Nutrition And Your Baby

Mealtime Tips

• Relax—Try not to rush mealtimes. Don't push foods, and let your child take her time.



• Explore—Make sure to introduce your child to a spectrum of different foods and allow her to explore their tastes and textures. The variety will keep her interested in mealtime.



• Be Persistent—Remember, it could take up to 10 tries before your baby accepts a new food, so be gently persistent. Keep offering the food without forcing it. Just because she rejected a food yesterday and today, doesn't mean she'll reject it tomorrow.



• Be Flexible—Remember that it's ok if your baby pushes food away. It is important to respond to your child’s hunger and satiety cues. Be flexible to her appetite – your baby will eat when she’s hungry and stop when she is satisfied.



• Baby Steps—Start off with small portions. Remember, your baby does not need as much food as you do. The portions listed on the package are a good guide. They are the minimum amounts that meet your baby’s developmental requirements.



• It's About Timing—Try to establish a distinct meal and snack schedule, timing snacks no less than 1 1/2 hours before a meal. But be flexible, too. You don’t want to force your child to eat or let her get overly hungry.



• It's Not "Now or Never"—Giving your child one chance to eat dinner at the table is not realistic. If your child has a short attention span, allow her to get up from the table and exert her energy. She will come back to the table when she is hungry, and it’s much easier to feed a calm baby than a "squirmy" one.



• Enjoy Life's Messes!—Don't be overly concerned about making a mess. Let your child explore her food. A mess can always be cleaned up. Plus, those moments often make for photo opportunities.



• Some Like it Hot—Just like you, babies have preferences when it comes to the temperature of their food. Some babies are happy with room temperature food, while others prefer heated or chilled meals. Make sure to explore different temperatures with your baby to determine her preference.

  When microwaving food, make sure to mix it well to avoid "hot spots." It is very important to test the temperature of each food before serving. Start by heating foods for short times (e.g., five seconds, ten seconds, etc.) on low settings to achieve the desired temperature.




• Other Tips
• Make sure to wash both your and your child’s hands before eating.
• Don’t feed your child directly from the baby food jar if you expect to have leftovers. Spoon the portion you plan to feed into another container to avoid germs and bacteria getting inside the jar.
• Make sure your child is sitting down when eating to help avoid choking.