Sample Menu for a Baby 8 to 12 Months Old

Now that your baby is eating solid foods, planning meals can be more challenging. At this age, your baby needs between 750 and 900 calories each day, of which about 400 to 500 should come from breast milk or formula (if you are not breastfeeding)—roughly 24 ounces (720 mL) a day. Breast milk and formula contain vitamins, minerals, and other important components for brain growth.

At about eight months, you may want to introduce foods that are slightly coarser than strained pureed foods. They require more chewing than baby foods. You can expand your baby's diet to include soft foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. Eggs (including scrambled) are an excellent source of protein, as are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado.

Sample menu ideas for an 8- to 12-month-old baby:

Breakfast

• 2 to 4 ounces cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg

• 2 to 4 ounces mashed or diced fruit

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

• 2 to 4 ounces diced cheese or cooked pureed or diced vegetables

Lunch

• 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or cottage cheese, or pureed or diced beans or meat

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked pureed or diced yellow or orange vegetables

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

• 1 whole grain cracker or teething biscuit

• 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or fork-mashed or diced soft fruit

• 2 to 4 ounces water

Dinner

• 2 to 4 ounces diced diced poultry, meat, or tofu

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked green vegetables

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked soft-whole grain pasta or potato

• 2 to 4 ounces diced or mashed fruit

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Before bedtime

Breastmilk or 6 to 8 ounces formula, or water. (If breastmilk or formula, follow with water or brush teeth afterward).

More information

• Sample Menu for a One-Year-Old
• Starting Solid Foods
• Breastfeeding Mealtime Milestones
• Ask the Pediatrician: Is it OK to make my own baby food?