Feeding Your One Year Old
Happy Birthday to baby! And congratulations to you on one year of doing a great job! Feeding baby is still pretty easy: baby likes to eat almost everything. Baby eats well with the fingers and is able to drink from a cup. Baby should be off strained baby foods now. Baby likes the foods the rest of the family eats. Be sure these foods are not too fatty or spicy for baby. Be sure to cut food up in small pieces.
Time to get your baby off the bottle!
You may not want to see your baby grow up, but it is easier to get your baby off the bottle now. If you wait too long, it may be very hard to get your baby off the bottle!
Don’t force your baby to eat!
Your child’s growth is slowing down. He or she doesn’t need as much food now. Some days your child will eat less than other days. This is normal. Just make sure that you are giving your child healthy food.
Helpful hints on feeding!
Small children make big messes! Use plastic or newspaper on the floor. Give small servings. Use big bibs. Choking is very scary. But all babies gag and choke a little. That is a good reason to stay with your child during mealtime.
More Helpful Hints
Hard and round foods can cause choking at this age. Wait until your child is four years old to give hard candy, nuts and popcorn. Cut hot dogs and carrots the long way first. Then cut them up so they are not round. Choking often happens when children lie down or run when eating. Children should sit down to eat. Give milk with meals and at bedtime, (in a cup). A serving of milk is about 1/2 cup. Give whole milk or 2% milk until the second birthday. Make snacks simple and healthful. A cracker or a bit of ripe banana makes a good snack. Do not give junk food. Water is a good thirst quencher.
| Food | Daily Servings | Serving Sizes |
| Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta |
6 | 1/2 Slice or 1/4 Cup |
| Fruit | 3 | 1/4 Cup Cooked; 1/2 Cup Raw |
| Vegetables | 2 | 1/4 Cup Cooked: 1/2 Cup Raw |
| Milk, Yogurt and Cheese |
4 | 1/2 Cup; 3/4 Ounce Cheese |
| Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans |
1 - 2 | 1 Tablespoon; 1 Egg; 1/2 Cup Cooked Beans and Eggs |