During the first 6 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends healthy babies only eat breast milk or iron-fortified formula. These liquid foods provide all the nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development. Generally, water, juice and solid foods aren’t needed until 4-6 months.

Your baby’s doctor will likely recommend solid foods when your baby shows he is ready. Signs your baby is ready for solid food includes:

• Drinking more than 36-48 ounces of formula per day
• Seems hungry after milk feedings
• Getting hungry more often
• Waking up during the night for feedings
• Having doubled his birth weight
• Showing interesting in the food you’re eating
• Can sit with your help and hold head steady

What should baby’s first foods be?

First foods should be limited to low-allergy foods, vegetables, and fruits. Offering solid foods too early can lead to allergies. Also, keep in mind that solids foods should not be used to help your baby sleep through the night.

First foods and feeding:

• iron-fortified single-grain rice cereal
• thin cereal with breast milk or formula
• warm the milk before to room temperature before adding to the cereal
• don’t heat bottles or baby food with the microwave—it heats foods unevenly
• hold your baby more upright than you would for a bottle or breast feeding
• feeding your baby after he has already has some milk so she will be more like to try the new food
• if your baby is too hungry, they may get too frustrated with the new experience

Your baby may reject the new food at first, but be patient. Soon they will be an expert and act like a hungry little bird when they see that spoon!

Buy our e-book - Growing A Healthy Baby: a guide to your baby’s nutrition and get these important questions answered:

• Is your baby getting enough to eat
• What foods often cause allergies
• Is it OK to make your own baby food
• Which foods are safe foods
• Which foods are choking foods
• What to do if your baby swallows poison

You’ll also get lots of helpful feeding tips for ages 6-12 months.

This booklet was used in by one of the nations largest HMOs for their “First Bites” program.

When your baby is about 5 to 6 months old, he may start crying more often between feedings. This may be a sign that his formula or breast milk isn’t satisfying his hunger. At this age, he may also begin to express his desire for food. When you’re eating, you may notice him watching you eat, leaning forward, drooling, or even opening his mouth like a hungry little bird. If you wait until he expresses his desire for food, it will be much easier for both of you. Later, the switch from baby food to family food will be much easier. When both of you are ready, there are a few basic points to keep in mind.

Note: You can use any credit card with our PayPal shopping cart. You do not need a PayPal account.

Buy it now: $3.50 total

Nothing in our booklets or on this site is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader. So have fun! Be sure to read our disclaimer.

Pregnancy weight chart. Use this chart to record your weekly weight throughout your pregnancy.

Daily Food Guide.  This guide will help you get your nutrition from all food groups and give you an idea of how much to eat of each food.

2-Day Food Record. By completing this 2-day food record, you can learn which foods you are getting too much of and which foods you are not getting enough of.

Keep in mind that these tools are for mothers with a normal pregnancy. They are only suggestions for ways to help you gain weight at a healthy rate. Always follow your doctors advice and if these tools fit into what your doctor has told you to do, then feel free to print them out and use them.

Sodium Content of Foods helps patients with fluid retention and blood pressure control. Also included is a guide to finding the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts food label. Sodium Content of Foods lists a sodium counter for common foods, a sample 2 gm sodium daily diet with serving sizes, and a chart for estimating portion sizes.

Tips for finding the salt

The best way to find the salt is to read the food labels on packaged foods—both the nutrition facts label and the ingredients list. Labels won’t list the amount of “salt,” it will list “sodium.”

The Nutrition Facts label has three important numbers for sodium—

• how much is in a serving
• how many servings are in the package, and
• how much salt is in each serving.

If the food doesn’t have a Nutrition Facts label, it should have a list of ingredients. Ingredients are listed in order of amount used. So ingredients listed first make up more of the food than the ingredients listed last. If sodium is listed close to the beginning of the list, you might want to adjust the rest of your day based the amount of salt you will get in this food.

A good goal is to get 500-700 mg of sodium at each meal and a total of 2400 mg (1 1/5 tsp) for the whole day. So some meals may have more than others, just keep your 2400 mg goal in mind!

• What is gestational diabetes?
• How do I take care of myself now that I have it?
• How will it affect my baby’s health?
• Will I still have it after my baby is born?

Managing diabetes means keeping your blood-glucose (blood-sugar) levels
within a normal range. This is the same as the blood-glucose levels of a
pregnant woman who doesn’t have diabetes. This book can answer those
questions and also explain how to manage this type of diabetes.

What is a low sodium diet? A low sodium diet limits foods in your diet that are high in sodium. A high amount of sodium in your diet can make your blood pressure go up as well as cause other health problems. The goal of a low sodium diet is to prevent or lower high blood pressure; this diet can also keep your body from holding extra fluid. Preventing problems with your liver and kidneys is another reason to follow a low sodium diet.

Fats & Oils

Use Sparingly (3-8 Teaspoons)

• Margarine, mayonnaise (regular, diet, or unsalted)
• Oils, unsalted salad dressing
• Olives
• Salted pork fat, butter
• Sour cream, regular salad dressing

Sugars & Sweets

Use Sparingly

• Cookies, cakes, desserts-homemade without salt or low sodium package or mix
• Gelatin, sherbet, sorbet, Popsicle
• Jam, jelly, honey, sugar, hard candy, syrup, marshmallows

(Limit 1 serving per day)

• Cookies, cakes, pastries, desserts—store-bought & mixes
• Frozen ice cream or yogurt

Soups

• Bouillon, broth, or consomme
• Canned or frozen soup
• Homemade soup—without salt, MSG, or soup bases
• Instant or packaged soup
• Low-sodium bouillon cubes
• Low-sodium canned or frozen soups
• Ramen-type oriental soup

Seasonings & Sauces

Beverages

• Alcohol
• Club soda, flavored coffee drinks, vegetable juices, Orange Crush
• Coffee, tea, cereal beverages (Postum)
• Water, very low-sodium mineral water or club soda, juices; fruit drinks most sodas, low-sodium vegetable juices

Additional Guidelines:

Cooking

• For Kosher meats: soak in water one hour before cooking, pour out the water, and cook in fresh water. Pour out the water again.
• Leave salt out of recipes, except recipes using yeast
• Take the salt shaker off the table and stove
• Use vegetable oil instead of margarine or butter in recipes.
• Use low-sodium baking powder
• Use regular flour (not self-rising flour) when baking

Smart Shopping

• Buy fresh foods when possible. Processed foods have more sodium.
• Check the % Daily Values column. Foods with less than 5% sodium are good choices. Foods with more than 20% are high in sodium.
• Read labels. Use the Nutrition Facts label to compare similar products.
• Understand food labels:
  • Light in sodium—50% less sodium than the regular version of that food
  • Low sodium—140 mg or less of sodium per serving
  • Very low sodium—35 mg or less of sodium per serving
  • Sodium free—less than 5 mg of sodium per serving

Eating Out

• Ask what’s in the foods you want to eat. Tell the order taker what type food you need.
• Ask them to leave out the salt or MSG.
• Eat out less often—Restaurant and fast food outlets tend to be high in sodium and fats.
• Keep portion sizes under control.

Special Requests When Eating Out

• A lemon wedge for salad or fish
• Baked potato or sliced tomatoes instead of fried, salted potatoes.
• Fruit, gelatin, sherbet, or sorbet instead of baked goods for desserts.
• Order plain, broiled, roasted, grilled, or steamed foods instead or breaded or fried.
• Order sauces, gravies, salad dressing on the side so you can control the amount you eat.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was a research study testing how what we eat effects our blood pressure. A diet reduced in total and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods was found to significantly lower blood pressure. In participants who had high blood pressure, the DASH diet lowered blood pressure to abou the same leevels as does blood pressure medicines. The DASH diet offers an important way to prevent and treat high blood pressure.

The DASH Diet brochure provides information about the DASH diet and how to follow it at home. The DASH eating plan is based on 2,000 calories a day. This eating plan from the DASH study is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods, and low in saturated and total fat.

You can download an 8 page brochure of the DASH Diet. Or, you can download a Quick Reference Guide of the DASH Diet.

Hey Kids – Get Moving – Activity Pyramid

10 Tips to Healthy Eating and Exercise

Getting enough physical activity everyday is important for managing your weight. Here are some 10 great tips for healthy eating and exercise. We also have the activity pyramid you can download (pdf 317 KB) and track how much physical activity you are getting each day. You can also use the activity pyramid to help you get more physical activity and less “screen time.”

1. Start your day with breakfast.

Breakfast fills your “empty tank” to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night’s pizza!

2. Get Moving!

It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day. Click here to get a free Get Movin’ Activity Pyramid (pdf 317 KB).

3. Snack Smart.

Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups—a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

4. Work up a sweat.

Vigorous work-outs—when you’re breathing hard and sweating—help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

5. Balance your food choices—don’t eat too much of one thing.

You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

6. Get fit with friends or family.

Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

7. Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.

These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

8. Join in physical activities at school.

Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

9. Foods aren’t good or bad.

A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part—or food—is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don’t forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don’t eat a third.

10. Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!

Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous—try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You’ll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals—don’t try changing too much at once.