At nine months
As your baby hits the nine-month stage, he’s likely to be increasing his intake of solids, and reducing the number of milk feeds he has. The lunchtime feed is often the first to go, so make sure you offer a drink of water with this meal. At other mealtimes, offer your baby his solids first, followed by milk, and let him decide how much of his bottle or breastfeed he wants. You can also offer him a snack with his afternoon milk feed, both to up his solid intake and give him an opportunity to practice eating finger foods.
Your nine-month-old’s weekly meal planner
Monday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal and apple puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Spinach and cod with mashed potato, mashed banana, water
Mid-afternoon: Rice cakes, breast or bottle
Tea: Cheesy leek, sweet potato and cauliflower, yoghurt, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Tuesday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Porridge with mashed banana, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Beef and veg casserole, rice pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: Breadsticks with hummous, breast or bottle
Tea: Lentils with sweet potato, fromage frais, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Wednesday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Scrambled egg with toast soldiers, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Poached salmon with carrots and peas, fruit compote, water
Mid-afternoon: Banana (whole, sliced or mashed), breast or bottle
Tea: Cauliflower and broccoli cheese, semolina with apricots, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Thursday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal and pear puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Mild chicken curry with apricots, bananas and custard, water
Mid-afternoon: Sliced peach and mango, breast or bottle
Tea: Tomato and butternut squash pasta, yoghurt, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Friday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Cheese on toast fingers, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Lentil and vegetable puree, rice pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: Breadsticks with cheese cubes, breast or bottle
Tea: Cod with butternut squash and cheese sauce, fruit compote, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Saturday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Porridge with pureed dates, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Beef with sweet potato, fromage frais, water
Mid-afternoon: Pitta bread fingers, breast or bottle
Tea: Salmon with cheese and tomatoes, mashed banana and mango, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Sunday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal and apricot puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Lunch: Chicken with root vegetables, sliced pear, water
Mid-afternoon: Fromage frais, breast or bottle
Tea: Butternut squash risotto, fruit compote, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
At 10 months
By 10 months old, your baby’s appetite is likely to be increasing, especially if he’s becoming mobile, so up the quantities you give him at mealtimes, and move towards more grown-up tastes. Now he’s burning more energy, you may need to introduce a morning snack – probably after his nap – as well as a snack during the afternoon. Milk intake varies at this age; he should still be having around three feeds a day, but he may not want a full bottle or breastfeed each time. If he’s drinking less milk, offer water with meals and snacks too.
Your 10-month-old’s weekly meal planner
Monday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal with fruit puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Low-sugar rusk
Lunch: Chicken Bolognese, yoghurt, water
Mid-afternoon: Banana slices, breast or bottle
Tea: Cheesy leek, sweetcorn and cauliflower, fruit compote, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Tuesday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Porridge with mashed banana, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Breadsticks
Lunch: Fish mornay and vegetables, fruit compote, water
Mid-afternoon: Mango and peach slices, breast or bottle
Tea: Lentils with sweet potato, fromage frais, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Wednesday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal with fruit puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Rice cakes
Lunch: Mild chicken and apricot curry, mashed mango and banana, water
Mid-afternoon: Cucumber and pepper slices with hummous, breast or bottle
Tea: Scrambled egg with toast soldiers, rice pudding, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Thursday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast soldiers, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Halved grapes and blueberries
Lunch: Spinach, cod and mashed potato, fromage frais, water
Mid-afternoon: Pitta bread fingers, breast or bottle
Tea: Tomato and basil pasta, semolina with apricots, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Friday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Porridge with apple and blackberry puree, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Dry cereal pieces
Lunch: Creamy chicken and broccoli, rice pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: Fromage frais, breast or bottle
Tea: Tuna and sweetcorn couscous, mango and peach slices, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Saturday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Trio of fruit purees, toast soldiers, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Apple and pear slices
Lunch: Beef casserole with vegetables, bananas and custard, water
Mid-afternoon: Cheese on toast soldiers, breast or bottle
Tea: Lentil and vegetable curry, yoghurt, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Sunday
Early morning: Breast or bottle
Breakfast: Baby cereal, banana slices, breast or bottle (if wanted)
Mid-morning: Low-sugar rusk
Lunch: Salmon with carrots and peas, semolina and apricots, water
Mid-afternoon: Bread and butter with cheese cubes, breast or bottle
Tea: Risotto with cheese and broccoli, fromage frais, breast or bottle
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
At 11 months
The rate at which your baby drops his milk feeds will depend on his appetite for solids and his enthusiasm for milk. He should still be having 500ml (almost a pint) of formula or regular breastfeeds, but he may now be able to wait until breakfast for his first feed of the day, rather than needing it as soon as he wakes. He may also drop the mid-afternoon feed, or the one at teatime – be guided by him. At this age, you can start to offer some simple family foods with baby-friendly textures, like shepherd’s pie – and make sure that he has a healthy snack both morning and afternoon to keep him going between meals.
Your 11-month-old’s weekly meal planner
Monday
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Rice cakes
Lunch: Salmon and sweetcorn chowder, yoghurt, water
Mid-afternoon: Cheese on toast soldiers, breast or bottle
Tea: Mini chicken burgers and sweet potato wedges, fruit compote, water
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Tuesday
Breakfast: Porridge with fruit, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Breadsticks
Lunch: Pasta risotto, stewed fruit and custard, water
Mid-afternoon: Chopped apple and cheese cubes, breast or bottle
Tea: Fish pie with broccoli, fromage frais
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Wednesday
Breakfast: Scrambled egg with toast, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Chopped apple and grapes
Lunch: Chicken and vegetable couscous, rice pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: Fromage frais, breast or bottle
Tea: Tomato and mascarpone pasta, sliced banana and mango
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Pitta bread fingers
Lunch: Macaroni cheese with peas, fruit compote, water
Mid-afternoon: Fruit smoothie, breast or bottle
Tea: Quesadilla with pepper and cucumber sticks, yoghurt
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Friday
Breakfast: Porridge with fruit, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Baby biscuit or low-sugar rusk
Lunch: Cod with butternut squash in cheese sauce, rice pudding, water
Mid-afternoon: Pitta with hummous or cheese spread, breast or bottle
Tea: Lasagne, stewed fruit and custard
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Saturday
Breakfast: Fruit, toast and yoghurt, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Breadsticks
Lunch: Hidden vegetable pasta, fromage frais, water
Mid-afternoon: Oatcakes with cheese spread, breast or bottle
Tea: Jacket potato with cottage cheese, sliced peach and pear
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit, breast, bottle or cup of formula
Mid-morning: Rice cakes
Lunch: Scrambled egg with toast, cucumber sticks, yoghurt, water
Mid-afternoon: Mashed banana on toast, breast or bottle
Tea: Roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables, apple crumble
Bedtime: Breast or bottle
At 12 months
Somewhere around his first birthday, your baby should make the transition to eating family foods most of the time. He’s now capable enough of handling and chewing finger foods to have an entire finger food meal as well as snacks, and should be able to cope with small portions of the dishes you cook for the rest of the family, chopped or mashed. He still needs around 350ml of milk a day, but once he’s 12 months old, you can give him full-fat cow’s milk instead of formula or breastmilk, and aim for him to have his drinks – at least his daytime ones – from a cup, not a bottle.
Your 12-month-old’s weekly meal planner
Monday
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit, milk
Mid-morning: Plain biscuit, water
Lunch: Baked beans on toast, yoghurt, water
Mid-afternoon: Banana muffin, milk or water
Tea: Pasta Cod with tomatoes and courgettes, rice, fruit compote, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Tuesday
Breakfast: Porridge with fruit, milk
Mid-morning: Breadsticks, water
Lunch: Ham and cheese omelette with peas and sweetcorn, banana, water
Mid-afternoon: Fromage frais pouch, milk or water
Tea: Spaghetti Bolognese, rice pudding, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Wednesday
Breakfast: Boiled egg with soldiers, milk
Mid-morning: Banana and peach slices, water
Lunch: Mini sandwiches with cubes of cheese, cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes, fromage frais, water
Mid-afternoon: Pitta bread with hummous, milk or water
Tea: Fish fingers with homemade potato wedges, peas and carrots, fruit compote, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit, milk
Mid-morning: Rice cakes and raisins, water
Lunch: Jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, fruit compote, water
Mid-afternoon: Crumpet with cream cheese, milk or water
Tea: Mini meatballs with tomato sauce and pasta, yoghurt, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Friday
Breakfast: Porridge with fruit, milk
Mid-morning: Pouch of fruit puree, water
Lunch: Cheesy scrambled eggs with toast, fresh fruit salad, water
Mid-afternoon: Breadsticks and hummous, milk or water
Tea: Shepherd’s pie with broccoli, fruit and yoghurt, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Saturday
Breakfast: Toasted teacake, fruit, milk
Mid-morning: Fruit smoothie, water
Lunch: Muffin pizza, cucumber and carrot sticks, yoghurt, water
Mid-afternoon: Chopped apple and strawberries, milk or water
Tea: Sausages with mashed potato and mixed vegetables, fruit compote, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Sunday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with toast, milk
Mid-morning: Sweet pancake, water
Lunch: Pasta with ham and peas, banana and custard, water
Mid-afternoon: Cheese on toast, milk or water
Tea: Roast beef with roast potatoes and vegetables, apple crumble and ice cream, milk or water
Bedtime: Milk
Remember, all babies progress at different rates. This meal planner is intended as a guide, but be led by your own child’s age, stage of development and appetite, especially when it comes to dropping milk feeds. Mix and match meals from across the planner to give your baby a wide variety of foods; although we’ve shown a different meal idea for every day of the week, it’s perfectly okay to cook a batch of food and give it to him on two or three occasions throughout the week. If you have any concerns about your baby’s diet, speak to your health visitor.
