Feeding Guide

Introducing Solid Foods Tips – Signs of Readiness
Introducing Solid Foods Tips – First Foods Timeline
Introducing Solid Foods Tips – Tips and Tricks
Introducing Solid Foods – How to Prevent Choking in Infants
Toddler Feeding Tips – Infant to Toddler Nutrition Transition
Toddler Feeding – Tips for Feeding your Toddler
Toddler Feeding: Infant to Toddler Nutrient Needs

Introducing Solid Foods Tips – Signs of Readiness

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Is your baby starting to show signs of wanting to open her mouth and let a spoon in? Then get ready for the exciting (and messy) adventure of introducing solid foods.  Not only are you introducing foods to her tummy for the first time, you are also setting the course for her lifelong eating behaviors. Most global health experts agree that babies should be solely breastfed for the first 6 months of life and although some say you may start introducing solids earlier, here are some good reasons to wait:

• Reduce the risk of overfeeding: younger babies are unable to turn their head to let you know when they are full
• Reduce the risk of developing allergies: baby’s intestinal tract is not fully developed until 6 months old so introducing solid foods too early can result in food allergies
• Prevent choking: most babies cannot swallow food correctly before 6 months of age
• Avoid myths: starting your baby on solids early to help him sleep through the night is just a myth

Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods

The leading expert on when it is time to introduce solid foods is actually your baby. Babies will express the following signs when it is time for solids:

• Ability to sit and hold head up unassisted
• Doubling of birth weight
• Loss of the tongue- thrust reflex: when something reaches a baby’s mouth, he automatically pushes them out. This will cease around 6 months when ready for solids
• Reaching for your fork or spoon at mealtime or food off our plate
• Development of the pincer grasp: picking up object with the thumb and index finger
• Ready and willing to chew

Oftentimes parents, even physicians, will tout increased hunger as another cue of readiness for solid foods but that alone should not be the reason especially if it is too early. Babies often experience a growth spurt around 3-4 months that may require more frequent nursing but often go back to normal within a few weeks. There may also be temporary other factors like teething, cold, flu, or developmental changes so make sure to look at all the signs of readiness for solids.

Introducing Solid Foods Tips – First Foods Timeline

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Now that how to introduce solid foods has been covered, the logical next step is what food or baby’s first foods. The general rule is slow and steady food introduction, and one food at a time. A few other rules to follow are:

• Always use clean hands, utensils, and serving dishes
• Never let your baby eat unattended
• Let your baby dictate likes or dislikes, never force feed
• They may need to see or try a new food times before liking it
• Never introduce more than 1 food at a time
• Use the best quality food you can reasonably afford
• Talk to your health care provider about introducing solid foods
• Be patient, it takes some time for babies to get used to solid foods

Here are some general guidelines for food introduction but keep in mind all babies are different and any food has the potential to be an allergen or intolerant so follow the 3 day rule : offer one food at a time and wait 3 days to see if a reaction occurs. Also be mindful of the size and shape of the foods. Pureed and or jarred versions of the foods listed below should be offered but not raw or uncooked because they can present a choking hazard as they are difficult for babies to chew. You can steam and puree these foods yourself if desired and ripe fruits can be mashed easily.

6-8 Months

Grain: Rice or oat cereal
Protein: chicken, turkey, or tofu – these should be given closer to 8 months and avoid soy if there is a family history of soy allergies
Veggies: squash, zucchini, peas, carrots, parsnips, green beans, or sweet potatoes
Fruit: avocado, banana, mango, pear, peach, pumpkin, plums, nectarines, or apricots

8-10 Months

Foods can be a bit chunkier at this point (but still pureed) you may also notice a stronger food preference or what appears to be a smaller food intake since foods are in bigger pieces but remain patient and allow your baby to guide her meals and food choices. Try to be offering balanced meals with small portions of protein, grain and/or fruit and veggie.

Grain: kamut, quinoa, millet, gluten free pasta
Protein: beans, legumes, beef (opt for natural/hormone free when possible)
Veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, white potatoes, leeks, parsnips
Fruit: kiwi, melons, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes (cut or mashed), blueberries, or figs

10-12 Months

Grain: same as above but wait until closer to 12 months to bring in gluten containing grains like wheat
Protein: Add white-fleshed fish, but not shellfish
Veggies: Slowly introduce acidic veggies like tomatoes and watch for reaction
Fruit: Now you can make your own fruit combinations, just avoid the citrus until after 12 months
Dairy: whole milk yogurt, cottage cheese, Colby, jack, or cheddar – but no soft cheeses like brie and this should be closer to 12 months

Introducing Solid Foods Tips – Tips and Tricks

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Mashed bananas and peas are flying, perhaps even stuck to the wall; which only means you’ve introduced solids to your baby. With so much information available it is hard to decipher the best way to go about introducing solid so here are a few tips tricks for introducing solid foods.

Baby’s First Spoon

Try using your finger to feed your baby his first solid food; he is already familiar with your finger and it is the perfect temperature. After washing your hands, scoop a little bit of rice cereal or applesauce onto your finger and place it on the tip of his tongue. Once your baby is comfortable with receiving food from your finger, you should transition to a soft, rubber-coated spoon.

Don’t make it a buffet

During the first few feedings, your baby may only swallow a teaspoon or two of food. Keep in mind that your initial goal is to introduce her to the new experience of tastes and textures, not feed to fullness. As your baby requires breast milk or formula for the first year of life, solids are not meant to be substitute feedings. Starting slowly, you can gradually work up to a ¼ cup of food at time. Be prepared to witness inconsistent eating habits: one day your baby may love bananas; the next day she may spit them out. By around 8 months of age your baby should be eating 3 meals of solid food per day.

Food Allergies

So many questions about this subject, so few definitive answers. Can you prevent food allergies with delaying common food allergens? Should you feed your baby the allergens to build up tolerance? Is there any truth to this at all? This is our stance: why take the risk? By being conscientious during the first year or two of life you could potentially save your child from a lifetime of allergies so why not. Besides, it is one less food group stuck to the kitchen floor. To answer the latter question, no, do not take it upon yourself to build a baby’s immunity because you would be taking a serious risk of a potentially major reaction.  That approach has yet to be proven effective and certainly should not attempted without the watchful eyes of physicians. If there is a strong family history of food allergies (especially in mom or dad), then extra precautions should be taken.

To help determine if your child has food intolerances or allergies, introduce new foods one at a time and follow the 3 day rule.  This will allow you to identify which food, if any, causes your baby to react. Reactions can show as rashes, hives or redness around the mouth, a bloated tummy, increased gas, or diarrhea. The best advice is to avoid feeding your baby common food allergens in their fist year of life including peanuts, peanut butter, other tree nuts, cow’s milk, shellfish, egg whites, and citrus (including juices). Expert opinions vary greatly on food allergy prevention so be sure to discuss introduction of solids with your health care provider.

Introducing Solid Foods – How to Prevent Choking in Infants

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Now that you are introducing solids to your baby, the types of first foods to give a baby are based as much on ability to chew and swallow without choking as they are on nutrients. As babies learn how to chew and swallow foods, the risk of choking is ever present and why this topic deserved its own post. Choking is scary for both child and parent and can happen anytime anywhere, but there are things parents can do to help prevent choking.

Timing is Everything

Before giving solids, make sure she is ready to begin eating solid foods by expressing the physical signs of readiness to eat solids, which typically arrive around 6 months of age. Trying to feed a baby solids before these new abilities are present drastically increase the risk of choking.

Set the Scene

Be sure your child is sitting up in a high chair or booster seat at the table without distractions like the TV in a calm environment. Do not let your little one eat away from the table, this is an unhealthy habit to start and many children choke because they are eating while playing.

Avoid the 4 food groups

No, not those food groups, but the 4 categories of foods that present the greatest choking risk for babies:

1. Crispy, crunchy: these include raw carrots, celery or other uncut raw veggies, peanuts or other nuts, sunflower seeds, fruits with pits, popcorn, dried beans and peas
2. Round and rubbery: these foods include hot dogs, whole grapes, gummy or jelly candies, fruit snacks, and uncut spaghetti, raisins
3. Small and tough: foods like hard candies, or gum; and this category also includes tiny bones from fish and poultry so be sure to remove bones carefully.
4. Thick and chunky: avoid large chunks of meat, cheese, or spoonfuls of any nut butters

Let’s not forget about the non-foods like coins or any other tiny object that might be lying around the house. Babies put everything in their mouths as a means to identify so once your little one is on the move be sure to keep all tiny objects such as coins, balloons, batteries, plastics, small toy parts out of infant reach.

Be Prepared

It cannot be stressed enough that adult supervision is critical during baby’s meal times. Even when giving a baby a teething biscuit be sure they are seated in a high chair under the watchful eye of an adult.

More information on Feeding Solids

Baby Feeding Related Blog Posts
Other Online Resources on Baby Feeding

Toddler Feeding Tips – Infant to Toddler Nutrition Transition

By Colleen Hurley, RD Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Like most parents of toddlers, you may find yourself wondering- is he getting enough to eat? How much is he supposed to be eating? Is my toddler getting enough nutrients? This is a time in your child’s life of what seems to be boundless energy. Toddlers are so busy in fact; they may not even want to stop playing to have something to eat.  As you transition from infant to toddler feeding, here are 3 top phrases your toddler may counter mealtimes with: 

“I Can Do It Myself”

You will find at this stage of child development, your child may have very fickle eating habits: one day she may eat like horse, while other days barely touch her food. This is ok and a normal part of being a toddler. She is asserting her independence and that usually means deciding on her own food choices and feeding herself.

“I’m Not Hungry”

It is important to remember a simple rule: It is your job as the parent to provide the healthy food, and it is your child’s job to decide how much to eat. Forcing him to eat or finish everything on his plate can set him up for unhealthy eating habits in the future and encourages eating beyond fullness. It is rare that children will let themselves starve so keep providing healthy food at regular meal and snack times and he will eat when he is hungry. Keep in mind that most toddlers eat only 1-2 “meals″ per day and tend to “pick” at their plates. Your toddler doesn’t need to eat 3 full meals a day as adults do.

“I don’t want to eat”

This phrase can be trickier to decipher as it could be a power play for independence or simply that she doesn’t want to stop what it is she’s doing to take the time to eat. Perhaps you can explain that the game or toy can wait for snack time but resist the temptation to battle your child over food because it is a lose – lose situation. This doesn’t mean you should become a short order cook either because she shouldn’t learn that if she is resistant with you, she can eat whatever, whenever she wants. If you have prepared the food, set it out and if she is hungry she will come and eat. If she doesn’t not, you can wrap it up and save it for later.

Toddler Feeding – Tips for Feeding your Toddler

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Feeding toddlers is a unique and enlightening experience, to say the least. Its like building a house, and right now you are laying the foundation for
the future eating habits of your little one. Yet just like the variance amongst soils and grounds prepping for that foundation pour, so are the habits and needs of toddlers. Sometimes it is easy, and well, sometimes its rough but you never know until you start the work. So put on those hard hats for these tips for feeding your toddler:

• Have faith: Trust your child’s own innate ability to listen to his hunger or fullness cues. Appetites in toddlers often decline around ages 2-3, so he may be eating less than you think he should. As long he is healthy, has energy, and is growing normally then he is just fine.
• Don’t force: Never force her to eat or “clean her plate″, this will lead to unhealthy eating habits later in her life.
• Prepare for food jags: She may be in a food rut, asking for the same foods all the time for several days. This is ok; try not to force her to eat something she doesn’t want to. Offer the food she likes, along with a few other healthy options for variety.
• Lead by example: Children learn by watching you, so set healthy mealtime habits. Turn off the TV and let your toddler enjoy meals with the family. Remember, he is more likely to eat the foods that you are eating too!
• Be consistent: Offer meals and snacks around the same time everyday in an established eating environment (e.g. TV off, at the table, etc.).
• Keep trying: Research shows that kids may need to see the same food 10-20 times before they’ll like it. If she doesn’t want it this week, try try again.
• Keep the old, while bringing in the new: It is best to introduce a new food when served with a food he already likes.
• Let him help: Let him help you in the kitchen, he is more likely to try a food he helped prepare.
• Avoid bribing: Do not bribe her with dessert in order to get her to eat all her dinner, this could teach her to overeat. “Dessert″ should be an occasional treat no more than 1-2 times per week.
• Mix it up: try offering food in different forms- he didn’t like peas? Try pea soup next time.

Toddler Feeding: Infant to Toddler Nutrient Needs

Toddler and preschool diets are very different from that of babies as the infant to toddler nutrient needs gradually change. Even in the older infancy stage, most nutrition comes from breast milk or formula with a steady increase of solid foods. One monumental milestone in child nutrition is weaning your child from a bottle to a cup, usually around 12-14 months old. This means your child will start requiring more nutrients from food yet might seem a bit more difficult than measuring ounces in a bottle.

Toddler Feeding: Caloric Needs

Children age 1 through 3 should consume approximately 40 calories per inch of height. An average toddler of 32 inches (approximately 15-17 months of age) should consume about 1,300 calories per day with the following recommendations:

• Vegetables and fruits: 5 or more per day in 1-2 tablespoon serving size
• Protein: 2 half ounce servings or 1-2 ounce equivalents daily
• Dairy: 16-20 ounces including milk
• Grains: 4-5 servings daily.
• Fat: 40-50% of total calorie needs until 2 years, then reduce to 30% of total calories

Serving size rule of thumb for toddlers: 1 tablespoon per year of age or ¼ of an adult serving as listed on the food label per year of age.

Below are the daily nutrient needs for toddlers:

Understand these numbers are not given to add more stress to your life about feeding your toddler, but more to serve as a general guideline. Counting calories or caloric restriction is inappropriate for toddlers so don’t get too caught up on micromanaging daily intake. The key is to choose minimally processed, nutrient dense foods for your toddler. Also, be sure serve a food rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron everyday. Offering 3 nutritious meals and 2 healthy snacks for your toddler is your job, deciding how much to eat is theirs. Your toddler may prefer to graze on small bits of food throughout the day and may find playing far more interesting than eating. Their tiny tummies fill up much faster than adults and the rapid growth rate experienced in infancy has slowed down quite a bit. You may also want to set out a “nibble tray″; bite-sized bits of nutritious foods your busy toddler could stop and snack on while making rounds through the house. Trust them! Kids are far more intuitive than we know and they will usually supply themselves with the right amount of food. Of course there are always those extreme picky eaters or stubborn tots so if you have concerns talk to your physician.