9-Month- to 1-Year-Old Feeding Guide

Select stage

0 to 2 Months

3 to 5 Months

6 Months

7 to 8 Months

9 to 12 Months

12 to 18 Months

Finger-feeding

Tries to use a spoon

Begins to use a sippy cup

Feed at regular times

Food, Quantity and Consistency

Liquid

Breast Milk
Infant formula, cow’s milk based
3.25% Cow's milk††

Liquid intake:

300-620 ml/day (3-4 servings/day)

Solid

Yogurt
Pancakes or soft French toast
Pasta or rice
Cottage cheese
Hard cooked egg
Cooked vegetables
Cooked or ripe fruit
Family foods (casseroles)

Solid food intake:

3 meals and 2 snacks

Consistency

Bite sized pieces
Increased texture
Mashed
Coarsely chopped
Finger foods

Key Nutrients

DHA

DHA is an Omega-3 fat prominent in your baby's brain and important for his normal brain and eye development. By your baby's 2nd birthday, most of his brain growth will have already occurred.

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If using an infant formula, use a formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid(DHA). Once on solids, fatty fish is another excellent way to ensure your baby's diet is rich in DHA

DHA recommendation:

6-12 months: 70mg/day of DHA

Iron

Iron is essential for your baby's physical and mental growth, and as he grows he needs more to avoid iron deficiency anemia. Once your baby is on solids, make sure you provide iron rich foods.

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Iron from animal products, especially meat, is absorbed more easily than from other sources. Vitamin C also helps absorption of iron from plant sources (non-heme-iron).

Iron recommendations:

7-12 months: 11mg/day

Calcium

Your baby needs calcium for healthy development, especially of his bones and teeth.

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The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow's milk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.║

Calcium recommendations:

7-12 months: 260 mg/day

Introducing Solid Foods

When and How

At 6 months, you can begin introducing iron rich solid foods one at a time. Wait a least 2 days after each to identify which foods your baby won't tolerate well. The amount she drinks well naturally decrease as her solid food intake increases.

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For up to 9 to 12 months, your baby will get most of her nutrients from breast milk or formula. As your baby is learning to eat a variety foods with different textures, think of solids as a supplement to her diet.

Keep in mind, cow's milk can become part of your babies diet†, however, it is not nutritionally complete and should not be used to fill nutritional gaps.

Preventing Choking

Start with nearly liquid foods, then gradually introduce foods with thicker textures. Always supervise infants when they're eating.

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Avoid foods like nuts, raw carrots, popcorn, hard, sticky
or round candy, raisins, hot dogs and whole grapes.

Foods to Avoid

All infants: Sugary drinks or foods
Infants under 1:Honey (risk of botulism)

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Limit fruit juice as it may take the place of
more nutrient-rich foods. Give only if baby is
older than 6 months and drinking from a cup. Limit to 125 to 175 ml per day.

Breastfeeding

Signs your baby is getting enough to eat:

Breast milk provides the optional nutrition for your baby.

6-8 wet diapers a day
Loose yellowish stool (1st month
Appropriate weight gain

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Lactating women should have at least 200 mg
of DHA/day§. Eat foods rich in DHA, especially
fatty fish such as salmon, to support your baby's
normal brain and eye development.†

Vitamin D

All breastfed infants should receive a daily
Vitamin D supplement of 400 IU (10 μg) until
their diet provides it or they reach one year of age.

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Babies in northern communities or with dark
skin should get 800 IU (20 μg) per day from
October to April.

* Average level of DHA and ARA in worldwide breast milk is 0.32% and 0.47% (mean ± standard deviation of total fatty acids) based on an analysis of 65 studies of 2,474 women).

† For example, herring, mackerel, pollock, salmon and shrimp. Visit Health Canada's website for advice on how to limit exposure to mercury from certain types of fish.

§ Koletzko B et al. J Perinat. Med. 2008;36:5-14

║ The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow's millk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.