At 9 to 12 months of age, your baby will probably have reached several growth and developmental milestones. They may be standing, saying a few words, and starting to grasp things. Many babies also drop down to only one or two naps a day at this point. 

By  9 months, your little one has probably begun to experiment with feeding themselves a little: picking up, touching, holding, and squishing small pieces of food. They may even manage to get more food into their mouth than in their hair!

At this stage, it’s important to continue closely monitoring your baby at mealtime as choking hazards are still an issue. Continue to avoid hard, chunky, or sticky foods at this age. Formula or breast milk remains a vital dietary staple for 9-month-old to 12-month-old babies though they’ll get getting a lot more of their calories from solid food than they had previously. Here’s what you need to know about feeding your 9- to 12-month-old baby.

How Much Breast Milk or Formula 9- to 12-Month-Old Babies Need

Babies at this age are becoming increasingly active. Many are creeping or even crawling along. Some may even be starting to take their first steps. Using more calories means they’ll probably be a bit more hungry sometimes. At this age, your baby needs between 750 and 900 calories each day. 

While they’ll get most of the additional calories from table food, they’ll still need quite a bit of breast milk and/or formula. More than half of those calories (about 400 to 500) should still come from breast milk or formula (roughly about 24 ounces a day). 

Breast milk and formula contain a number of vital nutrients for brain growth and development, particularly iron. According to Danielle Roberts, MD, a pediatrician in Zanesville, Ohio, “Infants can develop iron deficiency anemia (low iron levels in their blood) if they are not given breast milk or formula [through their first birthday].” Whole milk or a dairy-free alternative, like soy milk, should not be introduced before one year of age.

Comotomo Baby Bottles (8 oz., 2-pack) have smart, non-leaking dual air-vents to prevent colic, a truly wide-neck design for easy cleaning, and a hygienic silicone material so that you never have to worry about toxic chemicals. Above all, Comotomo bottles are designed to mimic breastfeeding to help babies easily transition back and forth from nursing to bottle feeding.

How Much Solid Food a 9- to 12-Month-Old Needs

While formula or breast milk continues to be your baby’s main source of nutrition, by 9 to 12 months of age you should be offering three meals of solid food throughout the day, along with four to six bottle- or breastfeeding sessions. 

At this point, your baby has likely become more adept at gumming and swallowing solid foods and is receptive to experimenting with new things. They probably enjoy playing with their food quite a bit as well. This is normal and expected. Exploring texture and taste is part of the process when it comes to learning about solid foods.

Now is the time to begin introducing food that has a bit more coarseness in its texture than pureed food. You may want to augment your baby's diet to incorporate more soft foods, like yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. Eggs (including scrambled) are an excellent source of protein, as are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado. 

The Avanchy Toddler Stainless Steel Silicone Suction Divided Plate is a durable and practical choice for your fast-growing child. Specifically made for kids with a bigger appetite, this plate is wider to accommodate full-sized portions.

Sample Feeding Schedule for a 9- to 12-Month-Old Baby

It can be helpful to see an example of what a feeding schedule might look like at this age. Keep in mind every baby is different; a 12-month-old, for example, will probably be able to eat more and have more advanced eating skills than a 9-month-old. 

Breakfast

• 2 to 4 ounces cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg
• 2 to 4 ounces mashed or diced fruit
• Breast milk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

• Breast milk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
• 2 to 4 ounces diced cheese or cooked pureed or diced vegetables

Lunch

• 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or cottage cheese, or pureed or diced beans or meat
• 2 to 4 ounces cooked pureed or diced yellow or orange vegetables
• Breast milk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

• 1 whole grain cracker or teething biscuit
• 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or fork-mashed or diced soft fruit
• 2 to 4 ounces water

Dinner

• 2 to 4 ounces diced poultry, meat, or tofu
• 2 to 4 ounces cooked green vegetables
• 2 to 4 ounces cooked soft-whole grain pasta or potato
• 2 to 4 ounces diced or mashed fruit
• Breast milk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Before bedtime

Breast milk or 6 to 8 ounces formula or water. (If breast milk or formula, follow with water or brush teeth afterward).

How to Know if Your 9- to 12-Month-Old Baby Is Eating Enough

In general, babies who are gaining weight and producing enough wet and dirty diapers are likely getting enough to eat. When they’re feeling full, they’ll turn their head or push their plate away, or unlatch from the bottle or breast. At this age, it’s essential to continue to offer breast milk and formula on demand. Keep having regularly scheduled well-checks with your pediatrician to allow them to monitor your baby’s growth and address any potential nutritional issues. 

Tips for Feeding Your 9- to 12-Month-Old Baby

• Choking hazards are still a threat at this age so continue to monitor your baby closely as they eat. 
• Food should be very soft (easily mashed between two fingers) and cut into very small pieces or into long strips that your baby can easily pick up with their whole hand.
• Try “pre-loading” a spoon with a bit of puree and allowing your baby to practice self-feeding.
• Provide small, regular meals.
• Monitor your baby for any possible constipation issues.
• Offer a small, baby-sized spoon or fork for your little one to play and practice with during meal times.

The OXO Tot Fork and Spoon are perfect for when tots are ready to feed themselves. Generous handles have soft, non-slip grips and are easy to hold while scooping yogurt or piercing pasta. The Fork tines capture food effectively (really) and safely, while the deep Spoon head easily scoops and contains food, easing the frustrations of learning to self-feed.

The Takeaway

As you eagerly approach your baby’s first birthday, continue to offer breast milk and formula on demand and as a consistent, significant part of your baby’s diet. Encourage your little one to continue exploring new tastes and textures when it comes to solid foods. Make family meal times a priority so that your baby can watch how adults and other children use utensils and behave at the table. Finally, keep seeing your pediatrician on a regular basis so that they can monitor your baby’s development.

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