Feeding Guide: 6-12 Months

Please note: This information primarily focuses on nutrition for the healthy, full-term baby. Consult with a WIC Health Professional for more detailed and advanced information particularly for preterm, low-birth weight, special needs, or infants with medical conditions.

Suggested Feeding Guide: 6 – 12 months
Age	Food	Portion Size	Feedings per Day	Feeding Tips
6-7 months	Breast Milk	Gradual decline in feedings. Continue feeding on demand.	Feed on demand. Refrain from watching the clock.	Introduce food at about 6 months when showing signs of readiness Food can be offered in different ways. Baby-Led Weaning (Feeding) method Offering pureed baby foods Start offering small amounts of water from an open cup Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 4-8 oz water for infants 6-12 months of age.
	Iron-Fortified Formula	6-8 oz (consuming 24-32 oz)	3-5 feedings
	Grains Infant cereal, bread, crackers	1-2 Tbsp	1-2 times per day
	Vegetables AND Fruit Plain, strained, pureed, mashed	1-2 Tbsp of vegetables 1-2 Tbsp of fruit	1-2 times per day for vegetables 1-2 times per day for fruit
	Protein Eggs, meat, poultry, fish, cheese/yogurt legumes; Plain, mashed, pureed	1-2 Tbsp	1-2 times per day
8-12 months	Breast Milk	Gradual decline in feedings. Continue feeding on demand.	Feed on demand. Refrain from watching the clock.	Try new flavors and textures Offer plain foods, no need to add sauces, fat, salt or sugar Avoid desserts and highly processed foods Avoid foods that can cause choking such as hot dogs, whole grapes, raw apples, nuts, popcorn, etc. Continue offering open cup, by 10 months offer the cup more and the bottle less Prepare to wean from the bottle at 12 months, whether you breastfeed or formula-feed. Continue breastfeeding as long as desired by mom and baby! If pumping or have frozen breast milk, offer by cup after 12 months
	Iron-Fortified Formula	6-8 oz	3-4 feedings (6-8 oz each consuming 24 ounces)
	Grains (Infant cereal, bread, crackers)	2-4 Tbsp	1-2 times per day
	Vegetables AND Fruit (ground, finely chopped, diced)	2-3 Tbsp of vegetables 2-3 Tbsp of fruit	2-3 times per day for vegetables 2-3 times per day for fruit
	Protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, legumes; ground, finely chopped, diced)	1-2 Tbsp	1-2 times per day

*Source: WIC Works Infant Nutrition and Feeding Manual.

Breastfed Baby

It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to exclusively breastfeed (no formula) through the first 6 months of life and to continue breastfeeding through 2 years of age while complementary foods are added, as mutually desired by mom and baby.

Breast milk is still the main source of nutrition even when food is introduced. Continue to breastfeed on demand. On average, baby will nurse or need breast milk at least 3-4 times per day.

Baby will start to breastfeed less as they eat more baby food and table foods. “Table foods” refers to foods the rest of the family eats at mealtimes. Table foods are the next step after baby has mastered baby foods and is developmentally ready for more chewing, texture, and flavor.

Baby food and table foods are for learning new flavors and textures as well as learning to chew and eat from a spoon, with fingers, and to start self-feeding with utensils. Let them be messy and feed themselves. It is how they learn!

You could also try out the feeding method called Baby-Led Weaning/Feeding! Read about that here.

Get more great breastfeeding information here!

Formula-fed Baby

Baby will start to drink less formula as they eat more baby food and table foods. It is important to continue providing formula through 12 months of age if you’re not breastfeeding.

Formula is still the main source of nutrition. Continue to offer formula on demand. On average, baby will drink 24-32 ounces total per day (about 3-4 8oz bottles per day).

You could also try out the feeding method called Baby-Led Weaning/Feeding! Read about that here.

Feeding Abilities

At 6-7 months, baby will:

Use the whole hand or palm to pick up foods

At 8-9 months, baby will:

Use their fingers to pick up foods.
Reach for a spoon to start spoon feeding themselves, but may need help
Can drink from a cup that is held or may begin to hold a cup

Introducing Food

Introduce foods around 6 months of age when showing signs of readiness.

Signs of Readiness

Holds neck steady
Sits without support
Opens mouth when food is offered
Draws in lower lip when spoon is removed from mouth
Keeps food in mouth and swallows it
Reaches for food showing interest

Starting solids too soon can…

Cause choking
Be hard for baby to digest
Prevent baby from getting enough breast milk or formula for best growth

Food can be offered in different ways.

Baby-Led Weaning method (also known as Baby-Led Feeding)
Offering pureed baby foods

Feeding Tips for the 6-12 month old

At any time between 6-12 months, daily food amounts will vary. Never force your baby to eat all his food or finish a bottle. Baby will know when he is full and done eating! Look for signs of fullness.
Baby’s tummy is small. It is important to feed healthy foods first.
Less healthy food choices like cookies, chips, and candy can be a choking hazard but also do not give baby what is needed for proper growth and development.
Offer fruit for dessert. Babies do not need desserts.
Buy plain foods. Babies do not need added salt and sugar.
Table foods should be soft and easy to chew.
A relaxed, pleasant atmosphere is an important part of feeding kids of all ages. Be patient and give them time to practice. It will be messy but have fun with it!
Let your baby sit at the table with the family!
Always stay with baby when he is eating.
Offer more breast milk, formula, or water in the cup as baby gets closer to age 1. This will help with weaning from the bottle soon after their first birthday.
Wipe baby’s gums and teeth with a soft damp cloth after meals. This will keep baby’s gums and teeth healthy.
Wash your hands and baby’s hands with soap before feeding. Wash the highchair with warm soapy water after baby eats.
See section on Food Safety to learn about how to safely handle and prepare food for you and your family.
See section on Food Allergies to learn about the newest recommendations on how to best prevent food allergies from forming in children.

Cow’s Milk & Other Liquids

Never give cow’s milk before 12 months. Why?

Cow’s milk has too much protein, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, and potassium.
Cow’s milk lacks key nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, linoleic acid, iron, and copper.
Too much protein and minerals are hard on your baby’s kidneys, can cause dehydration, and it is hard for a baby to digest.
Cow’s milk can cause bleeding from the intestinal tract.
Bleeding caused by cow’s milk increases your baby’s chance of becoming anemic (or low in iron).

Water

Water can be introduced from a cup, not a bottle at about 6 months.
Offer a small amount of drinking water once solid foods are introduced to help babies get familiar with the taste. Just a few sips at mealtimes are all it takes.
Drinking water at this age is more to practice using a cup than for nutritional needs. Let baby practice when he shows signs of readiness.

Other liquids

Never give honey, syrup, kool-aid, pop, juice, or any sweetened drink to an infant. Juice is not recommended for babies less than 12 months of age.

No Honey Before 12 Months

Honey, including products that have honey cooked or baked in it (like honey graham crackers), should not be fed to infants younger than 12 months due to risk of infant botulism.

Foods cooked or baked with honey not heated to a certain temperature may still contain viable spores. When a baby eats food with these invisible spores, the spores can produce a toxin that may cause infant botulism.
Botulism can result in death.
A child over 12 months can destroy the small number of spores in honey, but an infant cannot.

Sources: Healthy Eating Research, USDA Infant Nutrition & Feeding – A Guide for Use in WIC