Going from being a nine-month-old to a one-year-old is a big transition not just for babies but also for us! Not just is your baby a toddler now, which I honestly still can’t get myself to refer to my baby as a toddler, but lots of things are changing especially what they should be eating.

So, what should we be feeding baby once he turns one? Based on my experience and what I have learned in the past five years since becoming a mom for the first time, I prepared this sort-of guide to hopefully help make things easier for you.

MILK

One year olds no longer need formula so you can either just switch to whole milk or transition them out of it if they are not loving the whole milk taste right away.

According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), we should limit whole milk consumption to 16-24 oz. a day for toddlers over 12 months to make sure solid foods and snacks are their main source of nutrition and energy but they also recommend breastfeeding for as long as you’d like so I feel there’s some play room with this one. I am currently at 6-8 oz. of milk three times a day (morning, before or after his afternoon nap, bedtime) and I've been giving him his weighted straw cup to transition him out of the bottle within the next week or so.

WATER

If you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to introduce baby to water. At twelve months the recommended intake of water is at least 8 oz daily in addition to the milk he’s drinking. What has worked for me is giving them a water filled sippy cup after each meal to make drinking water just part of their routine.

At first he didn’t know what to do with the sippy cup and would just play with the straw but eventually he got it and now easily drinks over 8 oz of water throughout the day. This straw sippy cup is still my favorite.

WHAT TO FEED YOUR CHILD

Ok, so lets get to the actual food now. The good news is that by now your child can pretty much eat whatever you are eating. I would actually say it’s the best thing to do. Continue introducing them to the same food you’re eating so they get used to a variety of flavors but more importantly to what you and the rest of the family eat.

HOW OFTEN AND HOW MUCH FOOD

At twelve months, three meals a day with two to three snacks is what’s recommended. Just like you, remember that baby will have their own internal cues and will sometimes barely eat and other times might completely skip a meal. That’s ok.

This doesn’t mean you feed baby on demand because than you’ll just be working around your child’s desires all day. Just like with sleeping, create a feeding schedule and stick to it as much as you can so baby understands there’s a certain time for everything. As with most everything, especially when children are involved, nothing is set in stone so of course, if baby is hungry at an unusual time don’t make them wait just to stick to your routine.

Ever since turning one, Axel’s routine pretty much looks like this:

Sometimes a little more like the schedule below but if you notice, the changes are really subtle and the times change a bit based on how long his nap is (on average between 2-3 hours). On the days we’re out, it of course changes up a bit but it’s pretty much what I stick to.

7:30 am 6 oz milk

8:30 am breakfast

11 am snack; 4 oz milk

2 pm lunch

3:45 pm snack

5pm 4 oz milk

6:30 pm dinner

8pm 6 oz milk

FOODS TO AVOID

By the time baby turns one, there is no actual list of foods to avoid but my personal choice is to avoid junk food for as long as I can. At this age they only know the foods I give them so I try to keep the sweets and not-so-good food away. Once they start discovering it on their own than I slowly introduce them to it. I also choose not to introduce juice yet because I feel holding off on it is the reason my first born loves water so much.

SELF-FEEDING TIPS

Foods that your toddler can grab or learn to grab are the best for introducing them to eating on their own. Banana and apple slices, pieces of broccoli, yogurt bites, toddler teething cookies, are all good finger food options. Now that he’s mastered the finger foods, I sometimes fill his spoon and let him take it to his mouth but i’m not going to lie, this is really time consuming so I usually end up feeding him myself and just let him have a couple of spoonfuls on his own.

My 12-month-old doesn’t have teeth yet so until then I pretty much stick to the basics when it comes to finger foods. One those baby teeth start coming out, then I’ll bring on a lot more food options that he can eat on his own.

CHILD REFUSING MOST FOODS

This is a tough one which I have luckily not had to experience but my general advice is to switch up the foods daily to help your toddler understand that we don't eat the same things every day. Serve them very small portions and wait at least three hours between meals so that baby is actually hungry when it’s time to try feeding them again.

Hope these help make your feeding experience an easier one and also a more enjoyable one for you both!

You may also enjoy: Baby Feeding: Everything You Need and Self-Care Tips For Moms.