Infants
Breast milk is a complete source of nutrition in the first year of life-we do recommend starting solids between 4-6 months. At 6 months-9 months, breast milk may not provide enough iron/zinc in breast fed babies so we recommend starting strained meats and iron fortified cereals can help you baby from becoming anemic. (We will check for anemia on all infants at 12 months). Formula is fortified with iron. And once you start foods, don't go low fat. Fats are important to children <2 years for brain development.
Preschoolers
It is not uncommon for this to be the pickiest stage where all they prefer are brown, starchy foods like potatoes, puffs, and chicken fingers. Hey, even Picasso had a color stage! Your child is growing and calcium is important for bone and teeth development: Most children can tolerate low fat milk options 2%, 1%, and skim. For those lactose intolerant/allergic or finicky, there are lactose free options, soy milk, tofu, calcium fortified cereals and OJ. Try and limit whole milk to NO MORE than 16 oz/day for toddlers and 24 oz/day for adolescents and older children.
Juice is usually not recommended or needed unless your child is constipated. It is full of sugar and empty calories that damper your child's already lessened intake of whole foods.
In general, push whole fruits, vegetables, grains, beans. The pouches and snack pack are easy and readily available but the labels don't lie-they are full of sugars, low on fiber and in general should be for special circumstances and not your daily go to.
School Age
This is a time when children are entering school and making choices for 1-2 of their daily meals in the school cafeteria. Unfortunately, but hopefully changing are the fact that many foods served in schools are high in fats, carbohydrates, and sugar. Packing your child's lunch or going over the lunch menu may be the best option. In general, caloric needs
4-8: 1,200-1,400/day
9-13 (female): 1,600/day
9-13 (male): 1,800/day
Encourage 1 hour physical activity daily (family walks, playground, bike rides, or organized sports) and no more than 2 hours of screen time (TV, computers, phones)
Teenagers
Puberty kicks in at this age and this age group of children needs extra calories. Some children increase calories with junk food and fast food. Other children become overly conscious about their weight and body image and restrict crucial fats, carbohydrates, and nutrients. Family dinners once or twice a week can help keep you abreast on your teens eating patterns and behaviors.
Calcium is extremely important at this age as most of your bone's peak density is accrued during this time period. However, fewer than 10 percent of girls and just more than 25 percent of boys ages 9 to 13 are at or above their adequate intake of calcium.
Caloric requirements are:
14-18 (female): 1,800/day
14-18 (male): 2,200/day
More active children may require more calories/day
Vitamins and Supplements
If your child is a relatively decent eater; he or she is likely getting a majority of essential vitamins and nutrients from whole foods; however, recent research suggests that a majority of infants and children are deficient in Vitamin D. If you think your child is getting enough from vitamin D fortified milk or the sun, you are probably wrong. Vitamin D is found in a few foods: oily fatty fish like salmon, egg yolks, some mushrooms, cheese, and beef liver. You can find vitamin D fortified foods in some cereals, OJ, yogurts, etc.
In 2008, the AAP made recommendations to increase daily vitamin D to 400 IU/day for all infants, children and adolescents. Infant Formula is fortified with Vitamin D and if your child is drinking roughly 17 oz/d then he/she is covered until you switch them to whole milk at 1 y/o. Vitamin D is critical to absorb calcium and phosphorus (both essential for healthy bone growth) and recent research suggests Vitamin D may play a bigger role on overall health.
For young infants and children <3 liquid preparations of vitamins with D are available. Children over 3 can reliably chew hard foods.
For this reason, we recommend that all infants, children, and teens take a multi-vitamin with vitamin D.
