Inside: This 1 year old feeding schedule will make feeding your baby so much simpler. Get a sample menu, 1 year old meal ideas, plus answers to your most common questions on feeding a 12 month old.
Hey mama! Are you feeling overwhelmed with the seemingly never-ending task of feeding your little one?
Not to worry – today I’m going to teach you about the magic of feeding schedules and how they can simplify your life as a stay at home mom and help you to avoid constantly wondering: “when does this baby need to eat?” and “what should I feed my 1 year old?”
- I’m going to walk you step-by-step through sample 1 year old feeding schedules, meaning the times of day your baby should have their meals and snacks.
- Plus ideas for what to serve your baby at those set times.
- Inside this post you’ll find sample meal ideas for a 12 month old, and ideas for morning and afternoon snacks.
Quick aside: is a 1 year old a baby or a toddler? With my first baby, she felt so much like a toddler at 1. But now with my 3rd, she seems so much like a baby in comparison to my other two 🙂
P.S. – Hi! I’m Marla, full-time SAHM to 3 little girls. If you’re all about step-by-step help, I teach a course called the Ultimate Stay at Home Mom Course that will help you take your stay at home mom life from chaos to controlled. Learn more here.
How many feedings should a 1 year old have?
At this age, it’s ideal for your baby to eat 3 meals a day, and you can offer two snacks (although they may not want them).
Whether or not you continue to breastfeed past 1 is up to you. However, it is recommended that at 12 months old, little ones are provided the opportunity to eat at regular mealtimes.
This leads to the next most common question: “how much milk for a 1 year old is needed?” – and the answer is none!
If you do wean from breastfeeding or formula, babies 12 months and up don’t “need” milk, however, whole milk (we prefer grass-fed, Organic) can provide healthy fats and protein. Whether you supplement with a toddler formula or not depends on your pediatrician’s recommendation.
- That being said, your 1 year old may not actually eat that much at each meal, and that’s okay!
- As long as your pediatrician doesn’t have any concerns about growth, most babies/toddlers of this age will get a lot more food on the floor than they will in their mouths.
- Most food will be “sucked” or gummed, depending on how many teeth they have.
Read: Daily Routine for a 1 Year Old
How often do you feed a 12 month old?
The times of day your baby eats largely depends on three factors:
- The time they wake up in the morning
- When / how long their nap is
- What time they go to bed at night.
Their hunger is also the best indicator of how much they should eat.
There’s no need to force-feed.
Let their hunger guide how much they eat and you guide when and where they eat.
All meals and snacks should take place in a highchair or booster seat where your little one is securely strapped in. At this age, as they start walking and climbing, safety is a top priority, especially with mealtimes!
Let’s chat about some simple tips to keep your baby safe at meal and snacktimes:
- Make sure they are seated and buckled into a highchair or booster seat.
- Do not offer snacks while they are walking around or playing as this is a top cause of choking.
- Ensure you are cutting foods properly such as grapes (halved lengthwise) and not offering choking hazards such as baby carrots, tortilla chips, popcorn, hard or sticky candies or whole hot dogs to name a few.
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What is a good Feeding Schedule for a 1 Year Old?
A “good” feeding schedule is one that works for you! Think about your 1 year old’s daily schedule and work backward from there. Below are two sample 1 year old feeding schedules including milk. If your baby goes to daycare, adjust these times to work with your family’s schedule, as well as account for meals eaten there.
- Snacks may be “take it or leave it” at this age.
- Look for hunger cues to see if your 1 year old is interested in eating a snack in-between meals.
- If you set them up with a snack and they don’t want it, wait until the next meal to offer food.
Please remember that all kids are different! This is just to give you an idea and help guide you in planning meals. Just a friendly reminder that I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, as always, I’m sharing what works for me and my kids.
Sample 12 Month Old Feeding Schedule
7 AM – Wake Up / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
7:30 AM – Breakfast
10 AM – Morning Nap / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
11:30 AM – Morning Snack
1:00 PM – Lunch
2:30 PM – Afternoon Nap / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
3:30 PM – Afternoon Snack
5:30 PM – Dinner
6:45 PM – Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
7:00 PM – Bedtime
Sample 12 Month Old Feeding Schedule (with later wake-up)
8 AM – Wake Up / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
8:30 AM – Breakfast
11 AM – Morning Nap / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
1:00 PM – Lunch
3:00 PM – Afternoon Nap / Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
4:00 PM – Afternoon Snack
6:00 PM – Dinner
7:15 PM – Breastfeeding or bottle feeding if applicable
7:30/8:00 PM – Bedtime
Read: Indoor & Outdoor Activities for 1 Year Olds
1 Year Old Meal Ideas (What My 1 Year Old Ate in a Day)
Mommy & Me Meals
On my Instagram I often share with the hashtag #MeandP – whenever I make the same meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) for me and my 4 year old, Penelope.
Now that my 1 year old, Emerson, is eating regular meals with the family, I typically make the same breakfast and lunch for all 3 of us, and the same dinner for all 5 of us (this is when my husband and 6 year old are home).
So the meals you’ll see below also represent what I ate, plus what I fed to my 4 & 6 year old, and often my husband as well!
These simple “mommy and me” meals make mealtime much easier, because I don’t have to think about 3 separate meals for each of us. I used the baby-led weaning method with all 3 girls, so this has been a built-in habit from the beginning.
If feeding your 1 year old feels like an overwhelming task, consider what you want to eat at mealtimes and then modify how you serve it for your baby.
Breakfast
Broccoli & cheese waffle maker eggs, strawberries, avocado toast (the giraffe pick is just for fun, I wouldn’t give that to a baby 😉 )
Morning Snack
Blueberry muffin, orange segments, and string cheese (left: at home, right: on the go)
Lunch (Daycare or on-the-go lunchbox ideas):
Left: Strawberries, puffs, cucumber sticks, hummus, broccoli bites
Right: Puffs, orange segments, cucumber sticks, hummus, sliced grapes, chicken & sweet potato bites
P.S: Because I Said So, Baby readers *always* get 15% off Innobaby lunchboxes (pink one above & bus plate below) using the code JMMARLA.
Lunch (at home)
This was a random clear out the fridge leftovers day! Top plate was for my 1 year old and stainless steel plate for my 4 year old.
Taquitos (refried beans & cheese rolled up) – I share these on my IG all the time, sliced grapes, cucumber sticks, ditalini & Parmesan cheese
Afternoon Snack
Cheddar bunnies, GoGo Squeez (this I have to help her with or it goes everywhere), string cheese leftover from the morning
Dinner
Rigatoni with marinara sauce, turkey meatballs, sliced tomatoes and cucumber sticks (Emmy REALLY likes cucumbers)
What to Read Next
Meal Ideas & Feeding Schedules for:
