Babies should be eating healthy and nutritious foods that provide them with the best start in life.
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended until 6 months of age, if a baby is not breastfed or is partially breastfed, commercial infant formulas should be used as an alternative to breast milk.
From 6 months, the steady introduction of solid foods is needed to meet babies developmental and nutritional needs. Babies should be introduced to fresh, healthy and varied solid foods from the five key food groups.
The Tasmanian Department of Health’s Start Them Right booklet provides a great resource to help parents and caregivers give their babies and toddlers a nutritious start to life.
The Royal Children’s Hospital has created a suite of resources to help you navigate the transition to infant and toddler foods and the healthy options that are available.
No. There is no need for toddler specific foods. Toddlers can just eat regular family foods. Toddlers should eat a wide variety of nutritious foods from the main food groups:
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Plenty of vegetables
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Fruit
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Grains – preferably wholegrains
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Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes
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Dairy – milk, cheese, yoghurt and their alternatives
There are some limited regulations for babies, including limits on how much sodium and iron can be in foods for children under 12 months of age. But there are no limits on how much sugar can be added to foods for babies and no overarching requirement that these foods are good for babies’ health or in line with infant feeding guidelines.
There are currently no specific regulations for foods for toddlers – no limits on how much sugar, salt or fat can be in foods sold specifically for toddlers and no overarching requirement that these foods are good for toddlers’ health.
Our research with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne found that 45% of children aged between 4 and 36 months are eating ready-made baby and toddler foods for at least half or more of their meals and snacks. For 15% of these children, these foods make up most or all of their dietary intake. Given the high levels of consumption of these foods, consideration must be given to whether they reflect optimal nutrition in the early years of life.
Packaged foods should only be used occasionally and are not a replacement for fresh, healthy and varied solid foods from the five key food groups which babies and toddlers need.
When choosing packaged foods for babies and toddlers look at the salt and sugar content to check they are not high. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) has created a wonderful and easy to read resource about reading food labels.
Squeeze pouches are not a replacement for fresh, healthy and varied solid foods from the five key food group which babies and toddlers need. For bite sized overviews of baby and toddler food pouches, please take a look at Nutrition Australia’s resource and INFANT’s tips.
Grow & Go Toolbox has also developed an interactive graphic to help you understand some of the front and back of pack information on baby and toddler pouches.
One in three ready-made baby and toddler foods has a name that does not accurately reflect ingredients. These product names often include fruits or vegetables, yet in many cases only contain flavouring or powder and no beneficial vegetable or fruit ingredients.
With two in three parents reporting that the name of a product guides their choices, it is important that product names are accurate and do not mislead or confuse them about the actual health and nutritional benefits of the product.