Baby Feeding Chart: Analysis of the recommendations in the first year of life
Giving your baby food during his/her first year of life is one of the most crucial responsibilities of a new parent. Of course, as your little one grows, their need for certain nutrients rapidly changes, and it may bewilder when and how to start giving new types of food. Knowing what foods these are and how much of each food should be given at which age would make it easier to know that the baby is well-fed for proper growth.
This article offers an easy to use baby feeding chart for the first year of your baby’s life illustrating the feeding stages of infants, breast milk or formula and solids.
0-4 Months: Breast Milk or Formula Only
Nutritional Needs: During this stage, the baby can only be fed on breast milk or infant formula because he or she requires no other food. The demand feeding means that breastfeeding should be done from between 8-12 times a day for breastfed baby while formula fed baby should be fed every 3-4 hour.
What to feed:
- Breast milk: Especially good for improving the immune system and giving natural nutrients.
- Formula: As an option, it is great for those who have no possibility or no intention to breast feed their babies.
Tip: Do not attempt to give semi-solids before 4 months because babies are not physically prepared to chewing something even if it is glucose-based and it can cause more harm than good to their allergies.
4-6 Months: Introducing Solid Foods
It is good to introduce solids to your baby when he reaches the age of four or six months. But carry on feeding them with breast milk or formula as their staple foods until they are ready to eat solids.
Signs Your Baby is Ready:
What to feed:
- Begin with single-grain, iron-fortified cereals; rice or oatmeal, mashed and mixed with breast milk/formula.
- Following cereals present pureed vegetables, fruits, and meat (one at a time as the child might be allergic to the new food introduced).
Tip: Start with a small dosage (1-2 tablespoons) per a day and slowly introduce more as the baby adjusts to a new taste.
6-8 Months: Expanding Varieties
Around 6 to 8 months of age, a baby can be more accepting of solids and does not gag as much on a certain type of food. It is also the ideal time to diversify the types of textures aside from “pureed” food.
What to feed:
- Keep on breastfeeding or formula feeding up to age 2.
- Include pureed or semi-solid foods such as bananas or other tender fruits and creamy vegetables such as avocados, sweet potatoes, or else well-cooked carrots.
- Feeds your baby pureed protein foods such as chicken, turkey, or lentils into your baby.
- You can also begin introducing soft finger foods such as steamed broccoli or well-cooked and chopped fruits.
Tip: Hand-feed your child a few times to allow them to practice using their fingers to pick foods and avoid foods that may cause choking. Always supervise meal times.
8-10 Months: More Texture and Finger Foods
At 8-10 months, your baby is more developed and will be able to gobble more foods and may want to feed herself/himself. Breast milk and even baby formula will remain a source of nutrients, but now it will constitute a far smaller part of the toddler’s diet in terms of quantity.
What to feed:
- Proceed with mashed and finely chopped vegetables fruits grains and meat.
- Include foods such as yogurt, but no cow’s milk until after 12 months or cheese containing whole fat.
- Prepare soft small portioned finger foods such as pasta that is well cooked, toasts or scrambled eggs.
Tip: It is an opportunity to offer the cup with water on the table. It is useful to use a small silicon cup to help with the change from the bottles and it is okay to offer water at meals.
10-12 Months: More Independence with Eating
Your baby may now be more independent during meals by the time they are 10-12 months old. They can self-feed small portions of food and most likely consume, different textures and tastes of foods.
What to feed:
- Continue to feed breast milk or formula (although some feeding intervals may be shorter due to priority on solids).
- Consume carbohydrates sourced with grain, vegetables and fruits, protein sources, and dairy products.
- Introduce foods like scrambled eggs, well-cooked beans, and tofu in small pieces, soft fruits peeled and cut into small pieces.
Tip: Say no to foods that easily chock like nuts, popcorn, and whole grapes. Moreover, honey should not be offered until 12 months because it may contain botulism spores.
Sample Baby Feeding Chart for the First Year
|
Age |
Feeding Recommendations |
|
0-4 Months |
Breast milk or formula only, 8-12 times/day |
|
4-6 Months |
Continue breast milk/formula; introduce single-grain cereals and purees (vegetables, fruits, meat) |
|
6-8 Months |
Continue breast milk/formula; add soft, mashed fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins; introduce finger foods |
|
8-10 Months |
Continue breast milk/formula; increase textured foods; start dairy like yogurt, cheese; more finger foods |
|
10-12 Months |
Mostly solid foods; balanced diet (grains, proteins, vegetables, fruits); offer water in a cup |
Cautions to Feeding Babies for the Initial One-Year
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- Allergy Introduction: Foods containing eggs, peanuts, and dairy can be given for instance between 4 to 6 months as long as the pediatrician has not advised against it due to a family history of allergies.
- Iron-Rich Foods: At 6 months, iron in breast milk starts to decrease – include foods fortified with iron such as pureed cereals, meats, or legumes.
- Stay Hydrated: After the introduction of solids, it is recommended that only a small amount of water should be given to the child alongside the food. Don’t consume juice as it is just sweetened-up food.
- Avoid Added Salt and Sugar: Children particularly babies should not be given extra salt or sugar in their foods. Let them taste the natural flavors of the fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
- Be Patient: Kids may refuse to take a particular food at first, and therefore it is wise to give it to them severally before they can refuse it outright. Even with this, they only take a new flavor at stretch after about 10-15 attempts.
Conclusion
The first year of feeding your baby is a year of transition and lots of development holds and activities. You can follow a healthy eating plan simply by knowing your baby’s developmental stages and following set feeding rules and guidelines. Before selecting a diet focus for your baby, or switching gears when one meal seems a problem, talk with your child’s pediatrician.
Mealtimes should be enjoyable activities which fosters the right development of your baby into a healthy, happy and a well-nourished, confident eater.
