Your 11- or 12-month-old baby is quickly approaching toddlerhood, and their eating may seem much more grown up. Your baby is likely eating three meals a day and some snacks, and can eat the same things as the rest of the family. Picky eating may come into play soon, but keep serving your baby foods with a variety of textures and flavors – it will help them in the long run.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Sample 11-month-old feeding schedule
- Sample 12-month-old feeding schedule
- Meal ideas for 11- and 12-month-olds
By 11 and 12 months old, your baby is probably eating three meals and one or two snacks every day. They’ll continue to nurse or take bottles, too. Experts recommend transitioning from formula to cow’s milk at a year old, but you can continue breastfeeding as long as you want.
As your baby gets older, they’ll drink fewer bottles or have fewer nursing sessions, but eat more solid food. It’s common to wonder whether your baby is eating enough – if you’re not sure how much food your baby needs, check out our age-by-age guide to feeding babies.
Most babies at 11 to 12 months eat 8 to 12 tablespoons of food at each meal, as well as a few snacks of roughly a quarter cup of solid food. Your baby can also drink water from an open cup or a cup with a straw.
Your little one might have preferences for specific foods and textures, and turn other foods away. Keep giving a variety of different foods, and don’t be discouraged if your baby doesn’t like everything you serve. It’s also normal for a baby to eat a lot at one meal, while only eating a couple bites at the next.
Do your best to model healthy eating habits by joining your baby at meal time, and including them in your family’s meals. If your baby sees you and others eat, it may get them excited about eating, too.
At 11 months, your baby might still be drinking around 24 ounces of formula each day, though they don’t need more than 32 ounces. They’ll drink three or four 7- to 8-ounce bottles daily.
Beginning at 12 months, you can stop giving your baby formula and transition to whole cow’s milk. One-year-olds can drink 16 to 20 ounces a day; more than that can reduce your child’s appetite for solid food and can contribute to iron deficiency anemia.
If you’re breastfeeding, you can also give your baby cow’s milk once they’re a year old – and you can keep breastfeeding as long as you want, too. At 11 and 12 months old, you can expect your baby to nurse three or four times a day.
Sample 11-month-old feeding schedule
8:30 a.m.: Wake up and play.
9 a.m.: Breakfast – 8 ounces of formula, small pieces of fruit, and pieces of waffles or toast.
9:30 a.m.: Playtime.
12 p.m.: Lunch – 8 ounces of formula, veggies and grilled chicken, or leftovers from dinner.
12:30 p.m.: More playtime.
1:30 p.m.: Naptime.
2:20 p.m.: Snack – pieces of fruit or crackers with hummus.
4 p.m.: Playtime.
5:30 p.m.: Dinner – leftovers from lunch or ground meat, mushrooms, potatoes, various fruits and veggies.
6 p.m.: Playtime.
7 p.m.: An 8-ounce bottle of formula, bedtime routine, then bed.
From solid food to sippy cups, spoons, and kids’ ability to feed themselves, here are the major eating milestones and when to expect them.
Sample 12-month-old feeding schedule
7 a.m.: Wake up and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes.
7:30 a.m.: Playtime.
8:15 a.m.: Breakfast – small pieces of pancakes, fruit, eggs, and a cup of water.
8:45 a.m.: Playtime.
9:30 a.m.: Naptime.
11:30 a.m.: Lunch – small pieces of veggies, whole wheat bread, beans, chicken, and a cup of water.
12 p.m.: Playtime.
1 p.m.: Snack – yogurt with fruit.
1:30 p.m.: Nurse, then naptime.
3 p.m.: Playtime.
4:30 p.m.: Dinner – pieces of cooked fish, avocado, diced fruit, and yogurt.
5:30 p.m.: Playtime.
6 p.m.: Snack – a few crackers with nut butter or pieces of fruit.
7 p.m.: Nurse, then bedtime routine and bedtime.
Meal ideas for 11 and 12 month-olds
At 11 and 12 months old, your baby can eat the same foods you do, as long as you’ve chopped or cooked them to avoid choking hazards. So you’re free to feed your baby whatever the rest of the family is eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just avoid giving your baby overly salted food or foods with too much added sugar. Once your baby is 12 months old, you can also give them honey.
Though your almost-toddler can eat a lot of different foods now, it can be hard to come up with new, baby-friendly meal ideas. When filling your little one’s plate, aim to have an age-appropriate serving of proteins, carbs, fruits, and veggies at each meal. Here some ideas to get you started.
Breakfast:
- Unsweetened yogurt or cottage cheese with chopped strawberries
- Scrambled eggs with cheese
- Oatmeal with cooked apples or pears
- Toast cut in strips with butter, peanut butter, mashed avocado, or cream cheese.
Lunch:
- Pieces of grilled or roasted chicken, chopped broccoli, and blueberries
- Pasta with spinach and ricotta
- Baby charcuterie with sliced cheese cubes, chopped melon, whole grain crackers, and chopped cucumbers
Dinner:
- Smashed chickpea and butternut squash chili
- Fried rice with shredded chicken, peas, and carrots
- Salmon, asparagus, and peas with pasta or rice
- Pasta with red sauce, butter, or olive oil, and broccoli
Snacks:
- Yogurt
- Bananas
- Whole grain crackers
- Diced or pureed fruit
- Steamed and chopped vegetables
- Cheese cubes cut into small pieces
- Crackers with peanut butter or hummus
Read more about
Add a Comment