In Part 1 of “Feeding Your Baby in the First Year,” we talked about introducing first solids, nutrients for good oral health and general feeding tips. Now we move on to the second half of baby’s first year, which goes by even faster as they speed through feeding and other milestones.
Meals for baby at nine months of age
By the time your child is eight to nine months old, solid foods gradually start taking priority over breast milk and formula. Foods should now be offered first, followed by breast milk or formula. At this point, you want to be offering three balanced meals per day and one to two snacks, depending on your child’s appetite. One important change is the progression of texture to finger foods from purées as your child’s chewing skills develop. This change allows you to eat some of the same foods and act as a model for them, as baby’s meals can increasingly start to resemble yours.
Dr. Sean Murray, a Sudbury-based pediatrician, says he’s seen an increase in food aversions in his practice. While we don’t know the exact reasons why, Dr. Murray cites a lack of education and exposure among parents, especially when it comes to progressing to solids or finger foods. This challenge has been compounded by the shorter time window to introduce finger foods, as outlined by the new World Health Organization Guidelines. We all know every baby is different, but some texture progression should start to happen in healthy, full-term babies who are between eight and 11 months old. At this age, most babies are ready to move on and may now reject the boring purées, so if you find your baby is starting to fuss at these and rejecting them, consider it a sign. Anything that is small, crunchy and easy to grab, such as a piece of meatball or crispy tofu, is usually popular at this stage. Failure to progress with texture can lead to a lot of conflicts during meals.
Some signs that your baby may be ready for finger foods:
- They may be starting to crawl;
- You may note the “pincer grasp,” which means your baby can now use their thumb and index finger to hold objects; and
- They show signs of mild use of the rotary chew (their jaw is moving side to side and in a circular motion, instead of the munch chew, which is an up-and-down motion).
Another significant change is the growing need for independence, and food is the first area where children can show this. The age for this change can vary, but if your little one has a strong personality, it may become apparent even before nine months of age, as they insist on grabbing their own food and crying up a storm if you try to touch it, like my son. It is important to allow for some self-feeding at this stage, but just brace yourself for the fun mess. Often not giving children enough independence during meals leads to rejection of food and stressful mealtimes. Make sure to give your child room to self-feed, explore, touch and feel the food — and make a mess. It is also important to act as a model and enjoy foods similar to what your infant is eating, as they will want to mimic what and how you are eating.
Some meal examples for this age group may include a fish patty cut into pieces or tofu cubes with steamed broccoli and sweet potato wedges. Another example may be scrambled eggs in a pita with quartered or halved cherry tomatoes on the side, or pasta with meatballs and soft veggie chunks in sauce.
What to expect at 12 months
By the time your child is 12 months old, things are really shifting. Milk consumption should be down to 16 ounces per day, and your child is eating three balanced meals daily, along with two to three snacks. This is the time you can transition from formula or breast milk to cow or goat’s milk.
Words of Caution: Plant-based milks like rice, almond or cashew milk are not appropriate for young children, as they are very low in calories and lack the protein and fat your baby needs. Using plant-based milk would likely result in poor weight gain or even weight loss. If your child has an allergy to cow’s milk, you will need additional support from your pediatrician and ideally a registered dietitian, to explore other options. If you are returning to work and need to transition from breastfeeding to cow’s milk, you need to have a plan of gradual reduction in nursing and an increase in cow’s milk. Often mothers may require additional support, as this tends to be one of the harder transitions.
After 12 months, the growth rate slows down substantially, and you will see an expected decrease in appetite. You may notice more fluctuations in the amount of food your child eats. One day, your child “packs away” more than you, then the next day, your child may eat a negligible amount, and this is all normal.
Not only is this the time your little one is eating like a grown-up, but it is also time for your child’s first visit to the dentist. Dr. Edina Heder, a Toronto-based pediatric dentist, says: “We discuss oral hygiene and show the parents how to brush. We find some parents do not brush baby teeth because they simply did not know they should. Our big saying is, ‘Two for two is what we do,’” meaning brush two times a day for two minutes.” Also, she says, “we show parents how to floss if there is no space between the teeth,” as it’s important “to educate parents about prevention.”
As a registered dietitian and mother of two, I agree with Dr. Heder on the importance of educating parents and caregivers on the impact of snacking and grazing. Says Dr. Heder: “We find that snacking has more of an impact on teeth, as these tend to be high in sugar or high carbohydrate foods. So again, we go back to saying that fresh is the best: fruits, vegetables, plain yogurt or nut butters.” And as we mentioned in Part 1 of this article — avoid juice! It fills kids and adults with empty calories and increases the risk of cavities. Dr. Heder also notes that as taste buds develop in your baby, it is crucial to avoid introducing sugary foods that may be appealing to eat, but can lead to tooth decay.
Some crucial tips for mealtimes:
- Do not offer too many options or alternatives if your child rejects the food. This opens the floodgate to picky eating.
- “Food jags” are common, so if your child keeps asking for the same food, take a holiday from it to help increase variety.
- Make sure your baby is not drinking too much milk or eating too many snacks. If your baby is filling up on 20 to 30 ounces of milk or grazing on fruit and crackers, why would they want to eat at mealtime?
- Don’t be afraid to use herbs like mint or basil and spices like cumin, paprika and other strong flavours like lime and garlic. Once you know what your little one likes, use it to your advantage.
- Don’t worry if your child rejects the food. Try a food 15 to 20 times before giving up on it.
- Eat together when you can, remove distractions (TV, toys, etc.) and stay positive! Kids feel our stress and anxiety, and this tends to have a negative effect on their appetite. Remember: Occasional bad days or a “bad meal” are normal, as long as they are not becoming a pattern.
- Now that you may be eating the same meals together, you can use Canada’s new Food Guide (read our article on page 10 and visit food-guide.canada.ca) to help plan balanced and nutritious family meals. Just remember that Canada’s Food Guide is not designed for young children, but it can certainly be used as a guide to plan the overall menu.
- Most importantly, remember that most food rejections in the second year of life are about testing emotional boundaries and not so much about the food. Because of this, all kids are picky at one point or another, but they usually outgrow it. Focus on setting firm boundaries and not just on your cooking creativity!
Last words of caution
Make sure you avoid giving your child honey in their first year of life. Cow’s milk can be introduced between nine and 12 months of age. Avoid added sugars in baby’s food, and make sure you are not offering any juices, as that can quickly lead to cavities if juice becomes your child’s preference. Bottle-feeding at night is also implicated in developing cavities, so avoid this habit unless indicated by your health-care provider. Otherwise, all other foods that don’t present a choking risk are game.
Food is one of your child’s first ways to express their unique personality, independence and preferences. And this is yet another great opportunity to get to know them and take funny pictures. Take the time to enjoy this process, but if you find it to be a source of stress, discuss it with your pediatrician and pediatric dentist.