In the time between your baby’s conception and their fifth birthday, they are going to go through almost uncountable changes. They are going to develop entire organ systems, including their brain and nervous system, and then use that brain to dream, develop circadian rhythms, and learn spoken language. They will double, then triple their birth weight, and then actually slow down growing long enough to work on their coordination for walking, running, jumping, and even holding a pencil. And all of these great big achievements are going to be fueled by the same list of important nutrients. Nutrition in baby and childhood is unique, and you can’t compare what you know about your own nutritional needs to what your baby needs in this very sensitive time.
- Carbohydrates: perhaps the biggest building block in early childhood, carbs are essential (and shouldn’t be limited or demonized the way they are for some adults). You may think your child seems to live off of carbs, and indeed – they do!
- Protein: Protein is an important building block for most of the things little bodies need so they can grow – muscles, blood, internal organs, and bones
- Calcium: Calcium is pretty well-known for being needed for strong, healthy bones, and with the rate that babies and toddlers (and their bones!) grow, that calcium is definitely needed. Calcium is also needed for that pearly-white smile your little one will have once they get all their teeth by around age two and a half.
- Iron: Iron is needed for making red blood cells, which carry oxygen all through the body.
- Healthy fats: Fats have a bad reputation, but the healthy ones are important for absorbing nutrients, making hormones, regulating body temperature, and cell growth.
- Fiber: well known as the nutritional component that makes us “go,” fiber is just as important for little ones.
- And many more, from the A-Z of vitamins the body needs, to the countless undiscovered micronutrients which may be an important part of nutrition, there is a whole rainbow of nutrients out there to help your little one grow as strong and healthy as possible.
The goal of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is to make sure that all children in the U.S. get the same access to these important nutrients. They provide formula support or additional food for mom if breastfeeding, and ongoing financial support for healthy foods in young childhood. And more families are eligible for this benefit than you might think – in 2022, about 50% of all infants in the U.S. were eligible for WIC. To see if your family might be eligible for WIC benefits, tap the button below to visit their website.
