1. Healthy
Eating
Research
Recommendations by Age
Getting your child off to a healthy start sets them up for a healthy life. Click an age to learn what
and how to feed your baby, from birth to 24 months.
0-6 months 6-12 months 12-24 months Prenatal & Postpartum
WHAT TO FEED
• Breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula: This is all your baby
needs until foods are introduced around 4 to 6 months.
• Vitamin D supplement: If you are exclusively breastfeeding, give
your baby a daily supplement of Vitamin D, since levels in breast
milk are very low.
• The amount of breast milk or formula your baby needs will
change as they grow.
WHAT TO AVOID
• Milk: Drinking dairy milk before 12 months may result in intestinal
bleeding and serious issues for your infant.
• Plant-based beverages: Soy, rice, almond, and other plant-based milks are not recommended for your infant. In the case of dairy allergies or
intolerances, your pediatrician will work with you to find an alternative infant formula option.
• Honey: In children younger than 12 months, honey may cause botulism, a serious illness.
• Fruit juices: Drinking juice can discourage your baby from eating other nutritious food that is not sweet.
• Sugary drinks: Avoid soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened teas.
• Cereal: Do not add cereal to breast milk or formula in your baby’s bottle. This will not help your baby sleep at night and may interfere with how
well nutrients are absorbed from breast milk or infant formula.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT TO FEED AND WHAT TO AVOID ›
HOW TO FEED
• Feed your baby in a pleasant environment where you can interact warmly and avoid distractions (including using your smartphone!).
• Don’t force your baby to finish a bottle or continue feeding – your baby knows when to stop feeding.
• Learn to understand your baby’s hunger and fullness cues, which may include: bringing hands to mouth; rooting reflex (i.e., turning their heads
toward anything that strokes their cheek or mouth); sucking noises; fast breathing; clenching fingers; flexing arms and legs. Crying alone is not
necessarily a sign of hunger. See how hunger and fullness cues change as your baby grows.
MORE FEEDING TIPS ›
What else do I need to know?
Click a topic for additional resources in developing healthy habits for your child.
Developing Healthy
Habits
Food Safety Preventing Choking
Preventing Mouth
Burns
Food Allergy
Considerations
Developing taste preferences
• You can help shape your child’s preferences for healthy and nutritious food! Healthy eating during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and in the first
two years of life helps to establish a good foundation for making healthy choices as your child grows.
• The earlier you introduce vegetables, the more likely your child is to accept them. Introduce your baby to a large variety of vegetables and fruits
prepared in different healthy ways and textures before they turn 1 year old.
• Do not offer your baby sugary drinks (including fruit drinks, sodas, sweetened teas). Offering these drinks could reinforce your baby’s naturally
strong preference for sweet tastes and make it more difficult for them to learn to like healthy food and plain water.
• Your child’s taste preferences are still developing, and offering too many foods high in sodium (e.g., like packaged macaroni and cheese) at this
age can teach them to prefer these foods for the rest of their lives.
Introducing new foods
• Vegetables can be more difficult for babies to accept at first, because they are naturally bitter. When introducing a new vegetable, try mixing it
first with a familiar food such as breast milk, formula, or cereal.
• Repetition is key! It is normal for a child to reject new food items the first time they are offered. It may take some children up to 15 or 20 tries
before accepting a new food. Be patient and keep trying.
• Picky eating, including wanting just a few food items or refusing food they once liked, is a common toddler behavior. Be patient with your
toddler. Continue to provide a variety of healthy foods and encourage them to try new foods. But, don’t pressure them, and allow them to
determine how much to eat.
Access the Full Report
Dig into the Research for 0-2 Feeding Recommendations
READ THE REPORT ›
Check out more videos:
Looking for more tips about feeding your
infant and how to introduce solid foods?
MORE BITE-SIZED VIDEOS THIS WAY ›
More guidance for families & caregivers
Ages 0-5 Beverage Recommendations
Visit HealthyDrinksHealthyKids.org to learn
more about beverage recommendations for
0-5 year-olds and to access additional
resources. Learn More at Healthy Drinks
Healthy Kids
SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ›
Ages 2-8 Feeding Recommendations
Childhood is a critical period for the
development of eating behaviors that last into
adulthood. Learn how to create healthy eating
habits for 2-8 years old.
SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ›
Ages 5+ Beverage Recommendations
Click an age range to learn how to stay healthy
with the right drinks, in the right amounts, at
the right ages, from age 5 to Adult.
SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ›
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Healthy Eating Research
Healthy Eating Research (HER) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) committed to building a Culture of Health through identifying
effective strategies to improve children’s nutrition and prevent childhood obesity.
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Ages 0-2 Feeding Recommendations
