How much food should I be giving my baby?

Every baby is different and you should try to respond to your baby’s needs; some babies like to eat a lot more food than other babies. Try to introduce solid food once a day and then gradually increase the amount of solid food each day; once the baby is used to eating solid foods and is starting to eat proper meals, try to give them protein, starchy carbohydrates and vegetables in each meal.

Older babies

From the age of 9 months onwards your baby should be eating proper meals; if they don’t have many teeth, you may still have to liquidise or chop up their food into very small pieces. Try to incorporate your baby’s feeding times into your own family routine and get them used to sitting and eating with the rest of the family. Once your baby starts to crawl and move around more, their appetite may increase and they may eat more regularly. At the age of nice months you should be giving your baby:

• 3-4 servings of starchy carbohydrates (rice, pasta and potatoes, for example)
• 3-4 servings of fruit and vegetables
• 2 servings of protein (meat, eggs or pulses, for example)

In addition to this, some babies may get hungry between meals; you can give them snacks including cubes of cheese, carrot sticks, toast and fruit.

Will my baby need vitamin supplements?

It is advisable to give babies vitamin A, C and D supplements from the age of 12 months to 5 years; sometimes it may be advisable to give babies vitamins from an earlier age. You can ask your midwife or GP for advice about vitamin supplements. 

Weaning and Moving onto Solid Foods:

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• Weaning and Moving onto Solid Foods
• Which foods should I try first?
• How much food should I be giving my baby?
• Which foods should I avoid?
• Tips for mums with fussy eaters
• Baby-led Weaning

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