Volume 6 - February 2010
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.
Child and Adult Care Food Program regulations do not permit the serving of whole milk
before age 12 months. If whole milk is served
to a child prior to the first birthday, there must
be a physician’s statement on file. These
regulations are based on guidelines from
the American Academy of Pediatrics which
recommends only breast milk or formula be
served the entire first year. Pediatricians and
nutrition experts agree skim milk or low fat
(1/2, 1 or 2 percent low fat milk) should not
be served to children younger than age 2.
These milks do not contain enough fat, iron,
Vitamin E and C and too much amounts of
protein, sodium, potassium and chloride for
infants. The amount of proteins and minerals in cow’s milk put a strain on an infant’s
kidneys. (source: Crediting Foods in the Child
and Adult Care Program publication)
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 providers
care for 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.
Infants (continued)
Solid Foods
Finger 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
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.
• 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. Mixed
dishes, including dinners in a jar (example:
turkey and noodle), and foods with added
starch, sugars or fillers (example: Dutch
apple cobbler) cannot be counted toward
your menu. It is impossible to tell how much
meat, fruit or vegetable is in the jar for proper
crediting. Plus, the child needs a chance to
experience the taste for individual foods.
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
Usually children choke on foods when there is not enough supervision. Always sit with them at meal times and
keep everyone seated while eating. When a child first starts to chew, he won’t be very good at controlling
where the food is in his mouth. Sometimes the food may slip down the throat before it is chewed enough or if a
child is laughing, crying or talking, may get stuck in the wind pipe. Knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver could be life-saving. Look for local classes for training opportunities.
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.
Tips
Nutrition
Saucy Spaghetti - Serves 4
1-2 year olds
1 small yellow onion, chopped
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.
Since the toddler still has trouble managing
silverware and cup, he can be messy and
probably needs to sit in a booster chair or
highchair. He can be cautious about trying
new foods and form very definite preferences.
Give him time to experience new foods by
letting him touch, smell, and taste each new
food.
4 -6 large, fresh tomatoes or
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. With observation
and experience, you can learn how much time
children need to eat in a relaxed setting.
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.
Use the CACFP guidelines to plan meals.
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 in your care
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.
4 cups canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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.
Physical Activity
Dancing Foodies
Give each child a picture of a food
such as fruits, vegetables, dairy or
grains. Have children form a circle
and when you call out their food item,
have them move inside the circle to
perform a dance they make up or an
activity you decide on such as sit ups,
running in place, jumping jacks, etc.
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
Age appropriate foods assessment
Answer the questions to determine if you are serving foods appropriate for the children in your care.
If you answer no to more than 3 questions, reevaluate your habits and take the test again in one
month.
1. I have fresh fruit available for the children every day.
2. I cut pieces of food into manageable bite size pieces appropriate for the child’s age.
3. I always sit with the children during meal and snack time.
4. Children must sit at the table when they are eating.
5. I do not put cereal in the infant’s bottle.
6. I always serve whole milk to children between one and two years of age who are in my care.
7. I follow my meal schedule every day.
8. I encourage children to try new foods, but never force them to eat.
9. I allow children to get down from the table when they say they are finished eating.
10. I cook foods to a chewable texture and serve them at the appropriate temperature to make
them appealing.
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
Dr. Steven L. Paine
State Superintendent of Schools
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