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
• Fruits and veggies: Repeated exposure to fruits and vegetables
early in life can help young children learn to like them. Offer a
variety of types and different colors.
• Whole Grains: Try foods like whole wheat bread and pastas or
brown rice, which are rich in fiber and other key nutrients.
• Healthy oils and fats: Healthy fats are important for brain
development. Try deboned fish like salmon, tuna, or trout, or
choose foods prepared with healthy oils, like olive, canola, corn,
or sunflower oil.
• Milk: You can begin offering pasteurized whole milk after your
child’s first birthday. Only offer plain milk with no added sugars.
• Water: Water is the best option to quench your child’s thirst.
WHAT TO LIMIT
• 100% fruit juice: Offer fresh fruit instead. If you decide to offer 100% fruit juice to your toddler, limit to no more than 4 ounces per day and
offer it in a cup, not a bottle.
• Foods high in sodium: Your child’s taste preferences are still developing, and offering too many foods high in sodium – like packaged macaroni
and cheese – at this age can teach them to prefer these foods for the rest of their lives.
WHAT TO AVOID
• Plant-based beverages: Rice, almond, and other plant-based milks are not recommended for your toddler. In the case of dairy allergies or
intolerances, your pediatrician will work with you to find an alternative infant formula option.
• Sugary drinks: Avoid soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened teas and flavored milks, like chocolate or strawberry,
which contain added sugar.
• Added sugars: Added sugars are NOT recommended for children under two. Check nutrition labels to ensure no/zero added sugars are listed
underneath “Total Sugars.”
• Trans fats: Foods high in trans fats – like French fries – are not recommended for young children.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT TO FEED AND WHAT TO AVOID ›
HOW TO FEED
• Toddlers have small tummies! Plan 5 to 6 small meals and snacks each day to provide a variety of healthy food from all food groups (fruits,
vegetables, meats/protein, dairy, whole grains).
• Eat with your toddler and include them in family meals. Establish a feeding routine for your child’s meals and snacks, and make meal time a
pleasant experience in a stress-free environment with few distractions.
• Let your child self-feed with age appropriate utensils such as baby spoons, toddler plates, and sippy cups.
• It is normal for a child to reject new food items the first time they are offered, especially those that taste bitter such as vegetables. But keep
trying! It may take some children up to 15 or 20 tries before accepting a new food!
• Don’t pressure your toddler to eat, and don’t show signs of frustration or anger if your child decides not to eat the food that you offer them.
There is always a next time to try to offer the new food again.
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
