Healthy Eaters: Infant and Toddler Nutrition in the Home*
Rhonda M. Lane, M.S., C.N.S.
Introduction
Hi, my name is Eva. In this course we will focus on creating a healthy eating environment for
your family. This will help you encourage healthy, lifelong eating habits for your infant and
toddler, along with everyone else in your home. Using the strategies offered in this course, you
can lay a foundation for your infant’s or toddler’s healthy weight and healthy attitudes about
food all the way through adulthood.
[Learning Objectives]
By the end of this course, we hope you will be able to identify basic nutritional needs for infants
and toddlers, and use this information to encourage your child with positive experiences
involving food. You will also learn to use the Nutrition Facts panel on prepared foods to help
you make healthy food choices. This information will help ensure that you provide the right
types and quantities of food to help your baby grow up strong and healthy.
The Importance of Healthy Eating
One of the basic responsibilities of all parents or guardians is to regularly provide food for their
children that is nutritious, clean, safe, and developmentally appropriate. Your child depends on
you for the nutritious food she needs to support her growth. She looks to you to teach her how to
make healthy choices. By giving your child the best start in life, you will set her on course
toward becoming a healthy adult. Children who learn healthy practices in infancy and
toddlerhood grow into adults who choose healthier lifestyles for themselves.
[Nutrition in Early Childhood]
From the moment of conception, the human body depends on nutrition for growth, development,
and long-term survival.
During infancy and toddlerhood, your child is changing in many ways, including socially,
emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Adequate nutrition throughout these early years helps
these changes take place efficiently and effectively.
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Throughout life, human bodies need the same nutrients, but in varying amounts and delivered in
different ways. Young children’s nutritional needs are different from adults’ needs because very
young children are growing rapidly and are very active. As your child’s growth slows through
late toddlerhood and into childhood, you can expect his appetite to decrease.
Your child is developing habits related to eating and physical activity that will stay with him for
the rest of his life. These habits are shaped very early in his life, usually by around age 4, so it is
important to encourage good eating habits now, in order to lay a foundation for healthy habits
which can last into adulthood.
Infant Nutritional Needs
During infancy, or the first year of life, infants grow faster than any other time in their lives. In
fact, the average infant doubles her weight by 6 months of age, and by 12 months her weight has
tripled and her length has doubled.
Humans need more calories pound per pound during infancy than during any other stage of life,
and the amounts and percentages of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins they need are different from
those needed for a healthy adult diet. Because your child is smaller than an adult, she needs
smaller total amounts of each nutrient than an adult would. However, when you consider her
body weight, your infant needs more than twice as much of some nutrients per pound than an
adult. After 6 months of age, your infant will need less energy because her growth rate will begin
to slow, but some of the energy she saves by slower growth will be spent in increased activity,
such as crawling.
Your child’s physical growth depends on his ability to take in the proper nutrients in the right
amounts. This is why your child’s pediatrician might recommend changes in diet if your baby’s
growth is not proceeding as expected. While every baby is different and grows at his own unique
rate, there are certain milestones of physical development which infants can be expected to reach
in specific time frames.
As it is for all humans, water is important for your infant’s health. Until your baby is 6 months
old, all of the water he needs comes from the breast milk or formula he eats. After 6 months,
when solid foods are added to his diet, he can begin to drink water. The younger the infant, the
greater the percentage of his body weight consists of water. For infants, dehydration can quickly
become life threatening. Conditions that cause rapid fluid loss, such as diarrhea or vomiting,
require immediate treatment by a doctor.
Nutrition is critical for growth, and there are two ways to make certain your infant is receiving
proper nutrition: breast or bottle feeding, and the introduction of solid foods.
Bottle Feeding
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The American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Dietetic Association strongly
recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months of life, and then breastfeeding as a
supplement to solid foods for the first year.
Baby formula is an acceptable alternative when breastfeeding is not a feasible option. However,
you should not give your baby cow or goat milk until after he is 1 year old, because they do not
contain all the nutrition babies need. Giving your baby cow or goat milk too early can cause
digestive disorders, lead to allergies, or even cause intestinal bleeding.
Expressed breast milk and baby formula are perishable foods, and need to be treated like other
perishables you typically store. The contents of unfinished bottles should be discarded rather
than saved for another feeding, because bacteria from your baby’s mouth can multiply in formula
or breast milk and reach unhealthy levels, even if you reheat the bottle before reusing it. Once
you have prepared a bottle of formula, or thawed a bottle of expressed breast milk, it needs to be
used or discarded within an hour. This includes bottles used for feedings lasting more than an
hour.
The best strategy for feeding your baby is to feed him when he indicates that he is hungry, rather
than keeping him on a strict feeding schedule. Feeding your infant on demand helps prevent
obesity. Feeding times are a great opportunity to bond with your child, which promotes healthy
social and emotional development. Holding your infant during feedings encourages bonding, and
also helps prevent choking, ear infections, and baby bottle tooth decay. A baby’s bottle should
never, ever be propped.
Baby bottle tooth decay, which is also called nursing bottle tooth decay, occurs when infants’
teeth spend a lot of time in contact with sugary liquids such as formula, milk, fruit juice, or soda.
Infants should only receive milk and formula until they begin eating solid foods, and should not
receive sugary beverages. Avoid putting your infant to sleep with a sweetened pacifier or with a
bottle. Finish all naptime and bedtime feedings before laying your baby down to sleep. After
each feeding, you should massage your infant’s gums with a soft, wet cloth to help prevent tooth
decay.
As your baby grows throughout the first year of life, she can safely eat new types and textures of
foods. From birth to 3 months, your infant can only suck and swallow, and has no ability to
chew. To greatly reduce the risk of choking, you should give your infant only breast milk or
iron-fortified formula until she is around 6 months of age. Your child’s doctor will help you
know when to introduce various types of solid foods.
Introducing Solid Foods
The first foods babies can eat when transitioning from bottle feeding to solid foods are semisolid foods, which are usually mashed or strained and made of a single ingredient. Infant semisolid and, later, table foods should be selected to provide variety, balance, and moderation. It is
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better to use baby foods made of plain fruits, vegetables, and meats rather than those labeled as
“dinners,” or “desserts”.
Around 6 months of age, your infant will begin to need more iron than his body has stored and
more than breast milk or iron-fortified formula can provide. You can give him the additional iron
he needs by offering him other iron-rich foods, first iron-fortified cereals and then meat, meat
alternatives, or beans.
The iron used in iron-fortified cereals is not accepted very well in your infant’s body. However,
you can make it easier for your infant’s body to absorb this iron by serving foods rich in Vitamin
C along with these cereals.
Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruits (like oranges), cantaloupe,
papayas, mangoes, cabbage-like vegetables, dark green vegetables (like green peppers and
broccoli), lettuce, tomatoes, and potatoes. Always check with your child’s doctor before adding
new foods in order to reduce the chance of allergic reactions.
100 percent fruit juice is also a good source of Vitamin C, but drinking too much juice can cause
your child to experience diarrhea, to feel full and miss out on other nutrient-rich foods and
beverages, or to take in more calories than she needs. Try to limit your child to no more than 6
ounces of juice per day until after she is 6 years old.
Concentrated sweets, such as candy, cookies, sodas, fruit drinks, and many others, have no place
in children’s diets. They provide very few nutrients to support growth, and contain lots of
calories, which can promote obesity. Canned vegetables are not good for infants, either. They
often contain too much sodium, and the heating process used to kill bacteria before canning
causes nutrient loss. Honey and corn syrup are other sources of empty calories, or calories
without significant nutritional value. Honey and corn syrup can also contain spores of botulism, a
food-borne illness that can cause paralysis. These spores are usually not harmful to older
children and adults, because well-developed digestive systems move them along before they can
release harmful toxins. Infants’ digestive tracts, on the other hand, are not equipped to deal with
the spores, which can multiply and release the toxin causing the symptoms of paralysis. If not
treated quickly and properly in infants, botulism can be fatal. Infants should never be given
honey or corn syrup.
Introducing Solid Foods, continued
Your infant needs to be physiologically and nutritionally ready before he can safely transition to
solid foods. Semisolid foods should usually be introduced when he is around 6 months of age,
assuming he has reached certain milestones. However, infants are ready for solid foods at
different times, depending on their growth rates, activity levels, and environmental conditions.
Consult your pediatrician if you have questions about whether or not your child is ready for
semi-solid foods.
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Infants and even young children cannot safely chew and swallow foods such as, carrots, cherries,
gum, hard or gel-like candies, hot dogs, marshmallows, nuts, peanut butter, popcorn, raw celery,
whole beans, raisins, or whole grapes. Introducing solid foods too early can put your baby at
higher risk for choking. To reduce the risk of choking, wait until your infant is developmentally
ready for solid foods, and always supervise her while she eats.
Generally speaking, your infant will be ready to begin eating solid foods when:
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He draws in his upper or lower lip as a spoon is removed from his mouth,
His tongue-thrust reflex is gone or diminished,
He is able to move his tongue up and down,
He is able to sit up with support,
He opens his mouth at the sight of food, and
He can drink from an infant training cup (sippy cup) with help.
Introducing Solid Foods, continued
Many pediatricians recommend that iron-fortified, single-grain infant cereals be the first semisolid food you give your baby. Never put cereals in your infant’s bottle. Cereals should be fed to
your baby with a spoon. Rice cereal is often the first cereal parents choose to introduce, because
it is the least likely to cause an allergic reaction. Wheat cereal, the grain most likely to cause an
allergic reaction, is usually the last single-grain cereal introduced. Next, semi-solid foods made
of vegetables, fruits, and even meats can be added to your child’s diet at regular intervals.
Experts recommend giving your baby single ingredient foods, one at a time and in small
amounts, and waiting at least four to five days before introducing the next new food. This
process gives you plenty of time to observe for signs of allergies or intolerances. Signs of an
allergic reaction include excessive fussiness after feeding, skin rashes, digestive problems, and
respiratory discomfort. In a nutshell, the decision to add a new food to your infant’s diet should
be governed by three considerations:
1. The infant’s nutritional needs,
2. The infant’s physical readiness to handle different forms of food, and
3. The need to detect and control allergic reactions.
Your infant may become constipated for awhile after you start offering her semi-solid foods. To
prevent constipation, give your infant 2 to 8 ounces of plain water in an infant training cup each
day, starting as soon as you have introduced semi-solid foods to her diet. Check with your
pediatrician to determine how much water is appropriate. It is important that your child does not
have so much water that he does not want his breast milk or formula.
Between 8 and 11 months of age, most infants become ready to begin eating modified table
foods. Modified table foods are normal foods served in a form that infants can easily eat. For
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example, soft fruit cut into very small pieces, and mashed and soft cooked vegetables are
modified table foods. Your infant may be ready to start eating modified table foods when:
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He is able to move his tongue from side to side,
He is able to spoon feed himself with help,
He has some teeth and is able to begin chewing, and
He is able to hold food and use his fingers to feed himself.
Just as with semi-solid foods, phase in modified table foods over several months, gradually
introducing foods. It may be best to wait a whole week between introducing one new food and
the next, to give your baby a chance to get used to the new tastes and textures she is
experiencing, and to continue to watch for signs of allergic reactions or intolerances.
Toddler Nutritional Needs
Toddlers grow at a slower rate than infants, but they still grow quickly. Your child may have less
of an appetite as she goes from infancy to toddlerhood. However, toddlers need more vitamins
and minerals than infants, and they are still reliant on good nutrition for their development.
The USDA Food Guide assigns foods to five major groups: grains, vegetables, fruit, milk and
lean meat and beans. Good nutrition means eating lots of different kinds of healthy, nutritious
foods within the major food groups. Providing a variety of carefully selected healthy foods in
your home is the best way to supply the nutrients needed by your entire family, including your
toddler.
Use the following recommendations to create healthy meals and snacks for your toddler:
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Serve juice no more than once daily, for breakfast or snack.
Serve at least one fresh or frozen fruit or vegetable daily.
Serve at least one good source of Vitamin C daily.
Serve at least one good source of Vitamin A, three days per week.
Serve age-appropriate dairy products.
Serve whole grains daily, and
If you serve ready-to-eat cereals, choose those with few or no added sugars.
These recommendations will create a diet for your toddler that contains less total fat, saturated
fat, trans fatty acids, added sugars, and calories, and will increase the amounts of fruits,
vegetables, Vitamins A and C, fiber, and whole grains your child consumes.
Water and milk are the best drink choices for your toddler. Water is calorie free, and drinking it
helps your child learn to accept a low-flavor, no-sugar beverage as a thirst quencher. Milk
provides many nutrients that promote your toddler’s growth, and it can be offered as a beverage
at meal and snack times. Toddlers need higher amounts of fat in their diets than adults for a
variety of reasons, including the development of a healthy brain. 1 and 2-year-old children
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should generally be offered whole milk, while children over 2 years should drink skim milk. If
your child is at risk for becoming overweight, your pediatrician might recommend switching her
to lower-fat milk before she has turned 2 years old.
Though foods rich in fat and sugar are enjoyable and do provide some energy, they do not offer
many nutrients, and they promote weight gain when children eat too much of them. Teach your
family to practice moderation by offering these foods only on occasion, and choosing foods that
are more nutritious and have fewer calories, such as fruits and vegetables.
Instead of desserts made up of empty calories, plan healthier desserts, which can be served as
part of the meal. For example, substitute fresh fruit for low-nutrient desserts like candies,
cookies, and cakes.
Snacks are an important part of your toddler’s daily food intake. This means snacks should
contribute to a healthy overall picture of the food your child eats throughout the day. They
should contribute vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to your child’s diet. If a food is
appropriate for a meal, it is also a good choice for snacks. Foods such as chips, cakes, cookies,
candy, and sodas should never be served. These foods consist of empty calories. Some
appropriate food choices for snacks for your toddler include yogurt, whole grain crackers, lightly
cooked vegetables, cooked dry beans, apple slices, and bananas.
From toddlerhood and into preschool-age, your child will need about 1,000 to 1,600 calories per
day, but his small stomach, about the size of his fist, means he needs to eat frequent small meals
and snacks, rather than three large meals.
Feeding Toddlers
Toddlers need the same nutrients as older children, but they need smaller quantities. Therefore,
your toddler needs smaller serving sizes than older children. The following serving sizes are
appropriate for your toddler:
 1/2 cup milk
 1/2 slice bread and 1/4 cup cereal
 1 tablespoon for each year of age of:
o Fruits
o Vegetables
o Lean meats and meat alternates
Encourage your toddler to eat until he is full, and then to stop. Your child should never be asked
to eat all the food on his plate. Use child-sized plates and cups. This will help you remember that
your toddler needs much smaller servings than others in your family. Serve slightly less food
than you actually expect your child to eat, and allow her to ask for additional servings as needed.
This gives her the chance to stop eating when she is full, as well as gives her a chance to assert
her growing sense of independence by asking for more.
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While infants should be fed on demand, toddlers need a consistent schedule of small meals and
snacks throughout the day. Five to six meals and snacks, including meals and snacks at home and
in child care, are usually sufficient for a day.
The way you choose to time your toddler’s meals and snacks can have an impact on your child’s
behavior each feeding time. Too much time between meals and snacks may result in a cranky
toddler who doesn’t want to eat the food presented, but too little time between meals may result
in your toddler eating less because he is less hungry.
Cut your toddler’s food into bite-sized pieces before serving it to him. Certain foods pose a high
choking hazard to toddlers, and should be avoided. These include nuts, popcorn, pieces of raw
vegetables or hard fruits, raisins, whole grapes or cherry tomatoes, whole hot dogs or sausage,
white bread, and pieces of hard cheese. Grapes and cherry tomatoes can be served if peeled and
cut into quarters, and hot dogs and sausages can be served if sliced lengthwise and cut into small
pieces.
To further reduce the risk of choking, always supervise your toddler during meals and snacks.
Do not allow him to carry food with him during play. Insist that he only eat while sitting at a
table. Also, encourage him to chew carefully and not to talk while chewing.
The attitudes about food your toddler develops now will continue with her throughout her life, so
do your best to make meal and snack times comfortable, happy, and safe. Part of making your
child comfortable while eating includes providing appropriate seating. Your family may choose
to seat your toddler at a child-sized table in a child-sized chair, or you may feel it is important
that your child eat at the dining table with the rest of the family. If your child eats at an adultsized table, be sure to provide a proper booster seat with safety devices, such as latches or straps,
to prevent falls. If you use child-sized furniture, the table should come up to your child’s navel
while she stands, and her chair should allow her feet to rest flat on the floor.
Feeding Toddlers, continued
As a toddler, your child is learning to become more independent. While this process is important
to your child’s healthy growth, it can also be frustrating. Your toddler may say “no” frequently,
or refuse to eat certain foods. It’s important to remember that these are ways for your child to
practice asserting his independence. To make eating the best possible experience for everyone
involved, allow your toddler to do things for himself as long as he is not endangering himself or
others. Letting him practice doing things on his own gives him a chance to build important selfhelp skills, and also alleviates some of the power struggles that come with parenting a toddler.
Another way to help your child gain independence is to provide appropriate eating utensils.
Child-sized cups and compartmentalized plates will help your toddler feel more successful and
less frustrated as she develops her feeding skills. Serve finger foods along with foods requiring
utensils, so that frustrated toddlers have other food options. Toddlers usually take longer to
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accomplish simple tasks, like picking up food on a spoon, than an adult would. This is because
your toddler’s fine motor skills, the skills that allow her to grasp and hold objects, are still
developing. Allow her to practice as long as she is not overly frustrated. If she becomes very
frustrated, start by offering a very small amount of support, such as a suggestion for how she
might hold her spoon differently. If her frustration continues, gradually add more support. Doing
things for her should always be a last resort, because one of your jobs as a parent is to teach her
the skills she will need to live on her own some day.
Even though she is becoming more independent, your toddler is constantly observing the
important people in her life. If a parent or guardian, or even a child care provider refuses a
certain food, your toddler will be much more likely to refuse the food herself. Try to always eat
with your child and model healthy eating practices, table manners, and attitudes about food.
Toddlers learn through sensory experiences. Do not be surprised if your toddler wants to
squeeze, squish, or otherwise “play” with his food. When he interacts with food in these ways, he
builds positive experiences with nutritious foods, which can help him form positive eating habits
that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Messes are inevitable when your toddler starts
practicing his self-help skills. The best way to handle these situations is by setting clear limits,
encouraging your toddler to explore in appropriate ways, and helping your toddler label the new
tastes, smells, and textures he is experiencing. This is also a wonderful way to encourage
language development. Talk with your toddler about what he is eating, and about how it looks,
smells, feels, and tastes. This can be an important time for bonding with your child and
encouraging the beginnings of conversation.
Toddlers are developing preferences for and against various foods, and may sometimes refuse to
try new foods. Your toddler probably prefers foods presented individually, and simple foods
served in familiar ways. He may dislike mixed foods, so try offering foods separately, rather than
in casseroles or mixed with gravies and sauces.
Toddlers have short attention spans. You may have noticed that it is challenging for your toddler
to sit through long meals. Try to accommodate your child’s needs by allowing her to leave the
table and return to play when she is finished eating. If you feel it is important for your toddler to
remain at the table with the family until everyone is finished, it might be useful to provide a few
simple toys to keep her occupied when she has completed her meal.
Introducing New Foods
Though it can be challenging, introducing new foods to your toddler’s diet adds variety and
promotes healthy eating habits. To make the process easier, begin by introducing only one new
food at a time in a small amount, around 1 teaspoon, along with a favorite food. Always
introduce a new food when your child is hungry, and never force him to try a new food. Talk
about the new food and comment on the taste, smell, color, and texture. Remember, your toddler
learns by using all his senses. Another way to encourage him to try new foods is by including
him in menu planning, food shopping, coupon cutting, and food preparation.
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Encourage your child to taste a new food by suggesting that she try at least one bite. However, if
she rejects the food, respect her wishes and try again on another occasion. Your child may need
to be exposed to a new food at least ten times before she will accept it. It is best not to trick,
bribe, or force her into trying new foods. Even one negative experience involving food can create
a negative feeling about that specific food or about food in general, which can affect her attitudes
about food for life.
Common Concerns
Let’s look at some common feeding problems among toddlers. Common feeding concerns
include: food jags (or excessive consumption of a particular food), consuming excess amounts of
milk at the expense of other foods, refusal to eat, and lingering over food.
Food Jags
Sometimes toddlers will insist on eating a single food or a small group of foods over an extended
period of time. This is called a food jag. Food jags are common and normal. Usually these
preferences are short-lived, lasting a few days or weeks. The best solution to food jags is to
prevent them from happening in the first place. Serve a variety of foods on a rotating basis, so
that no single food is offered too frequently. If a food jag becomes a long-term problem, lasting
more than a few weeks, your may need to seek input from your child’s pediatrician.
Excessive Milk Consumption
Milk is a comfort food for many toddlers, so they may ask for it frequently. It is recommended
that children under 9 years of age have about 16 ounces, or two cups, of milk per day. However,
drinking too much milk can make your child feel full, and may cause him to refuse other
nutrient-rich foods, including foods rich in iron. The calcium found in milk also lowers his
body’s ability to absorb iron. Iron-deficiency anemia can result if milk displaces iron-rich foods
in your child’s diet. Instead of milk, offer your toddler water between meals to satisfy thirst.
Refusal of Food
Sometimes your toddler may refuse food because she is not hungry, or because she wants to
assert her newly found independence. Neither of these reasons should be a cause for concern,
and the best response is to ignore these behaviors. Do not bargain with your child or offer lessthan-healthy foods in place of nutritious foods that she has refused. Never force your child to eat,
as this can lead to negative attitudes about food. Toddlers will usually naturally eat when they
are hungry and stop when they are full. If your child refuses all food over a long period of time,
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for instance an entire day, contact your pediatrician to rule out possible medical conditions that
could be affecting her appetite.
Lingering Over Food
Your toddler might linger or play with food during mealtime for many different reasons. He may
have eaten enough and be ready to leave the table and return to play. He may not be interested in
the particular food offered during that meal or snack. Or, he may have learned through
experience that lingering over his food gets him attention from adults.
Consistently setting limits during mealtime can help prevent or stop this behavior. Set a time
limit for eating, leaving plenty of time for your child to reasonably consume her food in a relaxed
fashion, and warn your child five minutes before the meal will be over. Give intermediate
reminders, such as a one-minute warning. If she still has not responded by eating or leaving the
table, then remove her from the table after the five minutes have passed.
Meal Planning
Proper meal planning is important because it helps ensure meals and snacks are meeting your
family’s nutritional needs.
Meals should:
 Meet the nutritional needs of each family member,
 Be appealing, meaning they have taste, texture, and eye appeal,
 Include familiar foods to make your family feel comfortable, and
 Encourage healthy food habits by introducing new, nutritious foods.
Shopping Smart
Healthy eating is easier if you continuously have a variety of nutritious foods on hand. The best
way to get started stocking up on nutritious food is to begin with a healthy, comprehensive
shopping list. A well-planned shopping list can be a useful time-saving tool. Creating a healthy
shopping list also means there is less chance you will purchase expensive, unhealthy food on
impulse.
Organize your list based on the major food groups: vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains, proteins, and
other items.
Choose fresh vegetables often, especially dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach or broccoli,
and yellow-orange vegetables like sweet potatoes. Cooked or raw, vegetables are good sources of
vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Frozen vegetables without added salt can be just as healthy, and
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sometimes more healthy than fresh vegetables. To control the amounts of fat, calories, and
sodium your family consumes, avoid or limit putting butter and salt on vegetables.
Also, choose fresh fruits often, especially citrus fruits and yellow-orange fruits like cantaloupes
and peaches. Frozen and dried fruits without added sugar are acceptable alternatives to fresh
fruit. Fruits supply valuable vitamins, minerals, and fibers. They add flavors, colors, and textures
to meals, and their natural sweetness makes them enjoyable as snacks or desserts. Fruit juices are
healthy beverages, but contain less dietary fiber than whole fruits. Whole fruits are also more
filling than juices, which helps your child maintain a healthy weight.
Dairy foods supply your child with vitamins and minerals for building strong bones. When
shopping, choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheeses, because these selections will help
your child meet their body’s needs, plus maintain a healthy weight. These selections are all
appropriate for the rest of your family as well. The exception is that children 2 years old and
younger should drink whole milk to give their bodies the fat required for healthy development.
When shopping for grain foods, you will see that they are described as refined, enriched, or
whole grain. Refined grain foods are processed, and may have lost many of their natural
nutrients. Enriched foods have had some of their lost nutrients replaced. Whole-grain foods are
rich in fiber, and contain all the nutrients found in the original grain. Whole grain foods are the
best choice, and should account for at least half of the grains your family eats each day. When
shopping for bread, check the fiber contents on the nutrition facts label and choose breads with at
least two grams of fiber per slice. Some other whole grain foods include brown rice, oatmeal,
and whole wheat pasta. You may also want to try some of the less common whole grains such as:
couscous, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, kasha, millet, polenta, wheat berries, and cracked wheat.
When shopping in the meat department, choose fish, poultry, and lean cuts of beef and pork
named “round” or “loin” (as in top round or pork tenderloin). Be sure to use low-fat cooking
methods, and to trim and drain fat. These choices help everyone in your family maintain a
healthy weight. Also, choose often from the variety of legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils
which are available in stores. These are economical, low-fat, protein and fiber rich foods.
Nutrition Facts Label
Another tool that you can use to help you make healthier food choices for your family is the
Nutrition Facts label. Information on food labels can be tremendously useful when it comes to
planning a healthy diet for your family. Once you can interpret the information on these labels,
you will be able to make more informed food choices. You will also be able to compare similar
food products to decide which product is the healthier choice.
Let’s discuss each part of the Nutrition Facts label in greater details. All the nutrients listed on
the label pertain to one serving of the food item. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how
many servings are in the entire package. Then ask yourself, “How many servings is each member
of my family consuming?”
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Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of the food. The number
of servings each person consumes determines the number of calories he takes in from the food.
The nutrients identified in yellow should be consumed in limited amounts. Eating too much fat,
saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or sodium may increase a person’s risk for certain chronic
diseases. The nutrients identified in green should be consumed in large enough quantities to
improve and maintain health, and reduce the risk for some diseases and conditions.
The footnote tells you that the Percent Daily Values for the nutrients listed on the food label are
based on a 2,000 calorie diet. This statement does not change from product to product. The
Percent Daily Values can help you determine if a serving of the food is high or low in a
particular nutrient.
Lastly, all packaged foods must list all their ingredients on the label. The ingredients are listed in
order, with the first ingredient being the one which is used in the greatest quantity and the last
one being the one which is used in the least quantity. For instance, if sugar is the first ingredient
listed, then there is more sugar than anything else in the product! The ingredients are measured
by weight, not by volume. This information can help you compare similar products and decide,
for example, which uses more of a healthy ingredient or less of an unhealthy ingredient.
The Role of the Parent with Child Care
Selecting a child care program can be a challenging task for parents. While nutrition is only one
of many factors to consider when choosing child care, it is an important one. When choosing a
child care provider:
 Ask about their approach to promoting healthy lifestyles,
 Visit the setting to see how child care providers model and teach good nutrition,
 Ask how they keep parents informed about strategies to use at home to support healthy
lifestyles, and
 Ask about what supports they offer for breastfeeding mothers, as well as their policies for
breast milk storage and handling.
Taking the time to explore a program before enrolling your child can lead to a happier, healthier,
more comfortable child care experience for your entire family.
Once you have selected a program, it is important to create a positive relationship with your
child care provider. Children benefit most when parents and providers work together to plan and
provide for all aspects of care. Ideally, every meal or snack your child eats throughout the day
should contribute to a healthy big picture of the day as a whole. This can only be accomplished
when you and your child’s caregivers choose to be informed about the meals and snacks your
child consumes, both at home and in child care. Together, you and your child’s caregivers can
develop goals for all your child’s needs, including nutrition, based on what is best for your child.
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Positive relationships with your child care providers are created by frequent two-way
communication, sharing of goals and expectations, providing information and resources, and
sharing opportunities to make decisions about the care your child will receive. Take the time to
speak with your child care provider about your family’s values and needs, important information
about your child including medical history, and any concerns you might have.
You can make an impact on your child’s experiences with food in child care by becoming
involved. There are many ways you can become involved in food-related activities in the child
care environment. Here are a few:
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Confer with your child’s caregivers about feeding problems and work together for
solutions,
Participate in planning menus while staying within guidelines for licensing,
Offer the child care staff recipes for foods your child particularly likes,
Lead age-appropriate cooking activities with the children in care,
Collect appropriate food packages and other props to be used in dramatic play,
Volunteer to help supervise children during snack and mealtimes, or
Put together information for other parents that includes feeding tips, recipes, and other
items of interest related to nutrition.
Bringing it All Together
One of the basic responsibilities of every parent or guardian is to provide safe, healthy food for
their child on a daily basis. Infants and toddlers, in particular, are growing rapidly and rely
heavily on proper nutrition for optimal development. You need to understand your child’s
nutritional needs, and how her development affects her eating habits in order to provide wellbalanced meals and snacks, and to promote healthy eating habits.
Here are the major messages we’d like you to “take home.”
 Eating habits are formed between ages 2 and 5, so healthy eating during the first few
years of life is critical to creating a healthy lifestyle through adulthood.
 Breast milk is the best choice for young infants. Formula is an acceptable alternative
when breastfeeding is not a viable option.
 Infants need to be developmentally ready before transitioning from breast milk or
formula to semi-solid foods, and transitioning from semi-solid foods to modified table
foods. Introducing solid foods too early can lead to a high risk of choking.
 Toddlers learn through their sensory experiences, and enjoy exerting their independence.
As a result, parents need to be patient and understanding when feeding toddlers.
 Providing a wide variety of healthy foods is the best way to ensure that your family is
receiving all the nutrients they need in a well-balanced fashion.
 You need to ensure that your child’s experiences involving food are as positive as
possible. Even one negative emotional experience involving food can lead to unhealthy
attitudes about that food or all food, which can last a lifetime.
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Communication between parents or guardians and caregivers is the best way to ensure
that children are receiving all their daily nutritional needs.
Thank you for your participation in this course, and for your concern for the health and wellbeing of your children.
References
A. A. Hertzler, Preschoolers’ food handling skills--motor development, Journal of Nutrition
Education 21 (1989): 100B-100C.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook. 4th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill:
American Academy of Pediatrics; 1998
American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, 5th ed., ed. R.E. Kleinman (Elk
Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2004, pp. 103-115).
American Dietetic Association. Position of The American Dietetic Association: dietary guidance
for healthy children aged 2 to 11 years. J. Am Diet Assoc. 2004:104:660-667. I think there is
also a newer version than 2004
Berman C, Fromer J. Meals without Squeals. 3rd ed. Boulder, Colorado: Bull Publishing
Company; 2006
Blake JS, Munoz KD, Volpe SL. Nutrition From Science to You. 1st ed. San Francisco, Calif:
Pearson Benjamin Cummings, 2010.
DHHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). The Surgeon General’s Vision for a
Healthy and Fit Nation 2010. Available at
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Feeding Infants: A Guide for Use
in the Child Nutrition Programs (FNS-258), 2003. Available at http://www.fns.usda.gov
Marotz LR, Cross MZ, Rush JM. Health, Safety, and Nutrition For The Young Child. 6th ed.
Clifton Park, NY: Thompson Delmar Learning, 2005.
Nemours, Health & Prevention Services. Best Practices for Healthy Eating: A Guide To Help
Children Grow Up Healthy. Version 2, 2008. Available at
http://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/www/filebox/service/preventive/nhps/heguide.pd
f
The Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group, American Dietetic Association. Pediatric Manual of
Clinical Dietetics, Second Edition. Updated, 2008.
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Satter E. How to Get Your Kid to Eat… But Not Too Much, Palo Alto, Calif: Bull Publishing;
1987.
Satter E. Child of Mine… Feeding with Love and Good Sense, Boulder, Colorado: Bull
Publishing; 2000.
US Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. MyPyramid Food Guidance
System. Available at http://www.mypyramid.gov Last Modified: July 13,2010
US Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for
Americans, 2005. Available at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document
Whitney E, Rolfes SR. Understanding Nutrition. 11th ed. Belmont, Calif: Thomson Wadsworth,
2008.
Whitney E, Rolfes SR. Understanding Nutrition. 12th ed. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning 2011.
* This course was developed and produced by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of the
Texas A&M University System in cooperation with the Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services, Child Care Licensing Division, and using funds provided under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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