Eat right. It's something we want for our families. What will they like? What is best for them? What is a healthy snack? What do I feed my baby?

Rainbows asked a local nutritionist for nutritional ideas to share. You'll find useful information and ideas below as well as helpful links to other sources to begin and keep a healthy family.

Preschool children are very curious. They want to explore things by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing and hearing. As a parent you can use this curiosity to get your child to try new foods. Children eat foods that are familiar to them.

Introduce new foods by describing their taste, texture, color and temperature as you expand their speech and language skills.

• Sweet: banana and strawberries
• Juicy: watermelon and oranges
• Sour: lemon and grapefruit
• Hot: soup and hot chocolate
• Smooth: yogurt and pudding
• Liquid: water and milk
• Dry: crackers
• Crispy: chips

Explore where foods come from by visiting a garden, orchard, or planting a garden of your own.

Submitted by community member: Barb Roths, RD/LD; K-State Research and Extension, Butler County

Your kids learn by watching you. It does matter what you do: Young children can be "picky" eaters. Trying vegetables and fruits can be a real challenge. But if they see you eating these foods, they'll be curious and may want to taste what you are enjoying.

Help your child eat more fruits and vegetables: Eat together. Kids get curious when they see you eating fruits or vegetables. Help them feel comfortable about eating these foods. Let your children touch and smell the vegetable or fruit. You may need to offer a food many times (10 to 20 times or more!) before they taste the food.

Prepare fruits and vegetables together with your child. Even young children can tear lettuce or peel a banana (if you get it started). They can add fruit to a salad and stir with a large spoon. Or they add veggie toppings to a pizza.

Take fruits or vegetables to the park or to the mall with you. You'll have healthy choices and you may save money! All forms of vegetables and fruits - canned, fresh, frozen, and dried - are smart choices:

Buy canned fruits that are packed in 100% juice or water. Cut these fruits in small pieces, so they will be easier for toddlers to chew and swallow. Rinse canned vegetables and beans with cold water to lower salt/sodium content.

Look for vegetables with "no salt added" on the front of the can and choose those vegetables, if its in your budget. (Or buy them on sale!) Frozen vegetables can have as many vitamins and minerals as fresh. Choose packages that contain vegetables and no other added ingredients - no added salt, sugar, or fat. If you buy frozen vegetables in the plastic bags, you can open the bag, use what you need, and freeze the rest to use later.

Special Tips for Toddlers Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes into smaller pieces to prevent choking.
Be sure your child can chew and swallow dried fruit before offering these chewy foods.

Remember - YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING - eat fruits and veggies with them and enjoy!

Looking for more tips on feeding your child? Check these web sites: www.butler.ksu.edu - Click on Family Consumer Sciences. You will find links to Dining on a Dime, Kids a Cookin' and MyPyramid for Preschoolers and Young Children.

Nutrition during the first year of life provides for future health, growth and development of your infant.

The following guidelines are for infants up to 12 months old. Nutrient needs may differ depending on the health of your baby:

• Breastfeeding for the first full year of life and iron supplement or iron-fortified cereal after 4 months old.

• Or iron-fortified infant formulas for the first year if not breast-feeding or is stopped before the end of the first year.

• Solid foods should start at approximately 4-6 months. This will depend on the development of your child

• Whole milk should not be introduced into your infant’s diet until after the first year. Reduced fat milk should not be started until after the age of two.

Suggested feeding schedule:
Please remember that each child is different and may not follow these guidelines.

Age: birth – 6 months
Breast Milk or iron fortified infant formula*
Daily Totals:
0-1 months 18-24 oz
1-2 months 22-28 oz
2-3 months 25-32 oz
3-4 months 28-32 oz
4-5 months 27-39 oz
5-6 months 27-45 oz
*Source: Manual of Clinical Dietetics, 6th edition, American Dietetics Manual 

For those of you that have low weight babies, these guidelines may be more useful: *

Weight/Formula or Breasting Amount/Number of Feedings/Day
4-5 pounds/ 12-16 oz /8-14
5-6 pounds/ 16-18 oz /6-10
7-8 pounds/ 18-23 oz /6-10
8-10 pounds/ 21-26 oz /5-8
10-12 pounds/ 24-28 oz /5-7
Source: Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, 3rd edition, 1993.

Age: 4-6 months
Breast milk: on demand OR
Formula: 4-6 feedings for a total of 28-32 oz in 24 hours

Iron-fortified infant cereal (consistency should be thin & runny, mix cereal with breast milk or formula) 1-2 servings/day 1-4 Tablespoons each

Age: 6-9 months
Texture of foods: thick cereal,
pureed or mashed soft table food
minced or finely chopped meat, poultry, fish, or cooked egg yolk
(do not add the protein foods until close to 8 months)
Breast milk: on demand OR
Formula: 3-5 feedings for a total of 30-32 oz in 24 hours

Iron-fortified infant cereal (consistency should be thicker)
2 servings/day 2-4 Tablespoons each

Vegetables 2 servings/day 2-3 Tablespoons each
(Start with vegetables when introducing baby food, try one vegetable for 2-3 days before adding a new vegetable. This helps to see if your infant can tolerate this food. Fruits are sweeter than vegetables, so we want your infant to try different foods before introducing sweeter foods.)

Fruit 2 servings/day 2-3 Tablespoons each
(Introduce fruit after trying 3-4 different vegetables. Again, try only one fruit for 2-3 days before trying another fruit.)

Meat or Meat Alternative
1 serving/day 1-3 Tablespoons
(Some meat alternatives: yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, cooked and mashed beans and peas, mashed cooked egg yolk.)

Age: 9-12 months
Texture of foods: soft minced or diced table foods
finger foods
soft, bite-size pieces of vegetables and fruits
soft breads, pasta, rice, and noodles

Breast milk: on demand OR
Formula: 2-4 feedings for a total of 24-32 ounces in 24 hours

Iron-fortified infant cereal
1 serving/day 4-6 Tablespoons

Vegetables 2 servings/day 3-5 Tablespoons each

Fruits 3 servings/day 3-4 Tablespoons each

Meat or Meat Alternatives
2 servings/day 2-3 Tablespoons each

Add finger foods between meals such as crackers, toast, cheese, dry

The goal of nutrition for your child from age one to five years of age is to provide needed calories and a variety of nutritious food. Don’t panic if your child’s appetite decreases and becomes pickier. Growth during this time period slows down and your child will be trying his/her independence (and your patience)! Food likes and dislikes become more pronounced but keep encouraging the disliked food.

The recommended diet is one that includes a variety of foods with different textures and tastes. Snacks are needed to meet the toddler’s nutrient and calorie needs because he/she can only consume a limited amount at one time. 

Guidelines for daily food intake.

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Asparagus
Broccoli 
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage 
Cauliflower 
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit; grapefruit juice 
Greens 
Honey dew
Mango 
Oranges; orange juice 
Papaya
Peppers 
Potato 
Spinach
Strawberries 
Tangerine 
Tomatoes
Vitamin-C fortified juices

Foods Rich in Vitamin A 

Apricot
Asparagus 
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts 
Carrots 
Mango
Mixed Vegetables 
Nectarine 
Peaches
Prunes; Prune Juice 
Pumpkin 
Purple Plums
Spinach, other greens 
Squash 
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes; Tomato Juice 
V-8 Juice 
Watermelon

Source of Information: American Dietetics Association. Compiled by Diane Greenleaf, MS, RLD, CDE.

Willingness to taste new foods at an early age is a step to building a healthy diet from now through adulthood. The question is, how do we get picky eaters to try new foods? Try the tips listed below and see if these will work.

1. One Step At A Time Offer just one new food at a time. Let your child know ahead of time if it is sweet, salty, or sour.

2. A Taste Is Just A Taste
Let your child decide the amount to try. A “taste” can be as small as ½ teaspoon.

3. What Goes In, May Come Out … and That’s Okay
Young children may be more likely to try a new food if they have the option of not swallowing it. Show children how to carefully spit the food into a napkin if they decide they don’t want to swallow it.

4. If At First You Don’t Succeed… Try, Try Again Some young children must be offered a food 8-10 times before they will try it. Continue to offer a new food… don’t give up. Eventually they might give it a try.

5. Be A Role Model
Imitation is a powerful force in learning. If you want children to drink milk, make sure they see you drink milk as well.

6. Capitalize On “Food Tasting” Peer To encourage a reluctant taster, have him or her sit with friends or siblings that are good tasters when you introduce a new food.

7. Serve An Unfamiliar Food With Familiar Ones
This increases the likelihood that a child will taste the new food. For example, use pudding as a dip for trying pineapple spears or kiwi slices.

8. Color And Texture Make A Difference
Children prefer bright colors and interesting textures. Crunchy fruits and smooth pudding make a nice contrast. The bright color of red and yellow bell peppers may get them to try a taste.

9. Involve Children In The Preparation
Children are more likely to try a food they have helped prepare. Even young children can help stir, mash, pour and measure.

10.You Can Lead Them To A New Food…But You Can’t Make Them Eat
Never force a child to try a food. Offer it. If it is not eaten, take the food away and try again another time.

11. Try Foods From All The Food Groups
Include foods from 1) Milk, cheese and yogurt, 2) Meat, poultry, fish, beans, and eggs, 3) Fruits, 4) Vegetables, 5) Bread, Cereal, and Pasta. All foods are important for good health

12. Lessons From Books Read stories about food to your children, or make up one! They may be more likely to try a food that has been introduced in a story.

Tips from Chef Combo’s Fantastic Adventures in Tasting and Nutrition, a nutrition education program for preschool and kindergarten classrooms from National Dairy Council. Compiled by By Diane Greenleaf, MS, RLD, CDE.

Snacking is okay! It is a way to get in more nutrients and calories for small tummies. It is also a good way to help with weight loss, eating 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks per day can keep you in control of your intake. The snacks listed below are low in fat and sugar.

Grains • Mini bagel (2 oz) and reduced-fat cream cheese
• Kellogg’s Nutri Grain Cereal, Granola, & Yogurt Bars
• Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars
• Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars
• Quaker Oats Chewy Granola Bars
• Animal Crackers
• Fig Newtons
• Graham Crackers (regular and low fat)
• Rice Krispy Treats (original)
• Baked Chips & Sun Chips
• Pretzels
• Tricuits & Multi-Grain Wheat Thins (low fat preferable)
• Quaker Oats Quakes Rice Snacks
• Popcorn (light and fat free)

Protein & Dairy
• Nuts (all varieties)
• Planters and Nature Valley Trail Mix
• Cheese (reduced fat, light, or fat free)
• Puddings (fat free and regular)
• Dannon D’animals Drinkable Yogurt
• Yogurt (low fat, light or non-fat)
• Yoplait Go-Gurts
• 1% or non-fat milk (plain or flavored)

Fruit & Vegetables
• Dole or Del Monte fruit cups in juice or light syrup
• Raisins and unsweetened dried fruit
• Fresh fruit & veggies
• Juices that are 50 to 100% real fruit juice, with no added sugars (limit to 4 oz)

To help with portion control, try the 100 calorie snack packs, helps with the sweet or salty tooth in a limited amount.

Compiled by By Diane Greenleaf, MS, RLD, CDE.

My Pyramid This site features MyPyramid materials designed specifically for children aged 6 to 11. Games, posters and more.

Kids Health Kids Health has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents — each with its own design, age-appropriate content, and tone. There are literally thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources — all original and all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.

Dole 5 A Day Dole Food Company’s 5 A Day Program was founded in 1991. This program is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world as a leader in children’s nutrition education and the 5 A Day for Better Health Program.

Nutrition.com 
It is designed to provide a convenient and informative source on how to eat right and live well by providing information on local foods and is managed by our registered dietitian.

Mom -rd Mom-RD is a program developed by Wendy's to provide moms
with useful information that empowers them to make smarter choices when it comes to feeding their families.

Nutrition.gov Providing easy, online access to government information on food and human nutrition for consumers. A services of the National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture.