Written by moms · Ages 0 to 6

Feeding our kids well, without the stress

What we learned reading the official guidelines and the research behind them, turned into the practical guide we wish we'd had.

Ideal plate

Our everyday plate from age 1, with water as the default drink.

Who wrote this, and what it is not

We're moms, not nutritionists or pediatricians. We read the public guidance from Brazil's Ministry of Health, the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP), the World Health Organization and other health bodies, and wrote down what it says in plain language, alongside what has worked at our own tables. Every factual claim links to its source at the bottom of the page. Where we're sharing experience rather than research, we say so. This guide does not replace your child's pediatrician, especially for allergies, growth concerns or very selective eating.

The everyday plate

Brazil's dietary guidelines don't ask us to count nutrients. They ask us to build meals from real food: fresh or minimally processed ingredients, cooked at home when we can, and to keep ultra-processed products out of small children's diets.^1,2 The plate below is a simple way we picture that.

Half: fruits and vegetablesAs many colors as you can manage across the week.
A quarter: grains and tubersRice, oats, corn, cassava, potato, whole-grain bread.
A quarter: proteinsBeans and lentils, eggs, chicken, meat, fish. Rice and beans count!
Water to drinkPlus milk or yogurt in the day, and a little olive oil or avocado for healthy fats.

A note from us: the plate is a picture of the week, not a test for every meal. Some days are pasta days.

The few rules the guidelines are firm about

Most feeding advice is flexible. These points aren't.

No honey before 1 year.Not in food, not on a pacifier. Brazil's guide lists honey with the sugars to avoid for the under-2s.^1,3
No added sugar or sweeteners before 2.That includes brown sugar, rapadura, honey, coconut sugar, and "sugar-free" products with sweeteners. Cakes, cookies, flavored yogurts and petit suisse count too.³
No ultra-processed foods before 2.Instant porridge mixes, chocolate milk powder, breakfast cereals, packaged snacks and soft drinks are all on the Ministry of Health's list.^1,3
No juice before 1.After that, whole fruit wins; if you serve juice, keep it to a small cup (up to about 120 ml a day at 1–3, 120–180 ml at 4–6), at a meal, never in a bottle or at bedtime.^6,7 Brazil's guide asks us to offer water instead of juice.¹
Cut round, firm foods until at least age 4.Grapes, cherry tomatoes and sausages lengthwise into quarters; no whole nuts, popcorn or hard raw carrot; always seated and supervised.¹²
No high-mercury fish.Skip shark (including cação), swordfish, king mackerel and marlin. Choose low-mercury fish like salmon, sardines, tilapia and canned light tuna.¹¹
No caffeine or energy drinks.Soda, coffee, mate and black tea, and energy drinks aren't recommended for young children.⁸

Stage by stage

Pick your child's age. The amounts are guides, not targets. Appetite swings a lot from day to day.

Milk is the whole meal

Breast milk only, if possible; formula if not. No water, tea or other foods yet.

FoodBreast milk or infant formula only^1,4
DrinksNo extra water needed⁸
SupplementVitamin D drops from the first week, 400 IU/day⁵

What the guidelines say

Brazil's Ministry of Health and the WHO recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, continuing alongside food up to 2 years or beyond.^1,4
The SBP recommends vitamin D for all babies from the first week of life, including exclusively breastfed ones, wherever in Brazil you live.⁵ Iron drops are also routinely prescribed in Brazil; your pediatrician sets the start date and dose.²
When formula is needed, it's a complete food. How a baby is fed matters less than that they're fed and held.

Signs your baby is getting ready for food (usually around 6 months)

Sits with little support and holds the head steady.
Shows interest in what you're eating and brings things to the mouth.
No longer pushes everything out with the tongue.

From our experience: growth spurts can mean a few days of near-constant feeding. It feels endless and it passes. Feed on cue, not by the clock.

Nutrients worth knowing

A varied plate covers most of this without thinking about it. These are the ones pediatric guidance pays extra attention to.

Iron
Iron-deficiency anemia can affect a child's physical and mental development. Babies' stores run low around 6 months, which is why meat, beans and eggs matter early, and why iron supplements are routine in Brazil.²
Vitamin D
Breast milk is naturally low in it, and sun exposure isn't a reliable dose for babies. The SBP recommends supplements for all babies from the first week.⁵
Vitamin A
Found in orange vegetables and fruit, dark greens and egg yolk. Brazil offers vitamin A supplements to young children in some regions through the public health system.²
Calcium
Milk, yogurt and cheese are the easy sources; dark leafy greens and sardines with bones help too.
Omega-3 (DHA)
Fish provides omega-3 fats plus iron, zinc and other nutrients that support brain development, which is why the FDA suggests two servings a week of low-mercury fish for kids.¹¹
Fiber
Beans, fruit, vegetables and whole grains. The classic rice-and-beans plate is a quiet fiber hero.

What to drink, by age

From a 2019 consensus by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Heart Association, plus the AAP's juice policy.^6,8 Totals vary with heat, activity and what else the child drinks.

Age	Water	Milk	100% juice
0–6 months	Not needed	Breast milk or formula only	None
6–12 months	About 120–240 ml, in a cup	Breast milk or formula	None
1–2 years	About 240–960 ml	Breast milk, or 2–3 cups plain whole milk	Up to 120 ml
2–3 years	About 240–960 ml	About 2 cups plain milk	Up to 120 ml
4–6 years	About 360–1,200 ml	About 2½ cups plain milk	120–180 ml

In all ages under 5: no flavored milks, soft drinks, sweetened or "diet" drinks, or caffeine.⁸

Things we'd heard that didn't hold up

We came across these in parenting groups and even on well-meaning websites. Here's what we found when we looked.

"Wait as long as possible to give peanut and egg."

The opposite. Guidelines now recommend introducing them around 6 months, and since this advice changed, food allergies in U.S. children have gone down.^9,10

"Diluted juice is fine for babies."

No juice at all before 1 year. Diluting it doesn't remove the problem for teeth.^6,7

"Baby cereals and 'kids' yogurts are the healthy option."

Brazil's Ministry of Health lists instant cereal porridges, flavored yogurts and petit suisse among the sugary ultra-processed products to avoid before 2.³

"Oat or almond milk is a healthier swap for cow's milk."

For kids under 5 without a medical reason, experts don't recommend plant-based drinks as a milk replacement; they add no unique nutrition.⁸

"Sweeteners are a safe way around the sugar rule."

Brazil's guidance is to avoid sweeteners for young children too, unless a health professional says otherwise.³

Our sources

We relied on official guidelines and professional societies first. Where international sources are used, it's because Brazilian guidance doesn't cover that detail.