Children and Nutrition

Proper nutrition begins at the supermarket with the foods you buy and continues at home as you prepare and serve meals.  Giving your child a healthy start with good eating habits promotes his or her lifelong health.  A variety of foods provides the nutrients that young children need to build strong bodies and stay healthy.  Food also supplies the energy that children need to grow normally, play, learn, and explore the world around them.  The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages families to think of their nutritional decisions as health decisions.

Infant Feeding Chart

Foods	0-4 months	4-6 months	6-8 months	9-12 months	12 months
Breast milk or Full Year Infant Formula	5-10 feedings/day 17-32 fluid ounces a day	4-7 feedings/day, 26-40 fluid ounces a day	3-5 feedings/day, 26-33 ounces a day	3-4 feedings/day = 16-30 fluid ounces/day *No wheat prior to 9 months. *Can start yogurt now.	3-4 feedings/day, 16-24 fluid ounces a day by cup or bottle
Cereals and Breads	None	Rice or barley infant cereals (iron fortified)	Single grain infant cereals (iron fortified); 3-9 tablespoons, 2 feedings/day. Oven-dried toast or teething biscuits.	Infant cereals or plain hot cereals. Toast, bagel, crackers, or teething biscuits.	Infant or cooked cereals, unsweetened cereals, whole wheat bread, mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, spaghetti.
Fruit Juices	None	None	None	None	None
Vegetables	None	None	Strained or mashed, cooked vegetables; dark yellow or orange (not corn), dark green. Start with mild tasting vegetables such as green beans, peas or squash = 1/2-1 jar or 1/4 - 1/2 cup per day	Cooked mashed vegetables	Cooked vegetable pieces, some raw vegetables; carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers
Fruits	None	None	Strained or mashed fruits (fresh or cooked), mashed bananas, applesauce = 1 jar or 1/2 cup per day	Peeled soft fruit wedges; bananas, peaches, pears, oranges, apples	All fresh fruit peeled and seeded or canned fruits packed in water
Protein Foods	None	None	None	Ground or finely chopped chicken, fish and lean meats (remove bones, fat, and skin). Egg yolk, yogurt, and mild cheese.  Cooked dried beans.	Small tender pieces of chicken, fish, or lean meat.  Whole egg, cheese yogurt, cooked beans, peanut butter.

Suggested Portion Sizes and Number of Servings Per Day for Toddlers and Preschoolers

			Portion Sizes	Portion Sizes
Food Group	Servings per day	Food	Toddlers	Preschoolers
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta	6	Bread Rice, or pasta Hot or cold cereal	1/4-1/2 slice 1/4 cup 1/4 cup	1/2 slice 1/3 cup 1/3 cup
Vegetables	3	Cooked veggies Raw veggies	2 tbsp 2 tbsp	1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Fruits	2	Fresh fruit Fruit juice	2 tbsp 1/4 cup	1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Milk, yogurt, and cheese	3-4	Milk or yogurt Cheese	1/4 cup 1 oz	3/4 cup 1.5 oz
Meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts	2-3	Meat Cooked beans Egg Peanut butter	1 oz 2 tbsp 1/2 1 tbsp	1.5 oz 1/4 cup 1 2 tbsp