Your Baby Needs Healthy Foods Every Day
For growth and energy your baby needs food rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals (iron, calcium), such as fruits, vegetables, grains, chopped meats, eggs, beans, or tofu. Your baby's stomach is small so he or she needs to eat healthy snacks between small meals.
Milk for One-Year-Olds
If you’re breastfeeding, your breastmilk has the fat, protein, and most vitamins and minerals your baby needs for healthy growth and brain development. Follow your baby’s cues and nurse your baby as often as he or she needs. Talk to your doctor about a vitamin D supplement and adding other foods to your baby’s diet that are rich in vitamin D. If your baby is formula-fed, it is recommended that you switch your baby to whole cow's milk at one year of age.
Whole cow's milk is a better source of fat than lower-fat milk or non-dairy milks for your growing baby and for his or her brain. Vitamins, such as vitamin D, are added to cow's milk to meet your baby's needs. Give your baby a total of four to five servings of whole milk foods a day. A serving of milk is four ounces. More than that can make your baby too full to eat other foods. Wait until your baby is at least two years old to give him or her non-fat or low-fat milk.
If your baby has trouble digesting cow's milk, talk to your doctor or nurse or someone from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program about other foods to give your baby that have enough calcium, such as lactose-free milk or calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy or milk.