Feeding at a glance
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During your
baby's first 3 months,
breast milk or formula will
provide all the nutrition
needed.
But as your
infant develops physically
and mentally, the feeding
process will evolve. In
general, babies move toward
consuming more milk during
each feeding, so won't need
to feed as often and will
sleep longer at night. Even older
babies have small stomachs and
may not be able to eat much at one time. They usually
need two to three snacks during the day, along with
their meals.
This chart can help you get started
making your own baby food, planning your baby or
toddler's meals, packing a healthy lunchbox and making
meals that are healthy and fulfilling little tummies |
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| Age |
Food Sequence
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Food Presentation
|
Developmental Skills,
Implications for Feeding |
| Birth to 6 months |
Breast milk and/or
iron-fortified formula satisfies all nutritional
requirements. Solid foods not nutritionally needed, but
infant may want |
Breast and/or bottle |
Designed to suck, not chew
Rooting reflex; searches for food source
Tongue-thrust reflex pushes out solid foods
Sensitive gag reflex |
| 6 months
|
Starter foods:
bananas, pears, rice cereal, applesauce |
Strained, pureed Fingertip full Spoonful |
Tongue-thrust and gag reflexes lessen;
accepts solids Sits erect in high chair Begins teething |
| 7 to 9 months |
avocados, mashed potatoes,
peaches, barley cereal, carrots, squash, teething
biscuits, pear and apple juice |
May drink from cup
Finger foods begin
Pureed and mashed foods |
Holds bottle
Thumb-and-forefinger pickup begins
Fascination with tiny food morsels
Begins mouthing chokable food and objects (parents
beware!)
Bangs, drops, flings
Reaches for food and utensils
Munches food |
| 9 to 12 months |
lamb, veal, tofu, poultry,
noodles, bagel, beans, rice cakes, peas, egg yolk, yams,
cheese, oatmeal, yogurt |
Lumpier consistency
Finger foods mastered
Bite-sized, cooked vegetables
Melt-in-mouth foods
Holds trainer cup |
Self-feeding skills improve
Holds bottle and cup longer
Points and pokes, smears, enjoys mess
High-chair gymnastics increase
Tries to use utensils, spills most |
| 12 to 18 months |
whole milk, papaya, cottage
cheese, apricots, ice cream, grapefruit, whole eggs,
grape halves, beef, strawberries, tomatoes, fish
(salmon, tuna), pasta, graham crackers, broccoli, wheat
cereal, spinach, honey, cauliflower, pancakes, melon,
muffins, mango, kiwi |
Participates in family meals
Eats chopped and mashed family foods
Begins self-feeding with utensils |
Has prolonged attention span
"Do it myself" desire intensifies
Tilts cup and head while drinking, spills less
Holds spoon better, still spills much
Begins walking ? doesn't want to sit still and eat
Picks at others' plates |
| 18 to 24 months |
Eats toddler portions of
sandwiches, stews, nutritious puddings, sauces,
smoothies, shakes, pate, dips, toppings, spreads, soups
Toddler food "language:" avocado boats, cooked carrot
wheels, cheese blocks, broccoli trees, o-shaped cereal,
toast sticks, cookie-cutter cheese melts, sailboat
salads, peanut butter |
Grazes ? deserves title "picky eater"
Nibble tray
Weans from bottle
Uses spoon and fork |
Molars appear ? begins rotary chewing
Spoon-feeds self without spilling much
Learns food talk, signals for "more," "all done"
Wants to eat on the run? needs creative feeding to hold
attention at table
Has erratic feeding habits |
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