Feeding Your Baby: Birth-23 Months

Create a healthy start for your new baby from the moment you bring them home from the hospital. Explore this healthy eating guide for birth-23 months for nutrition tips and resources for your new addition. A free PDF (English | Spanish) is available as well.

What do I feed my baby from 0-12 months?

Age	Bottle	Solids
Newborn to 3 months	Breastmilk or iron fortified formula ONLY 2-3 oz every 3 hours	NO SOLIDS DO NOT add infant cereal to bottle **Do not start solids before 4 months
4-6 months	Breastmilk or iron fortified formula 4-6 oz every 3 hours	Spoon feed 1-2 tablespoons iron fortified infant cereal mix with breastmilk or formula 2x per day Start 1-2 tablespoons of vegetables then fruit 2x per day
6-8 months	Breastmilk or iron fortified formula 6 oz every 3-4 hours May introduce water in cup	4-9 tablespoons cereal, fruit, and vegetables daily 1-6 tablespoons meat and other protein foods (beans, mashed tofu, etc.) per day
9-12 months	Breastmilk or iron fortified formula 6 oz every 3-4 hours	¼-½ cup grains, fruit, and vegetables 2x per day ¼ to ½ cup calcium rich foods ¼ to ½ cup meat and protein foods per day
1 year	Provide whole milk 4 oz 4x per day until 2 years old Do not offer more than 4 oz of juice per day Transition to offering liquids in cup	3 small meals + snacks Offer fruits and vegetables at every meal Do not offer foods that are known choking hazards

What do I feed my baby from 4-12 months?

Age	Texture	Grains	Veggies	Fruit	Protein
4-6 months	Cooked Puree	Iron fortified infant formula	Green beans Spinach Kale Broccoli	Apples Pears Raw banana Avocado	Chicken Turkey Beef
6-8 months	Cooked Puree Cooked Soft Mashed	Iron fortified infant formula Mixed grain cereal Dissolvable finger foods	Carrots Cauliflower Winter squash Sweet potatoes Peas	Mangos Honeydew Pears Peaches Nectarines Cantaloupe Papaya	Beef Chicken Turkey Fish Egg yolk Tofu Beans
8-10 months	Soft Cooked Mashed Chopped Small Pieces Ground	Cold cereals without sugar Pasta Soft grains Rice Unsalted crackers Toasted Bread	Carrots Cauliflower Winter squash Sweet potatoes Peas Summer squash	Mangos Honeydew Pears Peaches Nectarines Cantaloupe Papaya	Beef Chicken Turkey Fish Egg yolk Tofu Beans Cheese Yogurt
10-12 months	Soft Cooked Mashed Chopped Small Pieces Ground	All Grains Crackers Bread Cereals Pasta Rice	Carrots Cauliflower Winter squash Sweet potatoes Peas Tomatoes Finely chopped lettuce All veggies	Mangos Honeydew Pears Peaches Nectarines Cantaloupe Papaya Quartered grapes Chopped citrus fruit	Beef Chicken Turkey Fish Whole eggs, cooked Tofu Beans Thinly spread nut butters on toast Cheese

Feeding tips and rules

Birth to 4 months

Always hold your baby if you bottle feed. Never prop the bottle.
Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle.
Never start solids before 4 months.
Never put infant cereal in bottle.

4-6 months

Start purees when baby can sit up without help, hold head steady, and keep food in mouth and swallow.
Feed cereal with spoon only.
Offer one new food at a time.
Wait 3-5 days between offering new foods.
Your baby will likely be ready for solids closer to 6 months.
Never force baby to finish bottle or food.
Offer single ingredient purees.

6-8 months

Do not offer honey due to risk of botulism.
Allow baby to feed self when able.
Always watch baby during mealtimes to prevent choking.
Do not add salt, sugar, or spices to food.
You may introduce a small amount of water around 6 months.

9-12 months

Do not give liquids other than formula or breast milk under 1 year old.
You may introduce a small amount of water around 6 months.
Use cup more than bottle.
Do not add salt, sugar, or spices to food.
Let baby feed themselves with spoon/hand.
Let baby sit at table with family.

Feeding schedule and meal plans for 4-12 months

4-6 months	6-8 months	9-12 months
Breakfast 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 1-2 TBSP iron-fortified infant cereal 1-2 TBSP puree fruit or vegetables	Breakfast 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 1-2 TBSP iron-fortified infant cereal 1-2 TBSP puree fruit or vegetables	Breakfast 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 2-4 TBSP Grain 1-2 TBSP protein 2 TBSP fruit or vegetable
Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula
Lunch 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Lunch 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 2-4 TBSP iron-fortified infant cereal 2-3 TBSP fruit or vegetable 2-3 TBSP protein	Lunch 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 1-2 TBSP protein 1-2 TBSP grain 2-4 TBSP fruit or vegetable
Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Snack 1/4 cup yogurt with cut-up soft banana
Dinner 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 1-2 TBSP cereal or protein 1-2 TBSP puree fruit or vegetable	Dinner 4-6 oz breast milk or formula 2-3 TBSP protein 2-4 TBSP infant cereal or other grain 2-3 TBSP fruit or vegetable	Dinner 2-4 TBSP protein 2-4 TBSP grain 2-4 TBSP fruit or vegetable
Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula	Feeding 4-6 oz breast milk or formula

What do I feed my baby from 12-23 months?

Grains 6 servings per day	Veggies 2-3 servings per day	Fruit 2-3 servings per day	Calcium 4-5 servings per day	Protein 2 servings per day
⅓ cup oatmeal	¼ cup carrots	⅓ cup melon	½ cup milk	1-3 TBSP chicken
⅓-½ cup cereal	¼ cup broccoli	⅓ cup canned peaches	½ cup yogurt	1-3 TBSP fish
¼-⅓ cup rice	¼ cup green beans	⅓ cup berries	½ oz cheese	1 egg
¼-½ slice of bread	¼ cup cauliflower	⅓ cup pineapple	½ cup Ripple milk	2-4 TBSP beans
¼-⅓ cup pasta	¼ cup squash	⅓ cup mango	1 cup cottage cheese	2-4 TBSP tofu
¼-½ 6-inch tortilla	¼ cup snap peas	⅓ cup canned pears	½ cup soy milk	1 TBSP peanut butter

Meal plans for 12-23 months

Day 1 Meal Plan	Day 2 Meal Plan
Breakfast ⅓ cup oatmeal ½ cup milk ⅓ cup smashed blueberries	Breakfast ½ cup cereal ½ cup milk ⅓ cup sliced strawberries
Snack ½ cup yogurt ⅓ cup peaches	Snack ⅓ cup banana 1 cup milk
Lunch 1-2 TBSP chicken ½ cup rice ½ cup green beans	Lunch 1-3 TBSP turkey ½ cup potatoes ¼ cup cooked broccoli ½ cup yogurt
Snack ½ cup canned peaches 10 crackers 1 cup milk	Snack 10 crackers ¼ cup cauliflower
Dinner 2-4 TBSP beans ½ cup milk 1 tortilla ½ cup cooked carrots	Dinner 1-3 TBSP fish ½ cup pasta ¼ cup asparagus ½ cup milk

How do I build a healthy snack?

Choose Two: Fruit - Veggies - Starch - Protein
¼ cup black beans + 1 corn tortilla	Pretzel sticks + 1 TBSP nut butter	¼ cup snack peas + 1 TBSP hummus
½ medium banana + 1 TBSP peanut butter	Whole grain cereal + ½ cup milk	½ cup canned fruit + ½ cup cottage cheese
Berries + ½ cup yogurt	2 TBSP avocado + 1 slice whole wheat toast	Celery sticks + 1 TBSP peanut butter
Cooked veggie stick + 1 TBSP salad dressing	Cucumbers + 1 TBSP cream cheese	Fruit smoothie

How do I prevent my child from choking?

Avoid serving foods that are as wide around as a nickel, which is the size of a young child's throat.

Foods to avoid

Cheese cubes or blocks
Chewing gum
Dried fruit (raisins)
Gummy fruit snacks
Hard candy including caramels, cough drops, jelly beans, lollipops, etc.
Hard pretzels and pretzel chips
Ice cubes
Marshmallows
Corn
Nuts and seeds, including breads, crackers, and cereals that contain nuts and seeds.
Popcorn
Spoonful of peanut butter or other nut butters. Spread nut butters thinly on other foods. Serve only creamy, not chunky, nut butters.
Whole grapes
Whole cherry tomatoes
Whole cherries
Raw carrots
Sausages and hot dogs

Make eating safe

Cook or steam hard food, like carrots, until it is soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Remove seeds, pits, and tough skins/peels from fruits and vegetables.
Finely chop foods into thin slices, strips, or small pieces (no larger than
1/2 inch), or grate, mash, or puree foods.
Grind up tough meats.
Remove all bones from proteins.
Discourage eating while playing.

Cut round foods into smaller pieces

Slice these items in half lengthwise
Then slice into smaller pieces (no larger than ½ inch).

Cut tube-shaped foods into smaller pieces

Cut tube-shaped into short strips rather than round pieces.