Which Foods & How Often?

You may be worried about how much food your baby needs. Click below for the the stage your child is at.

• Food at 6 Months

  When you begin, your baby only needs very small amounts of solid food, once a day, at a time that suits you both. This is just to get them used to the new tastes and textures that they have never experienced before.

  You can start with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear.

  Ensure any cooked food has cooled right down before offering it to your baby.

  It's important to introduce foods that can cause allergic reactions one at a time, in very small amounts, so that you can spot any reaction. These foods can be introduced from around 6 months as part of your baby's diet, just like any other foods:

  • Cows’ milk (in cooking or mixed with food)
  • Eggs (eggs without a red lion stamp should not be eaten raw or lightly cooked)
  • Foods that contain gluten, including wheat, barley and rye
  • Nuts and peanuts (serve them crushed or ground)
  • Seeds (serve them crushed or ground)
  • Soya
  • Shellfish (don't serve raw or lightly cooked)
  • Fish.

  If you are serving any food that needs milk added you can use any excess breastmilk you have frozen/expressed in place of your baby's usual milk.

  Read more about recipe ideas

  Read about eating well in the first year

  Read about eating well - 6 months to 2 years

  Read about healthy start and best start foods

• Food at 7-9 Months

  Your baby will have started to get used to the new flavours and textures you have been giving them everyday.

  They should start to gradually move onto three meals a day. Try and let them eat when you eat. They learn from watching other people eat. Try and offer a variety of different foods so they can get all the nutrients they need. 

  Babies don't need salt or sugar added to their food. Salty food isn't good for their kidneys and sugar can cause tooth decay.

  Try not to worry if your baby refuses some foods. It can take up to 10 tries or more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures. There'll be days when they eat more, some when they eat less, and then days when they reject everything! Be as patient as you can and keep offering them a variety of different healthy foods.

  Read more about recipe ideas

  Read about eating well in the first year

  Read about eating well - 6 months to 2 years

  Read about healthy start and best start foods

• Food at 10-12 Months

  Your baby should now be used to having 3 meals a day – breakfast, lunch and tea – in addition to their milk feeds.

  Lunch and tea can include a main course and a pudding (such as fruit or unsweetened yoghurt). Try to eat together as much as possible, babies learn from watching you eat.

  Remember, your baby does not need salt or sugar added to their food or cooking water. Babies shouldn't eat salt as it isn't good for their kidneys and sugar can cause tooth decay.

  Read more about recipe ideas

  Read about eating well in the first year

  Read about eating well - 6 months to 2 years

  Read about healthy start and best start foods

• Food at 1 Year+

  Now your toddler is 12 months old, they should be having 3 meals a day. They may also need 2 healthy snacks in between (for example fruit, vegetable sticks, toast, bread or plain yoghurt).

  Remember, they don't need salt or sugar added to their food or cooking water. Children shouldn't eat salty foods as it isn't good for their kidneys and sugar can cause tooth decay.

  Read more about recipe ideas

  Read more about eating well from 6 months to 2 years
  
  Read about packed lunches from 1 to under 5 year olds

  Read about healthy start & best start foods