How much protein does a baby need?

The daily number

Babies aged 7 to 12 months need about 11 grams of protein a day, according to the Dietary Reference Intakes set by the U.S. National Academies.¹ For the first 6 months, the figure is 9.1 grams — an Adequate Intake based on what healthy breastfed babies get from milk.¹

In real food, about 24 oz of breast milk provides roughly 7.5 grams, based on USDA reference data.² Add half an egg (about 3 g) at breakfast and your baby is already past 11 g.²

Breast milk and formula do most of the work

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that babies aged 8 to 12 months get about 400 to 500 of their daily calories from breast milk or formula — roughly 24 oz a day.³ That milk carries protein along with everything else. Formula contains protein too; the label lists how much is in each serving.

So solids don’t need to supply all 11 grams; they top up what milk provides. That’s also why there’s no need to count protein grams for a healthy baby who’s feeding well and growing on track.

For most babies, protein takes care of itself. Iron is the nutrient that needs planning.

How much protein does an 8-month-old need from food?

Less than you might think. If about 7.5 grams of the day’s 11 come from roughly 24 oz of breast milk, solids only need to supply the remaining 3 to 4 grams.¹² That’s about half an egg plus a couple of tablespoons of mashed lentils — or a single 2 oz serving of plain Greek yogurt.²

Babies who drink less milk, or who are cutting back on feeds as they eat more solids, will get more of their protein from food. That’s one reason the AAP’s sample menu for 8 to 12 months includes a protein food at breakfast, lunch and dinner:³

• Breakfast: cereal or 1 mashed or scrambled egg
• Lunch: 2 to 4 oz yogurt, cottage cheese, beans or meat
• Dinner: 2 to 4 oz diced poultry, meat or tofu

Your baby won’t eat all of that every day, and doesn’t need to. Offer it, and look at the week rather than a single meal. The CDC’s advice is simple: let your child decide how much they want — they don’t need to finish the bowl.¹⁰

What a baby portion of protein looks like

These figures are for baby-sized portions, scaled from USDA FoodData Central.² One or two across the day, on top of milk, is plenty.

The AAP calls eggs, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt excellent sources of protein for babies from about 8 months, and its sample menu includes 2 to 4 oz of yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, meat, poultry or tofu at lunch and dinner.³ Choose plain yogurt: babies and young children shouldn’t have added sugars.⁷⁸

How to prepare first protein foods safely

Texture is everything at this age. The CDC suggests starting with smooth, mashed or puréed foods and moving to thicker, lumpier textures as your baby’s skills develop.⁵

• Meat and poultry. Remove all fat, skin and bones, and cook until very soft. Purée, or finely chop or shred.⁴⁵ Chunks of meat, hot dogs, sausages and meat sticks are choking hazards.⁶
• Fish. Remove every bone and flake it finely.⁵ Avoid fish high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and bigeye tuna.⁸
• Eggs. Scrambled or mashed well-cooked egg works well as a first finger food or purée.³⁴
• Beans and lentils. Mash or purée them — whole beans are a choking hazard.⁶
• Nut butters. Never serve a spoonful or chunk of thick nut butter.⁶ Thin a small amount with breast milk or formula and feed it from a spoon.⁷ Whole nuts are off the menu until age 4 or later.⁹
• Cheese. Shred it or cut it into small dice no bigger than ½ inch; chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, are a choking risk.⁶

Eggs, peanut and other allergens

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines advise introducing potentially allergenic foods — including nut butters, eggs, shellfish and wheat — along with other foods at about 6 months.⁷ If your baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy, they may be at high risk of peanut allergy: talk to your pediatrician about introducing peanut, which may start as early as 4 to 6 months.⁷

Introduce one new single-ingredient food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next, so you can spot any reaction.⁵

What about cow’s milk?

Cow’s milk shouldn’t be given as a drink before 12 months. It can put babies at risk of intestinal bleeding, has too much protein and minerals for their kidneys to handle easily, and doesn’t have the right balance of nutrients.⁸ Plain yogurt and cheese are fine before 12 months.⁵

Don’t forget iron

Many protein foods — meat, poultry, fish, egg, beans, lentils and tofu — also carry iron, which needs more planning than protein at this age. Our guide to iron-rich foods for babies has portions with milligrams. After the first birthday, protein needs rise slightly — see how much protein a toddler needs. And for how much to serve overall, see how much solid food a baby should eat.

When to talk to your pediatrician

Common questions