Snack foods for 9 month old baby
Master List of Baby Snacks (Easy Finger Foods + Recipes)
Make snack time easier with this Master List of Baby Snacks. You’ll find the best easy and healthy finger foods for babies and one year olds that are simple to prepare and serve—and also super yummy!
Baby Snacks
Once your sweet baby has started solids, generally has the hang of things, and you’re ready to add in some snacks…it can be hard to know what to offer. And this post is here to help! You will find easy baby snacks organized by food group, the best homemade recipes to try, and tips for serving food to this age group to ensure they are yummy and easy to eat.
TIP: Depending on the baby, how much they are nursing or drinking from bottles, and the schedule of your day, you may or may not have time to add in snacks. You can start them around 9 months or at 12 months—whatever works best for your family and the appetite of your child.
Snacks for 9 Month Old Babies
At about 9 months, babies develop the pincer grasp, or the ability to pick up small (think the size of a pea) pieces of food. This usually opens up a whole wide range of foods that babies can feed themselves—and that is primarily the types of foods you’ll find in this post, along with some pureed options to round things out.
TIP: Find my Master List of Early Finger Foods to refresh your memory on all of the many food options you can serve at any meal to babies starting at age 9 ish months.
Sugar-Free Banana Muffin with RaspberriesSnacks for One Year Olds
Many one year olds from ages 12 months through 16-18 months are in this same category of eating small pieces of finger foods, so any of these foods are appropriate for them too. (Actually, they are of course appropriate for any age, though kids past that 18 month mark are more able to take bites from larger pieces of food.)
TIP: Find my One Year Old Feeding Schedule here.
Cheerios with Carrot Puree PouchBaby Snacks: Fruits and Veggies
These produce-based snacks are great options to have in the mix.
I like to pair them with another food group if possible (though baby won’t always eat perfectly balanced snacks and that’s okay!).
- Baby Food Pouches
- Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces
- Warmed frozen peas
- Roasted Zucchini, diced small
- Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
- Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
- Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
- Frozen fruit, warmed and fully thawed and chopped (such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or mango)
- Freeze-dried fruit (it dissolves very fast)
- Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)
Carbohydrate Snacks for Baby
Babies (and kids!) need carbohydrates in their diets, and we need to serve them often. Look for whole grains when possible to incorporate fiber and B vitamins.
Combine with produce or protein at snack time.
- Spinach pancakes diced (these are great to freeze and pull out of the freezer to warm one at a time)
- Baby Puffs
- Peanut Butter Puffs
- Baby Banana Muffin
- O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- Chex cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- Diced whole grain bread with applesauce or any fruit puree, or mashed avocado
- Baked Oatmeal, diced
- Leftover pasta, rice, or oatmeal
- Sweet Potato Teething Biscuits
Protein Snacks for Baby
Incorporating protein and healthy fats into baby’s food is a great way to help them find their food filling and satisfying until the next eating opportunity. Look for full fat dairy to ensure baby gets the fats they need for brain development and combine with another food group at snack time.
- Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up, mozzarella tends to be softest)
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- Lightly mashed or diced meatballs
- Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, cooked and broken into smaller pieces
- Lightly mashed beans
- Warmed frozen peas
- Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
- Diced egg muffins
- Yogurt (plain whole milk)
- Homemade Yogurt Melts
- Cottage cheese
- Simple smoothie (made with plain nondairy milk or yogurt)
Snacks to Serve Baby in a Pouch
Reusable pouches are super handy for babies and one year olds (and older toddlers too!).
We love the 3.5 ounce Squeasy Gear silicone pouch since it’s virtually spill-proof. I started using it around 7 months with my kids to offer foods including yogurt, simple smoothies, warm (not hot) pureed soups, overnight oats, and all sorts of Homemade Baby Food Pouches.
The Wee Sprout BPA-free pouches are also great and are very easy to wash.
Peas and scrambled eggsWhat’s the right portion for my baby?
There’s no “right” portion size, so my advice is to start with a very small amount to avoid food waste and offer more according to baby’s hunger—which may be more or less than you expect. Follow their lead as they are very in tune with their own hunger and fullness cues.
When should I feed baby snacks?
Typically, babies eat every 2-3 hours, so you will want to work the meals in between nursing or bottle sessions and naps. This can be hard to do until baby is closer to the 12 month mark, just logistically speaking, so don’t feel like you must do snacks if you can’t find the time and baby is getting plenty of calories from milk feedings and other meals.
What are the best foods for snacks?
I like to think of snacks as mini meals and serve all sorts of foods. This can help ensure that the littles are being introduced to all sorts of foods throughout the day and makes it easier to use up leftovers!
Best Store Bought Snacks for Littles
In addition to the single ingredient foods you can buy at the store, these packaged snacks are convenient ones to have on hand for snack time.
- 12-Grain Mini Round Crackers from Trader Joes (these are softer than most other crackers)
- Amara Organic Smoothie Melts
- Baby food pouches
- Baby Yogurt (without added sugars)
- Baby Puffs
- Chex cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- Diced whole grain bread with applesauce or any fruit puree, or mashed avocado
- Freeze-dried fruit
- Peanut Butter Puffs
- O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
TIP: The Amara Smoothie Melts are a brand new snack option.
They’re made with fruits and veggies and have a melt-in-the-mouth texture. My kids love them! (sponsored link)
Best Recipes for Healthy Baby Snacks
If you want to make some snacks at home that are a little more than just single ingredient foods, here are my top picks.
- Apple Puree
- Applesauce Overnight Oats
- Apple Yogurt
- Baby Food Combinations (any of these work!)
- Baked Oatmeal Bites
- Banana Yogurt
- Egg Muffins with Veggies
- Mango Smoothie
- Peanut Butter Puree
- Pear Puree
- 60-Second Scrambled Egg
- Simple Green Smoothie (use nondairy plain milk)
- Soft-Baked Granola Bars (closer to 12 months)
- Spinach Banana Pancake
- Sugar-Free Banana Muffins
- Sweet Potato Yogurt (with plain yogurt)
TIP: My favorite storage containers for kids snacks include the WeeSprout glass containers (shown below on the left with the colorful lids), the Beaba Clip Containers, and the Wean Green Storage Cubes.
Best Tips for Baby Snacks
- Aim to offer 2 foods (or more) from different food groups at each snack so baby has the opportunity to have a mix of nutrients.
- Aim for at least one of the foods to have fat and/or protein to help baby feel satisfied.
- If a food seems too slippery for baby to pick up or they’re otherwise having trouble, put the food onto a utensil, cut it differently, or otherwise help them eat the food.
- Try to avoid serving meals or snacks when baby is tired or is specifically hungry for their milk feedings—it takes them a while to connect solid food as a way to satisfy hunger, so be patient with that process of learning.
- Start with small portions to avoid food waste and offer more according to baby’s unique hunger.
- It can take kids time to learn to like a wide range of foods, so offer a range of foods throughout the week—and offer foods they didn’t eat (making sure it’s easy to eat and tastes good) so they have the chance to learn to like them.
- Keep meals free from pressure and fun without forcing baby to eat a certain amount of food.
- Sit with baby as you can and model eating so they have someone to copy—they are new to this and the more information they have (visual, verbal, etc), the better they can learn!
If you have any questions about feeding your baby or one year old, or any of these food suggestions, comment below and I will do my best to help!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 85kcal
Servings 1
Fruit and Veggie Snacks (start with 1-2 tbsp and offer more according to hunger)
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Avocado diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Banana broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- ▢ 1-3 ounces Baby Food Pouches
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Blueberries cut in half or quarters
- ▢ 1 Clementine chopped into small pieces
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Mango chopped into small pieces
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Mashed roasted sweet potato broken up into small pieces
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Peas
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Raspberries broken into small pieces
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Roasted Zucchini diced small
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash diced
Carbohydrates (start with 1-2 tablespoons and offer more following baby's lead)
- ▢ 1 Baby Banana Muffin
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Baby Puffs
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Baked Oatmeal diced
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Chex cereal soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Leftover pasta rice, or oatmeal
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp O cereal soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Peanut Butter Puffs
- ▢ 1 Spinach pancakes diced these are great to freeze and pull out of the freezer to warm one at a time
- ▢ 1/4 slice Whole grain bread diced with applesauce or any fruit puree, or mashed avocado
Protein Snacks (start with 1-2 tablespoons and offer more following baby's lead)
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Beans lightly mashed
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Cheese shredded (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up, mozzarella tends to be softest)
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Cottage cheese
- ▢ 1 Egg muffins diced
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Goat cheese crumbled
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Ground beef turkey, or chicken, cooked and broken into smaller pieces
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Hummus
- ▢ 1 Meatball lightly mashed or diced
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Peas
- ▢ 1 Scrambled eggs broken up into small pieces
- ▢ 1-3 ounces Simple smoothie made with plain nondairy milk or yogurt
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Shredded chicken cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Tofu diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- ▢ 1-2 tbsp Yogurt plain whole milk
Choose 2 single ingredient foods (or more) or 1 food that is made from a mix of foods (like a pancake or egg muffin).
Cut up into small pieces or mash lightly.
Serve to baby, offering preloaded spoons as needed to help them eat. (It's okay if baby gets messy as they learn to eat, that's part of the process!)
Start with a small portion and serve more according to baby's hunger—it's okay if they eat more or less than you expect!
Offer water with snacks (and meals).
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Reusable Pouch
Storage Containers
Mixing Bowl
- Aim to offer 2 foods (or more) for each snack so baby has the opportunity to have a mix of nutrients.
- Aim for at least one of the foods to have fat and/or protein to help baby feel satisfied.
- If a food seems too slippery for baby to pick up or they're otherwise having trouble, put the food onto a utensil, cut it differently, or otherwise help them eat the food.
- Try to avoid serving meals or snacks when baby is tired or is specifically hungry for their milk feedings—it takes them a while to connect solid food as a way to satisfy hunger, so be patient with that process of learning.
- It can take kids time to learn to like a wide range of foods, so offer a range of foods throughout the week—and offer foods they didn't eat (making sure it's easy to eat and tastes good) so they have the chance to learn to like them.
- Keep meals free from pressure and fun without forcing baby to eat a certain amount of food.
- Sit with baby as you can and model eating so they have someone to copy—they are new to this and the more information they have (visual, verbal, etc), the better they can learn!
Calories: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 94mg, Potassium: 90mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 173IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 110mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!
Best Early Finger Foods for Baby (With Tips, Visuals, and Recipes)
Use this list of safe, nutritious, and easy to eat finger foods for baby to help you know exactly what (and how) to offer at meals and snacks.
Plus, find the best first finger foods, troubleshooting tips, and visuals of foods broken down by food group to keep things easy!
Finger Foods for Baby
After baby starts solids and is ready to move onto finger foods, you may feel a little confused by exactly what to serve and how to serve it. Which is totally normal because it can be scary to let baby feed themselves this way and we may not have any experience doing this—or we may have totally forgotten from our last kiddo!
This list of finger foods for baby will cover some great first finger foods to start with, then set you up with plenty of healthy options from each food group.
TIP: Find more info on starting solids here and the best foods to start with if doing baby led weaning or purees with baby.
Healthy Baby Food
I love sharing these ideas for baby food since they are easy to prepare and serve and because I know how hard it can be to continue to come up with flavorful and healthy meals and snacks for our little ones.
Let me tell you, I’m on my third kiddo and it can be such a challenge to feed him during the chaos of parenting the rest of my crew! These foods are wholesome and nutritious—perfect for your baby.
TIP: I’m a big fan of SpoonfulONE, a company that offers the most complete way to introduce food allergens to our kids. They make mix-ins, puffs, and crackers that are yummy and easy for babies and toddlers to eat. Learn more about their pediatrician-approved baby foods here. (sponsored link)
Best First Finger Foods
When baby is around 9 months, you’ll notice that they’re able to pick up smaller pieces of food with two fingers. This is known as the “pincer grasp” and is a sign that they’re ready to start finger foods. To be clear, when I say “finger foods” I mean small pieces of food that a baby (or toddler) can feed themselves.
Here are some of my favorite ones to start with that are all super soft, safe to eat, and easy to pick up.
- Scrambled egg, broken up into small pieces
- Roasted sweet potato mashed and broken up into small pieces
- Fresh raspberries, broken up into smaller pieces
- Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
- Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- Ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
- Shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
- Mashed sweet potato, in little pieces
- Peanut butter puffs
TIP: You can serve the tofu, ground meat, or meatballs in veggie puree from a pouch or a simple marinara sauce for extra moisture and flavor.
Learn more about how and why to introduce peanut butter.
Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies
Some of my favorite early fruits and veggies to serve babies are:
- Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces
- Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired
- Roasted Zucchini
- Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
- Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
- Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
- Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)
TIP: A good rule of thumb is to serve pieces of food that are about the size of a pea to start and soft enough that they are easy to squish between your fingers. This will be easy for baby to pick up and eat and will also reduce chances of choking.
Finger Food Ideas: Carbohydrates
Offering complex carbohydrates can provide fiber, a variety of textures, B vitamins, and more.
Try these with your baby.
- Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
- Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
- Baby Puffs
- Peanut Butter Puffs
- Rice (it’s easiest if it’s in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
- Baby Banana Muffin
- O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- Baked Oatmeal, diced
Finger Food Ideas: Proteins
Offering proteins will continue to expose baby to a range of nutrients. These are my go-tos for babies newer to finger foods—and toddlers too.
- Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up)
- Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- Flaked cooked wild salmon
- Lightly mashed meatballs
- Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, broken into smaller pieces
- Lightly mashed beans
- Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
- Diced egg muffins
I’d love to hear any questions you may have, or if you have foods that your babies enjoy that I didn’t include here.
Chime in below in the comments!Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 124kcal
Servings 1
First Finger Foods (choose 1-3 per meal)
- ▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Roasted sweet potato, mashed and broken up into small pieces
- ▢ 1/4 cup Fresh raspberries (broken up into smaller pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
- ▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
- ▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
- ▢ 2 tbsp shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
- ▢ 1/4 cup Mashed sweet potato (broken into little pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Peanut butter puffs
Fruits and Veggies
- ▢ 1/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup warmed frozen peas
- ▢ 1/4 cup Roasted Zucchini
- ▢ 1/4 cup diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
- ▢ 1/4 cup blueberries (cut in half or quarters)
- ▢ 1/4 cup raspberries (broken into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup banana slices (broken into small segments—they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- ▢ 2 tbsp avocado (diced and mashed slightly—be sure it's ripe and very soft)
Whole Grains and Carbohydrates
- ▢ 1 Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Baby Puffs
- ▢ 1/4 cup Peanut Butter Puffs
- ▢ 1/4 cup fully cooked rice (it's easiest if it's in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
- ▢ 1 Baby Banana Muffin
- ▢ 1/4 cup O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Baked Oatmeal (diced or regular oatmeal broken into little pieces)
Dairy
- ▢ 2 tbsp Shredded cheese (such as mozzarella)
- ▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
- ▢ 2 tbsp flaked cooked wild salmon
- ▢ 1 lightly mashed meatballs
- ▢ 2 tbsp finely shredded chicken (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- ▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, turkey, or chicken (broken into smaller pieces)
- ▢ 2 tbsp lightly mashed beans
- ▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1 Diced Egg muffins
For each meal or snack, choose 2-3 foods from a mix of food groups.
Aim to include some fat in most meals and protein in many too.Prepare the food, cutting into small pieces and/or mashing as needed to make the food easy to eat.
Start with small portions and allow more as baby indicates according to their hunger.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Many foods you cook for your family will work as baby finger foods—just be sure they are easy to squish between your fingers and the pieces are small and easy to chew.
- Babies very normally make a lot of faces when they eat, so don't assume they don't like something just because they scrunch their nose!
- Flavors and textures can take time to learn to eat, so continue offering foods in small portions even if baby hasn't liked them in the past—and make sure they taste good to you!
Calories: 124kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9857IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!
Snacks for Kids - Encyclopedia Baby Food
Viktoria Levchuk© One of the most common questions we ask at an early stage of nutrition concerns what foods to serve babies during a snack.
Let's take a look at how to include snacks in your kids' daily meals, how to plan healthy snacks, and what foods to include.
Contents:
Snack is an intermediate meal that allows the baby to wait until the main meal. It is believed that second breakfast and afternoon snack are snacks. Only I often forget about it, because I think children should have 5 meals a day. And snacks in my family are force majeure circumstances, when the main meal (5 meals with us) is still far away, but I want to eat now. Then you can have a snack, the older child usually chooses a piece of cheese, and the younger one - fruit. During periods of active growth, snacking does not affect the intake of the main meal. At such moments, it seems to me that they eat around the clock.
As part of a healthy diet, babies should be offered 2-3 snacks throughout the day. One half morning (between breakfast and lunch), one half afternoon (between lunch and dinner) and an optional evening snack.
This helps children maintain their energy levels and provide them with important nutrients that will support their growth, development and learning.
The best snacks are nutritious - low in sugar, fat and salt. Fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as foods containing whole grains and protein, are good choices.
Snack time
It is recommended to offer a snack at the same time each day. This allows children to establish a proper eating pattern that helps them control their appetite. Ideally, there should be about 2-3 hours between each meal and snack. Offering too close together, such as having a snack at 10:30 and lunch at 11:30, can reduce the child's appetite for the main meal.
Introducing snacks into the daily routine is always a problem, especially if the child is still small before 12 months. Therefore, I advise you to adhere to the garden regimen. Attaching photo. As snacking is gradually introduced, I had a whole series of articles in the beginning of complementary foods.
The ideal meal time should be about 20-30 minutes. This is enough time for kids to eat as much as they need without feeling fussed or losing interest. Of course, some children may spend more time eating than others, so it is important to be aware of their individual needs.
Preschool children have 3 main meals and 2-3 additional (snacks). Often snacks are a full meal of the main meal, but in a reduced portion. There are also just snacks, one piece of fruit or a bagel. It is important to understand here that a piece of food that was given at an unplanned time should be minimal and satisfy hunger, and not the need for love, attention or care.
From the book Clinical Dietetics of Childhood. Guide for doctors.» Edited by T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
Clinical dietology of childhood. T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
Snack portion
As mentioned above, a snack is necessary to satisfy hunger between main meals. Therefore, the portion of the snack should be less than the main meal.
But keep in mind that the stage of growth and development of the child, age, appetite and activity will play a role in deciding what serving size is right for the baby. The standard portion is equal to the fist of the child. But you have to choose individually. And it’s better to trust the baby, for them, intuitive eating at the very beginning is ideal. If you haven’t finished eating, then it’s okay, he eats more during dinner. The main thing is not to feed anymore, only water and do not give water 20 minutes before the main meal.
Snack up to a year
Snack up to a year consists of foods that are included in the baby's complementary foods. The main thing here is to consider how the baby eats finger food. If the second breakfast consists of fruits, then we watch how the baby chews, if it’s bad, then we give fruit or vegetable purees.
introducing solid foods handwritten schedule
There are two common “traps” to avoid with babies because they will be difficult to reverse later:
- than other foods and can lead to unhealthy eating
- comforting children with a pre-meal snack, which can reduce their hunger and make them less willing to try new foods at the table
It is important to understand here that snacking until one year of age is not only a meal to satisfy hunger, but also teaching proper snacking.
Giving sugary buns, candy, and sugary foods for snacking will give the child the impression that it is a great meal, but it is not. Sweets are dessert after a meal. We try to follow the basics of proper nutrition.
How to create a snack for up to a year
A snack for up to a year is formed gradually as the children's menu is formed. Menu examples in the article here, a very large list. When I introduced complementary foods to my youngest child, I described this in every article. So now just a photo from those posts. Everything happens gradually. We give the first product about 10 hours, i.e. in the first half of the day. We feed the baby this way for a while, and we form the habit of getting food at 10 in the morning. This is the second feeding. Then we introduce the second product, and we move the first to the third feeding. Such a replacement gradually forms 5-6 meals a day with complementary foods. It is described in more detail in the article Menu for the child in the paragraph How to make a menu for the child.
Photo duplicated above.
Snack for preschoolers
It's easier with preschoolers because most children go to kindergarten. 5 days a week the child lives according to a strict regime, which is not supported on weekends, then once to parents, then other things. And this is not correct. On the part of parents, it is ideal to maintain a garden regimen at home both on weekends and during holidays and illness. Do not make exceptions, then the habit of snacking properly will form and it will be easier in adolescence. It is also important to note a snack without cartoons and at the table or sitting on a bench (if the child is outside).
Preschoolers are just learning to label their feelings and they say, "I'm hungry." But they may just be bored, tired, or in need of attention. Therefore, we find out what the child really needs. It is possible that some activity with the parent or a change of scenery can do away with the cries of "I'm hungry."
We also take into account hungry tantrums, when the baby is really hungry, he can enter into emotional instability when everything is bad.
It is very difficult to calm a hungry child in hysterics. We just hug and wait for the first strong emotions to subside. We don’t fall into the trap with a candy, he should calm down himself, drink some water at the end, and then have a snack with something healthy, but not sweet.
Snack schoolchildren
Things are more complicated with schoolchildren. Because at first they are schoolchildren and a little later they are teenagers with an interesting character, which is actively growing, wants to eat, but eats out of harm anyhow, while the mother does not see. Therefore, if at the very beginning the child had a proper snack, then there should be no problems. Only parents will have to organize snacks.
Buy the necessary food and keep it ready in the refrigerator. In short, prepare snacks every day, or teach your child how to cook them. So that the child does not eat any filth, and he will have such a period, there should be no prohibitions in the family.
We drink Coca-Cola and eat chips, but rarely and on holidays, I usually explain that this food is poorly digested and if you eat it every day, the stomach will not withstand such a load, but rarely for pleasure.
Doctor_Annamama, I have a question: #How to feed a baby? A.V. Levadnaya
Doctor_Annamama, I have a question: #How to feed a baby? A.V. Levadnaya
Doctor_Annamama, I have a question: #How to feed a baby? A.V. Levadnaya
Eating out can be a challenge, especially when children are old enough to choose their own food. But if the ground has been prepared from the start—providing a varied selection of nutritious foods at home and good alternatives away from home—they are more likely to eat something healthy when hunger strikes.
Multi-toeds and small-toeds
All children are different, they eat individually. Some people like to eat a lot, and some people don't. For some, an afternoon snack and a second breakfast completely discourages appetite, while for other children, eating 5-6 times a day is very little. I have an older child. During the period of active growth, he eats all day. It is difficult to catch him without food in his mouth.
And he's picky. How does it fit into it?
The younger one eats steadily. He is satisfied with 2 snacks a day, which are not plentiful and light. He calmly wakes up, has a snack and goes for a walk, and then has a hearty dinner and drinks breast milk before going to bed.
Therefore, dear parents, we take into account the individuality of the child. If you see that he does not eat the main meals well, then we reduce the additional snacks in size. If after that the child does not eat well, then write down all the food that he chews. Usually parents do not even see how much food falls into the baby's tummy from an adult table in between.
Therefore, for the first five years, the habit of putting all the snacks on the far shelf. The child should not have access to snacks. He receives food from your hands, at the common table. And not like climbing into the refrigerator and eating cake! From the age of three, you can leave portions of a snack on the table, but the size and type that is allowed for the child.
After 5 years, we teach him to cook snacks from food. The same sandwich, a glass of milk, a piece of bread or a cookie. So that the baby can feed himself urgently.
What snacks to give?
Snacks are a great opportunity to offer children a range of nutritious foods. Variety is a key factor in this matter, so we try to diversify the child's diet. Planning a snack menu to ensure a balanced diet throughout the week:
Child's snack
It is important to note that sugary foods are a dessert, not a snack. Therefore, we avoid cakes, muffins, cookies and sweets as a snack. The exception is cookies with a minimum of sugar, fat and salt, usually such a product is given to babies up to a year old as a quick snack at home and on the street.
Water is supplied with any snack. It is better to use ordinary fresh water, rather than compotes or tea. The exception is a glass of milk, it is given in the evening snack or for an afternoon snack.
Second breakfast
Traditionally, the second breakfast consists of fruits and vegetables.
A child can be given one apple, cucumber, banana, etc. In the kindergarten, they give mainly apples and tangerines, or fruit juice. Therefore, at home we try to diversify the second breakfast. You can cut a few fruits and serve on a plate.
From the book Clinical Nutrition of Childhood. Guide for doctors. Edited by T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
Clinical dietology of childhood. T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
Clinical dietology of childhood. T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
An example for different age groups:
- Milk, kefir, juice
- Fresh fruits
We will also list examples of diet food dishes from the above book:
Examples of an afternoon snack from the books "Nutrition for children of early and preschool age" V.G. Kislyakovskaya L.P. Vasilyeva, D.B. Gurvich and "Handbook of Children's Diet" Medicine 1980. Very similar menus.
from 1 year to 1.5 years
- kefir 150 grams
- Cookies 15 grams 15 grams / Pie with jam 60 grams / Muffin 50 grams
- Apple 50 grams
from 3 to 7 years old
- Kefir 200 grams
- cookies 35 grams
- Apple 75 grams
Ladodo L.V. Druzhinina "Products and dishes in baby food": From 1 to 1.5 years
- Milk with sugar/Kefir with sugar
- Cookies/Crackers/Corn sticks
- Fresh fruit
from 1.5 to 3 years old
- kefir/milk
- baking with jam/cheesecake/home buns
- Fresh fruits or berries
from 3 to 7 years
- KEFIR/Molco Pig. dried apricots / Wafers / Homemade bun
- Fresh fruit / Baked apple / Fruit puree
From the book Clinical Dietetics of Childhood. Guide for doctors. Edited by T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo
Example for different age groups:
- Milk, kefir, tea
- baking/cookies, waffles
- cottage cheese
- Fresh fruits
We also list examples of dietary diet from the above book:
- Bill, , Moloko,
Menu from our kindergarten:
- Cod fish cutlet – 80 grams
- Business pasta 150 grams
- Coffee drink with milk - 200 grams
- Wheat bread - 40 grams
- Tomatnaya sauce - 50 grams
- 9004 gram 9005 grams 9005 GROMITARY 60 GROMITARY 60 GREEMES OF CONT – 40 grams
- Tea with sugar – 200 grams
- Cheesecake with cottage cheese – 70 grams
- Cookies 50 – grams
- Boiled milk 200 grams
- Milk sweet sauce -50 grams
- lazy dumplings -150 grams
- Tea with sugar -200 grams
- wheat bread -40 grams
- Caviar caviar
- Coffee drink 200 grams
- Confectionery 50 grams
- Wheat bread 31 grams
- Boiled rice 150 grams
- Pollack fish in tomato
- 0054
- porridge rice Liquid with butter 200 grams
- Kefir 200 grams
- Piery 90 grams
905 grams 20053 breeze We take it into account, which is buzzing, lender, led by bump that some children do not eat fish, cottage cheese, milk porridge, so that they have a choice, and they can wait for dinner or their parents. kindergarten menu Porridge for an afternoon snack is a family preference, I rarely do this. It’s also not customary for me to eat porridge in the morning and for an afternoon snack, so if in the morning there were eggs, pancakes, dumplings, then porridge for an afternoon snack, and vice versa. And in the kindergarten there is always milk porridge, I don’t cook like that at home, we have 2 times a week with milk. But these are the nuances of a family for snacks, adjust for yourself, I indicated examples. Evening Snack is usually given during the child's active growth period. Examples from the books "Nutrition for children of early and preschool age" V.G. Kislyakovskaya L.P. Vasilyeva, D.B. Gurvich and “Clinical dietology of childhood. Guide for doctors.» Edited by T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo Kefir 90-150 grams up to 3 years, 200 grams from 3 years and older. We also list examples of diet food dishes from the above book: It is ideal not to let your child snack on the street, especially if he is sitting in a stroller or running around. And it's hard to guess how much time you have to spend on all these force majeure cases. But try to eat at home. Although there are periods of exceptions. So last year in the summer we ate a second breakfast on the street, found a bench, wiped our hands and ate a pre-prepared lunchbox. I took fruits, fruit purees, vegetables, yogurt, etc. We had a mini picnic. But my baby did not eat well in the morning, and the second breakfast was denser than the first. If an adult eats unhealthy snacks, without measure or reason, then what to expect from a child? He sees a vivid example of intermediate nutrition and wants to repeat it. It's natural for a baby! The task of parents is to get rid of harmful snacks and replace them with healthy ones. Better a personal example than a thousand words. As I wrote earlier in the article “Eating Habits”, there are no prohibitions, harmfulness is possible, rarely and in small portions. As a result, the child will make the right conclusions in favor of health. But you have to start with yourself. We replace sweets with nuts, cola with water, chips with dried apples (they also crunch), etc. And here it is worth pointing out that if snacks for children start with parents , then it is adults who choose a healthy type of snack. And it is they who plan a variety of tasty and healthy snacks for the baby. What is the responsibility? Is not it? It sounds complicated, but it's easy to do. We just start shaping snacks with the start of complementary foods, introducing healthy options into both baby food and adult food. Within 2-3 years, 4 types of menus can be formed according to the season. And achieve up to 20-30 healthy snacks. And more is not necessary. You can buy some, the same yoghurts or cottage cheese (we take into account the minimum sugar), fruits, vegetables, and cook some at home - muffins, cookies, smoothies, etc. Here are some tips to use when shopping for healthy snacks for children:
At home, you can reduce portions and diversify your afternoon snack with fruit. Also in the garden they give casseroles for an afternoon snack, for some reason I did not photograph this menu. It is also important to note that meat is given for lunch, and fish is given for an afternoon snack, but not every day. It seems to me 3 times a week, if I counted correctly. Evening Snack
Example, a glass of milk with bread, kefir or yogurt, matsoni. Dairy products are given before brushing teeth, as lactic bacteria can cause cavities. For breastfed babies, the snack consists of breast milk. Evening feeding is always removed last, so this snack can be very long. But we take into account that during the active period of growth, the baby can eat regular food and drink breast milk, and this is normal. Don't worry! Some children sleep well only on a full stomach. But still we try to give products that saturate, but do not complicate the work of the digestive tract, which should rest at night. Example for different age groups:
Snacking outdoors
Here the rule works: once you have taught and you will not unlearn. Keep in mind that the baby is growing, will learn to talk and hysteria if he was not given his favorite treat. Of course, the situations are different and there is force majeure, for example, a clinic during the period of time when the baby should sleep or eat. This is life and you can't run away from it. I always took a snack with me to such places because the child cannot tolerate stressful situations, and the clinic, the queue, shopping (long), etc. is stress. 
This happens, usually for a short period of time. I was just cleaning up my morning breastfeeding. This year there is no such thing, because on the street my youngest child is already interested in running and playing, he forgets about food, he flies to the children on the playground. And the first breakfast has become denser and more satisfying, he himself requires a plate of food in the morning. And before going outside, I give him some fruit that he eats while I'm getting ready. It's easier, I calmly dress, and he is busy chewing. Snacking starts with parents
It sounds complicated, but it's worth trying to switch to homemade healthy snacks and you might like it! How to choose a healthy snack for your child in the store
variants of , especially products that are not intended for children.
It can be very high. Sample snack for kids
Here are some healthy snacks you can make at home without recipes. Of course, you can buy a snack, but it is healthier to cook it yourself at home and teach your children this.
- Curd cookies
- Apple puree (any fruit)
- Oat cookies
- Banana muffins (any home baking with a minimum of sugar)
- Windrot and avocado
- Bats with granole
- Fruit ice (for the summer) 9005
- fruit. (for children over 3 years old)
- Granola
- Homemade yogurt
- Kefir and fruit smoothie
- Fruit salad
- Banana and strawberry smoothie
- Raisin cake
- strawberries with a banana and oatmeal
- banana with cottage cheese (replace with any fruit or fruit mixture)
- vinaigrette
- Vegetable assortment with sour cream and spices
- Apple sandwiches
- Channel from bread, vegetables and cheese 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 9005 vegetable pizza
- Cottage cheese sandwich with greens
- Oatmeal energy bar
- Boiled egg with delicate filling (without garlic)
- Pancake omelette
- Apple chips
- Lavash roll with vegetables
- Vegetable pie
- Fish pie
- Etc.
Fantasy is limitless, especially for mothers. Create culinary masterpieces, children will definitely love something.
diet of a child at 8-12 months. Recommendations from a nutritionist from Germany
Maria Karachentseva
Journalist, writer, young mother
#lure #health #children
A child in food, a floor in food, a mother in food, if pets and furniture came to hand, they were also not lucky enough to come out clean from the culinary battle. Familiar situation? The introduction of complementary foods is a sticky task, difficult to wash off and extremely fun, if you tune in to the positive in advance. Together with nutritionist Victoria Prikule, we will talk about the place of the baby at the table, diet and culinary recommendations to eat tasty and healthy at 8, 10 and 12 months.
Diet at 8-10 months
Food
The child is fed on demand from birth. At first, this is about 12 meals a day, by the time complementary foods are fully introduced, usually 5 meals and breast milk on demand.
Once again about complementary foods: myths, facts and opinion of an expert from Germany
You can read about how to start complementary foods - about the first meal, whether it is worth supplementing, about harmful and useful products - you can read in this material.
After one year, children move on to three main meals and two snacks: breakfast, first snack, lunch, second snack or afternoon snack, and dinner. Usually, when breastfeeding, the last ones are additional late evening or night feedings. The optimal time interval between meals is 3 hours. Plus an extra hour for which you can push back lunch if the child is not yet hungry.
Complementary foods should be started with mashed vegetables no later than the 7th month. Then potatoes, meat and fresh juice are added to it, for example, bell pepper or orange (i.e. with vitamin C, so that iron from meat is better absorbed). Until the 8th month, it is optimal to introduce porridge on milk formula or breast milk (it should not be boiled) for dinner.
Up to 9th month, fruit puree with porridge in water is introduced.
In summary, by the end of complementary foods, a child needs:
• ~ 100 g vegetables
• ~ 100 g fruits
• ~ 50 g foods with a high starch content: potatoes, rice, pasta,
• ~15004 g lean meat per week, 5 x 30 g servings,
• ~40 g cereals made into porridge with formula or water,
• breastfeeding or formula milk on demand.
“These standards have been developed by the Dortmund Institute of Nutrition. It studied the menus of different families and checked with the help of tests whether the children were getting enough vitamins and other nutrients. Then they changed the menu - so they brought out an approximate diet that suits the majority. The principles of this nutrition are reflected in the OptiMix system, which I recommend,” explains Victoria Prikule.
Water
For every ~200 ml of complementary foods, a baby needs ~50 ml of water.
On artificial feeding, this norm should be guided.
Breastfed babies get all the fluid they need from breast milk. When complementary foods are introduced, all children should be offered to drink about 6 times a day. Offer, but don't force.
Breastfeeding
If the child himself no longer wants to continue breastfeeding, then, of course, you cannot force him. However, up to a year of feeding, there cannot be so much that milk is not needed.
Mother's milk or formula remains an important source of nutrition in the first year of life, because even if we give three servings of complementary foods, the baby still needs to drink about 400-500 ml of formula or breast milk per day.
Therefore, if the child refuses to breastfeed, we replace it with formula milk.
“Breastfeeding is nutrition like no other. Nothing can even come close to the nutritional value and usefulness of mother's milk. Therefore, ideally, you should continue to breastfeed until self-weaning, which occurs at 2-3 years.
Do not believe if you are told that milk spoils after a year. On the contrary, when lactation ends, milk is again equal in usefulness to the very first milk - colostrum. It is small, but it is very concentrated in unique nutrients, ”explains the expert.
Don't panic and don't give in to the words "overeating" if the child wants to eat 200 ml - if there is an appetite, then the baby needs food. It is important to combine breastfeeding and food - providing everything a child needs can only be "two fronts".
Ration at 12 months
At 12 months, the child switches to a common table. What does it mean? In fact, little has changed. The child still should not be fed with yesterday's borscht. Food, if possible, should be fresh and prepared before eating. By the way, eating is healthier for adults too.
Snacks appear closer to the year. Before that, the baby has all meals full, and snacks between them only spoil the appetite. But with the transition to a common table, snacks are an important part of the main menu, but they must also be organized.
Nutritionists do not advise just chewing cookies when you want, so as not to spoil your appetite for the main meal.
In Bavaria, a very understandable brochure has recently been released, it is in Russian - for Russian-speaking residents of Germany, which clearly shows the process of switching from pure breastfeeding to mixed nutrition per year, as well as the norms in grams - what and when the child should eat. You can download the brochure here.
Vitamins, proper diet and nutrition for mothers
Nursing mothers need to carefully monitor the diet. It should be: rich, tasty and varied. Everything. Feel free to brush aside other rules.
If you suddenly decide to lose weight or do something even more original during feeding, then please note: substances such as omega 3 acids, vitamins D and A, iodine, B vitamins are not enough in milk if the mother eats improperly. And the baby really needs them.
As far as supplements are concerned, ideally food covers all needs.
The only thing that both children and parents are advised to take in preventive doses is vitamin D. Here we are not talking about pregnant women. However, if you suspect a deficiency of one or another substance, it is quite appropriate for a nursing mother to take iron, iodine and folic acid, but after the advice of a doctor and tests.
Today it is possible to test for the presence of virtually any necessary substance in the body of a child, but the only thing that is worth examining is the level of hemoglobin and ferritin, which indicates whether the child is receiving enough iron. If the diet is poor, then only a doctor and a nutritionist can “vitaminize” it. That's just such a granular filling will be more expensive than a solid menu for a baby. And there will be much less sense. Refusal of fish can be partially compensated by the use of fish oil. Vegetarianism can be acceptable for children, but only if the parents know how to feed the child so that there is no iron deficiency anemia, and this is incredibly difficult.
Even if the child is not breastfed, the nutrition of the mother and the whole family is very important, as it forms the first nutritional picture of the baby's world. He will most likely give up broccoli when he realizes that everyone else in the family does not eat vegetables. Therefore, everyone should consume broccoli with visible interest.
How to check yourself
One of the simplest ways at home is to control your weight and height. It is better to focus on tables of average norms from the WHO website. Doctors are sometimes overly demanding of little patients.
A child at a common table
Removing a child to a separate table is advisable if he is able to throw his own party - eat cake with friends, discuss the latest cartoons. Years in 2-3, and even in 4 - not earlier.
Sitting alone is rather sad, besides it is not useful for the formation of eating behavior. Therefore, the child should eat together with everyone at the common table.
Yes, perhaps initially with its own table top and secured with seat belts on its own high chair. But the child should feel like a full-fledged participant in the meal - at least once a day.
It is advisable not to place on such a common table anything that is absolutely forbidden for a baby. “In families where everyone sits at a common table and eats healthy food in a pleasant atmosphere, there are almost no kids!” Victoria Prikule says. If the child is somewhere to the side, he may begin to resent and refuse to eat.
Parents should learn the basics of healthy eating for young children in advance. If you do not know basic things, for example, a ban on salt and 100% juice, especially in large quantities, you can seriously harm the health of a child. An equally important point is how the meal goes. Eating should be enjoyable, calm and in a pleasant atmosphere.
Open your mouth - a plane is flying
Who among us has not eaten / loved soldiers, airplanes and pretended to be a cheerful hangar? However, nutritionists believe that persuasion to eat is not cost-effective in building a healthy child-food relationship.
And with jokes, trying to put dinner in an indifferent to the process or even resisting a child means going against his intention.
“Children have a very natural feeling of fullness, and if the baby refuses, it is quite possible that he has had enough or does not need food yet. And if we feed him against his will, we spoil the natural regulation of the body. This can subsequently lead to eating problems, obesity and anorexia,” explains Victoria Prikule.
It's all about the need to learn to focus on the inner feeling of hunger and satiety, to get used to eating to eat, and not to have fun, to please someone, to get something.
If it works, then as an adult this person will not suffer from eating disorders and eating for him will be an easy and enjoyable process.
At the same time, it is just possible to laugh, play and chat at meals. Live communication is the prevention of conflicts in the family and a great tradition.
There are allowed life hacks - for example, two spoons: one is twirled and licked by a child, and the second you feed him.
Or you can give out some food to “feel”, and feed the bulk. It is important to let the child take the initiative in their own hands - to hold a cup and a spoon, to be able to refuse food and want something else.
There are also typical mistakes that lead to regression in the development of eating behavior. This is the lack of a regimen and frequent unauthorized snacks, due to which the child does not have time to get hungry for the main meal; the absence of a meal with the whole family at the common table - after all, the child needs to see an example of how to eat with appetite and pleasure; tense atmosphere at the table - for example, mother feeds and at the same time talks to someone or does other things, hurries, wipes her mouth too often, does not allow the child to take the initiative, and so on.
New do's and don'ts
A year is enough age to eat not only together, but also common meals. And this is a great reason to improve the family menu.
Starting from 12 months, children are quite capable of complex dishes.
For the time being, do not include wild mushrooms and a lot of fried foods, smoked meats and fatty meat, concentrated sweets in the child's diet. But salt and spices are allowed. The main thing is not to overdo it with new tastes, everything should be tried gradually.
What if
is ready to eat “ Human food ” , but does not know how to chew
so that according to the testimony or initiative of parents, as well as at late ripening nutritional interest, the child begins to receive complementary foods not from 6, but from 7 and 8 months. But even if the baby started eating the first puree at 5 months, there is no guarantee that by the year he will learn to chew and bite.
“The main thing here is not to miss the moment. Homogeneous puree can be given the first month. Then carefully add the pieces.
Then, by about a year old, the baby will learn to chew and be able to bite off on his own. If you are delayed with homogeneous food, be patient - of course, the child will learn to chew and bite, but much later. By the way, this is not a reason to change something in the diet - just dishes from the common table will have to be pureed.
Plays with food and cries if not given
Playing with food is generally beneficial. In moms and dads, they develop patience and a philosophical attitude to life, and the child improves fine motor skills and learns the properties of things.
You know exactly what will happen if you slap your hand on a bowl of soup. That's probably why you don't do it, right? And the child is not aware. Many parents see it this way - he likes to indulge. But in fact, children like to be surprised, try and learn. In general, everything is the same as for us. He is delighted that he did it himself, that the world is changing from his actions.
There was soup in a bowl - there was soup on grandmother and on the table. In addition to the general development of goal setting, the formation of food interest and a positive light attitude to food and the process of eating, such fun is necessary for the development of the brain, sensory and motor skills. The child learns to focus on his senses - sight, taste, smell, touch. He fixes the difference between feelings of hunger and satiety.
It's worth pointing out that none of this has anything to do with cake throwing and other comedy stuff. Food etiquette is the basis for the functioning of an adult society, however, while the children are small, you can throw a carrot at a cat.
The main rule of such games. - the baby can experiment with food while eating. If the child plays with lunch and nothing gets into his mouth for more than 5 minutes, the meal should be stopped.
Tried sweets and wants more
Children under one year old cannot have sweets at all.
However, they can eat sweet fruits and vegetables. If desired, if the baby really wants a dessert like yours, you can try to learn some healthy recipes where there is no sugar and substitutes. And share with him such an eco-cake or yogurt.
After 12 months, you can consume sweets no more than 110 kilocalories per day or a piece from the baby's palm. And yet, if possible, sugar should be replaced with sweet fruits. On their basis, you can also prepare desserts. Remember that dried fruits are a type of sweets.
Takes food away from parents
Asking to share is a normal, even excellent, display of food interest. “And if mom doesn’t eat salami, share,” the expert notes. For the sake of laughter, you should not feed your child with food that is not healthy for him or overdo it with snacks. Store-bought yogurt can be given a try, but let the pickled cucumber with chili remain something unknown for now.
Do not share store-bought canned food with a baby, and it is better to prefer food from frozen vegetables to homemade preparations.
