| Age: 12 to 18 months | |
| Signs of readiness for self-feeding • Can start to use a spoon himself (though proficiency will take a while!) | |
| What to feed • Whole milk • Other dairy (soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese) • Same food as family, mashed or chopped into bite-size pieces • Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oats, mixed cereals) • Other grains (whole wheat bread, pasta, rice) • New fruits: melon, papaya, apricot, grapefruit (citrus is now okay) • New vegetables: broccoli and cauliflower "trees" • Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; thinly spread smooth peanut butter) • Citrus and non-citrus juice • Honey is now okay | How much per day • 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk, ½ to 1 oz. cheese, 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese) • 4 to 6 servings cereals and other grains (1 serving = ¼ to 1/3 cup cereal, ¼ cup pasta or rice, ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel) • ¼ to ½ cup fruit • ¼ to ½ cup vegetables • 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter) • 3 to 4 oz. juice |
| Feeding tips • Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic. • Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for. | |
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| Age: 18 to 24 months | |
| Feeding skills to look for • Self-feeding • Food phrases like "more" and "all done" | |
| What to feed • Whole milk • Other dairy (natural hard cheese, soft pasteurized cheese, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, pudding) • Iron-fortified cereals (rice, barley, wheat, oat, mixed cereals) • Other grains (whole wheat bread and crackers, cut-up bagels, pretzels, rice cakes, ready-to-eat cereals, pasta, rice) • Fruit, cooked, canned or fresh, cut up or sliced (apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries, pears, cherries, grapes, plums, oranges, grapefruit) • Dried fruit, soaked until soft so it won't pose a choking hazard (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, dates, pitted prunes, raisins) • Vegetables, cooked and mashed or diced (carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, potatoes, peas) • Protein (eggs; cut-up or ground meat, poultry, boneless fish; tofu; beans; smooth peanut butter) • Combo foods like macaroni and cheese, casseroles • Fruit and vegetable juices | How much per day • 2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk; ½ to 1 oz. cheese; 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese; ¼ cup pudding) • 6 servings grains (1 serving = ¼ to ½ slice bread or bagel; 1 or 2 crackers; ¼ cup pasta or rice; 1/3 to ½ cup cooked or ready-to-eat cereal) • 2 to 3 servings fruit (1 serving = ¼ cup cooked or canned, ½ piece fresh; 1/8 cup dried; ¼ to ½ cup juice) • 2 to 3 servings vegetables (1 serving = 1 to 2 tablespoons) • 2 servings protein (1 serving = 2 tablespoons ground or two 1-inch cubes meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup tofu or cooked beans; 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter) |
| Feeding tips • Introduce new foods one at a time, with at least three days in between to make sure your child's not allergic. • Choking hazards are still a danger. Learn more about foods to watch out for. | |
