Healthy Food For One-year-olds

As your baby grows up, he eats more and more table food. Gone are the mushy carrots and peas; he is feeding himself finger foods and even drinking milk and juice from a cup. Between the challenges of feeding a toddler and the threat of childhood obesity, choosing healthy foods for your 1-year-old can be daunting. However, focusing on the four foods groups can help.

Dairy Products

Once your child passes his first birthday, he can start making the transition to cow's milk. Dr. Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411, recommends 1-year-olds get around 16 ounces of whole milk per day. Low-fat milk is not recommended, as children need these fat calories for their growth and development until they reach 2 years of age. In addition to milk, your child can have whole milk yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese. If your toddler is not drinking much milk, do not panic: The equivalent from other dairy products counts toward his daily nutritional goal.

Protein Choices

Foods in the protein group include meats, poultry and fish, as well as eggs, nuts and beans. In general, anything your child is not allergic to is OK; however, there are a few things you need to consider when choosing healthy proteins. First, 1-year-olds should not have excessive amounts of salts and high-sodium foods. Instead of sliced hot dogs, offer your toddler slices of low-sodium turkey breast or chicken. Fish is another healthy choice for 1-year-olds, though you should steer clear of high-mercury types such as king mackerel and swordfish. Beans, nut butters and eggs also make healthy protein choices, and offer variety for your toddler during meals and snacks. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents against giving 1-year-olds whole nuts, which are a choking hazard.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are an important source of vitamins and minerals for all children, including 1-year-olds. Though the AAP recommends parents not give their young children chunks of hard vegetables such as raw carrots, which can pose a choking risk, most fruits and veggies are fair game for toddlers. Offer a variety to your 1-year-old every day, at every meal and for snacks. Some healthy choices include segments of mandarin orange, steamed broccoli spears, sliced bananas, quartered cherry tomatoes and sweet potato.

The Grain Group

Grains include anything in the bread, rice, pasta and cereal categories. When your 1-year-old is agreeable, whole grains are preferable to white or bleached flour products. However, if your toddler refuses to eat anything other than white bread, offering enriched varieties can ensure he still gets the key nutrients that he needs for optimum health. When choosing cereals, steer away from dry flake varieties such as cornflakes, as these may increase your toddler's risk of choking. For healthy grain choices, try offering strips of whole wheat tortilla, enriched oat circle cereals, whole wheat pasta and wheat bagels. Spreading a thin layer of nut butter or mashed fruit may increase the appeal of whole grains to even a picky 1-year-old.