Infant and Toddler Feeding from Birth to 23 Months: Making Every Bite Count

The first two years of your child’s life is important for proper growth and development. It is also critical for establishing healthy dietary patterns for later in life. You likely have many questions about this important life stage including: what do you feed a newborn infant?, when are infants ready for solid foods?, which foods should be given and when?, how much food is enough? or when is the right time to introduce potentially allergenic foods, such as peanuts? This resource provides information on infant and toddler feeding from birth through twenty-three months of age, including information on breastfeeding, infant formula, the introduction of solid foods and infant safety while eating. Keep in mind that every infant is different, and their diets may vary depending on many factors such as age, stage of development and nutritional needs. Ask your pediatric nurse practitioner, pediatrician, registered dietitian or other healthcare provider for more specific feeding advice. Newborns For about the first six months of life, infants should be exclusively fed human milk, which is also called breastfeeding1,2. Young infants are not ready for solid foods. They are unable to safely swallow solid foods and their stomachs are not able to digest solids well. When possible, breastfeeding should be continued through at least the first year of life while introducing complementary foods; longer if desired.3,4 Iron-fortified infant formula is an option if a mother has trouble breastfeeding, or if human milk is unavailable or not compatible with the infant’s specific needs. Infant formulas are designed to meet the nutritional needs of infants for the first year of life and are not recommended beyond age 12 months. Human milk can support your infant’s nutrient needs for about the first six months of life, except for vitamin D and potentially iron. It’s generally recommended to […]

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Questions & Answers About Food Color Additives

What you should know about approved food additives. Often, the names given to additives and other ingredients in our food can make them seem confusing and off-putting, even to the savviest shopper. But food additives perform specific, positive functions in food, such as enhancing safety and freshness and improving the taste, texture and appearance of products. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the safety of food additives and allows only the use of those that are deemed safe. Color additives (also known as food colors) are one category of approved food additives. They not only play a key role in the enjoyment of our food; they also do so without posing a health risk to consumers. Why are food colors used? According to expert Charles Spence, in his article “On the psychological impact of food color,” “color is the single most important sensory cue to expectations about the likely taste and flavor of food and drink.” Food colors often allow us to easily identify our preferred food choices and can enhance food’s overall appeal. They may augment the naturally occurring color of a food and/or provide a consistent color in a food for which the color may vary (due to, for example, exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture, storage conditions, or production elements). What are the categories of food colors? Certified colors are synthetically produced (or human-made) and used widely because they impart an intense, uniform color and blend more easily to create a variety of consistent hues. There are nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States: Color Additive Names That May Be Found on Product Labels What They Do Examples of Uses FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2 FD&C Green No. 3 FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40 […]

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Questions and Answers: Animal Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Resistance and Impact on Food Safety

For more than 50 years, veterinarians and producers have administered antibiotics to food animals, primarily poultry, swine, and cattle, mostly to fight or prevent animal diseases. The following Q&A provides answers to common questions about antibiotic use in animals, including information on why antibiotics are used in food animals and how animal antibiotics are regulated. Furthermore, overall concerns about the overuse of animal antibiotics in food animals are addressed, as well as mechanisms that are currently in place to minimize the overall risk to human health. Antibiotic residues in animal food products, such as meat, milk, and eggs are also discussed and several credible resources are listed to provide information on animal antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance as they relate to food safety. How do we use the terms “antibiotics” and “antimicrobials” in this Q/A? Antibiotics refer to drugs thatare used to treat infectious diseases in humans, animals or plants. They work by inhibiting the growth of or killing microorganisms causing the disease. Antimicrobials is a broader term that refers to any compound, including antibiotics, sanitizers, disinfectants, a number of food preservatives and other substances, that acts to inhibit the growth of or kill microorganisms. Why are antibiotics used in food animals? Antibiotics are used in animals for the same reason as for people: to treat and control diseases. Protecting the health of animals helps to protect human health. About 60% of diseases that impact humans come from animals, so the link between animal health and human health is strong. Maintaining health among both populations is critical, according leading health organizations worldwide, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. FDA also has approved the use of some antimicrobials for the promotion of growth in certain livestock and also poultry. However, no matter whether antimicrobials are used […]

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Everything You Need To Know About Monk Fruit Sweeteners

Download the Monk Fruit Fact Sheet for Consumers here Download the Monk Fruit Fact Sheet for Health Professionals WHAT ARE MONK FRUIT SWEETENERS? Monk fruit, also known as lo han guo or Swingle fruit, is a small round fruit native to southern China. Monk fruit sweeteners are no-calorie sweeteners that can be used to lower one’s intake of added sugars, while still providing satisfaction to enjoy the taste of something sweet. Some types of sweeteners in this category are considered low-calorie — such as aspartame, and others are no-calorie (e.g., monk fruit sweeteners, stevia sweeteners and sucralose). However, collectively they are often referred to as sugar substitutes, high-intensity sweeteners, nonnutritive sweeteners, low- and no-calorie sweeteners or simply low-calorie sweeteners. Like other no-calorie sweeteners, monk fruit sweeteners are intensely sweet. Monk fruit sweeteners range from being 100-250 times sweeter than sugar, and as such only small amounts are needed in a product to equal the sweetness provided by sugar. Monk fruit sweeteners can be used in a wide range of beverages and foods like soft drinks, juices, dairy products, desserts, candies and condiments. Because they are stable at high temperatures, monk fruit sweeteners can be used in baked goods. However, a recipe that uses monk fruit sweeteners in place of sugar may turn out slightly different because in addition to sweetness, sugar plays several roles in recipes related to volume and texture, but this varies based on the type of recipe. Several brands, such as Monk Fruit In The Raw®, Lakanto®, SPLENDA® Monk Fruit Sweetener, SweetLeaf® and Whole Earth® use monk fruit sweeteners in granular and liquid forms. HOW ARE MONK FRUIT SWEETENERS PRODUCED? Monk Fruit has been used for centuries in Eastern medicine as both a cold and digestive aid. Extracts from monk fruit are also being used in tabletop […]

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Vitamins and Minerals Fact Sheets

From Vitamin A to Zinc, there are so many vitamins and minerals in foods that are important to our health. It can be hard to keep track of what vitamin is beneficial for which body function and most importantly, where to find these important nutrients in food. These fact sheets provide all the info you need to know about vitamins and minerals in food. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list but it’s a good start towards making sure you are eating the right foods to get the nutrients you need. Minerals Fact Sheet Minerals may seem really complex and confusing. With so many different minerals, it can be hard to keep track of what they are, what they do, and where you can find them. By using this fact sheet, you can make all this information seem “elemental” and become a rock-solid expert regarding minerals. Did You Know? There are two types of essential minerals: major minerals (macrominerals) and trace minerals (microminerals). Both are needed and equally important, but trace minerals are needed in less amounts than major minerals. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber are considered nutrients of public health concern because low intakes are associated with negative health conditions. About 99% of the human body is made up of 6 elements: two of which include calcium and phosphorus! Mineral Functions in the Body Where to Find in Foods and Beverages Calcium Dental health, nerve health, muscle health, bone health Animal-based foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese; plant-based foods like kale and broccoli; and fortified foods like breakfast cereals, soy foods and fruit juices Chloride Heart health, nerve health, muscle health Salt, seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and olives Chromium Metabolism Animal-based foods like meat, poultry, fish, […]

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Americans’ Confidence in the Safety of U.S. Food Supply Hits Record Low, New Data Shows

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Releases New Consumer Data on Food and Ingredient Safety in Partnership with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) (Washington, D.C.) — American confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply has dropped to an all-time low, according to new findings from the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey. IFIC is releasing the data today in partnership with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), a leading professional organization committed to advancing food safety worldwide. Specifically, IFIC will present the findings to thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe at the IAFP Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Now in its 20th year, the IFIC Food & Health Survey captures the beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes of 3,000 U.S. adults, 18 to 80 years old. While the report covers a wide range of topics, this year’s food and ingredient safety findings point to an erosion in public trust. Confidence In the Safety of the U.S. Food Supply Hits All-Time Low Just over half of Americans say they are very or somewhat confident in the safety of the U.S. food supply (55%) —a sharp drop from 62% in 2024 and 70% in 2023. Only 11% of respondents are “very confident;” that number has also steadily declined from a high of 24% in 2022, dropping to 17% in 2023, 14% in 2024, and now 11% in 2025.  2025 marks the lowest level of confidence in the 13 years IFIC has gauged public sentiment on the topic, and the decline in confidence from 2024 spans nearly all demographic groups. Among those with low confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply, leading consumer concerns include: Top U.S. Consumer Food Safety Concerns Revealed — Foodborne Illness Tops the List This year, foodborne illness from bacteria, such […]

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How Food Ingredients Get The Green Light  

If you’ve ever stood in front of the grocery store shelf wondering how so many different ingredients make it into our food supply, you’re not alone. Every ingredient in the U.S. food supply goes through a regulatory framework designed to evaluate its safety before it reaches your home.  One part of this regulatory system is GRAS, short for Generally Recognized as Safe. If you teach, talk or write about food, nutrition, or food safety, knowing how GRAS works is key to understanding how ingredients are evaluated for safety. It can help you clear up myths with science-based information and make sense of the ongoing debates around transparency in our food system.  Let’s dig into what GRAS is, how it came to be, and how experts can bolster trust in the safety of the U.S. food supply.  A Quick Trip Back In Time: From “Anything Goes” To “Prove It’s Safe”  In the early 1900s, adulteration and contamination of food were not uncommon as testing was limited and resources for enforcing food safety were scarce. The situation began to change with the passage of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and, later, the Food Additives Amendment of 1958. The FD&C Act is a cornerstone of U.S. consumer protection law, designed to protect public health and ensure the quality and integrity of many everyday products. The purpose of the Food Additives Amendment of 1958 was to ensure the safety of ingredients and food additives used in foods in the United States.  Before 1958, ingredients were considered safe until proven otherwise. The Food Additives Amendment flipped that assumption, requiring that most new additives be proven safe before they could be used. It created two main paths for ingredient approval:  The amendment also assigned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the role […]

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Diversifying MyPlate: North American Indigenous Cuisine

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and its associated MyPlate graphic are commonly referenced resources for learning about healthy and nutritious eating. The recently-updated 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans put a stronger focus on meeting dietary recommendations while keeping cultural preferences in mind, and resources highlighting culturally inclusive approaches are valuable tools for translating the general messages of MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines to more Americans. This article is part of a series that shows how healthy eating can take on many different forms outside of the Western diet. While for many, meals might not exactly resemble MyPlate, the featured guest authors will demonstrate what healthy eating looks like in their culture, and how many of the food groups and principles can translate across cultures and cuisines. Each article in this series is written by a registered dietitian who is experienced in integrating culturally inclusive approaches into their work. About the Author My name is Sharon Swampy, and I am a registered dietitian with a First Nations Cree and Mexican background. I currently work in a clinic on a reservation, mostly providing 1:1 nutrition sessions with a focus on diabetes prevention and management, disordered eating, and intuitive eating. At times, I also work on some nutrition-focused community projects and food security initiatives. I grew up on a reservation called Maskwacis, and at the time, nutrition was not talked about much within Indigenous communities. Later on, I started to realize that there was a lack of representation of dietitians with an Indigenous background. This meant nutrition information was often shortsighted for Indigenous communities. Also, as someone who has struggled with an eating disorder in the past, I understood the impact that diet culture and its narrow views on health can have on our relationship with food. Growing up and not seeing people […]

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