Select a Stage: Pregnancy New Born Baby Toddler Pre-School
Close

Every Milestone has Meaning

Milestones are important when it comes to feeding, as your child's needs change with every developmental stage. Select the Milestone Symbol™ below that reflects your child’s current stage of development to receive customized feeding guidelines, menus and nutrition advice tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills.

Select a Milestone

Pregnancy

  • 1st Trimester
  • 2nd Trimester
  • 3rd Trimester
Close

Every Milestone has Meaning

Milestones are important when it comes to feeding, as your child's needs change with every developmental stage. Select the Milestone Symbol™ below that reflects your child’s current stage of development to receive customized feeding guidelines, menus and nutrition advice tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills.

Select a Milestone

Birth

  • Makes crawling-type motions with her legs
  • Enjoys bold colors as vision continues to develop
  • Smiles, frowns and grimaces
  • Reaches for you when she wants attention
Close

Every Milestone has Meaning

Milestones are important when it comes to feeding, as your child's needs change with every developmental stage. Select the Milestone Symbol™ below that reflects your child’s current stage of development to receive customized feeding guidelines, menus and nutrition advice tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills.

Select a Milestone

Crawler

  • Crawls with stomach off the floor
  • May pull self up to stand
  • Begins to self-feed with fingers
  • Begins to use jaw to mash food

Supported Sitter

  • Sits with help or support
  • On tummy, pushes up on arms with straight elbows
  • Moves pureed food forward and backward in mouth with tongue to swallow

Sitter

  • Sits independently
  • Picks up and holds small objects in hands
  • Reaches for food or spoon when hungry
  • Uses upper lip to help clear food off of spoon
Close

Every Milestone has Meaning

Milestones are important when it comes to feeding, as your child's needs change with every developmental stage. Select the Milestone Symbol™ below that reflects your child’s current stage of development to receive customized feeding guidelines, menus and nutrition advice tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills.

Select a Milestone

Crawler

  • Crawls with stomach off the floor
  • May pull self up to stand
  • Begins to self-feed with fingers
  • Begins to use jaw to mash food

Toddler

  • Stands alone and begins to walk alone
  • Feeds self easily with fingers
  • Begins to use fork and spoon
  • Bites through a variety of textures
Close

Every Milestone has Meaning

Milestones are important when it comes to feeding, as your child's needs change with every developmental stage. Select the Milestone Symbol™ below that reflects your child’s current stage of development to receive customized feeding guidelines, menus and nutrition advice tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills.

Select a Milestone

Preschooler

  • Runs well without falling
  • Sits in a booster seat or child seat at family meals
  • Chews more skillfully and efficiently
  • Mastering use of spoon and fork
Search
Print This Page Share This Page
About the START HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY™ Resource Center

We don't have to tell you that the choices you're facing as a mom can be complicated. That's why the experts behind GERBER® baby and toddler products and NESTLÉ® GOOD START® formulas have created an innovative approach to help you make healthy and age-appropriate nutrition decisions for your child—the START HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY™ Resource Center.

One click, phone call, or trip to your mailbox can connect you with the latest information about feeding and caring for your baby:

Ask our experts 24/7

Our baby and toddler nutrition experts offer advice and answer your feeding and nutrition questions. Call us for FREE 24 hours a day at 1-800-443-7237 or e-mail us here. (If your baby is ill or injured, please contact your doctor or seek other medical treatment.)

StartHealthyStayHealthy.com

Access in-depth information here on our website. You'll find articles, downloadable guides, and interactive tools to help give your little one a healthy start.

Nutrition booklets

We deliver nutrition booklets, tailored to your baby's developmental stage, right to your mailbox! Each one features articles, tear-out tools, and expert advice. Sign up today!

Introducing the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy™ Nutrition Guide

The experts behind GERBER® baby products and NESTLÉ® GOOD START® formulas have created the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide: an innovative—and practical—feeding system from birth to 4 years old. This unique Nutrition Guide was developed from more than a decade of research. Unlike any other resource, it contains nutrition and feeding guidance, products, and healthy menus, all tailored to your child's development.

Nutrition designed for every stage

We've made understanding your child's nutrition simpler. Start by selecting one of the distinctive color-coded Milestone Symbols™ that reflects your child's stage of development—Birth, Supported Sitter, Sitter, Crawler, Toddler, or Preschooler. (For example, developmental cues indicating that your child may have reached the Sitter stage include: sits independently, picks up and holds small objects in hands, reaches for food or spoon when hungry, and uses upper lip to help clear food off of spoon.)

Milestone Symbols

Our Milestone Symbols will point you toward stage-relevant products, menus, and nutrition and feeding guidance tailored to your child's individual readiness cues and motor skills. These Milestone Symbols™ indicate the developmental stage at which your child can begin to enjoy each food. As he reaches a new stage, he can add new foods while continuing to enjoy foods added at earlier stages.

Although it takes patience and persistence to teach your child to enjoy a balanced diet of healthy foods, understanding your child's nutritional needs by stages of development and how you can meet those needs has never been easier!

Stage-appropriate food choices

Only the makers of GERBER® products and NESTLÉ® GOOD START® formulas offer a line of food and beverages tailored to your baby's developmental stages. To help you make appropriate food choices for your child at the store, we will be adding our unique Milestone Symbols™ and Benefit Band™ to our product packages. Selecting the right foods for your child has never been easier!

  1. Use the Milestone Symbols to determine your child's developmental stage.
  2. Look for the Milestone Symbol on the package to select the foods appropriate for your little one.
  3. Learn about each product's nutrition benefits by reading the information in the Benefit Band.
  4. Serve your child the appropriate foods.

Go to the Nutrition Guide now.

The Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide Milestone Symbols and Benefit Band are trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé, S.A. © 2008 Nestlé. All rights reserved.

Got a question? Our experts are on call 24/7!

"How do I know whether my baby is getting enough breastmilk?"
"My mom said my 4-month-old can start eating baby cereal. But is it too soon?"
"My toddler will only eat macaroni and cheese. How can I get him to eat other foods?"

These are just a sample of the types of questions we hear from parents just like you. At the START HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY™ Resource Center, we love hearing from you because we want to help you raise a happy, healthy baby.

We're available 24/7 to answer your questions. When you call you’ll talk to an expert in baby, toddler, and preschool nutrition. Our experts can help you establish a feeding pattern for your newborn, start your baby on solid foods, feed your picky toddler or preschooler, and offer advice about any other nutrition-related topics.

As a parent it's normal to have lots of questions, especially when it comes to feeding your baby. At the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Resource Center, we're committed to providing you with expert advice so you can feel confident you’re doing the very best for your baby.

Call us anytime, day or night, FREE of charge, at 1-800-443-7237 or e-mail our experts here.

Unless otherwise indicated, all trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé, S.A., Vevey, Switzerland © 2008 Nestlé. All rights reserved.

The Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide Milestone Symbols and Benefit Band are trademarks of Société des Produits Nestlé, S.A. © 2008 Nestlé. All rights reserved.