Feeding Adelaide: 9-12 month Sample Baby Feeding Schedule
Today I’m sharing a 9-12 month sample baby feeding schedule and menu ideas. Grab the free printable download to have on hand.
I am so grateful that for the first six months of their life babies only need milk. There is enough new to learn without having to add in balanced meals and menu planning. Who’s with me?
With Lincoln, my first, starting solids and planning “meals” and a baby feeding schedule for him felt so overwhelming. Was he getting enough iron? Did he have a good balance of vegetables? Was he experiencing enough new textures? Had it been the three days since I introduced the latest new food?
It could be overwhelming for anyone, but especially a new mom trying to balance a lot of firsts on only a little bit of sleep.
I’ve put together a sample weekly menu and a good general formula for feeding your baby from 9-12 months. I’m not always perfect at following it, but keeping track of what Adelaide is eating and sticking to the general formula has made the whole experience of transitioning to food a lot less stressful this second time around.
You can grab our favorite plates here and bowls that suction stick so they don’t spill here.
Easy formula for well balanced baby feeding schedule for 9-12 month olds:
Fruits + Grains + Proteins + Veggies
Make sure you’re picking something from each category every day and make sure you’re introducing a variety of textures. At this age, what they’re eating is just as much about learning and developing healthy habits + preferences as it is about nutrition.
This baby feeding schedule is what I’ll try and feed baby in a typical week although I find I rely more heavily on snacks for weeks when we’re traveling, having company, or things are just a bit crazy.
I remind myself that the types of food she gets over the course of a day or two are a lot more important than keeping meals balanced and I focus on exposing her to a variety of tastes and textures.
I balance a basic baby led weaning schedule, serving soft whole foods she can feed herself (some of the time), with some cereal. If you wan’t to skip baby cereal (oatmeal or rice cereal) you can skip the cereal and add in another carb. Many days we’ll skip cereal and use plain cheerios that baby can pick up on her own while I prep the other part of the meal.
When it comes to the foods the preparation depends on your baby. I serve things like broccoli and zucchini cooked so they’re very soft but at 10 months Adelaide could eat raspberries and apples cut into small pieces on her own.
What are your favorite foods to feed your babies from 9-12 months? What should I introduce Adelaide to next?