Hi Jamie
Feeding should be messy, nutrition should be easy, and both should be fun.
First, salt, sugar and fat in excess are not only unhealthy, they are downright addicting. A good rule to start now is not to add any of these to foods except when they are necessary to make them edible or cookable.
Second, use fresh foods as often as possible. When you buy processed goods, check the labels; you do wants foods, such as cereals, foritifed with iron; you don't want foods containing artificial coloring or sweetening. Preservatives are necessary for food safety; but try to limit how much you give your baby; foods that don't require preservatives because they are fresh are much healthier.
Third, encourage variety. Each meal ideally should represent at least two food groups. You can keep track by evaluating the color scheme of each meal. If each food is a different color (a white cereal, green or yellow vegetable, yellow egg yolk, brown meat, red or blue or white or yellow or purple fruit you are probably doing fine.
Fourth,keep portions small, 1/4 to 1/2 c of each food, with a total of about 1/2 to 1 c of food at each of three meals, and maybe 1/4 c at each of two snacks. And never expect the baby to eat all of even these small portions. Remember, they have a little tummy.:)
Then watch out for the allergy foods; chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, egg whites, and cow's milk can introduce allergy's. limit intake of rice cereal, bananas and cheese= spells constipation.
Grazing can confuse a baby's appetite. So have your child sit during snack time or meal time.
All this above is quoted by Laura Walther Nathanson
Here is a great book to pick up: The Portable Pediatrician for Parents By Laura Walther Nathanson, M.D., FAAP
I reference it when something comes up, many topics and it is recommended 0-5 yrs and then another book:
Mothering By Dr Grace Ketterman, M.D.
A Christian Approach for Mothers of All Ages