<p>This article is a reflection that takes place within the framework of the social work intervention in the problem of malnutrition, it covers concepts from the multiple factors which determine it as a result of biological and social factors; it also deepens the concepts of food culture and early childhood, the first one as an important factor to interpret the method of collection, preparation and consumption of food and the second as the crucial stage for the full development of the human being in all its aspects: biological, psychological, cultural and social; finally there is a review of the regulatory aspects found in the Colombian legislation about nutrition in infancy.</p>