Appropriate Diet for Age

Alternate Names : Diet for Age

Nutrition needs and developmental skills change as a child grows. An age-appropriate diet is one that provides the nutrients a child needs to grow and to develop. It also includes foods that a child likes and can eat easily.

The Food Guide Pyramid from the US Department of Agriculture shows the kinds and amounts of foods that are needed to provide adequate nutrition for children. A healthy diet includes grains, fruit, vegetables, meat and meat substitutes, and dairy products. Some foods are hard or unsafe for children to eat because their chewing and swallowing skills are not yet fully developed.

What is the information for this topic?

Infants

From birth until four to six months of age, infants rely on the sucking ability with which they are born. They obtain all their nutrition either from a bottle or from breast-feeding. Newborn infants feed every two to four hours and eat up to eight times a day or more. Breast milk provides all the nutrition a newborn infant needs. Man-made infant formulas are designed to be as much like breast milk as they can be.

Between four and six months of age, an infant begins to take larger amounts of breast milk or formula at one time. This means that they may not want to feed as often. Their digestive systems have developed more fully, so they can eat new foods. An infant who has doubled in weight since birth may be ready to begin solid foods. The baby should also be able to sit up and have good head support.

Eating from a spoon is a new skill a baby must learn. Until about the age of 12 months, an infant can manage only small amounts of food with a spoon or fingers. This eating method does not provide a major source of nutrition. An infant continues to depend on breast-feeding or bottle feeding for most nutritional needs.

Rice cereal is usually the first solid food to be given to an infant. It is thought to be the least likely to cause a food allergy. Infant barley and oatmeal are other choices. Either strained fruits or strained vegetables can be offered next.

By the time the infant is six to eight months old, strained meats, egg yolks, and small amounts of dairy foods can be started. At seven to nine months, an infant begins teething and can accept textures in foods. Once an infant reaches eight to ten months of age, he or she can often tolerate more foods. These may include wheat products, whole eggs, and larger amounts of dairy products.

Babies begin to use their hands to feed themselves crackers and soft foods. These include pieces of fruits, vegetables, and tender meats. Crunchy or stringy foods such as nuts, popcorn, or less tender meats may cause choking. As the ability to eat finger foods and to use a spoon improves, an infant will eat more solid foods. That means the baby can rely less on breast milk or formula for daily nutrition.