What's a normal portion?

How much food is right for your baby?

Portion sizes vary between babies and depend on several factors:
– How active and alert your baby is
– How much breast milk or formula they get throughout the day
– Their mood and appetite that day

It’s totally normal for babies of the same age to have different eating patterns. Some 8-month-olds eat almost like adults, while others still get most of their nutrition from breast milk. Both are perfectly fine. That’s why it’s best not to compare but to focus on your baby’s individual needs.

Signs your baby is getting enough to eat:

✔ Seems happy and satisfied
✔ Hitting developmental milestones
✔ Growing steadily in weight and length

If there’s any concern about growth, your pediatrician or health clinic will bring it up.

Do babies need to eat as much as possible?

Parents often try to get their babies to finish everything on the plate, but it’s important to respect your baby’s fullness cues. Research shows that babies are born with the ability to regulate their energy intake. They adjust how much they eat based on how calorie-dense the food is and how often they eat.
Letting your baby decide how much to eat helps them tune in to their body’s signals. Some days they’ll eat more, others less – and that’s totally normal.

Creating a good mealtime atmosphere for your baby

To help your baby feel and respond to hunger and fullness, try to keep distractions to a minimum during meals. Screens, toys, and other attention-grabbers can take the focus off the food and make it harder for your baby to feel when they’re full.

Tips for better mealtimes:

✔ Time meals right – babies eat best when they’re just the right amount of hungry
✔ Serve something familiar along with something new – comforting and adventurous
✔ Let your baby self-feed or hold a spoon – it encourages independence
✔ Eat together – babies learn by watching others
✔ Lower the pressure – every day is different, and that’s okay!

Sample daily menu for a 10–12 month old baby:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal + fruit purée
• Snack: Banana or yogurt + fruit purée
• Lunch: Pasta/bulgur/potatoes + veggies or root vegetables + fish/meat/egg/legumes. Optional: fruit or berries for dessert.
• Snack: Small sandwich with liver spread or hummus
• Dinner: Similar structure to lunch
• Evening meal: Formula or oatmeal with fruit purée

Breast milk or infant formula can be offered with meals if your baby wants it. Always offer water with meals.