Idaho CareLine: Dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588

Beyond an Apple a Day

Food and nutrition are as important in childhood as love and care. Children who are rapidly growing and developing need enhanced nutrition and the food they eat also play an important role in their development.

Idaho Women Infants and Children (WIC) — Help for women and children to purchase nutritional foods.

Starting Out Right: Feeding Your Baby

Babies may be ready for solid foods when they:

• Can hold up their heads without support.
• Do not push food out of their mouths with their tongues.

Beginning solid foods when:

• Baby is four to six months old, start with one of these infant cereals:
   
  • Infant Oatmeal cereal;
  • Infant Rice cereal; or
  • Infant Barley cereal.

How to prepare infant cereal:

• Measure a small amount of cereal into a dish.
• Add breast milk or formula to the cereal.
• Stir.
• Feed baby with a small spoon.

Foods for Baby's First Year

New Foods

• Start one new food at a time. Try 1 to 2 small spoonfuls at first. Wait 3 to 5 days before giving the next new food.
• Your baby may only want to touch a new food. This is normal. Try offering it again another day.
• Feed your baby from a dish rather than from the storage container or baby food jar. Babies' saliva makes food thin and watery.
• There is no need to feed your baby extra water unless it's extremely warm outdoors. Discuss this with a doctor if you are concerned.

Caution

• Certain foods may cause babies to choke and should not be given to babies. They are: nuts, popcorn, raw vegetables, hot dogs, meatsticks, grapes, apples, small hard candy (like LifeSavers) and peanut butter on bread.
• Honey, molasses or Karo syrup may cause a very serious food poison for babies. Wait until your baby is over 1 year to give honey, molasses or Karo syrup.

Stepping Out: Healthy Foods for Toddlers (1-2 years)

Things to Remember

• Your child's growth rate will slow down after his first birthday. So will his appetite.
• Make meal times happy. Do not bribe or force a child to eat any food.
• Give small, child-size servings and let your child ask for more. A good guide is 1 spoonful for each year of age.
• Introduce a new food along with favorite foods. Offer different flavors and textures.
• Whole milk is best for your child until at least 2 years of age.
• Young children need snacks between meals. Offer snacks at least 2 hours before meals. Meals and snacks should be served about the same time each day.
• Children may go on food jags and eat only one or two foods.
• Foods refused today may be accepted later.

Toddler Eating Guide

Food Group	Major Nutrients	Servings per day	Serving Sizes (1 to 2 years)	Food Sources
Protein	Protein Iron	2 to 4	1/2 ounce meat or 2 tablespoons 1/2 egg 1/4 cup beans or peas 1 tablespoon of peanut butter	Dried beans, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, split peas, beef, fish, cottage cheese, pork, poultry, tofu, tuna fish
Milk Products	Calcium Protein	6	1/2 ounce cheese 1/2 cup milk or yogurt	Whole milk, lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk, evaporated milk, cheese, yogurt
Vegetables and Fruits	Vitamin A Fiber	1	1/4 cup	Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, nectarines, peaches, pumpkin, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, watermelon, winter squash, sweet potatoes
	Vitamin C Fiber (not in juice)	1	1/4 cup	Juices fortified with vitamin C, orange juice, grapefruit juice, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, oranges, peppers, strawberries
	Other Vitamins and Minerals Fiber	2	1/4 cup	Apples, bananas, berries, corn, cucumbers, grapes, green beans, lettuce, melons, pears, peas, potatoes, turnips, zucchini
Breads and Cereals	Carbohydrates B Vitamins Iron Fiber	4 to 6	1/2 slice bread, roll or tortilla 3 crackers 1/4 cup rice, pasta or hot cereal 1/2 cup cold cereal	Cold cereal, hot cereal, crackers, macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, rice, rolls, tortillas, white bread, whole wheat bread
Fats and Sugar	Limit these foods. They provide calories with few nutrients.			Butter, margarine, salad dressing, sugar, candy, jam, syrup, soda pop, cake, pie, chips, bacon, Koolaid

WIC foods printed in color
(Women, Infants, and Children Program)

Parents choose to serve healthy foods at meal times. Children decide how much of those foods to eat.

Sample Menu

Breakfast	1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup cereal with milk 1/4 cup orange juice
Snack	1 graham cracker 2 tablespoons applesauce 1/2 cup milk
Lunch	1/2 cup milk 1/2 peanut butter sandwich 1/2 cup vegetable soup 1/4 cup cantaloupe cubes
Snack	2 vanilla wafers 1/2 cup milk
Dinner	1/2 cup milk 1 chicken leg (no skin) 2 tablespoons carrots 1 roll

Caution

• Some foods may cause small children to choke. Save them until children are older.
• Children should sit down while eating. They should not be left alone while eating.

Growing Up: Healthy Foods for Pre-Schoolers (3-5 years)

Build Good Eating Habits

• Make sure there is a comfortable place to eat at a table.
  • Setting the table.
  • Washing vegetables for salad.
  • Stirring dough for cookies.
  • Growing bean sprouts.
  • Making sandwiches.
  • Shaping meatballs.
  • Pouring cereal and milk (with help).
  • Wiping the table.
  • Peeling bananas.
• Serve food in a quiet place without the TV, stereo or radio on.
• Learning to eat takes practice... be prepared for spills.
• Sit down to eat with your child.
• Use a plastic cup filled only halfway.
• A small deep dish helps food get on the spoon more easily.
• Try one new food at a time. Offer it at the beginning when children are hungry.
• Serve finger foods like pieces of vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, crackers or cereal.

Preschooler Eating Guide

Food Group	Major Nutrients	Servings per day	Serving Sizes (3 to 5 years)	Food Sources
Protein	Protein Iron	3	1 ounce meat 1 egg 1/4 cup beans or peas 2 tablespoons of peanut butter	Dried beans, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, split peas, beef, fish, cottage cheese, pork, poultry, tofu, tuna fish
Milk Products	Calcium Protein	4	3/4 ounce cheese 3/4 cup milk or yogurt	Whole milk, lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk, evaporated milk, cheese, yogurt
Vegetables and Fruits	Vitamin A Fiber	1	1/2 cup	Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, nectarines, peaches, pumpkin, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, watermelon, winter squash, sweet potatoes
	Vitamin C Fiber (not in juice)	1	1/2 cup	Juices fortified with vitamin C, orange juice, grapefruit juice, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, oranges, peppers, strawberries
	Other Vitamins and Minerals Fiber	2 to 4	1/4 cup	Apples, bananas, berries, corn, cucumbers, grapes, green beans, lettuce, melons, pears, peas, potatoes, turnips, zucchini
Breads and Cereals	Carbohydrates B Vitamins Iron Fiber	4	1/2 slice bread, roll or tortilla 3 crackers 1/4 cup rice, pasta or hot cereal 1/2 cup cold cereal	Cold cereal, hot cereal, crackers, macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, rice, rolls, tortillas, white bread, whole wheat bread
Fats and Sugar	Limit these foods. They provide calories with few nutrients.			Butter, margarine, salad dressing, sugar, candy, jam, syrup, soda pop, cake, pie, chips, bacon, Koolaid

Parents choose to serve healthy foods at meal times. Children decide how much of those foods to eat.

Sample Menu

Breakfast	1/2 cup milk 3/4 cup cereal with milk 1/2 banana
Snack	2 cheese cubes 1/2 apple, sliced
Lunch	1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup bean soup 1 tortilla 1/2 orange
Snack	4 vanilla wafers 1/2 cup milk
Dinner	1/2 cup milk 1 chicken leg 1/4 cup carrots 1 roll

Include Children When Fixing Food