Nutrition in Toddlers: The basics on introducing solids (when, what, why, etc.)
The transition from infant-into-toddler nutrition is a HUGE topic — and can seem overwhelming to new parents. The internet is filled with different DOS and DON’T and the do’s and don’t flipflop based upon the website. With that in mind, I have tried to distill a few nuggets (no pun intended) of key information. As always, don’t panic and remember that there are many different paths to achieving healthy eating goals.
Quick note — at the bottom of the biog is a link to the CDC’s recommendations regarding nutrition for infants and toddlers — this is a comprehensive site filled with the nitty gritty’s of nutritional information.
The three main goals of transitioning to include solids include:
Meeting increased nutrional needs
Neurologic development of oromotor skills/central brain development
Developing routines for healthy eating and activities
Meeting increasing nutritional needs
Around 6 -8 months, infants become more active. Their brain, muscles, bones, neurological systems are developing at an insanely rapid rate. Breastmilk and formula can meet these needs until six months (per the World Health Organization/WHO recommendations). Starting from 6 months start slowly introducing and slowly transitioning your child so that by 12 months 50% of their nutrition is from solids.
Breaking it down, an infant/toddler’s diet should be made up of 5-10% protein, 30 - 35% fat, and 40 - 45% carbohydrates. The most important minerals/vitamins to include in the diet are Vitamin D, calcium and iron. Here are the key points to introducing foods into an infants diet:
No honey
Don’t give anything that is a choking hazard
Early introduction of high allergen foods, such as eggs and peanut butter, is now recommended to help lessen the risk of food allergies
Start by introducing a new food every few days, so that you can recognize if and to what your child might have an allergic reaction
Start with purees, store bought or homemade. Fortifying purees with cereals can help ensure zinc, iron, and vitamin C requirements
Start with Baby Led Weaning (yes, this is the opposite of purees but an equally good option). Baby Led Weaning is also a great option — Briefly, Baby Led Weaning allows your child to have whatever you are eating, as long as they can’t choke on it and it isn’t honey - there is a link explaining more at the bottom of this blog.
Neurologic development of oromoter skills/central brain development
Eating is a skill! Babies aren’t born with it — it develops with time. You know an infant is ready to eat when they are staring at you eating, and making you feel so guilty that you just have to give them a taste! If they are ready to eat, it will be the best day of their life yet! If they are’t ready, they will push it out with their tongue.
Infants feeding themselves also promotes brain development. The act of finding food, grasping it, and bringing it midline to their mouth is crucial in promoting brain connectivity! When an infant is 4 - 8 months old, midline brain development is a key developmental phase. What this means is: let your infant feed themselves! Let them struggle at first to get the food into their mouth. Let them make a mess. Let them feel the food, smell it, taste it! It is so tempting to spoon feed your child, and to try to avoid messes. But it is healthy for babies to play with food.
Introduce a wide variety of flavors, spices, textures, consistencies during this time. This variety will stimulate the senses and potentially set your infant up to be a better eater later on. Maybe…. Around age 2, toddlers developmentally narrow their palate and this is when the “picky” eating can start.
Developing routines for healthy eating and activity
As children grow up, it is so important to set early eating habits. These habits can last a lifetime. It is important to know that most children will make healthy choices. This is important to repeat — most children, given the options, will make healthy choices. They will eat when they are hungry. They will drink when they are thirsty. A parent’s job is to provide healthy choices. The less processed a food is, the healthier it will be. (Note — if you are concerned that your child does not respond to normal hunger cues, please contact your pediatrician!).
There are at least two schools of thought around feeding toddlers and infants. Both schools of thought are totally ok!!
Toddlers and infants can be put on a schedule so that they eat only at designated snack times and mealtimes. The key to this is to not cave and feed your child in between these set times. Your child will get the calories they need if on this schedule. They will let you know that they are full by either turning their face away from the food, or dropping it on the floor. The social aspect of meal time is important, so even if your child is not eating, still have them join in!
Toddlers can also be left to graze during the day. Toddlers, again, given healthy choices, will consume what they need, as they need it. It is still important to have them present at mealtimes for the socialization. A grazing child is unlikely to consume a lot at mealtimes.
Do not allow a child to drink their calories. At age one, about 50% of daily calories should come from solids. By 18 months, about 75% of calories should come from solids. A child will not eat well if they are full from liquid calories. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to stop bottles/feeds overnight by one year.
A few things NOT to do:
Do NOT your child fall asleep with a bottle in their crib. This can ruin their teeth (“milk caries”). It can lead to them being overweight. It can lead to bad eating habits.
Do NOT give your child juice or other sweetened beverages — all of these beverages, even diluted, are sugar water. This can ruin their teeth, lead to them being overweight, and lead to bad eating habits.
Do NOT offer a lot of unhealthy choices — chips, candy, highly processed foods. After age two, when given these choices, these choices will win out.
Do NOT force your child to eat — for many reasons. Forcing a child to eat will override their innate ability to know they are full. It will set up food battles — and your child will ultimately win them although everybody will hate the process.
Please contact your pediatrician for more specific answers to any questions — Personalized Pediatrics of Maine is also here to help.
Personalized Pediatrics of Maine strives to be the best Pediatric office in the state of Maine!
https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/foods-and-drinks/index.html
https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/feeding-baby/baby-led-weaning/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20735730/
