There is no set amount of food that your baby should eat. Each baby’s appetite is different, and can vary from meal to meal and day to day. Let your baby decide how much to eat. Pay attention to their cues about wanting more, or having had enough.

The amounts your baby eats will vary based on such things as:

• how they are feeling
• distractions in the room
• the time of day
• their appetite
• the type of food they are eating

At 6-12 months of age, your baby will continue to get much of their nutrition from breastfeeding. At six months they will continue to breastfeed as before, while also eating some solids.  Do not expect your baby to eat large amounts of solids, especially at first.  As they grow they will slowly increase the amount of solids they eat, while continuing to breastfeed.

• Start with a small amount of food, like a spoonful or two at a meal or snack, and then offer more if your baby shows interest.
  • Your baby will show you that they want to eat more food by doing things like:
    • opening their mouth when they see the food
    • moving their head towards the food
    • reaching towards the food

• • Your baby will show you that they have had enough by doing things like:
    • refusing to eat more
    • turning their head away
    • falling asleep
    • playing
    • closing their mouth
    • covering their mouth with their hand
    • shaking their head “no”
    • crying
• When offering more than one kind of food, offer:
  1. A spoonful or two of one kind of food first
  2. A spoonful or two of each of the other kinds of food
  3. The first food again if your baby is still hungry

Repeat this pattern until your baby shows that they have had enough.  This lets the baby try all the foods you are offering, and lets them decide how much of each food they want to eat.  If your baby is eating with their fingers, you can put small amounts of all the foods in their dish at once. Remember that each baby will be different in how much they eat and when they learn to like new foods.