The following table gives an idea of how much baby may be eating through the following six months. If the baby wants more food than this and they are not overweight then give more. Once baby is having three meals a day you can add snacks and may find the baby eats less at meals.
| AGE | MEAL | FOOD TYPE | SPOONS OF FOOD |
| First Foods By 7 Months |
Mid-morning / Lunch | Baby cereal | 1-2 teaspoons |
| . | Lunch | Baby cereal | 2 tablespoons + |
| . | Dinner | Baby cereal | 2 tablespoons + |
| . | . | Vegetable and Fruits | 2 tablespoons + |
| . | . | . | 2 tablespoons + |
| . | . | . | . |
| By 8 Months | Breakfast | Baby cereal | 2-4 tablespoons |
| . | Lunch | Vegetable and Fruits | 2-4 tablespoons |
| . | . | Starchy carb such as mashed brown rice |
1-2 tablespoons |
| . | . | Protein such as lentils | 1-2 tablespoons |
| . | Dinner | Vegetables & fruits | 2 tablespoons |
| . | . | Yogurt with fruit | 2 tablespoons |
| . | . | . | . |
| By 12 months | Breakfast | Cereal with ground seeds and fruit |
4-6 tablespoons |
| . | Lunch | 3 types of vegetables such as 2 cucumber and 2 pepper sticks and 1 medium steamed broccoli floret |
3 tablespoons |
| . | . | Starchy carb such as whole meal bread |
1 small slice |
| . | . | Protein such as cheese |
2 tablespoons |
| . | Dinner | 3 types of vegetables | 3 tablespoons |
| . | . | Starchy carb such as buckwheat pasta in tomato sauce or mashed sweet potato |
2-3 tablespoons |
| . | . | Protein such as meat, fish or beans |
1-2 tablespoons |
| . | . | Yogurt with fruit | 2 tablespoons |
| . | . | . | . |
Safe food
Babies are more vulnerable to picking up infections and becoming ill from bacteria in food than adults so extra precautions are needed to keep them safe.
The key nutrient needs
Relative to their size babies have a higher need for both calories and nutrients. Babies are born with nutrient stores that, along with breast milk (or formula); provide them with all they need for the first six months. After six months, these stores are depleted and food is needed, as well as milk, to keep nutrient levels topped up. Baby’s stomachs are ten times smaller than those of adults so the diet needs to be calorie and nutrient-dense and feeding little and often.
Baby’s ability to feed and digest progresses over time and as this happens the amount of milk they need will lessen as food takes over. Fat has almost twice as many calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins so low-fat versions of fat-rich foods are not recommended at this stage. Do not however be tempted to load in the calories at the expense of the nutrients.
To get the vitamins and minerals they need babies and toddlers need to have a variety of fruits, vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, protein, and fat sources. Wholegrain starchy carbs can fill up small stomachs too quickly but have significantly more than 15 different vitamins and minerals compared to their white processed alternatives. So rather than exclude these nutrient-dense foods ensure high-fat foods are also included such as avocados and ground seeds and nuts (at the appropriate stage of weaning).
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Idah Muthama – VitabioticsKe
