Feeding Your Baby: What and When?

Feed your baby milk, about 2 to 3 cups daily, with a variety of other foods from the food groups listed below.

Most health authorities recommend that a baby should be at least 1 year old before whole milk is given. Until your baby is 1 year old, breast milk or formula is the most appropriate milk to feed her.

In addition to milk, give several small servings from each of the following food groups over a two-day period:

• Vegetables, fruits
• Meat, fish, poultry, eggs
• Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese
• Bread, crackers, cereal, rice, spaghetti

How Much Should My Baby Eat?

Your baby doesn’t have to eat something from every food group at every meal. He may eat well at one meal, not so well at the next, and refuse the third meal.

One hearty meal a day plus four foods from the food groups listed above are about average for this age. Forcing babies to eat can work in reverse and make them refuse to eat any food. Or they may continue to eat just to get your approval.

Offering food to babies when they are upset may quiet them for a few moments, but it will also teach them the habit of using food as a solution to problems. Instead, try to find the cause of the problem and solve it, without using food as the pacifier.

Parents are responsible for what babies eat and when food is offered. Babies are responsible for how much they eat.

Build Good Eating Habits

You can do a lot of things now to help your baby build good eating habits for the rest of her life.

• Set a good example by serving and eating a variety of nutritious foods. Eating nutritious foods is good for your physical and emotional health, too.

• Sit down and eat with your child. Try to have the whole family sit down together at least once a day. It’s a good time to connect with each other.

• Give children positive attention when they eat the nutritious food you’ve given them.

• Remember babies do not spend very much time eating. When they are done, let them out of the high chair to play somewhere else. Never make eating a power struggle.

• Babies and adults need good healthy food to live. Spend time preparing and enjoying good foods.