If your baby is under 12 months old
The journey to solid food really starts back when your baby is around 6 months old. The first few months are learning about textures and tastes. It is a time for baby to have some fun exploring food with fingers and self-feeding. You may notice your baby eating more and more as they get used to eating. Your baby’s behaviour will tell you they are getting enough milk. For example, if your baby seems to be eating a lot and having less breast feeds (or not finishing bottles), start to offer larger but less often feeds. If your baby is not interested in solids, they may be having too many milk feeds. This means it might be time to reduce milk feeds.
Solids don’t replace breastfeeding or infant formula. If solid food replaces breast milk and/or infant formula too quickly, babies can miss important nutrition.
In baby’s first year, breast milk or infant formula is their main source of nutrition. Solid foods should not replace milk feeds too quickly. Once baby turns one if your baby has bottles of formula, you can start to reduce them. At this age, most babies will be able to manage foods eaten by the rest of the family. If you are breastfeeding, continue to breastfeed for as long as you and your baby wish. Breast milk changes to meet the growing needs of your child.
If your child is one year old
From 12 months of age, growth starts to slow from the very rapid growth in the first 12 months. Your tiny newborn is now nearly a toddler. This means their appetite naturally starts to decrease. At the same time as they start to crawl and walk, their world gets bigger. While they may have enjoyed the mess of exploring playtime with food, there is a lot more to explore. It is common to find less interest in food and shorter attention spans at mealtimes. Their appetite can day change day to day. It is common to think your child is becoming fussy with food, but remember this is as a normal stage of development.
What you can do:
Offer less milk, not more
It is natural to worry about your child’s nutrition. If you top up what they eat with milk or formula it often means a child eats even less. Milk drinks and bottles are easy for children to drink and are filling. From one year, cow’s milk can be offered as a drink in a cup. From 12 months your child does not need more than 500 mL (two cups a day). Not all children adjust straight away to the different taste. It is good to consider may also be getting their dairy from other sources such as yoghurt, cheese and milk on cereal.
Get into a “sit down” meal and snack routine
Structure helps children learn about when it is eating time and when it is play time. Time between meals and snacks helps children recognise their hunger cues. You eat better if you come to the table with an appetite. Try to eat with your child.
Get comfortable expecting your child to eat different amounts every day
It’s good to think about how much and what your child eats over a week rather than at each sitting or even over a day. Remember your role is to provide the food, including when and where you serve it. Your child’s job is to decide what and how much to eat. Read more about your role in feeding Children are sometimes better at eating than we give them credit. If you lower your expectation, about what and how much you think they need to eat, you may actually see they will eat what they need from the food we offer them.
Want some help
This information is not intended to replace individual advice you may be receiving from your health professional. If you do have questions about your child’s nutrition and growth please talk to your child health nurse or GP.