Nurturing Healthy Eating Habits in Toddlers

Feeding a toddler can be quite an adventure! These early years are important for your child’s growth and development, and for establishing lifelong healthy eating habits. By creating a regular schedule of meals and snacks, offering a variety of foods from Canada’s Food Guide, and making mealtimes positive family experiences, you can help your toddler grow and thrive. Here are some tips to set your little one up for success: Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits Building a positive relationship with food and mealtimes early on can help set your toddler up for better eating habits later in life. Here are some ways you can foster a balanced approach1: Eat together as a family: When you share meals with your toddler, it not only gives them the chance to observe healthy eating and social behaviors, but it also helps shape their food preferences and eating habits based on the choices and attitudes they see. Keep a consistent routine: Serving meals and snacks at regular times each day helps your toddler understand mealtime expectations and feel more secure. Offer a variety of foods: Introducing different flavours, colours, and textures early and often can help increase your toddler’s acceptance of new foods and prevent nutrient gaps. Create distraction-free meals: Turn off screens and put away toys during mealtimes. This helps your toddler focus on eating and learn to listen to their natural hunger and fullness cues. Transitioning from Bottle to Cup Switching from a bottle to a cup is an important developmental milestone that supports oral and motor skill development. With your help, you can make this transition smooth and positive2: Start early: Around six months of age, offer small sips of water from an open cup to help your baby begin developing drinking skills, alongside breastfeeding or formula-feeding. Make it gradual: Gradually offer an open cup at mealtimes, giving your toddler small amounts of fluid while slowly reducing bottle feedings. Choose healthy beverages: In the first year, breast milk and/or infant formula should remain your baby’s main source of nutrition. Between 9 and 12 months, you can start offering whole (3.25% M.F.) cow’s milk once your baby is eating a variety of iron-rich foods. Toddlers need lots of energy so continue to give them up to 500 mL (about 2 cups) of whole milk per day until they are 2 years old. If your toddler is thirsty, offer water instead of fruit juice. Managing Picky Eating Picky eating is a common phase in toddlerhood, but with patience and consistency, you can help your child develop a healthy, balanced diet3: Be patient with new foods: It’s normal for toddlers to need multiple exposures before accepting a new food. Keep offering a variety of healthy options without pressure. Be a role model: Your toddler is more likely to try new foods when they see you enjoying them too. Get them involved: Let your toddler help with simple tasks like washing vegetables or stirring ingredients. Being involved in meal preparation often makes them more excited to eat. Stick to a routine: Offering regular meals and snacks at consistent times helps your toddler know what to expect and supports better eating habits. By creating a positive, structured mealtime routine and offering a wide variety of foods, you can support your toddler’s healthy growth and set the stage for lifelong positive eating habits. Toddlerhood is an important time for building healthy eating patterns. For more information, additional support, or if you have any questions, speak with your healthcare provider. Footnotes: 1. Health Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, Dietitians of Canada, & Breastfeeding Committee for Canada. 2014. Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from six to 24 months.2. HealthyChildren.org, 2023. From Bottle to Cup: Helping Your Child Make a Healthy Transition. Accessed February 2025. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Discontinuing-the-Bottle.aspx3. HealthLinkBC, 2022. Helping Your 1 to 3 Year Old Child Eat Well. Accessed February 2025. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/helping-your-1-3-year-old-child-eat-well

By months nine or ten, you’ll notice how quickly your little one is developing. They’re exploring the world in new ways and showing off their growing motor skills. It’s an exciting time, and it’s easy to get caught up in these big, beautiful moments. But amid all the changes, don’t overlook physical activity! Incorporating active play into your baby’s daily routine helps lay the foundation for a healthy, active lifestyle as they grow. Health benefits and beyond Being physically active every day is essential for your baby’s healthy growth and development. It provides many benefits, including: Building strong bones. Boosting their mood and self-esteem.1 Supporting their heart and lungs. Improving their flexibility. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that infants should be physically active several times a day, including at least 30 minutes of supervised tummy time, which helps baby build the muscles they need to sit and crawl.1 When your baby becomes a toddler, they should reach 180 minutes of physical activity throughout their day, including structured and unstructured activity. Starting now will make the transition smoother. Tips for encouraging active play Here are four easy ways to keep your baby active and engaged. 1. Flex those muscles: Encourage your little one to be physically active throughout the day. The good news is that you don’t need fancy toys or equipment. Spending supervised time on the floor together, while baby crawls, rolls, and reaches for toys, will get those tiny muscles working! 2. Wiggle and wriggle: Try not to let your baby sit in the same position in a stroller, car seat, or highchair for too long. You want to keep them moving as much as possible, so aim for small, frequent bursts of play throughout the day. 3. Drink up, cutie pie: Active play can make your baby thirsty, so encourage sips of water throughout the day. Teach them good habits by drinking water alongside them. 4. Snooze on: A well-rested baby is a more active baby. At 10 months, your little one should be sleeping 12-15 hours in a 24-hour period, including naps.2 This will give your baby the energy they need to move and explore.  Top takeaways By making physical activity part of your baby’s day through play and supervised movement, you’re helping them build strength, flexibility, and confidence—and setting them up for a healthy, active future. 1 Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids. Physical activity for children and youth. Accessed April 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/physical_activity 2 Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids. Healthy sleep for your baby and child. Accessed April 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/healthy_sleep_for_your_baby_and_child

Introducing your baby to a variety of tastes and textures is a wonderful way to support their physical and sensory development. One of the most exciting milestones is when your baby starts eating finger foods. These early experiences go beyond simply feeding; they offer a chance to introduce your little one to new textures, flavours, and smells that will shape their relationship with food for years to come. When to offer finger foods Around eight months of age, babies may start to show interest in grasping small bits of food. At first, they’ll likely use their whole hand, but with practice they may refine their skills and start using their thumb and forefinger to pick up smaller bits of food with their pincer grip. This is a natural step in developing fine motor skills. Encourage them to try different foods in the next few months. The more they experiment with different tastes and textures, the more they’ll build diverse food preferences as they approach their first birthday.  At the family table When introducing finger foods, make sure your baby is seated and supervised while eating. Giving baby a sturdy plate or bowl with large openings will help them pick up food with their fingers more easily. And don’t worry about the mess! Finger feeding is not only fun, but an important way for your baby to learn about food, develop hand-eye coordination, and nurture their independence. Snack and meal ideas Babies have small tummies, so small meals and snacks work best. When introducing finger foods, it’s best to start with soft, easy-to-grasp options. Offer bite-sized pieces of soft foods like steamed veggies or fruits, like ripe banana pieces. Foods that dissolve quickly in the mouth and are easy to pick up, like well-cooked pieces of pasta, can also be introduced. When your baby starts to get the hang of chewing soft foods, you can gradually introduce more textured foods like grain snacks and bits of toast. Between eight to 12 months, your baby may be able to bite, and chew chopped foods and a greater variety of finger foods, including small pieces of soft meats, poultry, scrambled eggs, and cooked beans. You can also start offering foods from family meals (if they are made with little or no added salt or sugar). As you introduce finger foods, always be mindful of choking hazards. Avoid foods that can be swallowed whole, like grapes, whole nuts, or chunks of raw veggies. Keep track with our Baby Feeding Log A handy-dandy way to keep tabs on all of baby’s feeds, wet diapers, and sleep patterns is with our free printable tracker. It makes logging baby’s feeding journey a breeze! Download Feeding Log Top Takeaways: Embrace the mess! Introducing finger foods is an exciting time in baby’s development. Though it may get messy, this stage is essential. The textures and colours of baby’s food will stimulate their senses, and the variety of flavours they experience will lay the foundation for healthy eating habits in the future. So, embrace the mess and celebrate every bite with baby! Please consult your doctor if you have any questions about your baby’s feeding progress or diet.  HealthLink BC, 2024. Baby’s First Foods. Accessed April 2025. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/babys-first-foods

Months seven and up with your little one bring a whirlwind of new discoveries and milestones. Your baby is becoming more independent, curious, and is eager to test and explore their growing motor abilities and social skills. Here’s what you can expect to see in the exciting months ahead, along with tips on how to encourage baby’s development. Milestone moment: It’s time to move Hold on to your hat, your baby is on the move. At seven months, your little one may be sitting up on their own already. From the sitting position, your baby may lean forward on their hands in a tripod position to support their body. Your little one will also start to stretch, bounce, and may even try to stand, especially when perched on their behind. They’re full of beans! To support your baby during these active months, engage in playful games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. When your baby is leaning forward from the sitting position, offer toys they can reach for and bang together to boost the fun! Baby’s motor skills are also developing quickly, and they may start reaching for toys and even show frustration when playthings are taken away from them—which shows that their cognitive skills are growing. And here’s a pro tip: when you want to calm your little one down and get some rest, playing some classical music may do the trick. Top takeaways: Stay active and engaged with your baby. Encourage their exploration by creating safe spaces for supervised playtime on the floor. Milestone moment: Coordination in motion  By eight months, your baby is becoming more coordinated. They may be able to transfer objects from one hand to the other and will likely begin turning toys upside down to investigate them (so cute!). Baby’s fine motor skills are also improving, and they may start picking up smaller objects and “raking” them towards themselves. Stacking and nesting toys, such as cups and sturdy blocks, will provide your baby with hours of engaging play. At this stage, sitting up alone may no longer be enough to satisfy them. They might begin crawling, scooting along, and even pulling themselves up to stand. Top takeaways: Encourage your baby’s development by letting them explore more freely. While small bumps and tumbles are inevitable , these exploratory experiences will teach them valuable lessons about spatial awareness and balance.  Always supervise your baby during their active time.   Milestone moment: The social butterfly emerges  By the time your baby reaches nine months, their communication skills are blossoming, and their understanding of language may be growing by leaps and bounds. Your little one may start to recognize their own name and respond to familiar words.  At this stage, they may start to understand simple requests like, “Give mommy the toy, please.” They’re also discovering that communicating their needs may help them get what they want.  Top takeaways: This is a great time to introduce more word and rhyming games, and to read to your baby as often as possible. Encourage babbling, which is how babies learn to use their voices. Keep playing music, too, as babies instinctively respond to rhythms and enjoy bouncing to the beat.  Every baby is unique Always remember that these milestones are general guidelines. Every baby develops at their own pace, and it’s completely normal for some babies to reach milestones earlier or later than others. Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your baby’s development. Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids. Playtime with your baby: Learning and growing in the first year. Accessed April 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/behavior-and-development/playtime_with_your_baby

At around week 25, your baby may have much more energy, with a growing curiosity and eagerness to explore the world around them. You might notice them trying to arch their back or squirm out of your arms to get to the floor. You may observe your little one moving with more purpose and focus than before. They may now be reaching, grabbing, and engaging with their surroundings in new and wonderful ways, marking a key milestone in their physical and mental development.  A time of exploration The arching, squirming, and desire to move are signs that your baby’s muscles are developing, and they’re getting ready to explore on their own. Many babies begin pushing with their fingers and toes toward something they want. A good way to encourage these developing skills is to place toys just out of reach during playtime, which may inspire your little one to stretch and roll (and soon crawl) to reach them . You can also bring water toys to the bathtub to help develop their coordination skills. Always ensure your baby is supervised.   At this stage, your baby may start to explore textures, shapes, and tastes by putting everything in their mouth. No need to worry, this is perfectly normal and may help your baby better understand their surroundings.  Gaining strength and coordination Your baby may also begin refining their motor skills soon after the six-month milestone. You may notice them examining toys like a little detective and then passing the toy back and forth from hand to hand, as they practice their developing dexterity.   It’s a joy to watch as they explore their new abilities. Babies may challenge themselves to sit up without support between six and seven months, when their neck and back muscles gain strength. They may even start bearing a little weight on their legs. These milestones are important steps in developing baby’s balance and strength that will eventually help them sit, stand, and walk. Babbling and bonding At this stage, your baby's communication abilities might begin to flourish. You’ll likely hear more vowel-consonant combinations, and they might start mimicking sounds. You may also notice your little one responding to their name and recognizing simple words. Expressions of happiness, excitement, and even frustration are signs that their communication skills are developing.  To support their budding abilities, engage your baby in activities like reading aloud, singing songs, uttering simple repetitive phrases, and showing them different objects while you slowly say their names. These steps can help build your little one’s vocabulary and language skills. Top takeaways The six-month mark is a time bursting with energy and new discoveries. Encourage your little one’s development through frequent play and communication. Watching your baby develop into a little explorer is a joy you’ll treasure forever. Remember, all babies develop at their own pace. Consult your doctor on your baby's progress.   HealthLink BC. Your child’s development from birth to 3 years. Accessed March 2025. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/your-childs-development-birth-3-years Canadian Paediatric Society. Caring for kids.cps.ca. Your child’s development: What to expect. Accessed March 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/behavior-and-development/your_childs_development

Becoming a new parent is such an exciting and emotional journey, but it can also leave you wondering if you’ll ever sleep through the night again—especially when you’re up at 4am with your little one! But don’t worry. Just as you eventually learned to sleep through the night when you were little, your baby will too. Here’s a helpful guide to understanding your baby’s changing sleep patterns, with tips to help you and baby get a good night’s rest. The early days There’s nothing like the joy and wonder of watching your newborn sleep. Most of the time they’ll be in active sleep mode, which is characterized by dreaming, twitching, and irregular breathing. This is completely normal. As your baby grows more familiar with their new world, their sleep patterns will become more predictable.tips to help you and baby get a good night’s rest. Sleep needs in the first 3 months Newborns need lots of sleep, about 16 to 18 hours a day, and they will usually wake up every few hours for feedings. During this time, it’s all about creating a calming routine to help them feel safe and secure. Here are a few tips to help: Keep the room where they sleep dark and quiet and put your baby to sleep at the same time each night, to help  signal that it’s time to wind down. Let them sleep in their own safe environment, and not in bed with you. Have a bassinet or cradle ready in case your baby isn’t comfortable sleeping in a crib at first. Always place your baby on their back for every sleep to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Between 3 to 6 months Life may become more predictable around the four-month mark. Your little one may nap two or three times during the day, which will help them sleep more consistently at night. Help your baby develop “self-soothing” skills by putting them in the crib when they’re drowsy, but not fully asleep. This will help them learn to fall asleep on their own. From 7 to 12 months By now, your baby may sleep through the night, although some will still wake up once or twice to feed. Your baby will need about 12 to 16 hours of total sleep, including nighttime sleep and daytime naps. If your baby cries during the night, give them a little time to see if they can get back to sleep on their own. If the crying continues, comfort them with a gentle touch or soothing lullaby. Once your baby can sit upright or push up on their hands and knees, you should remove mobiles or toy bars within their reach and move the mattress to its lowest level.  From 12+ months  Most toddlers sleep between 11 and 14 hours a day, which includes nighttime sleep and two naps or one longer afternoon nap. It is still important for them to nap since this helps promote growth, restoration, and brain development. Napping also gives you a chance to doze along with your little one or catch up on a favourite TV show. These sleepy cues indicate your toddler may need a nap: Lower energy and activity levels (for instance, losing interest in toys). Quieting down and rubbing their eyes. Irritability, whining, or fussiness.  With love, patience, and good routines, your baby will learn to sleep through the night. Remember that every baby is unique. With each passing day, your little one will find their own sleep rhythm. Consult your healthcare provider if you have any questions about your own or your baby’s sleep patterns. Sweet dreams! Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids. Healthy sleep for your baby and child. December 2018. Accessed March 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/healthy_sleep_for_your_baby_and_child  American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.Org. Stages of newborn sleep. September 18, 2013. Accessed March 2025.https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/phases-of-sleep.aspx  Health Canada. Safe sleep for your baby. October 2021. Accessed March 2025. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/safe-sleep-your-baby-brochure.html

Welcoming a new baby into your life is a beautiful adventure. A lot of your time early on may be spent learning how to make your little one comfortable and happy. Something that can make a big difference to your baby’s well-being is paying extra attention to their tummy. Baby’s digestive system is still developing, so issues like gas and tummy discomfort may occur and cause your baby to fuss or cry. The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to help your baby’s tummy stay happy and healthy! Here are three helpful tips: Tummy time for baby Tummy time is supervised play where you allow your baby to spend time on their tummy while they are awake. It’s an important and fun way for your little one to strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles, develop head control, improve their motor skills (such as crawling), and prevent flat spots from forming on their head.  Tummy time may also aid in digestion, as being on their stomach helps strengthen and stretch baby’s abdominal muscles. Tummy time can put gentle pressure on baby’s tummy and help them move gas out and ease discomfort. Start with a few minutes of tummy time, 2 or 3 times a day, and build up to 3 or 4 tummy time sessions a day for 10 to 15 minutes each time. Gentle baby massage A massage is not only soothing for your baby, but it may also support a healthy tummy. Massaging your baby’s belly in a clockwise direction—from the top of the tummy to the bottom—may help your baby digest their food better and experience less constipation. Gentle massage is also a lovely bonding experience that can promote relaxation, improve your baby’s sleep, help keep them calm, and improve their circulation. You’ll notice how much your baby enjoys the feeling of your hands moving gently over their tummy.  Probiotics help nurture baby’s gut If you’re breast feeding, breast milk* contains probiotics; that can help support digestion, improve gut flora, and boost baby’s immune system. If you choose to use formula, look for those that are tummy-friendly, easy to digestǂ, and contain partially broken-down proteins and probiotics. Learn more about Good Start® Plus Stage 1 formula. Top takeaways Regular check-ins with your doctor can help you ensure your baby’s health is on track and that they are getting all the nutrients they need.  With a little tummy time each day, some gentle massage, and the goodness of breast milk and/or infant formula, you’re helping to set the stage for a happy, healthy digestive system! * Breast milk provides optimal nutrition for infants. Health Canada recommends that all breastfed and partially breastfed infants in Canada should receive a daily supplement of 10 µg (400 IU) vitamin D.   ǂ Like all infant formula.  American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.Org. Abdominal Pain in infants: 8 possible reasons your baby’s tummy hurts. Accessed March 2025. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/abdominal/Pages/Abdominal-Pains-in-Infants.aspx American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.Org. Gas Relief for Babies. Accessed March 2025. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Breaking-Up-Gas.aspx 

In their first few weeks, your baby is using all their senses to explore the exciting new world around them. Here are some milestones you can look forward to in the early months with your little one. Month 1: Baby is exploring, developing reflexes, and starting to communicate Your baby will sleep, a lot! By the second week, you may notice your baby crying more frequently, as they begin to communicate their needs. At first all cries will sound alike, but soon enough you’ll start to recognize different types of cries signalling hunger, discomfort, or fatigue. The Moro—or startle—reflex, which happens when a baby is startled by a loud sound or by movement that feels like they are falling, may occur often. Other reflexes will also start to develop. Tips to stimulate baby’s senses Hearing: Play soothing music, use your own comforting voice to speak to them (in general babies prefer high-pitched voices), or introduce soft toys that make sounds to stimulate baby’s hearing. Sight: Capture their attention with black-and-white patterns, high-contrast mobiles, and your smiling face. Touch: Engage their sense of touch with soft blankets and toys. Expect to see your baby: Lift their head slightly to strengthen their neck muscles. Track objects close to their face. Blink in response to bright lights. Turn toward familiar voices. Grip your finger (the grasp reflex) or respond when you touch the corner of their mouth, which activates the rooting reflex and helps baby latch for breastfeeding. Month 2: Smiling and cooing are baby’s ways of talking to you  Your baby is becoming more alert and responsive now, taking in everything around them. They may smile or coo to show emotions, respond to familiar sounds, or when they recognize you and your partner. Your little one will start to communicate with sounds other than crying. Tips to nurture their social development Spend time talking, reading, and singing to your baby to help them develop their social skills. Talk back soothingly to your baby when they make sounds. This intimate face-to-face time will strengthen your bond and help them grasp the rhythm of conversation. Engage your baby’s attention with bright, colourful toys. Expect to see your baby: Push their chest up with their arms during tummy time to develop muscles and coordination. Go silent, cry, or act startled in response to loud sounds. Repeat “oohs” and “aahs.” Focus on small objects as they work their eye muscles. Month 3: Baby is building trust  By the third month, your little one will begin developing confidence and will start to associate actions with outcomes, such as calming down at the sound of your voice. By consistently meeting your little one’s needs, you can help build your baby’s sense of trust and foster their sense of safety and security. You can help develop their communication skills by talking, singing, and reading to them. Use simple language with them and pronounce words clearly. Expect to see your baby: Bring their hands together and start reaching for things. Explore by sucking on fingers and other objects. Maintain eye contact to learn to focus. Turn toward your voice and recognize sounds more clearly. Top takeaways  Watching your baby grow, use their senses, and start to communicate is incredibly exciting! Remember that babies reach developmental milestones at their own pace. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your baby's progress.     Rourke Baby Record. Updated 2024. www.rourkebabyrecord.ca Accessed March 2025.   American Academy of Pediatrics. HealthyChildren.Org. Hearing and making sounds: Your baby’s milestones. Updated February 22, 2021. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Hearing-and-Making-Sounds.aspx#:~:text=They%20will%20recognize%20and%20respond,accordingly%2C%20without%20even%20realizing%20it Canadian Paediatric Society. Caring for kids.cps.ca. Your child’s development: What to expect. Accessed March 2025. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/behavior-and-development/your_childs_development