4½ to 5 Years

I’m growing up strong.

mom_child_eating

Thank you for helping me LEARN HOW TO STAY HEALTHY.

I will soon be 5 years old, but I still have plenty of growing to do. Help me keep my body healthy.
  • Teach me how to choose healthy foods. Soon I will go to school where I must make choices. If my friends ask, I can tell them why I choose the foods I do.
  • Help me learn to balance foods. If I eat ice cream, teach me to top it with fresh strawberries, not chocolate syrup.
  • Let’s try a new food once a week. We can add color to our meals with many green, red, yellow, and blue fruits and vegetables.
  • I want to turn off the TV and play. We can dance to the music, play catch, or take a walk (even inside). Let’s pretend. I can be a bird and flap my wings, or I can run like a horse.

BREAKFAST STARTS MY DAY

It is hard to think or listen when I’m hungry. Eating breakfast gives me energy to learn. Let’s plan breakfast together. We can set the table with a box of cereal, bowls, and spoons. In the morning, we can get out the milk and fruit. Breakfast can be easy!

Here are some examples of what meal and snack portion sizes might look like on my plate.

Breakfast

1 small sliced banana

½ cup water

1 cup whole grain cereal

with 1 cup low-fat milk

Lunch

½ sliced orange

½ cup cut up cucumber

1 cup low-fat milk

1 tablespoon fruit jam

on 2 slices whole grain bread

with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Snacks

½ cup diced strawberries

with ½ cup low-fat yogurt

5 small, sliced carrots

with ¼ cup chickpea hummus

 2 squares graham cracker

water between meals and snacks

Dinner

1 cup mixed, green salad with 1 tablespoon dressing

½ cup water

raisins in 1 small oatmeal cookie

3 tablespoons baked, chopped chicken

2 or 3 cubes cheese

Daily suggested food group amounts

FRUITS

3 servings a day – 1 ½ cups total
1 serving = ½ cup

Cooked or soft, raw fruit.

Mashed, sliced, or chopped.

Offer a variety: red, yellow, orange, blue, and green.

VEGETABLES

3 servings a day – 1 ½ cups total
1 serving = ½ cup

Cooked and mashed, sliced, or chopped veggies.

Offer a variety: dark green, orange, red, yellow, and purple.

GRAINS

8-10 servings a day – 4-5 ounces total
1 serving = ½ ounce

Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, or noodles.

Dry or cooked cereal.

PROTEINS

3-5 servings a day – 3-5 ounces total
1 serving = 1 ounce

Cooked lean meat, poultry, or seafood.

Eggs.

Cooked beans, peas, or tofu.

Peanut butter.

DAIRY

5-6 servings a day – 2 ½ cups total
1 serving = ½ cup

Low-fat or fat free milk.

Yogurt.

Cheese.

bac_dad_son_reading

Look what I can do!

  • I can eat with a fork and spoon and wipe my mouth and hands with a napkin.
  • I love to draw and make things. Let’s make a picture with the food groups on it.
  • I love to read. Let’s walk to the library and get some books.
  • I can take turns. Let’s play follow the leader!
  • I can help. I will set the table for dinner and wipe it off after we eat.

Keep me safe and healthy

Remind me to brush and floss my teeth every day. Take me to the dentist to get my teeth checked.

Washing our hands helps us stay healthy. We should wash them often for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap.

I need simple rules. Set limits on when, where, and how often we have screen time.  Talk about what I’m learning as we watch together, and keep me safe from what I shouldn’t see.  Let’s focus on each other during meals and snacks, not a screen. 

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

Where can I shop?