Newborn The ideal food for newborn babies is breast milk However mothers should not be made to feel guilty or inadequate if they choose not to breast feed Do not feed newborns solid food before 4 months of age- their digestive systems are immature and they do not have enough control of their swallowing and chewing

Weaning The gradual introduction of solid food to the baby’s diet of milk alone. The reasons for weaning are: to meet the baby’s nutritional needs To develop the chewing mechanism; the muscular movement of the mouth and jaw also aids the development of speech To satisfy increasing appetite To introduce new tastes and textures; this enables the baby to join family meals, and so promotes cognitive and social development To develop new skills- use of cup and cutlery (hand-eye coordination) Never force weaning- wait until the child is ready. This can cause other feeding and behavior problems for the child

Introducing SolidsINFANTS: Age 4-12 months Considerations Make sure you are feeding a healthy balanced diet that provides energy and nourishment Never force a child to eat when they no longer wish to Don’t refuse to give more if they really are hungry Do not feed solids until about 4months When introducing new foods, choose a time when the baby is well, content and happy Because each new food is unfamiliar, the baby will spit back the first spoonfuls- BE PATIENT! Safety Concerns Never feed baby directly from the baby food jar- bacteria can grow and cause leftovers to spoil Wait until the baby can sit up steadily before encouraging self-feeding Finger foods: small pieces that can easily be picked up, easily break up with little or no chewing; that can’t block the breathing passage (do not introduce until about 6-8 months) Never heat bottles in the microwave- hot spots can burn baby Never prop a baby’s bottle- milk can gush out and cause digestive problems and ear infections Never serve baby cereal in a bottle! This can cause the baby to choke Never feed a baby straight cow’s milk, honey, nuts, eggs, wheat or spices because these foods are known allergens!! Never feed adult food or processed convenience food to a baby Portion Control A teaspoon at a time is a good rule of thumb. Feed at the end of a milk feed- or for older babies (9-12 months) at established meal times for older babies feed on a spoon or give a few pieces of finger foods at a time- some babies try to stuff their mouths full of food! This can cause choking and over feeding

Finger Foods!Toddlers: 1 -3 years old Considerations Choose foods low in sugar and salt BE PATIENT! Meal time will be messy until about 2 years Remember children often take a long time to eat Eating not only allows children proper nutrition, but also allows children to improve their motor skills Try to schedule meals with the rest of the family- conversation helps establish the social nature of meals and reinforce family bonds The best way to make sure that a growing child is getting a nutritious variety is to plan meals using the FOOD PYRAMIDFOOD PYRAMID Safety Concerns Stay away from foods such as cut up raw vegetables, nuts, scoops of peanut butter, whole grapes, candy, chips, pretzels, or popcorn or any other food that might cause choking do not give milk or milk products until after first birthday (or ask doctor first) Never add sugar or salt to your child’s food Portion Control (daily servings) Dairy: 2-3 servings ½ cup each day Protein: 2 servings ½ cup baked beans, 1 egg, 1-2 oz chicken Veggies: 3-5 servings ¼ - ½ cups corn, green beans, peas, potatoes, squash Bread/cereal/rice/pasta/: 6-11 servings ¼ - ½ cups cereal, pasta or rice, ½ slice bread, 2-3 crackers Fruits: 2 -4 servings ¼ - ½ apple banana, 1/3 cup fruit juice, ¼ cup strawberries, peaches

Healthy EatingPreschool: 3- 5 years Considerations Sugary food should not be given as snacks Do not add salt to the diet Children’s stomachs are smaller, they fill up and empty faster than adults. Some children need snacks Iron is essential to a child health- lack of iron causes anemia Calcium and vitamin D are also essential nutrients in a child’s diet Children need to be offered drinks several times a day. The best drinks are water or milk Breakfast is the most important meal of the day It is important to establish healthy eating habits Safety Concerns More water should be given in hot weather to prevent dehydration Do not give skim milk to children under 5 because of the lower energy and fat0soluable content, 2% is ok for 2 years and up Drinks that contain sugar are bad for teeth Unsweetened diluted fruit juice is ok- never feed juice from concentrate Portion Control (daily servings) Breads/grains/cereals: 5 servings 1 bowl breakfast cereal, 2 table spoons pasta, Fruits and Veggies: 4-5 servings 1 glass pure fruit juice, 1 piece of fruit, 1 sliced tomato, 2 tablespoons cooked veggies Milk/Dairy:3 servings 1 glass milk, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons grated cheese Meat, Fish, and other proteins: 2 servings 2 fish sticks, baked beans, small pieces of chicken or slices of deli turkey

Healthy EatingSchool- Age: 5- 7 years Considerations Make sure your child is exercising enough 2%milk is ideal Raisins, fig bars, graham crackers are good alternatives to processed sweets Set a good example by eating well yourself Children at this age can help in the kitchen and learn valuable skills about cooking and healthy diet Let child choose own lunch bag or box Safety Concerns More water should be given in hot weather to prevent dehydration Beware of processed foods! Drinks that contain sugar are bad for teeth Unsweetened diluted fruit juice is ok- never feed juice from concentrate- too much sugar! Portion Control (daily servings) Breads/grains/cereals: 5 servings 1 bowl breakfast cereal, 2 table spoons pasta, Fruits and Veggies: 4-5 servings 1 glass pure fruit juice, 1 piece of fruit, 1 sliced tomato, 2 tablespoons cooked veggies Milk/Dairy:3 servings 1 glass milk, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons grated cheese Meat, Fish, and other proteins: 2 servings 4 fish sticks, baked beans, small pieces of chicken or slices of deli turkey Examples Grapes Scrambled eggs Yogurt Almond butter sandwich kiwi Fruit smoothies Whole grain cereal Cottage cheese Lean turkey

Guidelines for Making Mealtimes Healthy and Fun Set an Example: children imitate both what you eat and how you eat it. Sit down to eat alongside the children. Try not to rush mealtimes: be relaxed, patient and friendly Be prepared for messy mealtimes! Be imaginative with presentation: cut sandwiches and fruit into interesting shapes Encourage children to feed themselves: Respect individual preferences: some families prefer to eat with their fingers, while others use chopsticks or knives and forks. Whatever tool is preferred, be patient as children need time to get used to them.

Never force a child to eat: if a child rejects food, don’t ever force feed them. Simply remove the food without comment. Give smaller portions next time and praise child for eating even a little Don’t use food as a punishment, reward, bribe or threat: don’t give sweets or chocolates as a reward for finishing savory foods. To a child this might be saying “here’s something nice after eating those nasty greens”. Reward them instead with a non food treat like a trip to the park or a story Avoid adding salt to any food at the table Try not to pass on your own personal dislikes

Limit in-between meal snacks: to small portions like a milk drink or a cracker and cheese Offer a wide variety of foods: give young children a chance to try new food more than once, any refusal on a first tasting may be due to a dislike of having something new rather than of the food itself Never give a young child whole nuts to eat- particulary peanuts children can very easily choke on a small piece of nut or even inhale it, which can cause severe pneumonia. Some children have severe allergic reactions to nuts