Key TakeawaysThe updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released on December 29th, and include guidance for children 0-2 years old for the first time ever.These guidelines are in accordance with evidence-based data to give caregivers a template for providing babies and toddlers with the most appropriate diet.The guidelines include suggestions for reducing a child’s risk of developing food allergies.

Key Takeaways

The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released on December 29th, and include guidance for children 0-2 years old for the first time ever.These guidelines are in accordance with evidence-based data to give caregivers a template for providing babies and toddlers with the most appropriate diet.The guidelines include suggestions for reducing a child’s risk of developing food allergies.

“These guidelines will help families, childcare providers, and healthcare professionals better understand the nutritional needs of the population which we know can have long health impacts,” Stephanie Hodges, MS, MPH, RD, registered dietitian and owner ofTheNourishedPrinciples.com, tells Verywell. “Because the guidelines also inform federal nutrition programs, those implementing the programs will have a set of guidelines to follow for this population as well."

Experts have already established that the nutritional choices during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can have a profound impact on its risk of developing obesityand other chronic diseases.Now that recommendations for this population are included in the guidelines, an evidence-based foundation is available to support infants and young children.

What Are The Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

Now more than ever before, nutrition advice is available at your fingertips. But whether the information you are getting is reliable or not is another story.

It is widely accepted that eating patterns can impact a person’s health and certain disease risk. To better understand which dietary patterns should be included or avoided, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are developed and updated every five years, based on the most up-to-date and evidence-based information available. These guidelines can provide guidance to empower the public to make healthy dietary decisions and reduce their risk of obesity, heart disease, and other health conditions.

Since 18.5% of children ages two and up were obese in 2016 in the US, there is a clear need to offer similar guidance to those making nutrition decisions on behalf of infants and young children.

Experts Say Americans Need to Eat Less Added Sugar

Dietary Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers

The USDA suggests that infants be provided human milk exclusively for the first six months of life, along with supplemental vitamin D. Iron fortified infant formula should be offered when human milk is not available.

Nutrient-dense foods should be introduced at around 6 months of age, but not before 4 months, as long as the selection is developmentally appropriate for the infant.

While families typically lean on pureed fruits and veggies as staples in an infant’s diet, the USDA now recommends including a wide variety of foods, with a focus on nutrients like iron, zinc, choline, and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Food choices that contain many of these nutrients include eggs, meat, and poultry.

Sugar, including added sugars like honey and maple syrup, should be avoided during the first two years of life.

Avoid Plant-Based Milks

According to the new guidelines, until 12 months old, babies should only drink human milk or fortified infant formula, along with small sips of water.

After 12 months of age, parents and caregivers can incorporate cow’s milk or fortified soy milk into a child’s diet.

Introduce Allergens to Infants

Food allergies are on the rise, and can be lethal in some cases. According to one recent study published in theJournal of the American Medical Association, an estimated 10.8% of American adults have a food allergy. Nearly half of food-allergic adults had at least one adult-onset food allergy, and 38% reported at least one food allergy-related emergency department visit in their lifetime.

A Peanut Allergy Powder Earns FDA Approval

Experts are now suggesting that early exposure to highly allergenic foods can reduce the risk of a person developing allergies. For the first time, these recommendations are included in the USDA’s dietary guidelines.

Specific potentially-allergenic foods babies should be exposed to include:

The guidelines “make the important recommendation to introduce infants to potentially allergenic foods along with other complementary foods,” Sherry Coleman-Collins, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications for theNational Peanut Board, tells Verywell. The guidelines specifically dictate that “introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts.”

New Guidelines Facilitate Virtually-Supported Peanut Introduction for Babies

What This Means For YouThe USDA and HHS Department now have guidelines for feeding children ages 0-2 years old, empowering caregivers to make the best choices when it comes to a infant and toddler diet.

What This Means For You

The USDA and HHS Department now have guidelines for feeding children ages 0-2 years old, empowering caregivers to make the best choices when it comes to a infant and toddler diet.

Practical Tips For Feeding Infants and Toddlers In Accordance with The Dietary Guidelines

Foods that are choking hazards should not be provided, including whole grapes, whole peanuts, and popcorn.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.Woo Baidal J, Locks L, Cheng E, Blake-Lamb T, Perkins M, Taveras E.Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: A systematic review.Am J Prev Med. 2016 Jun;50(6):761-779. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.012Traebert J, Lunardelli S, Martins L, Dos Santos K, Nines R.Methodological description and preliminary results of a cohort study on the influence of the first 1,000 days of life on the children’s future health.An Acad Bras Cienc. Jul-Sep 2018;90(3):3105-3114. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820170937National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.Redesigning the process for establishing the dietary guidelines for Americans. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Nov 16. doi:10.17226/24883Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Childhood obesity facts.Toit G, Tskok T, Lack S, ack G.Prevention of food allergy.J Allergy Clin Immonol. 2016 Apr;137(4):998-1010. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.02.005Gupta R, Warren C, Smith B, Jiang J, Blumenstock J, Davis M, Schleimer R, Nadeau K.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open.2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.Woo Baidal J, Locks L, Cheng E, Blake-Lamb T, Perkins M, Taveras E.Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: A systematic review.Am J Prev Med. 2016 Jun;50(6):761-779. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.012Traebert J, Lunardelli S, Martins L, Dos Santos K, Nines R.Methodological description and preliminary results of a cohort study on the influence of the first 1,000 days of life on the children’s future health.An Acad Bras Cienc. Jul-Sep 2018;90(3):3105-3114. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820170937National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.Redesigning the process for establishing the dietary guidelines for Americans. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Nov 16. doi:10.17226/24883Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Childhood obesity facts.Toit G, Tskok T, Lack S, ack G.Prevention of food allergy.J Allergy Clin Immonol. 2016 Apr;137(4):998-1010. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.02.005Gupta R, Warren C, Smith B, Jiang J, Blumenstock J, Davis M, Schleimer R, Nadeau K.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open.2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.Woo Baidal J, Locks L, Cheng E, Blake-Lamb T, Perkins M, Taveras E.Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: A systematic review.Am J Prev Med. 2016 Jun;50(6):761-779. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.012Traebert J, Lunardelli S, Martins L, Dos Santos K, Nines R.Methodological description and preliminary results of a cohort study on the influence of the first 1,000 days of life on the children’s future health.An Acad Bras Cienc. Jul-Sep 2018;90(3):3105-3114. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820170937National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.Redesigning the process for establishing the dietary guidelines for Americans. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Nov 16. doi:10.17226/24883Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Childhood obesity facts.Toit G, Tskok T, Lack S, ack G.Prevention of food allergy.J Allergy Clin Immonol. 2016 Apr;137(4):998-1010. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.02.005Gupta R, Warren C, Smith B, Jiang J, Blumenstock J, Davis M, Schleimer R, Nadeau K.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open.2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630

United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

Woo Baidal J, Locks L, Cheng E, Blake-Lamb T, Perkins M, Taveras E.Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: A systematic review.Am J Prev Med. 2016 Jun;50(6):761-779. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.012

Traebert J, Lunardelli S, Martins L, Dos Santos K, Nines R.Methodological description and preliminary results of a cohort study on the influence of the first 1,000 days of life on the children’s future health.An Acad Bras Cienc. Jul-Sep 2018;90(3):3105-3114. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820170937

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.Redesigning the process for establishing the dietary guidelines for Americans. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Nov 16. doi:10.17226/24883

Toit G, Tskok T, Lack S, ack G.Prevention of food allergy.J Allergy Clin Immonol. 2016 Apr;137(4):998-1010. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.02.005

Gupta R, Warren C, Smith B, Jiang J, Blumenstock J, Davis M, Schleimer R, Nadeau K.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open.2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630

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