Which of the following dietary components is necessary during the first six months of life?

Read time: 6 minutes

What should I know about the nutritional needs of a 6- to 12-month-old

• Know the average growth rates of a 6- to 12-month-old

• Understand which minerals and vitamins are needed during the first year of life

• Learn what serving size may be appropriate for babies this age

Relative to their size, babies have a much higher need for energy, vitamins, and minerals than adults.1,4 As you begin the exciting process of starting solid foods, emphasize nutrient-dense foods to support your baby’s healthy growth and development.Remember this transition to solid foods is in addition to breastmilk or formula consumption. Don’t use food in place of milk but rather as an increasingly important supplement. Your baby is still receiving most of their calories and dietary nutrients from breastmilk and/or formula.2,3

Average weight gain and growth for a 6 to 12 month old

Babies 6-12 months old will gain around 3 to 5 ounces per week.4 Note that breastfed babies tend to gain slightly more weight than formula-fed babies during the first few months of life, but then formula-fed babies tend to gain more weight than breastfed babies in the latter part of the first year.4 By your baby’s first birthday, they will likely weigh about three times their birthweight.4 To accurately gauge weight gain over time, your baby should be weighed on the same scale with the same amount of clothing (or better yet, naked!).Curious if your little one is growing well? Reach out to our team of registered dietitians and lactation consultants for free! They’re here to help on our free to live chat from Monday through Friday, from 8am–6pm ET, and Saturday and Sunday, from 8am–2pm ET. Chat Now!

Nutrients important for growth and development between 6 and 12 months

While breastmilk and formula will provide most of your little one’s nutrition and calories until they are close to a year old, offering nutrient-rich foods will help your little one build healthy eating habits for the future.5, 6 There are also a couple of nutrient gaps that may need to be filled starting around 6 months.The below nutrients are some (but not all!) of the vitamins and minerals that play a role in your baby’s growth and development. Aim to introduce and include some (or all!) of these foods to help provide a varied and nourishing diet.Remember that your little one may not get every nutrient every day, and that’s okay! Over time and with the repeated exposure to all different foods, your little one will get what they need.7Food sources rich in these nutrients are listed below but may not be in a form appropriate for babies. Make sure to choose foods that are appropriate for your baby’s age and stage with eating, as well as for your baby’s oral motor skill level.7

Iron

Iron is most easily absorbed from red meat, but also found in spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables (swiss chard, beet and collard greens, bok choy, kale); beans (lentils, garbanzos, navy, kidney, black, pinto); tofu, and iron-fortified infant cereals.8 When you eat iron-rich plant foods along with foods containing vitamin C, the body absorbs iron much better.9 For example, add a squeeze of lemon to beans or a squeeze of orange to chopped, sautéed leafy greens.Iron is particularly important for breastfed babies who take in minimal or no formula. This is because breastmilk contains very little iron. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an iron supplement for breastfed babies until they are introduced to iron-rich solids at 6 months.10Chat with your baby’s pediatrician before introducing a supplement. Also, be sure to include plenty of iron-rich foods in your baby’s diet!

Zinc

Foods that contain zinc include beef, lamb, turkey, shrimp, pumpkin and sesame seeds, lentils, garbanzos, spinach, asparagus, quinoa, yogurt, fortified grains, tofu, tahini, and tempeh.11

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables and especially high in red bell pepper, orange, grapefruit, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, and tomato.12Read more: Why Vitamin C Matters for Babies, Tots, and Mama

Vitamin A

Good sources of vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, and other orange- and red-colored fruits and vegetables; dark green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, spinach, chard, beet and mustard greens), as well as yogurt, fortified whole milk, and pickled herring.13

Vitamin D

Good sources include salmon, fortified whole milk, fortified milk alternatives, sardines, tuna, egg yolk, canned light tuna, and some fortified whole grain cereals.14 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breastfed infants, and combination fed (breast milk and formula) infants, should be given 400 IU of vitamin D supplement in liquid form every day beginning soon after birth.10 ,15 Formula fed infants who are getting at least 32 ounces of formula per day do not need to take vitamin D supplements as formula already contains vitamin D.10 Chat with your child’s pediatrician about supplementation before giving it to your baby.Read more: Why Vitamin D Matters for Babies, Tots, and Mama

How much should a 6 to 12 month old eat?

From 6 to 9 months of age your baby is still learning the skills needed to eat solid foods, so the amount of solid foods they eat may be quite low.18 At this stage, try feeding your baby 2 to 3 meals a day, and expect the average meal size to be only 2-4 tablespoons each.17, 19 This amount can vary from child to child and from day to day, so always follow your child’s hunger and fullness cues, and never force your little one to eat.20 By 9 months old, your baby should be ready for 3 full meals and 1 to 2 planned, nutritious snacks each day in addition to breast milk and/or formula.11, 19 Expect the meal size to increase to approximately ½ to 1 cup per meal (less for snacks). And by their first birthday, your baby will likely be eating 3 full meals and 2 to 3 nutritious snacks each day.11

Read more: Introducing Solids: First Foods and Advancing Textures 

Tips for feeding your 6- to 12-month-old

Offer a variety of healthy foods

Goal: Offer a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, dairy, and meat throughout the week. It can feel daunting to make sure your child is taking in every single vitamin and mineral needed for development if you are focused on a single day. Instead, look to balance their diet over an entire week.21

Read more: Meal Plan for a 6 to 9 Month Old Baby

Read more: Meal Plan for 12 Month Old Toddler

Focus on high quality snacks

Goal: Use snack time to incorporate a wide variety of the vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts/seeds (or nut butters and ground seeds), and dairy; and even lean meat, poultry, and seafood.22 Your little one’s tummy is small so they can’t eat too much at a time. Because of this, snacks end up being an important way for your child to get more of the nutrition they need. Rather than having the mindset that snacks are an invitation to eat junk food, teach them to ‘eat the rainbow’— offering fruits and vegetables in all colors. Provide a combination of protein, whole grains, and produce.

Learn more: Healthy Snacks for Babies and Toddlers

Follow your baby’s hunger and fullness cues

Goal: Offer foods when your little one indicates they are hungry and stop feeding them if they seem full or no longer interested in eating.Following your baby’s hunger and fullness cues is called “responsive feeding.” This practice helps your child develop healthy eating habits for the future.20 It also allows them to learn to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues and self-regulate how much they eat, only eating as much as their body needs each day. 4, 24

Learn more:  Understanding Your Baby’s Hunger and Fullness Cues: Responsive Eating

Let’s Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.Our Happy Baby Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitians certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too, which means they’ve been there and seen that. They’re here to help on our free, live chat platform Monday through Friday, from 8am–6pm ET, and Saturday and Sunday, from 8am–2pm ET. Chat Now!

Read more about the experts that help write our content!

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