1 year old / 12 month old feeding schedule: Amounts, food chart, formula, breastmilk
As your 1 year old enters toddlerhood on their first birthday, you may be wondering how that will affect their eating habits. There will be changes for sure as they will now depend on solid food to provide the nutrition they need. Keep reading for all you need to know about this transition.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
1 year old baby sample feeding schedule
How much to feed a 1 year: Food chart
Tips for feeding your 1 year old baby
1 year old feeding schedule FAQ
1 year old baby sample feeding schedule
Many babies at this age are slowly transitioning from bottles and nursing to additional solid foods (i.e., meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, etc.) Additionally, many families choose to incorporate cow’s milk into their child’s diet.
Sometimes this can make a feeding schedule feel somewhat tricky, but the following example should help. Remember, this is just one way you could go about feeding and it’s always important to do what’s best for your family.
| 6:30 AM | Optional nursing session |
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:15 AM | Morning snack |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:45 PM | Afternoon snack |
| 5:00 PM | Dinner |
| 6:30 PM | Nurse or bottle (before bed) |
How much to feed a 1 year: Food chart
At 12 months of age, your toddler will start depending on solid foods to get the nutrition they need to grow. You will move away from bottles and toward solid food meals and snacks including roughly three meals and two snacks per day.
12 month sample feeding chart
| Wake-up: | Optional nursing session |
| Breakfast: | Avocado toast, strawberries, cow’s milk |
| Mid-morning snack: | Whole milk yogurt |
| Lunch: | Pesto pasta salad, cut-up cucumbers, banana, cow’s milk |
| Mid-afternoon snack: | Hummus and pretzels |
| Dinner: | Salmon, broccoli, rice, cow’s milk |
| Before bed: | Nurse or bottle |
Tips for feeding your 1 year old baby
Transition from liquid feeds to solid foods.
Your baby has relied on formula or breast milk for the majority of their nutrition up to this point. However, at 1 year old, solid foods should start making up most of their diet. This often means switching out bottles and nursing sessions for solid food snacks. Breastfeeding does still offer benefits for as long as you and your child wish to continue nursing. However, we’d expect nursing sessions to slowly decrease as well as the goal still remains to get the most nutrition from solid foods. Transition slowly for the best results!
Know your alternatives to milk.
Many families choose to transition to cow’s milk around this time as it is an easy and affordable source of important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and protein. However, you do not need to serve cow’s milk if you do not want to. You can obtain the same nutrients from other foods or non-dairy milk alternatives.
When choosing a non-dairy milk alternative check the nutrition label and if possible, choose one that is fortified with calcium and vitamin D and does not contain added sugars. It’s also important to note many non-dairy milks are lower in protein and fat than cow’s milk so these nutrients will need to be obtained elsewhere. For all types of milk, intake should be less than 16 - 24 oz a day.
Start to wean from the bottle.
The American Academy of Pediatrics [1] recommends beginning to wean your baby off of using a bottle around 12 months for best dental health. If you haven’t already, start introducing an open cup or a straw cup.
Respect hunger and fullness cues.
You may start to notice your child is eating less now — and that’s completely normal! Their rate of growth is much slower now than in the first year of life. The best thing you can do is to respect their hunger and fullness cues. Your child will likely now express their hunger and fullness with sounds and gestures like pointing to food when hungry or throwing food off of their tray when they are full.
Continue to offer a variety of foods.
While you may be pretty settled into a feeding routine now, and your little one may be starting to have foods they prefer, continue to offer a variety of foods. This helps ensure they are meeting their nutritional needs as well as helps to prevent some picky eating tendencies.
Encourage utensil use.
Around 12 months of age is a great time to start incorporating utensils into your little one’s mealtimes. While they may still prefer to use their hands for a while, it is great to practice with utensils.
Night feedings at 1 year olds
Night feedings are typically not needed for 1 year olds. Help your child sleep well through the night by offering sufficient calories during the day and offering plenty of opportunities for them to be physically active with developmentally appropriate play activities.
Takeaway
Feeding a 12 month old is exciting and full of transition! They are learning how to make solid foods their primary source of nutrition and adjusting to less liquid feeding. You are learning to respect your child’s appetite and doing your best to offer balanced meals featuring a variety of foods. Keep up the good work!
1 year old feeding schedule FAQ
Q: How often should a 1 year old eat?
A:
1 year olds have small stomachs so they need to eat often throughout the day. This typically looks like a meal or a snack every three hours or so. They may go longer during the day due to nap time or if they are still nursing on-demand.
Q: How long between feeds can a 1 year old go?
A:
A 1 year old can usually go about three hours between feeds during the day. However, this is dependent on a variety of factors including the timing of naps and how much they ate at the last feeding session. Additionally, during periods of growth spurts, a 12 month old may want to eat more often.
Q: Can you drop night feeds at 1 year?
A:
Yes, there is typically no need for a 1 year old to have a feeding at night. To make the transition easier, make sure your baby is getting plenty of opportunities to eat enough calories during the day. Additionally, a pre-bedtime snack may help them sleep longer through the night without eating.
Q: Why is my 1 year old eating less than usual?
A:
Around 1 year old, your baby’s growth will slow down. This means they may eat less than they were previously. This is nothing to worry about and only means they are adjusting their food intake to meet their current energy needs.
Q: Is 30 oz of formula or breast milk too much for a 1 year old?
A:
At 1 year old babies should start to transition away from a liquid diet and move toward eating primarily solid foods. So, in this case, 30 oz of formula or breast milk is too much for a 12 month old. Try reducing liquid feeds slowly and start serving cow’s milk with solid food meals instead.
Note: The content on this site is for informational purposes only and should not replace medical advice from your doctor, pediatrician, or medical professional. If you have questions or concerns, you should contact a medical professional.
1 Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics (2023). From Bottle to Cup: Helping Your Child Make a Healthy Transition. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Discontinuing-the-Bottle.aspx
