If we are breastfeeding, I still may want to nurse daily or just a few times per week. Breast milk still protects me from germs and is nutritious. Breastfeeding helps you stay healthy too, mom!
When it’s time for me to wean, patience is best. Think of another activity we can do – like reading a book, so we still have that special time together.
I need STRUCTURE AND YOUR SUPPORT to be a good eater.
To do my best with eating, I need healthy meal and snack options from you. It’s up to me to do my job with eating.
YOUR JOB IS TO DECIDE:Don’t worry if I don’t want to eat a meal or snack. Tell me when you will offer my next meal or snack.
I will probably be hungry by then.
Snacks help me get what I need to grow, play, and learn. My stomach is small, so I get hungry every 2 or 3 hours. Offer me one snack between breakfast and lunch, one snack between lunch and dinner, and maybe one snack before bedtime.
with 4 or 5 cubes cheese
with ½ cup low-fat yogurt
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cup total)
Cooked or soft, raw fruit.
Mashed, sliced, or chopped.
Offer a variety: red, yellow,
orange, blue, and green.
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cup total)
Mashed, sliced,
or chopped veggies.
Offer a variety: dark green,
orange, red, yellow, and purple.
6-8 servings a day
1 serving = ½ ounce
(3-4 ounces total)
Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, or noodles.
Dry or cooked cereal.
3-5 servings a day
1 serving = 1 ounce
(3-5 ounces total)
Cooked lean meat, poultry, or seafood.
Eggs.
Cooked beans, peas, or tofu.
Peanut butter.
5 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(2½ cups total)
Breast milk (at breast or
expressed) or low-fat milk.
Yogurt.
Cheese.
*To keep me safe from certain bacteria, heat deli meats until steaming.
Please DON’T give me foods I could choke on like whole nuts, whole grapes, or raw uncut vegetables. Always watch me when I eat.
Take me to the doctor for my check-ups.
Help me brush my teeth 2 times every day with a small, soft toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Teach me how to spit out the toothpaste and floss my teeth every day. I should see the dentist every 6 months to keep my teeth healthy.
We need to wash our hands often, especially before I eat. Teach me how to wash my hands with warm water and soap. I need to wash them for 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
I need simple rules. Set limits on when, where, and how often we have screen time. Talk about what I’m learning as we watch together and keep me safe from what I shouldn’t see. Let’s focus on each other during meals and snacks, not a screen.
