Dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers, summarized

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030, from the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, include a section on infancy and early childhood, from birth to age 4. This is a plain summary of what that section says, in its own terms.

It does not add advice of our own. It reflects the guidance as published when this post went up in October 2026. Where the guidelines tell parents to talk with a health care professional, so does this post, because that is the guidance.

Milk in the first year

The guidelines start with milk, and they are specific about it.

• The first six months. For about the first 6 months, the guidelines say to feed your baby only breast milk, and to use iron-fortified infant formula when breast milk is not available.
• Breastfeeding after that. They say to continue breastfeeding for as long as mother and child both want to, for 2 years or beyond.
• Formula at 12 months. If your baby has formula, the guidelines say to stop it at 12 months of age and give whole milk.
• Alongside solids. They call it crucial to keep breastfeeding or formula feeding while solids are introduced, and say breast milk or formula stays the main source of nutrition up to 12 months.

Vitamin D and iron

The guidelines say all breastfed infants, and infants who drink less than 32 ounces of formula a day, should get a daily vitamin D supplement starting shortly after birth. They also say some infants need iron supplements.

On both, the guidelines' own instruction is to talk with your health care professional. Whether your baby needs a supplement, and which one, is that conversation.

When to start solid foods

The guidelines say infants may begin solid foods at about 6 months of age. They add that every child is different, and list these signs that a child is developmentally ready:

• Sits up alone or with support
• Can control their head and neck
• Tries to grasp small objects, such as toys or food
• Brings objects to their mouth
• Opens their mouth when food is offered
• Moves food from the front to the back of their tongue to swallow
• Swallows food instead of pushing it back out onto their chin

The American Academy of Pediatrics sets out similar signs in its guide to starting solid foods, and says each child's readiness depends on their own rate of development.

Allergenic foods

The guidelines say to introduce potentially allergenic foods, including nut butters, eggs, shellfish and wheat, alongside other foods at about 6 months. In the same line, they say to ask your baby's health care professional about their risk for food allergies and safe ways to introduce these foods.

They give peanut its own instructions, based on eczema:

• Severe eczema, egg allergy, or both. The guidelines describe these babies as being at high risk for peanut allergy. They say to talk with your health care professional about introducing peanut as early as 4 to 6 months.
• Mild to moderate eczema. The guidelines say to introduce peanut-containing foods at around 6 months of age.

The guidelines describe how peanut can be introduced, but how to do it for your own baby, and in what form, is the conversation they point you to. If you are not sure which group your baby falls into, ask before you start.

What kinds of food

The guidelines say infants should get a diverse range of nutrient-dense foods in appropriate textures, and should avoid nutrient-poor and highly processed foods. The food groups they name as examples are:

• Meat, poultry and seafood
• Vegetables and fruits
• Full-fat yogurt and cheese
• Whole grains
• Legumes, and foods containing nuts or seeds, prepared in a safe, infant-appropriate form

The guidelines do not set out textures, portion sizes or how to prepare each food. Those are questions for your pediatrician, who knows your baby's stage.

Sugar and salt

On added sugar, the guidelines say to avoid added sugars during infancy and early childhood.

On salt, they give a figure by age. For children ages 1 to 3, the guidelines recommend less than 1,200 milligrams of sodium a day, and they say highly processed foods that are high in sodium should be avoided. They do not give a sodium figure for babies under 1.

New foods take repeated tries

The guidelines say it may take 8 to 10 exposures before a young child is willing to try a new food. They say parents can encourage healthy eating by offering new foods multiple times and by modeling healthy eating themselves.

Where other guidance adds to this

The guidelines are one source. The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes its own guidance for parents, and it covers some points the guidelines do not.

• One new food at a time. The AAP's starting solids guide says to introduce one single-ingredient new food every 3 to 5 days and look out for reactions. The guidelines do not address this.
• Milk after age 2. The AAP's recommended drinks for young children advises whole milk from 12 to 24 months, then nonfat or low-fat milk from age 2. The Dietary Guidelines name whole milk at 12 months and say full-fat dairy is important for children ages 5 to 10, but do not address milk fat at ages 2 to 4. If you are deciding which milk to buy, ask your pediatrician.

Common questions

Do the guidelines replace my pediatrician's advice?

No. The guidelines themselves send parents to a health care professional on vitamin D, iron, food allergy risk and peanut. They are general guidance for the whole country, and your pediatrician applies it to your child.

Where can I read the guidelines myself?

The full document is published at realfood.gov, and the section on infancy and early childhood is short. It is worth reading in the original, especially if anything here does not match what you have heard elsewhere.

Why do different sources say slightly different things?

They are written by different bodies and updated at different times. The Dietary Guidelines have been issued every five years since 1980, while each AAP page carries its own last-updated date. When two sources differ on something that matters for your child, your pediatrician is the right person to ask.

The short version

Breast milk or formula for about the first six months, solids at about six months when your baby shows the signs, allergenic foods alongside them, and no added sugar. For anything specific to your own baby, the guidelines' own answer is to ask your health care professional.