It might seem obvious that your baby’s portions will be small, but it’s still common to wonder, “how small?” Further, how many times a day should your baby be eating when they’re brand new at this whole solid foods thing?
Remember, your baby is the best guide; they will show you with their body language when they are hungry and full. Over time, you won’t feel like you’re guessing quite as much when portioning snacks and meals. That said, it’s okay to feel unsure about these things and to wonder what is typical.
Here’s a sample schedule based on what is typical for most babies. As usual, leave room for variance and tune into your baby.
6-8 months
At this stage, at least 1-2 solid food meals daily is great.
You will offer breast or bottle first, before solid foods.
Portion sizes can be as small as 1-4 tablespoons of single-ingredient foods.
For example, breakfast could be mashed banana and yogurt. Dinner could be trying a bit of potatoes and peas.
9-11 months
At this stage, you can move to more consistency with three meals per day.
You will still offer breast or bottle first, before solid foods.
Portions can still be small, like a few tablespoons per ingredient. Baby can always have more if they start to eat more!
You can advance into more challenging textures and offer a variety of multi-ingredient plates.
For example, breakfast could be a spinach cheddar omelet strip, a strip of whole-grain toast, and a few slices of strawberries. Dinner could be a few tablespoons of cooked pasta with some shredded cooked broccoli florets on top.
12 months+
Keep going with three meals a day, small portions, a variety of foods, and following your baby’s lead!
The only thing that changes after 12 months is that solid foods are no longer just complementary to breast or bottle; they are now the primary source of their nutrition. You can continue breastfeeding, though offering breast milk before their solid food meals is unnecessary.
It is not necessary to continue infant formula past the age of one.