How Much and How Often to Feed a Baby from 6 to 12 Months

From 6 to 12 months, breast milk, infant formula or both remain your child's main source of nutrition. Solid foods slowly take up a bigger share of what they eat.

Starting solid foods

A young child's stomach is small and cannot hold much food. As you begin:

• Start small. Offer 1 or 2 tablespoons of food, and watch for signs that your child is still hungry or is full.
• Build up slowly. Bring in solid foods over time, and they will gradually become a larger part of your child's diet.
• Feed often. Give your child something to eat or drink every 2 to 3 hours, or 5 or 6 times a day. That works out to about 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks each day.

Keep a routine

Regular meal and snack times give your child a routine. Try not to let your child eat or drink continuously throughout the day.

After the first birthday

As your child grows, the amount they eat may change from day to day, and that is normal. From around 12 months, children grow more slowly than they did as babies, and your child may even go a couple of days without eating much. What matters is that over a week they get all the foods and nutrients they need.

For examples of serving sizes and more feeding tips, see the American Academy of Pediatrics. 1,000 Days also has a series of videos on feeding.

If you are worried about how much or how often your child eats, talk to your child's doctor or nurse.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "How Much and How Often To Feed", Infant and Toddler Nutrition. https://www.cdc.gov/infant-toddler-nutrition/foods-and-drinks/how-much-and-how-often-to-feed.html
• The source page's two photographs, a baby being spoon-fed and a family at the table, are posed stock pictures and are not reproduced here.
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.