your breast milk will change to meet his or her nutritional needs. Breastfeeding can also help protect you and your baby against some short- and long-term illnesses and diseases.

Every baby is different. How much and how often your baby feeds will depend on your baby’s needs. Here are a few things to know about infant formula feeding during the first days, weeks, and months of your baby’s life.

If you have questions about your baby’s growth or how much infant formula he or she is taking, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse.

First Days

• Your newborn baby’s belly is tiny. He or she does not need a lot of infant formula with each feeding to be full.
• You can start by offering your baby 1 to 2 ounces of infant formula every 2 to 3 hours in the first days of life if your baby is only getting infant formula and no breast milk. Give your baby more if he or she is showing signs of hunger.
• Most infant formula-fed newborns will feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Talk with your child’s doctor or nurse about how much infant formula is right for your baby.
• As your baby grows, his or her belly grows too. Your baby will be able to drink more infant formula at each feeding, and the time between feedings will get longer.

First Weeks and Months

• Over the first few weeks and months, the time between feedings will get longer—about every 3 to 4 hours for most infant formula-fed babies. This means you may need to wake your baby to feed. You can try patting, stroking, undressing, or changing the diaper to help wake your baby to feed.
• Some feeding sessions may be long, and other feedings short. That is okay. Babies will generally take what they need at each feeding and stop eating when they are full.

6 to 12 Months Old

• Continue feeding your baby when he or she shows signs of hunger. Most 6 to 12 month olds will need infant formula or solid foods about 5 to 6 times in 24 hours.
• As your baby gradually starts eating more solid foods, the amount of infant formula he or she needs each day will likely start to decrease.

12 to 24 Months Old

• When your toddler is 12 months old, you can switch from infant formula to fortified cow’s milk. You can do this gradually. You may want to start by replacing one infant formula feeding with fortified cow’s milk to help your child transition.

Babies need additional vitamin D.

Although infant formula has vitamin D, if your baby drinks less than 32 ounces of infant formula a day, he or she will need to get extra vitamin D (beginning at birth) from supplements.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children be introduced to foods other than breast milk or infant formula when they are about 6 months old.  Introducing foods before 4 months old is not recommended. Every child is different. How do you know if your child is ready for foods other than breast milk or infant formula? You can look for these signs that your child is developmentally ready.

Your child:

• Sits up alone or with support.
• Is able to control head and neck.
• Opens the mouth when food is offered.
• Swallows food rather than pushes it back out onto the chin.
• Brings objects to the mouth.
• Tries to grasp small objects, such as toys or food.
• Transfers food from the front to the back of the tongue to swallow.

What Foods Should I Introduce to My Child First?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that for most children, you do not need to give foods in a certain order. Your child can begin eating solid foods at about 6 months old. By the time he or she is 7 or 8 months old, your child can eat a variety of foods from different food groups. These foods include infant cereals, meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, and more.

If your child is eating infant cereals, it is important to offer a variety of fortified infant cereals such as oat, barley, and multi-grain instead of only rice cereal.  Only providing infant rice cereal can increase the risk for children to be exposed to arsenic.

How Should I Introduce My Child to Foods?

Let your child try one single-ingredient food at a time at first. This helps you see if your child has any problems with that food, such as food allergies. Wait 3 to 5 days between each new food. Before you know it, your child will be on his or her way to eating and enjoying lots of new foods.

Introduce potentially allergenic foods when other foods are introduced.

Potentially allergenic foods include cow’s milk products, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Drinking cow’s milk or fortified soy beverages is not recommended until your child is older than 12 months, but other cow’s milk products, such as yogurt, can be introduced before 12 months. If your child has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse about when and how to safely introduce foods with peanuts.

Did You Know?

Your child needs certain vitamins and minerals to grow healthy and strong.

Now that your child is starting to eat food, be sure to choose foods that give your child all the vitamins and minerals they need.

How Should I Prepare Food for My Child to Eat?

At first, it’s easier for your child to eat foods that are mashed, pureed, or strained and very smooth in texture. It can take time for your child to adjust to new food textures. Your child might cough, gag, or spit up. As your baby’s oral skills develop, thicker and lumpier foods can be introduced.

Some foods are potential choking hazards, so it is important to feed your child foods that are the right texture for his or her development. To help prevent choking, prepare foods that can be easily dissolved with saliva and do not require chewing. Feed small portions and encourage your baby to eat slowly. Always watch your child while he or she is eating.

Here are some tips for preparing foods:

• Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.
• Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.
• Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
• Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork.
• Remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
• Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit, and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
• Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices.
• Cut cylindrical foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese into short thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway.
• Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.
• Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains.

Healthy eating patterns your child starts now will help promote healthy habits in the future. It is important to provide foods that match your child’s eating skills. At first, foods may need to be soft and mashed or bite-sized.

Encourage Your Child to Eat

Offer your child a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, and yogurt or cheeses. Make a rainbow of different colored foods on your child’s plate. Here are a few examples:

• Fruits: bananas, strawberries, pears, oranges, melons, or avocados.
• Vegetables: cooked spinach, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, or beets.
• Whole grains: whole grain breads, crackers, or pastas.
• Meats: soft, small pieces of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, or turkey.
• Dairy: pasteurized yogurts or cheeses.

Once your child is 12 months old, he or she may be eating more of the foods that you eat. Eating a healthy diet sets a good example for your toddler. Continue to offer a variety of healthy options and allow your child to choose foods to eat.

Encourage Your Child to Drink

When your child is between 6 and 12 months old, you can offer your child:

• Water (4 to 6 ounces per day).
• Breast milk (if you are still breastfeeding) or infant formula.

Once your child is 12 months old, you can begin offering fortified cow’s milk.

Healthy eating is all about balance. There is no need to add salt or sugar to your child’s food. There are also some foods and drinks that are not safe for your child to eat and others that are not as healthy choices as other foods.

Did You Know?

There are certain foods and drinks you should avoid giving your child.

To learn more, watch these videos from 1,000 Days.

Foods to Avoid

Here are examples of foods and drinks that you should avoid giving to your young child because they may be harmful:

• Honey: may cause a serious type of food poisoning called botulism for your young child under 12 months old. Before your child is 12 months old, do not give him or her any foods containing honey, including yogurt with honey and cereals and crackers with honey, such as honey graham crackers.
• Unpasteurized drinks or foods (such asjuices, milks, yogurt, or cheeses): may put your child at risk for E. coli, a harmful bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea. Do not give your child unpasteurized drinks or foods like juice, milk, yogurt, or cheeses. Unpasteurized milk can also be called raw milk.
• Fortified cow’smilk: may put your young child under 12 months old at risk for intestinal bleeding. It also has too many proteins and minerals for your infant’s kidneys to handle and does not have the right amount of nutrients your infant needs.

These are just examples of foods and drinks and do not include all possible foods and drinks to avoid. Talk with your child’s doctor or nurse if you have more questions about which foods to avoid.

Foods to Limit

Here are some examples of foods to limit (or give in small amounts) to your child:

• Foods with added sugars: Foods such as candy, cakes, cookies, and ice cream are often high in added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends that children younger than 24 months old are not given any added sugars.
• Foods high in salt, also known as sodium: Foods such as some canned foods, processed meats (such as lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners can be high in sodium. Some snack foods are high in sodium.

Drinks to Limit

Here are some examples of drinks to limit (or give in small amounts) to your child:

• Juice

  • Before 12 months old: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should not drink 100% juice before they are 12 months old. Do not provide drinks like juice drinks with added sweeteners. Fruits are healthier options for your child than fruit juices.

  • After 12 months old: For children older than 12 months who drink juice, pediatricians recommend 4 ounces or less of 100% juice a day. Drink 100% fruit juice only. Do not provide drinks like juice drinks with added sweeteners. Fruits are healthier options for your child than fruit juices.
• Cow’s Milk
  • After your child is 12 months old, too much cow’s milk can mean he or she may not be hungry for other foods that contain important nutrients. Some experts say that consuming too much fortified cow’s milk can make it harder for your child’s body to absorb the iron they need from foods.
• Soda, pop, fruit drinks, flavored milks, or other sugar sweetened beverages
  • These drinks contain a lot of added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends that children younger than 24 months old are not given any added sugars.

Children younger than five years are at an increased risk for foodborne illness and related health complications because their immune systems are still developing. Young children with developing immune systems cannot fight off infections as well as adults. In addition, young children produce less stomach acid that kills harmful bacteria, making it easier for them to get sick.

Foodborne illness (also called food poisoning) can be particularly dangerous for young children because it often causes vomiting or diarrhea or both. Since children's bodies are small, they can quickly lose a lot of body fluid and become dehydrated.

Food safety for young children depends on the food safety behaviors of their parents and caregivers. Handwashing is especially important. Children and those caring for them should wash hands often, especially before, during and after preparing food and before eating.

In children under 5 years old, E. coli infections are more likely to lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication that can cause chronic kidney disease, kidney failure and death.

Symptoms of HUS are:

• Urinating less often
• Feeling very tired
• Losing pink color in cheeks and inside the lower eyelids

These new symptoms usually develop after about a week of E. coli illness, when the diarrhea is improving.

Choose and Prepare Safe Food

Learn about safer food choices for people with a higher risk for foodborne illness, including young children. If you prepare food for children under the age of five, you should always follow these four steps:

Clean: Wash hands, utensils and surfaces often. Germs can spread and survive in many places.

Separate: Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods, so keep them separate.

Cook:Food is safely cooked only when the internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick.

Chill: Refrigerate perishable food promptly. Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest between 40°F and 140°F.

Safe Storage of Puréed and Solid Baby Food

Safe Microwaving of Puréed and Solid Baby Foods

Follow these precautions when microwaving baby food:

• Don't microwave baby foods in the jar. Instead, transfer the food to a dish before microwaving it. This way the food can be stirred and taste-tested for temperature.
• Microwave four ounces of solid food in a dish for about 15 seconds on high power. Always stir, let stand 30 seconds, and taste-test before feeding. Food that's "baby-ready" should taste or feel lukewarm.
• Don't heat baby-food meats, meat sticks, or eggs in the microwave. Use the stovetop instead. These foods have a high fat content, and since microwaves heat fats faster than other substances, these foods can cause splattering and overheating.

Safe Preparation and Storage of Infant Formula

How to Prepare Formula

• Carefully read and follow the instructions on the infant formula container.
• Wash your hands well before preparing bottles or feeding your baby.
• Clean and sanitize the workspace where you will prepare the infant formula.
• Use clean, sanitized bottles.
• If you use powdered infant formula, use water from a safe source to mix it. If you are not sure if your tap water is safe to use for preparing infant formula, contact your local health department.
• Use the amount of water listed on the instructions of the infant formula container. Always measure the water first and then add the powder.
• If your baby is younger than 3 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system, you may want to take extra precautions in preparing your infant’s formula to protect against Cronobacter, a rare but serious infection that can be caused by germs in powdered infant formula.
• Use prepared infant formula within 2 hours of preparation and within 1 hour from when feeding begins.
• If you do not start to use it within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.
• Throw away formula left in the bottle after feeding your baby.

Heating Breast Milk or Formula

Baby’s milk or infant formula does not need to be warmed before feeding, but some people like to warm their baby’s bottle. If you do decide to warm the bottle, here is advice on how to warm it safely:

In Hot Tap Water: Place bottle under hot, running tap water until the bottle reaches the desired temperature. This should take 1 to 2 minutes.

On the Stove: Heat water in a pan. Remove the pan from the heat and set the bottle in the hot water until the bottle is warm.

When heating baby's milk, always shake the liquid to even out the temperature and test on top of your hand—not the wrist (this is one of the areas least sensitive to heat)—before feeding. Milk that's "baby-ready" should feel lukewarm.

Never heat breast milk or infant formula in the microwave. Microwaves heat baby's milk and formula unevenly, which results in hot spots that can burn a baby's mouth and throat.

Learn how to tell when your baby is hungry—or full.

As a new mom, you may be wondering how often and how much to feed your baby. Your baby will give you signs to let you know when they are hungry and full. It may take some time, but you'll learn exactly what these signs are.

SIGNS YOUR BABY IS HUNGRY

Watch for these signs that your baby is hungry, and then feed baby right away:

• Fists moving to mouth.
• Head turning to look for the breast.
• Becoming more alert and active.
• Sucking on hands or lip smacking.
• Opening and closing mouth.

Many moms think crying is the only sign that their baby is hungry. But, it’s actually a sign of distress. Hungry babies will show signs of hunger before they begin to cry. Watching for and responding early to your baby’s hunger signs may help prevent them from crying. Once baby is crying, it can be harder to latch.

SIGNS YOUR BABY IS FULL

It's important to let your baby nurse until they're full. Some signs that babies are done eating are:

• Baby releases or "falls off" your breast.
• Baby turns away from your nipple.
• Baby relaxes their body and opens their fists.

If your baby finishes eating on one breast and seems full, try burping your baby and changing their diaper (if needed), then offer the other breast. If your baby doesn't seem interested or doesn't want to latch, they may not be hungry anymore. Some babies may eat from both sides at every feeding, while others may only eat from one side.

Your child might not like every food you give him or her on the first try. Give your child a chance to try foods again and again, even if he or she does not like them at first. Children may need to try some foods many times before they like them. Here are some tips that might make trying foods again and again easier.

• Try freezing small bites of different foods. You can use these later and it avoids throwing a lot of food away.
• Wait a week before you try the new food again.
• Try mixing the new food with a food your baby likes, such as breast milk.

As your child gets older, he or she may start refusing foods he or she used to like or he or she may start showing signs of picky eating. Favoring just a couple of foods or not wanting foods to touch each other on the plate are normal behaviors. These behaviors often go away by the time your child is about 5 years old.

Tips to Help

• Try again: Wait a couple of days before offering the food again. It can take more than 10 times before you toddler might like it.
• Mix it up: Mix new foods with foods you know your child likes.
• Be silly: Make funny faces with the foods on your child’s plate. It might help your child get excited to eat it.
• Me too: Try eating the food first to show your child you like it. Then, let your child try it.
• Choices: Give your child a choice of different foods to try. Let your child decide which one to try today.

Healthy eating is important at every age. When it’s time for solid foods, offer babies a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding on foods and beverages, choose options that are full of nutrients and lower in sodium and avoid added sugars. Start with these tips:

Feeding your young baby

If possible, feed your baby only breast milk from birth to about 6 months of age, and continue through at least the first year of life—longer if desired. If breast milk is unavailable, feed your baby iron-fortified infant formula. Talk to your healthcare provider about vitamin D supplements for your baby.

Look for cues

When your baby is hungry, he or she usually lets you know. But fullness cues are not as obvious. A child may be full if he or she closes mouth, turns head away from breast or bottle, or relaxes hands. Recognizing and responding to these cues helps children learn how to self-regulate their intake.

Starting solid foods

At about 6 months, infants may show signs that they’re ready for solid foods, such as bringing objects to the mouth or swallowing food rather than pushing it out. Do not put infant cereal or other solid foods in an infant’s bottle, but small amounts of water may also be introduced when your baby starts solid foods.

Serving first foods

Introduce a variety of foods, flavors, and textures from all food groups. Include foods rich in iron and zinc, particularly for breastfed infants. Examples include lean meats, fortified infant cereals, and beans.

Preventing choking

Make sure your baby is sitting in a highchair or other safe, supervised place for meals and snacks. Offer foods that are the appropriate size, consistency, and shape for your child’s age and eating skills.

Serving safe foods

Avoid feeding your baby any foods that contain raw or cooked honey. Honey can contain bacteria that could cause serious illness or death among infants. Also avoid unpasteurized foods or beverages, such as juices, milk, yogurt, or cheeses, as they could contain harmful bacteria.

The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.