1½ to 2 Years

I am growing and learning every day.

I need your help to be a good eater and TRY NEW FOODS!

WHAT

  • Offer small amounts (1 to 2 tablespoons) of several foods, even ones you don’t like.
  • Offer me a new food along with a familiar food.
HOW
  • Let me use my spoon, fingers, or both. I learn by smelling, tasting, and touching food.
  • If I don’t like a new food right away, that’s ok! Offer it again at another time. It might take 10 or more times before I decide to try it.
  • Please don’t force me to eat. Let me eat my way – fast or slow.
WHEN
  • I need a routine. Let’s eat at the same times every day.
  • My stomach is still small, so I get hungry every 2 or 3 hours.
  • I do best with 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 2 or 3 snacks.
  • I only need water between meals and snacks.
WHERE
  • Eat with me. Learning new things can be scary. I feel safe with you and will learn best with your support.
Let me decide what and how much to eat.
Please don’t make me eat more or less than I want.

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

Breakfast

¼ cup diced strawberries

½ cup breast milk or whole milk

½ slice, cut up whole grain toast

1 cooked, cut up egg

Lunch

½ medium, sliced banana

¼ cup cooked, chopped green beans

¼ cup whole grain macaroni and cheese

½ cup water

Snacks

½ cup dry cereal

2 to 3 whole grain crackers with cheese

¼ cup cooked, chopped carrots

water between meals and snacks

Dinner

¼ cup applesauce

½ cup cooked, cut up broccoli

1 medium, cut up corn tortilla

¼ cup cooked, mashed pinto beans

½ cup breast milk or whole milk

Daily suggested food group amounts

FRUITS

2 servings a day – 1 cup total
1 serving = ½ cup

Cooked or soft, raw fruit.

Mashed, sliced, or chopped.

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

VEGETABLES

2 servings per day – 1 cup total
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cups total)

Raw or cooked, mashed, sliced, or chopped veggies.

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

GRAINS

6 servings a day – 3 ounces total
1 serving = ½ ounce

Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, or noodles.

Dry or cooked cereal.

PROTEINS

2 servings a day – 2 ounces total
1 serving = 1 ounce

Cooked, chopped meat, poultry, or fish.

Eggs.

Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, or noodles.

Peanut butter.

DAIRY

4 servings a day – 2 cups total
1 serving = ½ cup

Breast milk (at breast or expressed) or whole milk. 

Yogurt.

Cheese.

Look what I can do!

  • I understand a lot of what you say. Read, talk, and sing to me so I can learn more!
  • I like to copy what you do. Let me play with a bowl and spoon. I will pretend to stir food just like you do.
  • I am still learning how to use a spoon and cup. Please be patient with my mess.
  • I can use my hands to stack blocks, throw a ball, and push and pull toys. Play with me!

Keep me safe and healthy

I love to run, jump, and climb. Watch me when I’m active so I don’t get hurt.

I like to explore. I open doors and drawers to see what’s inside. Let me learn, but keep me safe.

Please DON’T give me foods I could choke on like whole nuts, whole grapes, seeds, hot dogs, or hard candies.

I need check-ups and shots to stay healthy. I should visit the doctor at 18 months and 2 years.

If I haven’t seen the dentist yet, make my first appointment. I should be brushing my teeth twice a day. Ask my dentist how to keep my teeth healthy.

Be with me during screen time and interact with me. Remember, to schedule plenty of non-screen time into my day.

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?