Vegetarian Starter Kit 1 | Page 13

adding foods to your baby ’ s diet .

5 to 6 Months

• Introduce iron-fortified infant cereal . Try rice cereal first , mixed with a little breast milk or soy formula , since it is the least likely to cause allergies . Then , offer oat or barley cereals . Most pediatricians recommend holding off on introducing wheat until the child is at least 8 months old , as it tends to be more allergenic .

6 to 8 Months

• Introduce vegetables . They should be thoroughly cooked and mashed . Potatoes , green beans , carrots , and peas are all good choices .

• Introduce fruits . Try mashed bananas , avocados , strained peaches , or applesauce .

• Introduce breads . By 8 months of age , most babies can eat crackers , bread , and dry cereal .

• Introduce protein-rich foods . Also , by about 8 months , infants can begin to eat higher protein foods like tofu or beans that have been cooked well and mashed .

Children have a high calorie and nutrient need but their stomachs are small . Offer your child frequent snacks .

Teenagers often have high-energy needs and busy schedules . Keeping delicious , healthy snack choices on hand and guiding teens to make lower-fat selections when eating out will help to steer them away from dining pitfalls that often cause weight gain and health problems for adolescents .

Caloric needs vary from child to child . The following guidelines are general ones .

Whole Grains

• Whole grains include breads , hot and cold cereals , pasta , cooked grains such as rice and barley , and crackers .

• One serving equals 1 / 2 cup of pasta , grains , or cooked cereal , 3 / 4 to 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal , 1 / 2 bun or bagel , or 1 slice of bread .

Vegetables

• “ Dark green vegetables ” include broccoli , kale , spinach , collards , turnip , mustard and beet greens , bok choy , and Swiss chard .

• “ Other vegetables ” refers to all other vegetables , fresh or frozen , raw or cooked .

• One serving of vegetables equals 1 / 2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw ( unless an amount is specified ).

Legumes , Nuts , Seeds , and Non-Dairy Milks

• Legumes include any cooked bean such as pinto , kidney , lentils , split peas , navy beans , and chickpeas , as well as soy products such as tofu , veggie burgers , soy “ hot dogs ” or sandwich slices , and tempeh .

• One serving of legumes equals 1 / 2 cup of beans , tofu , or other item ( unless an amount is specified ).

• Non-dairy milks include breast milk and soy formula for infants and toddlers , and rice- , soy- , and other vegetable-based milks for children at least 1 year of age . Choose fortified soymilk , such as Westsoy Plus , Enriched VitaSoy , or Edensoy , whenever possible , or use other fortified vegetable-based milks .

• One serving of non-dairy milk equals 1 cup .

• Nuts include whole or chopped nuts , nut butters , whole seeds , and seed butters .

• One to two servings of nuts may be included in a healthy diet , but they are optional . One serving of nuts or nut butters equals 1 tablespoon .

Fruits

• Fruits include all fruits , fresh or frozen , raw or cooked , and fruit juices .

• One serving equals 1 / 2 cup cooked fruit , 1 / 2 cup fruit juice , 1 / 4 cup dried fruit , or 1 piece of fruit ( unless an amount is specified ).

1- to 4-Year-Olds 5- to 6-Year-Olds 7- to 12-Year-Olds 13- to 19-Year-Olds

Whole Grains , Breads , Cereals

4 servings 6 servings 7 servings 10 servings

Fruits 3 / 4 to 1 and 1 / 2 cups 1 to 2 cups 3 servings 4 servings be sure to include a source of vitamin b12 , such as any typical children ’ s multivitamin or vitamin-fortified cereals or soymilk .

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