Feeding your baby (0–12m)
Nutrition guides for babies aged 0–12m: how much they need, what to serve, picky eating and growth — sourced and reviewed.
Nutrients
How much protein does a baby need?
About 11 grams a day in the second half of the first year — and milk is already doing most of the work. What a baby portion of egg, yogurt, beans or chicken adds, and how to serve each one safely.
Iron-rich foods for babies
Babies 7 to 12 months need more iron than toddlers do. Which first foods carry the most, what a baby portion actually delivers, and the simple pairing that helps them absorb it.
Vitamin D drops for breastfed babies
Breast milk is the ideal first food, but it's low in vitamin D. Which babies need drops, why formula-fed babies usually don't, why sunshine isn't the answer, and where iron fits in.
Ages & stages
How many calories does a baby need a day?
Daily calorie ranges by month, what they look like in bottles and feeds, and why you don't need to count them.
When can babies have honey?
Not before the first birthday. Why honey is the one sweet food babies must skip, which foods hide it, and the signs of infant botulism that mean calling the doctor.
How many calories does a child need? A guide by age
Calorie needs from 9 months to age 2, with what that looks like in meals and why a growing child is the best measure.
How much solid food should a baby eat?
From a teaspoon at 6 months to three small meals by the first birthday — how much solid food babies usually eat month by month, why milk still comes first, and how to tell when they've had enough.
Purées vs baby-led weaning: what the evidence says
Spoon, fingers or both? What the trials actually found about choking, iron and growth, why most families end up mixing the two, and which finger-food shapes are safe at each stage.
Eating habits
Everyday food
9-month-old food ideas: finger foods and a sample day
Soft, iron-rich finger foods with choking-safe cuts, a sample day built on the AAP's menu for 8- to 12-month-olds, and the short list to skip before the first birthday.
6-month-old food ideas: first foods and simple meals
Iron-rich first foods, a handful of easy meals in purée and soft forms, and the short list of things to skip before the first birthday.
10-month-old meal ideas: a sample day and 14 easy meals
A sample day built on the AAP's menu for 8- to 12-month-olds, fourteen soft, iron-rich meals with choking-safe cuts, and the short list of foods to skip before the first birthday.
Health & growth
Baby constipation after starting solids
What normal baby poop looks like once solids start, the "P" fruits and other foods that soften it, why juice is a doctor's call before 12 months — and the signs that can't wait.
Signs of iron deficiency in toddlers
The early signs are easy to miss and many toddlers have none at all. What to watch for, why milk-loving toddlers are most at risk, and how the AAP's 2026 guidance changed testing.
When to introduce peanut and other allergens to your baby
Why early beats late for peanut and egg, how to tell if your baby is high-risk, safe ways to serve allergens to a baby — and how to tell a mild rash from an emergency.
What's in it
How much juice should a child drink?
The AAP's limits by age in a simple chart, why whole fruit beats juice, and practical ways to cut back without a fight.
When can babies have water, and how much?
Not before 6 months, then only small sips. How much a 6-, 9- and 11-month-old needs, how to offer it, and why too much water is a problem for young babies.