SELECT STAGE
0–2 MONTHS
3-5 MONTHS
6 MONTHS
7-8 MONTHS
9-12 MONTHS
12-18 MONTHS
12–18 Months
YOUR BABY NEEDS
Signs of readiness
BEGINS TO USE A SPOON AND FORK, FEEDS SELF EASILY WITH FINGERS
FEEDS AT REGULAR TIMES
DRINKS FROM A SIPPY CUP OR OPEN CUP WITH ASSISTANCE
Food, quantity and consistency
Liquid
  • Breast milk
  • Infant formula, cow’s milk based
  • 3.25% fat Cow’s milk

LIQUID INTAKE

500 – 750 mL/day (2–3 servings/day)

Solid

  • Yogurt
  • Pancakes or soft French toast
  • Pasta or rice
  • Cottage cheese
  • Hard cooked egg
  • Cooked vegetables
  • Cooked or ripe fruit
  • Family foods (casseroles)

SOLID FOOD INTAKE

3 meals and 2 snacks

Consistency
  • Transition to the family diet
  • Variety of textures
  • Bite sized pieces
  • Finger foods
Key nutrients
DHA

DHA is an Omega-3 fat prominent in your baby's brain and important for their normal brain and eye development. By your baby's 2nd birthday, most of their brain growth will have already occurred.

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If using an infant formula, use a formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid(DHA). Once on solids, fatty fish is another excellent way to ensure your baby’s diet is rich in DHA

DHA RECOMMENDATION:

1–3 yr olds: 70 mg/day of DHA

Iron

Iron is essential for your baby’s physical and mental growth, and as they grow they need more to avoid iron deficiency anemia. Once your baby is on solids, make sure you provide iron rich foods.

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Iron from animal products, especially meat, is absorbed more easily than from other sources. Vitamin C also helps absorption of iron from plant sources (non-heme-iron).

Calcium

Your baby needs calcium for healthy development, especially of their bones and teeth.

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The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow’s milk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.†

Introducing solid foods
When and how

At 6 months, you can begin introducing iron rich solid foods one at a time. Wait a least 2 days after each to identify which foods your baby won’t tolerate well. The amount they drink will naturally decrease as their solid food intake increases.

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For up to 9 to 12 months, your baby will get most of their nutrients from breast milk or formula. As your baby is learning to eat a variety foods with different textures, think of solids as a supplement to their diet.

Keep in mind, cow’s milk can become part of your babies diet, however, it is not nutritionally complete and should not be used to fill nutritional gaps.

Preventing choking

Start with nearly liquid foods, then gradually introduce foods with thicker textures. Always supervise infants when they’re eating.

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Avoid foods like nuts, raw carrots, popcorn, hard, sticky or round candy, raisins, hot dogs and whole grapes.

Foods to avoid

  • All infants: Sugary drinks or foods.
  • Infants under 1: Honey (risk of botulism).

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Limit fruit juice as it may take the place of more nutrient-rich foods. Give only if baby is older than 6 months and drinking from a cup. Be sure it is only 100% fruit juice (with no added sugars) and limit to 125 ml per day.

* Average level of DHA and ARA in worldwide breast milk is 0.32% and 0.47% (mean ± standard deviation of total fatty acids) based on an analysis of 65 studies of 2,474 women).

† The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends not introducing pasteurized whole cow’s milk (3.25%) until at least 9-12 months of age.

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