So many of us wonder "when," "what," or "how much" with regard to solids so I thought I'd post a guideline/sample daily menu from the Dec/Jan issue of Parenting magazine. The amounts are for a whole day, not each meal.

4-7 months
12 teaspoons rice cereal
2 ounces pureed fruit
2 ounces pureed veggie
Feeding suggestion: split into two meals

7-10 months
12 teaspoons cereal
4 ounces mashed banana
1 scrambled egg yolk
1 4oz jar pureed veggie or fruit
1 4oz jar pureed veggie or fruit with meat
Feeding suggestion: split into three meals

9-12 months
18 teaspoons cereal
4oz yogurt
4oz pureed fruit
1/4 cup of peas to self-feed
1 6oz bowl of pasta with cheese to self-feed
1/2 slice of cheese, cut in tiny bits, to self-feed
Feeding suggestion: split into three meals and two snacks

12+ months
4-8 tablespoons of cooked veggies or fruit, cut into small pieces
4 servings of grains (1/4 slice of bread, 2 tablespoons rice, potato or pasta, etc)
2 servings (1/2oz or 1 tablespoon) of cooked meat, poultry, fish or eggs

My girl has a long way to go!

My guy also has a way to go. Maybe the amounts are less for 22 months? :lol:

Seriously, thank you for posting this as it is nice to have a chart or a place to start. People should bear in mind that it is a guideline and there is a wide range of normal yet as children can eat less or more and still be fine. Weight and growth curve is your indicator (along with general health).

People should bear in mind that it is a guideline and there is a wide range of normal yet as children can eat less or more and still be fine. Weight and growth curve is your indicator (along with general health).

Bingo! :salute:

I just posted something similar to this...these are the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatricians

Suggested amts for a 8-10mos old:

formula 20-24oz a day

cereals/grain/bread 1/8 of a cup a day (small amts of melba toast, crackers, zwieback, mashed potatoes, toast, cereals, rice or noodles)

strained fruit 3-4tbs twice a day OR 1/2 cup juice once a day

vegtables 3-4tbs twice a day(may advance to junior strained veggies or veggies from the table)

meats/eggs 1-2 tbs a day(strained meat, baby egg yolk, well cooked egg yolk, well cooked peas or beans)


10-12 months

16-24oz of formula a day/ may offer other dairy such as yogurt or cheese according to appetite

cereal/grain/breads increase thickness of cereal, 1/4 to 1/8 cup per day or according to babys appetite

veggies adjust serving size according to appetite

fruits 1/2 cup fruit juice a day plus 3-4tbs strained fruit, or ripe, raw peeled pieces of fruit

meats/egg 1-2tbs of finely chopped meat or egg a day
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My boys eat well.. in accordance wiht the guidleines you posted but I always worry about the milk intake.. we don't seem to like the bottle much anymore. :(

Lesley,
Did that mean 12 teaspoons prepared cereal or dry?

Amanda,

It said "cooked" so I don't know if that means the measurement before or after preparation. I assume it means dry, in flake form. It would not be a reasonable expectation to prepare it and then measure it, especially as consistency would vary greatly.

I have noticed that oatmeal doesn't expand like rice does, so stick with oatmeal and it will measure about the same either way!

Thanks for posting this, Lesley! Bethany is just now taking a couple of ounces of Stage 1 foods per day (at 12 months old). While we are making very slow (but steady progress), I can show this to well-meaning family members so they can see how far we have to go...

Thanks! :wink: