Volume 6 - February 2010
Families
Breast Milk or Formula
During the first 3 months
of life, babies need only
breast milk or formula
to meet their nutritional
needs. Cow’s milk is
best for baby cows and
breast milk or approved
infant formulas are best
for human babies! Also,
never put cereal in the
formula bottle or put a
baby to bed with a bottle.
Age Appropriate Foods
‘When should I feed the baby cereal?’
‘Could I just put some cereal in the bottle so he will sleep better?
How do I know she is ready for table food?’ Those questions and
many others are common when feeding infants. Children of
different ages have very specific food needs.
Infants
Babies’ development follows a pattern and will affect their ability to
eat and how they are fed. Babies’ reactions with food go from:
• Rooting – when the baby’s mouth, lips, cheek or chin are
touched, he turns toward the object and opens his mouth. This
allows the baby to find the bottle or breast.
• Swallowing- after opening her mouth, the baby makes sucking
motions to push the food to the back of her mouth for
swallowing.
• Thrusting - when the baby’s lips are touched, his tongue moves
out of the mouth. This means he can take the breast or bottle,
but not eat from a spoon or cup.
• Gagging- when an object is placed in the baby’s mouth, her
tongue moves the object out of her mouth. This gagging reflex
is one reason for waiting until a baby is 4 to 6 months old for
solid food.
Solid Foods
By the ages of 4 to 6 months, your baby may be ready to start solid foods like infant cereal. Until then, their
swallowing and digestive systems are not ready to handle solid food. You will know when the baby is ready
when:
• The birth weight has doubled
• The baby has good control of head and neck, can sit up with some support
• The baby can indicate a full tummy by turning his head away or not opening his mouth
• The baby begins to show interest in food when others are eating and opening her mouth when she sees
food coming
Start solid food with iron-fortified baby rice cereal mixed with either breast milk or formula to a thin, runny
consistency. Once the baby is able to eat cereal, introduce other types of iron-fortified cereals, one at a time.
This allows for identifying possible allergies. Pureed vegetables, fruits and meats are next on the menu. These
foods should be simply meat, fruit or vegetable with no added filler. This gives the child a chance to experience
the taste for individual foods.
Dr. Steven L. Paine
State Superintendent of Schools
Finger Foods
Infants (continued)
Finger foods are the next to be introduced. Soft cooked
vegetables, washed, peeled fruit, and graham crackers
are good examples. If children are teething, foods such
as iron-enriched teething biscuits, toast, or toasted bagels
could be introduced, too.
Children are ready to learn to eat from a spoon when they
can:
• Hold their necks steady,
•
Draw in the lower lip as a spoon is removed from
their mouths,
•
Keep food in their mouths and swallow it rather than
push the food out on their chins.
Let your infant decide when they’ve had enough and do
not try to force them to eat more than they want. Look for
signs that the baby can express fullness or disinterest by:
• Leaning back from the food,
• Turning away,
• Pushing food out of the mouth,
• Closing their mouths deliberately,
• Playing with the food, or
• Pushing the food away.
Never give your infant honey during the first year. Honey
contains substances that could cause botulism, a deadly
food poisoning.
Choking
Gradually build on a child’s ability to chew, going from
small pieces of soft, moist foods to more textured items
such as drier meat, crunchy vegetables, or larger food
pieces.
Avoid foods that may cause choking problems such as
popcorn, nuts, chips, whole kernel corn, berries, grapes,
hot dogs, raw vegetables cut in small pieces, raisins or
small dry cereal pieces.
A toddler can be messy and probably needs to sit in
a booster chair or highchair. Give him time to experience new foods by letting him touch, smell, and taste
each new food.
Children can relax and develop a sense of trust when
they know they will not be forced or coerced to eat
something they don’t want or eat more than they
want. They shouldn’t be rushed through the meal.
3-5 year olds
At this stage of life and into adolescence, it is
important that your children’s diet include a variety
of foods for healthy development. Healthy children
should get their nutrition from foods rather than
vitamin supplements, unless otherwise instructed by
your child’s doctor.
Be reliable with meal time and children will learn
to trust you and be reassured they are cared for.
Regularly scheduled meals keep the ‘hungries’
away, help create a routine and help avoid some
of the struggles with food. Take your role in feeding
children seriously. Know that you are the gatekeeper
for the supply of food that comes in the house. If you
manage this in a healthy manner, children will soon
come to accept food more readily because the
food will be more familiar to them and they will see
others eating the same foods, too. By following these
techniques, you will help children develop a healthy
approach to food that will be so important the rest of
their lives.
Nutrition
Saucy Spaghetti - Serves 4
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 -6 large, fresh tomatoes or
4 cups canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1-2 year olds
Provide a variety of food to help make certain the child
is receiving all the nutrients they need for health and
growth. Keep in mind that toddlers do not grow as fast
as babies, so their nutritional needs may slow down in
their second year. Toddlers continue to grow and gain
weight, but not as rapidly as the first year of life when
they double their weight.
This is the time when children are exploring their world
and learning some self control. One day the child eats
willingly and another he may not show much interest.
Regularly scheduled meal times are most important.
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup tomato paste
4 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti noodles
Directions
Heat skillet over medium to low heat, add onions and cook until
soft and golden. Remove from heat.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the cooked spaghetti to
a blender and cover. Let children help by turning on blender
and process until mixed together, but still have some tomato
pieces. Pour mixture into sauce pan with onions and heat for
about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over spaghetti.
West Virginia Board of Education
2009-2010
Priscilla M. Haden, President; Jenny N. Phillips, Vice President; Robert W. Dunlevy, Secretary
Delores W. Cook, Member; Michael I. Green, Member; Burma Hatfield, Member; Lowell E. Johnson, Member; L. Wade Linger Jr., Member; Gayle C. Manchin, Member
Brian E. Noland, Ex Officio; James L. Skidmore, Ex Officio; Steven L. Paine, Ex Officio
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government printing office, January 2005.
Team Nutrition, U.S. Department of Agriculture Satter, How To Get Your Kid To Eat…But Not Too Much, Palo
Alto CA U.S. Department of Agriculture. Feeding Infants:A Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Crediting Foods in the Child and Adult Care Food Program , 2008
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is
prohibited from discriminating on\ the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability.
To file a complaint of alleging discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights; 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice)
TDD users can contact the USDA through local relay or the Federal Relay at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or
(866) 377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.