Healthy eating habits start now

How will you feed your newborn?

By Dr. Jeff Habert, family physician

Now that your 10-12-month-old is really getting the hang of feeding themself, keep offering them a wide variety of foods and textures to establish good, healthy eating habits.  

Around the world babies are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. How can you make sure your baby has a balanced diet?

Perhaps one of your most important jobs as a parent is to be a good role model for your baby, particularly when it comes to healthy eating. But just how much of an impact does what you eat and drink now have on your little one’s future?

Choosing and introducing a baby formula can be a difficult decision for any parent. Whether you’re supplementing breast milk with formula or transitioning entirely to formula, here’s what to consider when it comes to choosing the right formula and introducing it your little one.

Formula. It’s full of nutrition—but how you prep and store it can serve up some questions, too. Keep reading to learn all about formula preparation for different formula formats and formula storage options.

Did you know? Studies show that the more often families share mealtimes, the more likely children are to have healthy diets and stay at healthy weights as toddlers.

The way young children are fed may be as important as the food offered

Did you know? Your baby may need to try some foods and textures several times before she is happy to eat them.

How to Know if Breastfed Baby is Full? The longer a mom breastfeeds, the more she responds to her baby’s signs of fullness.

Research has shown that shared family meals—no matter the size of your family—provide benefits for your baby beyond the joy of simply eating dinner together.

Your baby is now used to eating solids and may be grabbing at the spoon or picking up food by herself. This means she is ready for more self-feeding, a whole new messy adventure! Continue to offer new foods and textures, especially a wide variety of iron-rich foods, and fruits and vegetables and remember to be patient; you may need to offer foods as many as 10 times before she accepts them.

Your baby’s growing and their digestive system is developing, too. Learn how to switch formulas the right way to support your child’s nutritional needs.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of offering your baby the same foods every day, especially if you know they’ll happily eat them. Here are some simple ideas for expanding your little one’s diet without compromising on those all-important nutrients.

Keep these instructions handy on your mobile or printed. This checklist will help you shop, store, cook and reheat your baby's food safely.

Breastfeeding beyond 6 months has many benefits for you and your baby. Discover them!

There is growing evidence that many factors in the environment play a role in allergies developing in babies. The first foods your baby is introduced to and how early they are introduced to them can play a critical role in whether your child will develop a food allergy.

Did you know? In many countries, pre-packaged baby food has to meet strict safety standards.