Nutrition

Healthy Habits. Strong Foundations.

Good nutrition is important at every stage of life, but especially during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood. Healthy eating in childhood is essential for proper growth and development and helps prevent negative health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Research shows that poor nutrition during childhood increases the chance of anemia, and limits memory development and a child’s ability to learn. Find out how you can build healthy habits and a strong foundation for your family with these nutrition tips for every stage of infancy and childhood.

This project was funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.

Prenatal Through 2 Years

Three Year
Olds

Preschool Age (3-5 Years)

Grade
School

Nutrition for Prenatal through 2 Years

Prenatal Nutrition

During pregnancy it is important that you get the right nutrients and energy needed to keep you and your growing baby healthy. Physical activity is also just as important when you’re pregnant as at any other time of life.

Tips for Eating Healthfully During Pregnancy

Follow your obstetrician’s advice regarding your use of prenatal vitamins. You should take vitamins only in the doses recommended by your doctor.

Make sure you have an adequate intake (generally, 400 micrograms a day) of folic acid, a B vitamin that can reduce the risk of certain birth defects, such as spina bifida.

Other important nutrients for pregnancy include iron, calcium, iodide and the fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). Fatty acids are “good” fats, and DHA in particular accumulates in the brain and eyes of the fetus, especially during the last trimester of pregnancy. DHA and ARA are also found in human breast milk.

Make sure your doctor knows about any other supplements you may be taking, including herbal remedies.
When it comes to your diet, plan balanced meals. They should contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Pregnancy is not a time for weight loss dieting. You should aim to consume about 350-450 more calories per day during your second and third trimesters than before you became pregnant. You need these extra calories and nutrients so your baby can grow normally.

The First Year

Your new baby’s nutritional needs are greater than at any other time in their life. Feeding your infant provides more than just good nutrition, though. It also allows you to hold your newborn close, cuddle, and make eye contact. These are relaxing and enjoyable moments for you both, bringing you closer together.

General Guidelines for Baby Feeding

It is important to remember all babies are different―some like to snack more often, and others drink more at one time and go longer between feedings. However, most babies will drink more and go longer between feedings as they get bigger and their tummies can hold more milk:

Most newborns eat every 2 to 3 hours, or 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. Babies might only take in half ounce per feeding for the first day or two of life, but after that will usually drink 1 to 2 ounces at each feeding. This amount increases to 2 to 3 ounces by 2 weeks of age.

At about 2 months of age, babies usually take 4 to 5 ounces per feeding every 3 to 4 hours.

At 4 months, babies usually take 4 to 6 ounces per feeding.

At 6 months, babies may be taking up to 8 ounces every 4 to 5 hours.

How do I know when my baby is hungry?

For babies born prematurely or with certain medical conditions, scheduled feedings advised by your pediatrician are best. But for most healthy, full-term infants, parents can look to their baby rather than the clock for hunger cues. This is called feeding on demand, or responsive feeding.

Hunger Cues

A hungry baby often will cry. But it’s best to watch for hunger cues before the baby starts crying, which is a late sign of hunger and can make it hard for them to settle down and eat. Hunger cues other than crying include:

Licking lips
Sticking tongue out
Rooting (moving jaw and mouth or head in search of breast)
Putting his/her hand to mouth repeatedly
Opening her mouth
Fussiness
Sucking on everything around

It is important to realize, however, that every time your baby cries or sucks it is not necessarily because he or she is hungry. Babies suck not only for hunger, but also for comfort; it can be hard at first for parents to tell the difference. Sometimes, your baby just needs to be cuddled or changed.

Nutrition Tips for One Year Olds

After your child’s first birthday, you’ll probably notice a sharp drop in his or her appetite. Maybe your child is suddenly turning his or her head away after just a few bites and/or is resisting coming to the table at mealtimes. Despite this behavior and increased activity, there’s a good reason for the change. Your child’s growth rate has slowed; he or she really doesn’t require as much food now.

Tips for Parents

One year olds need about 1,000 calories divided among three meals and two snacks per day to meet their needs for growth, energy, and good nutrition However, the eating habits of toddlers can be erratic and unpredictable from one day to the next.

For example, your child may:

Eat everything in sight at breakfast and almost nothing else for the rest of the day.
Eat only the same food for three days in a row—and then reject it entirely.
Eat 1,000 calories one day, but then eat noticeably more or less over the next day or two.

Encourage, but don’t pressure or force your child to eat at a particular time. Hard as it may be to believe, your child’s diet will balance out over several days if you make a range of wholesome foods available.

One year olds need foods from the same basic nutrition groups that you do. If you provide your child with selections from each of the basic food groups and let him or her experiment with a wide variety of tastes, colors, and textures, he or she should be eating a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins.

Don’t restrict fats from your one-year-old’s menu. Babies and young toddlers should get about half of their calories from fat. Cholesterol and other fats are also very important for their growth and development at this age.

Your little one can still choke on chunks of food. Children don’t learn to chew with a grinding motion until they’re about four years old. Make sure anything you give your child is mashed or cut into small, easily chewable pieces.

Never offer peanuts, whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (unless they’re cut in quarters), whole carrots, seeds (i.e., processed pumpkin or sunflower seeds), whole or large sections of hot dogs, meat sticks, or hard candies (including jelly beans or gummy bears), or chunks of peanut butter (it’s fine to thinly spread peanut butter on a cracker or bread).

Hot dogs and carrots— in particular—should be quartered lengthwise and then sliced into small pieces.

Make sure your child eats only while seated and while supervised by an adult. Although your one-year-old may want to do everything at once, “eating on the run” or while talking increases the risk of choking. Teach your child as early as possible to finish a mouthful prior to speaking.

Nutrition Tips for Two Year Olds

Your two-year-old should be eating three healthy meals a day, plus one or two snacks. He or she can eat the same food as the rest of the family. With his or her improved language and social skills, your child can become an active participant at mealtimes if given the chance to eat with everyone else.

Tips for Parents

Do not fixate on amounts.
Do not make mealtimes a battle.
Do pay attention to adopting healthy eating habits—including sitting as a family at mealtime.
Do make healthy food choices as a family.

Unsafe Foods for Toddlers

At age two, your child should be able to use a spoon, drink from a cup with just one hand, and feed him or herself a wide variety of finger foods. However, he or she is still learning to chew and swallow efficiently and may gulp food down when in a hurry to get on with playing. For that reason, the risk of choking is high.

Avoid the following food, which could be swallowed whole and block the windpipe:

Hot Dogs (unless cut into quarters lengthwise before being sliced)
Chunks of peanut butter (Peanut butter may be spread thinly on bread or a cracker, but never give chunks of peanut butter to a toddler)
Nuts-especially peanuts
Raw cherries with pits
Round, hard candies-including jelly beans
Gum
Whole grapes
Marshmallows
Raw carrots, celery or green beans
Popcorn
Seeds-such as processed pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (or cut them in quarters)
Large chunks of any food such as meat, potatoes, or raw vegetables and fruits

Healthy Eating Basics & Picky Eaters

Make sure your child eats from each of the basic four food groups each day:

Meat, fish, poultry, eggs
Milk, cheese, and other dairy products
Fruits and vegetables
Cereals, potatoes, rice, flour products

Don’t be alarmed if your child he doesn’t always meet this ideal. Many toddlers resist eating certain foods—or insist on eating only one or two favorite foods. The more you struggle with your child over his or her eating preferences, the more determined he or she will be to defy you.

Offering a variety of foods and leaving the choices up to your child will eventually allow him or her to eat a balanced diet on his or her own. Toddlers also like to feed themselves, so whenever possible, offer your child finger foods instead of cooked ones that require a fork or spoon to eat.

Nutrition for Three Year Olds

Three year olds have very specific food preferences. Some preferences may vary from day to day. They may ask for a certain food for several days in a row, and then insist that they don’t like it anymore. Offer nutritious food choices at every meal and let your child make the decision of how much to eat. Your child may not eat the exact amounts suggested every day. Try to balance the amounts over a few days or week.

What should I feed my 3 year old?

Your child should be eating the same nutritious foods as the rest of the family. This includes:

Fresh vegetables and fruits
Nonfat or low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheeses)
Lean meats/protein (chicken, turkey, fish, lean hamburger)
Whole grain cereals and bread

It is also important to limit the junk food and sugared beverages in your child’s diet.

Toddler Feeding Guide

Each day, a child between ages 1 and 3 years needs about 40 calories for every inch of height. This means, for example, that a toddler who measures 32 inches should be taking in an average of about 1,300 calories a day, but the amount varies with each child’s build and activity level.

The child’s serving size should be approximately one-quarter of an adult’s.

Average toddler-sized meal:

One ounce of meat, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans
One to 2 tablespoons of vegetable
One to 2 tablespoons of fruit
One-quarter slice of bread

Avoid foods and beverages with added sugars and choose those with lower sodium. Experiment with flavors, colors, and textures to see what your child likes.

Example of a simple meal that includes a protein source, whole grain, fruit, vegetable, and dairy:

A turkey or peanut butter sandwich, a serving of carrots, an apple, and a glass of milk.

A simple lunch like this takes less time to prepare than driving through a fast-food restaurant—and it is much healthier!

Helpful Tips for Feeding your Three Year Old

Offer very small amounts of a new food for your child to taste, along with other foods he or she already likes. Do not expect your child to eat a full portion of a new food and don’t get discouraged if your child is unwilling to try new foods. It may take a child up to 10 or more tries to accept a new food.

Turn off the TV—especially at mealtimes. Television advertising can be a big challenge to your three-year-old’s good nutrition. Young children are easily influenced by ads for unhealthy foods like sugary cereals, fast food, and sweets.

Offer different foods from all five food groups each day. Encourage your child to choose from a variety of foods.

Serve foods in small portions at scheduled meals and snacks.

Toddlers can easily fill up on beverages. Offer water if your child is thirsty in between meals.

Toddlers use a lot of energy to grow and play, and their little stomachs can’t hold enough food to keep them from getting hungry between meals. Many young children need both a morning and an afternoon snack. These should be timed so they will still be hungry for lunch and dinner.

Snacks should include a balance of healthy foods. Children often come to think of a “snack” as a time to eat highly processed foods. You can help avoid this by serving freshly prepared foods to your children—even at snack time.

Nutrition for Preschool Age (3-5 Years)

Healthy eating is important at every age. Offer preschoolers a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding on foods and beverages, choose options that are full of nutrients and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Start with these tips:

Model healthy behaviors.Preschoolers tend to copy what parents or caregivers do at the table. If you eat your veggies, they’ll eat their veggies. And, it’s good for both of you.

Think about their drinks. Sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and fruit drinks are sources of added sugars that are often high in calories. Beverages with no added sugars like water, unsweetened fat-free or low-fat milk (including low-lactose or lactose-free options), or fortified soy beverages should be the primary choice for children.

Prevent choking.Encourage children to sit at a table for meals and snacks and not wander around carrying food. Avoid serving foods that are hard to swallow or cut them into small pieces, about ½ inch.

Practice food safety. Encourage hand washing after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after playing with pets or whenever they are dirty. Ensure that foods containing seafood, meat, poultry or eggs are cooked to the recommended safe minimal internal temperature.

Try new foods. Involve your kids in online and in-store grocery shopping and let them pick a new fruit or vegetable. This can help improve their interest in trying new things.

Get kids involved. Preschoolers can help at mealtimes by washing produce, tearing lettuce, stirring mixes, scooping ingredients, or setting the table.

Offer choices. Like adults, preschoolers like to have a say in what they eat. “A pear or an apple?” “Whole wheat toast or some crackers?” You offer the healthy options, but they get to choose.

Importance of Snacks

A growing preschooler needs 1 to 2 healthy snacks every day. Make snack time healthy with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy to help your child get all the nutrients he needs.

Toddlers and preschoolers grow in spurts and their appetites come and go in spurts, so they may eat a whole lot one day and then hardly anything the next. It’s normal, and as long as you offer them a healthy selection, they will get what they need.

The amount of food preschoolers need depends on a variety of factors, including age, sex, and physical activity level. Use the MyPlate Plan as a general guide to how much they should eat from each food group every day.

Grade School Nutrition

Nutrition is important to normal growth processes, and it is important that children of grade school age consume a well-balanced diet. Your child’s need for calories rises during times of rapid growth, gradually increasing as they move through middle childhood into puberty.

As the middle years progress, children’s total energy needs will increase and their food intake will rise, especially as they approach puberty.

Between ages seven and ten, both boys and girls consume about 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, although caloric needs vary considerably even under normal circumstances.

During times of rapid growth, children will probably require more total calories and nutrients than at any other period in their lives.

Calcium intake is important to encourage bone growth and protein in key for building body tissue.

Your child should consume a variety of foods from the five major food groups. Each food group supplies important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.

Tips for Healthy Food Options

Limit intake of high sugar foods and beverages.
Choose water and low-fat or fat-free dairy milk (or lactose free or fortified soy versions) when you’re thirsty.
Limit high sodium and processed foods.
Choose whole grains-try oatmeal, brown rice and whole grain breads.
Eat more fruits and veggies-make half your plate fruits and veggies each day.
Stay active! Include one hour of exercise or physical activity daily.