How much solids should your little one be eating, and how often? We're here to help with sample starting solids schedules for different ages, from when baby first starts solids to one year of age.
When your little one first starts eating solids, it's an exciting time for them to start exploring new foods. Of course, they'll still be drinking breastmilk or formula, which will serve as their primary nutrition source until they are at least one year old.
How much solids should your little one be eating, and how often? And how much breastmilk or formula should they consume? We're here to help with sample starting solids schedules for different ages, from when baby first starts solids to the moment they're weaned off of breastmilk or formula completely.
Before We Begin: A Note on Feeding Timings
Remember that every baby is different – different babies have different calorie needs, and your baby might feed more or less frequently than the average schedule for their age. This is why the schedules and serving suggestions we list below are in ranges. They're just meant as a reference and a starting point.
When it comes to the exact timing of feeds, the most important thing is to feed baby when you can tell they're hungry and stop when they show they are full.
Signs of hunger include:
- Moving the fists to the mouth
- Looking for food
- Getting excited at the sight of food
- Smacking the lips
- Sucking on the hands
- Opening and closing the mouth
- Opening the mouth for more food
- Becoming more active
- Rooting: opening the mouth and searching for food when the mouth or cheek is stroked
Signs of fullness include:
- Turning away from the breast, bottle or food
- Relaxing the body
- Opening the fists
- Losing interest in the food or getting distracted
- Shutting the mouth
You probably have a sense of when and how often baby needs to eat based on your existing breastfeeding or formula feeding patterns, and you should use this as a starting point as you add in solids. Adjust as needed based on baby's hunger.
Starting Solids Schedule: 4-6 Months
Baby is ready to start solids when they can sit upright, hold up their head with little to no support, and grasp objects. They must no longer have the tongue-thrusting reflex, so they'll be able to swallow food without their tongue pushing it out of their mouth. You'll notice that they will open their mouth at the sight of food or a spoon, and show interest in the food your family is eating. For most babies, this will happen between 4 and 6 months of age.
Once baby is ready for solids, start with just one meal of solids per day. You can serve the solids meal at any point, but incorporate it into your existing feeding schedule. This means feeding the solids meal right after a breastmilk or formula meal. Feeding breastmilk or formula first will ensure baby gets enough of their primary nutrition source – but there should still be room in their tummy for those exciting tastes of solids.
Babies at this age will need 4-6 breastmilk or formula feedings per day, including the one with the solids meal. So, they'll eat approximately every 4-6 hours.
A sample feeding schedule for a 4-6 month old might look like this:
- 7 AM: Breastmilk or formula
- (7:30 AM: Solids meal option)
- 8:30-10:25 AM: Nap
- 10:30 AM: Breastmilk or formula
- 12 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 12:30-2:25 PM: Nap
- 2:30 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 4:30 PM-5 PM: Nap
- 5 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- (5:30 PM: Solids meal option)
- 7 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- Bedtime after the 7 PM feed
How to Start Introducing Solids
Slowly introduce different new foods to baby during their solids meals, one new food at a time. Be ready to watch baby for at least 2 hours in case symptoms of an allergic reaction develop. You might prefer to feed a solids meal when you know baby will be awake for a few hours, so it's easiest to monitor them. We recommend a morning meal, or a late afternoon/early evening meal. Baby should also be happy and healthy when you feed solids, so you can best gauge how baby’s body handles the solids.
Wait at least 2-3 days before introducing the next new food, so you can watch for possible signs of food allergies and best see how baby's body reacts to each food.
Prioritize fruits and veggies, as well as protein-rich and iron-rich foods like chicken, turkey, and oatmeal. And be sure to introduce common allergen foods (like peanut, egg, and cow's milk) in baby-safe forms, starting at 4-6 months. Starting allergen feeding in this window, and feeding these foods multiple times per week for several months, will give baby the best chance at a life of food freedom.
At first, offer only 1-2 teaspoons worth of solids at a time. But as baby gets more accustomed to the solids and shows more interest, you can give more based on their hunger cues and their appetite.
Work up to feeding 2-3 tablespoons fruit, 2-3 tablespoons vegetables, 1-2 tablespoons proteins, and 1-2 tablespoons whole grains per day.
Foods to Avoid When Introducing Solids
Be sure to avoid choking hazards, like raw carrots, raw apples, whole nuts, other hard foods, and round foods. Cook hard fruits and vegetables to make them soft, and cut up round foods.
You should also avoid feeding foods with added sugar, as recommended by USDA Dietary Guidelines. Babies don’t have room in their diet for sugary foods – make every bite count!
Different Approaches for Introducing Solids
There are three main ways to introduce solids: Purees first, purees alongside finger foods, and baby-led weaning.
Regardless of the approach you choose, be sure to introduce a variety of flavors and baby-safe textures. Flavor diversity will help your little one learn to love a variety of healthy foods, and texture diversity will help build their munching and chewing skills.
What foods to introduce when starting solids? Check out our other articles for ideas:
Keep in mind that it often takes 10-15 tastes for a child to get used to a food and learn to love it. So, if baby doesn't seem to like a food, keep feeding it and don’t give up!
Feeding Solids Schedule: 7-8 Months
At 7-8 months, baby will need to eat about every three to four hours, whether that's breastmilk, formula, or solids. You can start feeding solids as their own "meals" at this point, separated from breastmilk or formula feeds.
Baby will eat 1-2 small solids meals per day, with the rest of the daily feeds consisting of breastmilk or formula. Since they'll be eating around every 3 or 4 hours, they'll likely drink breastmilk or formula about 5 times per day.
Continue to prioritize fruits and veggies, as well as protein-rich and iron-rich foods like chicken, turkey, and oatmeal. And continue to introduce common allergen foods in baby-safe forms – peanut, egg, and milk, plus tree nuts, soy, wheat, and sesame.
How much should your little one eat per day? It may vary based on baby's appetite, but aim for approximately 4-8 tablespoons fruit, 4-8 tablespoons veggies, 2-4 tablespoons proteins, and 2-4 tablespoons whole grains.
Here's a sample feeding schedule for a 7-8 month old:
- 6:30 AM: Breastmilk or formula
- (7 AM: Solids meal option)
- 9-10:30 AM: Nap
- 10:30 AM: Breastmilk or formula
- (12 PM: Solids meal option)
- 2 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 2:30-4:30 PM: Nap
- (5 PM: Solids meal option)
- 5:30 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 7:30 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- Bedtime after the 7:30 PM feed
Feeding Solids Schedule: 9-11 Months
9-11 month olds are starting to get a more substantial amount of nourishment from food, although breastmilk or formula is still vital at this stage.
Your 9-11 month old will eat 2-3 solids meals per day. Over these meals, they'll eat approximately ½ to ¾ cup each of fruits and veggies, and ¼ to ½ cup each of proteins and whole grains.
In addition to this, they'll drink breastmilk or formula 3-4 times per day. The amount they drink will decrease as they eat more solids.
If you haven't yet introduced finger foods, you should start feeding baby finger foods at 9 months of age. This way, baby won’t refuse finger foods because they’ve become too fearful of choking.
Here's a sample feeding schedule for a 9-11 month old who eats solids 3 times a day:
- 7 AM: Solids breakfast
- 9:30 AM: Breastmilk or formula
- 10-11:30 AM: Nap
- 12:30 PM Solids lunch
- 2 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 2:30-4 PM: Nap
- 4 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- 5 PM: Solids dinner
- 7 PM: Breastmilk or formula
- Bedtime after the 7 PM feed
Feeding Solids Schedule: 1-Year Olds
Once your child reaches their first birthday, they should be eating three solids meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). They will also need 2-3 smaller portions of healthy snacks throughout the day.
At this point, your toddler will be able to eat many of the same foods as the rest of the family, so you can – and should – serve your toddler at the same mealtimes. The only foods your toddler can't have are choking hazard foods (like raw carrots and whole nuts.)
Each meal portion for a 1-year-old should be a quarter to a half of an adult sized portion. And don’t be surprised if the amount your little one eats varies at each day and each meal, because their hunger may vary.
As for snacks, serve them in between meals when your toddler shows signs of hunger.
You can continue to breastfeed after your toddler's first birthday if you and your toddler decide to continue. However, it's vital that your child learns that most nourishment comes from eating – not drinking – at this point. So, be sure your child is eating 3 solids meals per day. Breastmilk should be a snack, not a meal.
If baby is formula-fed, though, you'll need to gradually wean them off formula at the 1-year mark, as infant formula is not meant for toddlers.
-------------------------------
All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
See the FDA Peanut Allergy Qualified Health Claim at the bottom of our homepage.
How To Support Your Breastfeeding Partner
When your partner is breastfeeding, your support impacts how long t...
Why are food allergies on the rise?
Food allergies significantly affect families’ quality of life. Why ...
Our Cheat Sheet Guide to Baby Feeding Practices
Here at Ready. Set. Food!, we support all families as they decide o...
What Is Chestfeeding?
Not every parent will use the term “breastfeeding” to describe how ...
Top Foods To Introduce And Avoid When Starting Solids
Learn the top foods to introduce – and the top foods to avoid feedi...
Dietitian Approved Thanksgiving Recipes for your Little Eater
Enjoy our dietitian approved recipes to celebrate Thanksgiving (and...
All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If your infant has severe eczema, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts.