Version July 2025
| Food advice |
| At meals, give your child food first. Children who drink a lot might not eat as much food. (Drinks are filling and have fewer calories.) |
| Babies should only drink breast milk or formula (and sometimes water). Children older than 1 year should drink mostly milk (approximately 2 to 3 cups [480 to 720 mL] daily) and water. |
| Do not give fruit juices to children under 1 year of age. After 1 year, give only 100% fruit juice and limit to 4 ounces (120 milliliters) per day[1]. Limit all sugary or carbonated drinks. |
| Do not worry if your child wants to eat the same food every day. It is more important that they get enough calories and protein. However, keep encouraging them to try new foods, so they will gradually learn to like a wider variety. |
| Junk foods are not a nutritious way to encourage weight gain. Junk foods often contain a lot of calories from fat or sugar but little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. |
| Offer foods that are easy for your child to digest. Examples include cereal, banana slices, and green beans. |
| Add margarine, mayonnaise, gravies, and grated cheese. For snacks, use cheese, pudding, bananas, or dried fruit. |
| Feeding times |
| Children need to eat often but not all of the time. Offer something every 2 to 3 hours to allow 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day. If your child doesn't finish a meal, avoid giving a snack right away. |
| Children work well with schedules. If possible, try to give meals and snacks at the same time each day. |
| Allow 1 hour without food or drink (except water) before a meal so that your child gets hungry. |
| Do not make mealtime too long for your child (15 minutes is probably long enough for a toddler). |
| Feeding behavior |
| Try to relax. Mealtimes should be nice for everyone. |
| Learn how your child acts when they are hungry or full. Learn what foods they like. |
| Think about your own eating habits, and set a good example for your child, including positive talk about foods/meals and eating a variety of foods. |
| You can choose what food to feed your child, but your child chooses how much to eat. |
| Avoid battles about eating. Do not force, bribe, threaten, or punish your child. Instead, praise them for eating well. |
| Do not punish your child by not feeding them. |
| Allow your child to feed themselves. Try very small amounts at first. Offer seconds later. Expect a mess, and be ready for easy clean-up (use bibs, newspaper under high chair, etc). |
| If your baby wants to hold the spoon, use 2 spoons. Let your baby hold 1, and use the other to feed them. |
| Feeding area |
| Try to eat together as a family or group. This way, others can model good eating behavior. |
| Limit things that take your child's attention away from eating, such as TV. |
| Make sure that your child can reach the food. (Use a high chair, booster seat, or small table.) |
Prepared with additional information from:
