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Nutrition Guide: Infant & Toddler
Nutrition Guide: Infant & Toddler
NUTRITION
GUIDE
NUTRITION GUIDE
By Happy Family’s Happy Mama Mentors, our team of Registered Dietitians and Lactation Counselors
Infant nutrition
Introducing solids 3
Moving beyond first foods 4
Typical daily diet at different ages and stages 5
Guide to new foods & new food textures 7
Foods to avoid or delay 8
Toddler nutrition
Good nutrition for growing bodies 9
Picky eating 101 10
Get snack savvy 11
Additional info
Whole grains at every age 12
Serving suggestions 13
Healthy mama, happy baby 13
Fish: brain food for happy babies 14
Happy ingredients, explained 15
Why organic? 16
If you have any questions about starting solid foods chat with the
Happy Mama Mentors at happyfamilybrands.com/support
Some babies take to solids right away, advancing textures and quantities quickly, while others take more time. Either path is fine!
Remember, eating solids at this age is mostly about letting your baby explore new flavors and textures and less about getting in
calories. Breastmilk and or formula should remain baby’s primary source of calories through the first year.
7–9 months
Progress texture Lumpier oatmeal, Peeled mashed Peeled mashed Soft mashed 2 to 3 small meals,
to lumpy/coarsely iron fortified cooked fruits. cooked veggies. meats, fish, about the size of
mashed or finely cereals, dry ‘O’ legumes, tofu baby’s fist.
chopped foods. type cereal, bits Continue to Continue to Soft scrambled egg
of soft whole increase the increase the Cottage cheese or Begin teaching
Begin exploring grain bread, soft variety. Start to mix variety. Start to mix other pasteurized baby how to drink
self-feeding with cooked pasta. foods baby foods baby soft cheeses water from a cup.
soft "smushable" has tried. has tried. Peanut or nut No more than a
finger foods. butter, thinned couple oz per day.
8–12 months
When ready, add Whole grain Small pieces of Small pieces of Small pieces 3 to 4 small meals
more soft finger no-added sugar cooked or soft fruit, cooked or soft of soft cooked plus nutritious
foods.Baby can join cereal, puffs, skins removed. veggies, skins meats, fish, tofu, snacks.
family meals. pasta, brown rice, removed. legumes, egg and
quinoa, whole soft pasteurized
Begin introducing grain tortilla. cheese, whole
table foods & milk plain yogurt,
combination foods peanut or nut
with “smush” butter on soft toast.
consistency.
Some foods to avoid that could be a choking hazard: chunks of meat or cheese, hot dogs, sausages, popcorn, seeds, nuts, chunks of
peanut butter, whole grapes or cherry tomatoes, hard gooey or sticky candy, chewing gum, raw vegetables or fruit chunks. No need to
add salt or sugar to baby’s foods.
Cow’s milk
Small amounts of yogurt and cheese are fine to give your baby
before the age of one as long as he is tolerating dairy products.
Milk in small amounts, such as when cooked in food, is also fine;
however, cow’s milk should never substitute formula or breastmilk
as babies can’t digest cow’s milk completely. Additionally, the high
concentration of proteins and minerals in cow’s milk can stress
baby’s immature kidney’s.
Honey
Honey may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, which can
cause botulism. Adults’ immune systems can handle a small
amount of these spores but babies under 1 year are susceptible to
a life-threatening reaction to the toxins they produce. So, no honey
for your honey until she’s at least 12 months old.
Potential Allergens
If you have strong family history of food allergies, ask your
pediatrician when to introduce the following foods:
• wheat • fish
• milk • shellfish
• egg whites • nuts
• soy • peanuts
Iron Beef, chicken, tofu, beans, lentils, dark Helps the blood carry oxygen
green vegetables like spinach and to cells and muscles. Anemia is
broccoli, fortified breakfast cereals, dried caused by having an iron deficiency
fruit, whole grains
Protein Beef, chicken, fish, turkey, tofu, beans, Supports growth and development
lentils, quinoa, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin
nuts and nut butters* and blood
Calcium Milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green For strong bones and teeth
vegetables like collards, tofu
Vitamin C Citrus fruits, broccoli, potatoes, bell Helps with iron absorption
peppers, strawberries
Choline Eggs, meat, breastmilk, fortified foods like Essential nutrient that supports
Happy Baby® probiotic cereal, Happy brain development
Baby® Puffs & Happy Tot® Super Smart
pouches
DHA and other Cold-water fish like salmon, algae, Essential nutrient that supports brain
omega-3 walnuts, canola oil, fortified foods Happy development
fatty acids Tot® Super Tot Pouches)
Probiotics and Probiotics: In some fermented foods Probiotics: Different probiotics have different
Prebiotics like yogurt. Breastmilk & fortified infant benefits. Probiotics are friendly bacteria – some
formula. Foods like Happy Baby® and have been shown to support immune function
Happy Tot® whole milk yogurt while others have been shown to support
Prebiotics: Chicory, jicama & fortified foods digestive health
Prebiotics: The energy source for good gut
bacteria
* if you have strong family history of food allergies, ask your pediatrician when to introduce these foods.
• Find foods that are your child’s favorite color (like blue
Of course, just because it’s “normal” for toddlers to be picky, it
doesn’t mean you should give up and give in to their every whim. potatoes and blueberries).
Now more than ever it’s important to help shape their healthy
eating habits. Here are some strategies for parents and caregivers, • Arrange the meal on the plate in the shape of a smiley face
starting with what not to do. or other shape.
Even young babies just starting solid foods can eat their grains whole!
Here are some suggestions for whole grains
to try at every age:
Amaranth
Barley, mashed
Chia (found in Happy Tot® pouches)
Quinoa
Kamut, mashed
Millet
Barley, cooked
Brown Rice
Wheatberries
Farro
• Squash + apple
• Green beans + pear
• Peas + carrots
• Mashed avocado + pureed apple or pear
• Mashed banana + pureed green beans or peas
• Mashed banana + Happy Baby® probiotic cereal
• Plain whole milk organic yogurt + pears or apples
• Plain whole milk organic yogurt + Happy Baby® probiotic cereal
• Tuna, Bigeye
• King Mackerel
• Orange Roughy
• Tilefish (gulf of Mexico)
• Shark
• Swordfish
Here is a sampling of some of the ingredients you may find in Happy Family products, with a brief explanation of why it’s
found in our products:
• Citric Acid – A naturally derived acid used to balance a food • Probiotics – Different probiotics have different benefits. Probiotics
product’s pH to ensure food safety. are “friendly bacteria” that can support immune function or
digestive health. They are often added to foods like yogurt, such
• Ascorbic acid – Ascorbic acid (also a source of Vitamin C) is as Happy Baby® and Happy Tot® Whole Milk Yogurt, but also are
found in many fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. The found in, breast milk, and other fortified foods.
ascorbic acid used in food production, however, is derived from
glucose. We use it to help balance the pH of our products to help • Chia – is a seed and a source of omega-3 fats and fiber. Chia is,
keep them food safe, and as a source of antioxidant Vitamin C. kosher, and gluten-free.
• Choline – Essential nutrient that supports brain development, • Sunflower lecithin – Used as an emulsifier to keep water and oil
particularly in the womb and before age 2. It’s found in breast milk, parts of food from separating.
eggs, meat, and fortified foods like our Happy Baby® probiotic
cereal, Happy Baby® Puffs, Happy Tot® Plus pouches. Our • Vitamins, e.g., ascorbic acid (vitamin C), mixed tocopherols
supplemental choline is derived from vegetable sources, usually (vitamin E), choline bitartrate (choline), etc. Added to enhance the
beans and cauliflower. nutritional value of the food.
• DHA algal oil – A supplemental source of docosahexanoic acid Here are some of the ingredients you’ll never find in Happy
(DHA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid that aids in brain and eye Family foods, and you should aim to avoid:
development. The DHA used in Happy Family Brands products is
made from algae. Fish get their high levels of DHA from eating • Artificial colors, e.g., Blue 1, Red 40, – Used to add or modify
algae, and fish and algae derived DHA are the richest sources of color.
DHA. It’s a vegetarian source and non-GMO, and is sustainably
sourced in the USA without the use of hexane. • Artificial sweeteners, e.g., sucralose, aspartame, acesufame K –
Added to make a food sweet.
• Inulin – A natural soluble fiber; considered a “prebiotic,” a
substance that feeds healthy gut bacteria. • High fructose corn syrup – This concentrated sweetener, like any
added sugar is considered detrimental to health.
• Minerals, e.g., calcium carbonate (calcium), reduced iron (iron) –
Added to enhance the nutritional value of the food. • Hydrogenated oils – Source of unhealthy trans fats. Linked to risk
of heart disease.
• Organic glycerol – Naturally occurring component of fat and oil
molecules; helps a product to stay moist.
1. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/sar/article/view/50106/26958
2. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/3/e1602638.full
3. http://www.fibl.org/en/themes/biodiversity.html
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065211317300676?via%3Dihub
5. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1451&context=leopold_grantreports
N EED H ELP?
CHAT WITH
AN EXPERT
Go to our website & chat with our
Happy Mama Mentors, a team of
nutritionists and lactation specialists
(and all moms!), for questions on
lactation, starting solids, advancing
textures, picky eating, baby and tot
nutrition, and more!
M-F 8am-8pm (EST) and Sat and Sun 8am-4pm (EST)