Suggested Feeding Schedule

The following is the recommended feeding schedule for the introduction of each food group. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 6 months of age is the ideal time to start introducing solid foods. The amounts of food mentioned are just averages. You should not be concerned if your child takes more or less than average as long as they maintain good growth according to the growth chart. Typically a child will start with one feeding a day and increase to two or even three times a day as time progresses.

It may take a few days before a child becomes accustomed to the texture and taste of different foods. The time of day each food is given will be according to personal preference. For example, it does not matter if a child has cereal in the morning and vegetable and fruit in the evening or has vegetable in the morning and cereal in the afternoon and fruit at night. Any combination is fine as long as there is an overall well balanced diet and good weight gain. The smaller details are not significant.

1-4 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. One ounce = 30 ml

4-6 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. Infant cereal such as rice, oatmeal, barley, or mixed grains. 2-4 Tablespoons or 25-50 grams per day. Start with rice cereal with breast milk or formula added. Wait 4-5 days and then go to oatmeal, barley and finally mixed grains. Use a spoon.

5-7 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day formula with iron. Cereals: average 4-6 Tablespoons or 50-75 grams per day. Vegetables: average 4-6 Tablespoons or 50-75 grams per day. Finger foods such as crackers or teething biscuits may be started. Keep a bottle handy. A mouthful of dry snacks can cause a choking incident.

6-8 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. Cereals: average 4-6 Tablespoons or 50-75 grams of cereal per day. Vegetables: average 6-8 Tablespoon or 75-100 grams per day of vegetable per day. Fruit or fruit juices: average 2-4 Tablespoons or 25-50 grams of fruit and 2 ounces or 60 ml of juice per day. A cup may be used for the juice. Finger foods such as crackers or teething biscuits.

8-9 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. Cereal, vegetable, fruit and fruit juices. Average about 6-10 Tablespoons per day of each food and 2 ounces or 60 ml of juice per day. Egg yolk (whites after 1 year of age) scrambled with breast milk or formula at an average of 2 tablespoons per day. Finger foods such as crackers, teething biscuits, bananas, toast.

9-10 Months: Breast milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. Cereal: average 6-8 tablespoons per day. Vegetable: average 10-12 tablespoons per day. Fruit: average 6 tablespoons per day. Juice: average 4 ounces per day. Egg yolk: average one egg per day. Meat can be started at an average of 1-4 tablespoons of strained meat per day. Starches such as potato, rice, noodles and spaghetti can be started at an average of ¼ cup per day. Finger foods such as cheese, cottage cheese, Cheerios, and smooth yogurt can be started. Be sure to avoid any potential choking hazards such as nuts, hard candies, hot dogs, raw carrots or celery, popcorn or frozen peas.

10-11 Months: Breast Milk or 20-32 ounces per day of formula with iron. Cereal: average 8 tablespoons per day. Vegetable: average 12-14 tablespoon per day. Fruit: average 7 tablespoons per day. Juice: average 4 ounces per day. Egg yolk: average one egg per day. Meat: average one-ounce ground meat per day. Starches such as potato, rice, noodles, and spaghetti at an average of ¼ cup per day. Finger foods such as cheese, cottage cheese, Cheerios, and smooth yogurt. Be sure to avoid any potential choking hazards such as nuts, hard candies, hot dogs, raw carrots or celery, popcorn or frozen peas.

1 Year: Breast-feed as long as you and your baby are comfortable. May stop formula and use whole milk. Any food is fine as long as a child cannot choke on it. Keep a balanced diet.

Remember, the amounts shown above are simply averages. When it comes to eating habits, our focus should be on a child’s growth rather than the amount of food consumed. A child’s height, weight, and head circumference tell us what we need to know about growth. If the size of the child is increasing as expected, then the amount of food eaten, when they eat it, and the combinations of food eaten are not as important.

Back