Infant and Toddler Nutrition

Food provides the energy and nutrients a baby or toddler needs to be healthy. For a baby, breast milk has all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Infant formulas imitate breast milk. For children younger than 2, up to 50 percent of calories should come from fat. Whole milk is a good source of fat after age 1. You can switch to low-fat milk after age 2 or 3.

Some other things to watch for:

• Make sure your child gets enough iron
• Toddlers between 1 and 3 need 500 milligrams of calcium each day
• Dietary fiber is important after age 3 because it might prevent diseases later on
• Don't feed your baby eggs, citrus fruits and juices, cow's milk or honey until after his or her first birthday
• Don't feed your child seafood, peanuts or tree nuts before age 2 or 3