Nutrition: What Shall Children Eat from Infancy to 1 Year Old?

Children will go through few different stages of food intake from infancy. Thus, it is vital for parents to be equipped with the necessary knowledge of children’s nutritional needs and physical development.

1. Age: Infancy to 4 months old

At this stage, infants have difficulty in swallowing solid foods because they lack the ability to push the food to the back of their throat. Thus, they can only have breast milk or baby formula.

The best source of nutrients is mother’s breast milk because it contains all the nutrition that the infants need. These nutrients are vital in eliminating infantile illnesses such as ear infections, diarrhoea and vomiting.

2. Age: 1 year old

This is the stage when new foods should be constantly introduced into the child’s diet. All foods shall be properly cooked, then mashed or pureed to a texture that allows the small child to swallow safely. The food temperature shall be maintained at an appropriate level to ensure the food is not too hot for the child.