Ultimate Healthy Meal Plan for Your 1-Year-Old: Easy, Nutritious & Delicious!

As your child approaches their first birthday and enters toddlerhood, their nutritional needs evolve. While breast milk or formula continues to play a role, solid foods become increasingly important for providing the necessary nutrients and energy for growth and development. This article provides a comprehensive guide to creating a healthy meal plan for your 1-year-old, covering what to feed, how much, and important tips for successful mealtimes.

The Transition to Solid Foods

At this stage, solid foods should become your child's primary source of nutrition. At 1 year old, solids should provide most of your child’s nutrition. Gradually replace bottles or nursing sessions with solid food meals and snacks. Your baby has relied on formula or breast milk for the majority of their nutrition up to this point. However, at 1 year old, solid foods should start making up most of their diet. This often means switching out bottles and nursing sessions for solid food snacks. Breastfeeding does still offer benefits for as long as you and your child wish to continue nursing. However, we’d expect nursing sessions to slowly decrease as well as the goal still remains to get the most nutrition from solid foods. Transition slowly for the best results!

What to Feed Your 1-Year-Old

Your 1-year-old can eat a wide variety of foods, so you can give them some of all the food your family eats and make every bite count. Each meal needs to be packed with nutritious food.

Animal Foods: Be sure your child has a portion of animal foods (milk, dairy, eggs, meat, fish, and poultry) each day. Cook them well and chop or mash them into fine pieces. Babies can eat well-cooked and finely chopped or mashed eggs, meat, and fish even if they don’t have teeth.
Legumes and Nuts: Your child should also have legumes (like chickpeas, lentils, or peas) - or nuts (make sure they're crushed, ground, or a smooth nut butter).
Fruits and Vegetables: Offer orange or green vegetables and fruits every day.
Healthy Fats: Add a little oil or fat to their food for energy. Healthy fats are very important for normal growth and development at this stage of their development. All fats are not created equal, though. Healthy fats like those found in avocado, olive oil, fish, nut butters, and dairy are good for your child (and you). Unhealthy fats such as those found in fried foods, fast foods and many packaged foods are not healthy at any age.

Sample Feeding Schedule and Food Chart

At 1 year, about the time children start to walk, your child's feeding schedule should include four to five meals a day, plus two healthy snacks. Here's an example of a 12-month sample feeding chart:

Wake-up: Optional nursing session
Breakfast: Avocado toast, strawberries, cow’s milk
Mid-morning snack: Whole milk yogurt
Lunch: Pesto pasta salad, cut-up cucumbers, banana, cow’s milk
Mid-afternoon snack: Hummus and pretzels
Dinner: Salmon, broccoli, rice, cow’s milk
Before bed: Nurse or bottle

Here is another sample feeding schedule:

6:30 AM: Optional nursing session
7:00 AM: Breakfast
9:15 AM: Morning snack
12:00 PM: Lunch
1:45 PM: Afternoon snack
5:00 PM: Dinner
6:30 PM: Nurse or bottle (before bed)

How Much Food to Offer

Your child can take between three quarters to one cup of food three to four times a day, plus one to two snacks between meals. If you’re not breastfeeding, then your child will need to eat more often. Here's a breakdown of portion sizes:

Cereal: 2 to 4 ounces
Mashed or Scrambled Egg: 1
Mashed or Diced Fruit: 2 to 4 ounces
Formula: 4 to 6 ounces
Diced Cheese or Cooked Pureed or Diced Vegetables: 2 to 4 ounces
Yogurt or Cottage Cheese: 2 to 4 ounces
Pureed or Diced Beans or Meat: 2 to 4 ounces
Cooked Pureed or Diced Yellow or Orange Vegetables: 2 to 4 ounces
Whole Grain Cracker or Teething Biscuit: 1
Fork-Mashed or Diced Soft Fruit: 2 to 4 ounces
Water: 2 to 4 ounces
Diced Poultry, Meat, or Tofu: 2 to 4 ounces
Cooked Green Vegetables: 2 to 4 ounces
Cooked Soft Whole-Grain Pasta or Potato: 2 to 4 ounces

Foods to Avoid

Avoid junk food and soft drinks. Factory-made snacks like crisps, cookies, cakes, soda, and candy are unhealthy. They have high amounts of sugar, salt, fat, and chemicals, and take up space in your child’s stomach that should be filled with nutritious foods. Experts recommend avoiding these and focusing on giving your baby healthy foods and beverages throughout the day. Also, it is important to avoid foods that are hard to swallow, or cut them into small pieces of about 1/2 inch.

Mealtime Tips

Self-Feeding: Having their own bowl of food will help your child learn to feed themselves. Start as soon as your child wants. Give them all the food they need and plenty of time to eat. At first, your child will be slow and messy. Help them to get most of the food in their mouth (instead of on themself or the floor!). Encourage your child to finish it and make sure they have had enough.
Positive Reinforcement: Give your child lots of love and encouragement to eat during meal times.
Interaction: Sit in front of your child and make eye contact. Interact by smiling, talking, and praising them for eating. Make the meal a happy time!
Family Meals: By 12 months, your baby will be eating more and more of the foods you are. So eating as a family may become easier! In fact, making time for family meals is an important way to encourage healthy eating and appropriate mealtime behavior. Babies and children who are part of regular family meals are often more willing to try new foods.

What to Do When Your Child Refuses to Eat Solid Foods

Timing: Make sure your child is hungry at mealtimes and has not just had a snack. Although breastfeeding continues to be healthy for your child, breastfeed them only after their meal. At this age, they should eat solid food first.
Variety: Give your child healthy food that they like or mix the food they like with food they don't like as much. Try different food combinations and textures.
No Pressure: If they still refuse, don’t force or pressure your child to eat, and don’t be tempted to give them junk food instead.
Stay Calm: Be calm and accepting. Give your child positive attention when they do eat, but don’t make it a problem when they don't eat.

Key Nutrients for 1-Year-Olds

Between ages 1 to 2 years, toddlers have a great need for fat (which includes DHA), protein, and other nutrients such as iron, calcium, and choline to support their development. Additionally, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that children this age are not getting enough vitamin D, fiber, and potassium.

Iron: Iron is an important nutrient that carries oxygen to your baby's cells.
Vitamin D: Did you know that many kids may need to continue to get a vitamin D supplement even after they turn one?
Calcium: Cow’s milk is a common choice for calcium, vitamin D, and protein, but not required.
Healthy Fats: Babies and young toddlers should get about half of their calories from fat.

Transitioning from Liquid Feeds to Solid Foods

At 1 year, solids should provide most of your child’s nutrition. Gradually replace bottles or nursing sessions with solid food meals and snacks. Your baby has relied on formula or breast milk for the majority of their nutrition up to this point. However, at 1 year old, solid foods should start making up most of their diet. This often means switching out bottles and nursing sessions for solid food snacks. Breastfeeding does still offer benefits for as long as you and your child wish to continue nursing. However, we’d expect nursing sessions to slowly decrease as well as the goal still remains to get the most nutrition from solid foods. Transition slowly for the best results!

Alternatives to Milk

Many families choose to transition to cow’s milk around this time as it is an easy and affordable source of important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and protein. However, you do not need to serve cow’s milk if you do not want to. You can obtain the same nutrients from other foods or non-dairy milk alternatives. When choosing a non-dairy milk alternative check the nutrition label and if possible, choose one that is fortified with calcium and vitamin D and does not contain added sugars. It’s also important to note many non-dairy milks are lower in protein and fat than cow’s milk so these nutrients will need to be obtained elsewhere. For all types of milk, intake should be less than 16 - 24 oz a day.

Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run

Weaning from the Bottle

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends beginning to wean your baby off of using a bottle around 12 months for best dental health. If you haven’t already, start introducing an open cup or a straw cup.

Respecting Hunger and Fullness Cues

You may start to notice your child is eating less now - and that’s completely normal! Their rate of growth is much slower now than in the first year of life. The best thing you can do is to respect their hunger and fullness cues. Your child will likely now express their hunger and fullness with sounds and gestures like pointing to food when hungry or throwing food off of their tray when they are full.

Offering a Variety of Foods

While you may be pretty settled into a feeding routine now, and your little one may be starting to have foods they prefer, continue to offer a variety of foods (more on here). This helps ensure they are meeting their nutritional needs as well as helps to prevent some picky eating tendencies.

Encouraging Utensil Use

Around 12 months of age is a great time to start incorporating utensils into your little one’s mealtimes. While they may still prefer to use their hands for a while, it is great to practice with utensils.

Sample Meal Plan Ideas

Here are some meal plan ideas to help you provide your little one with nutritious choices that will continue to positively influence their taste development and food preferences, as well as get nutrients that are important for their growth and development. Be sure to provide foods in a texture and size your child is able to handle.

Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution

Breakfast: 2 to 4 ounces cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg, 2 to 4 ounces mashed or diced fruit, Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Lunch: 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or cottage cheese, or pureed or diced beans or meat, 2 to 4 ounces cooked pureed or diced yellow or orange vegetables, Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Dinner: 2 to 4 ounces diced diced poultry, meat or tofu, 2 to 4 ounces cooked green vegetables, 2 to 4 ounces cooked soft-whole grain pasta or potato, 2 to 4 ounces diced or mashed fruit, Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Snacks: 1 whole grain cracker or teething biscuit, 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or fork-mashed or diced soft fruit, 2 to 4 ounces water

More Meal Ideas:

Lunch Option 1: Quesadilla made with whole-wheat tortillas, cheddar cheese and cubed avocado
Lunch Option 2: Shredded or diced chicken or turkey with black beans and corn
Lunch Option 3: Hard boiled egg, cubed butternut squash, sliced grapes
Lunch Option 4: Whole grain pita “pizza” topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, spinach and broccoli
Lunch Option 5: Easy-Peasy 5 Veggie Pasta for Baby
Dinner Option 1: Baby’s First Bolognese
Dinner Option 2: Baked Seasoned Chicken Tenders & Sweet Potatoes
Dinner Option 3: Baked fish “fingers” with roasted carrots and quinoa
Dinner Option 4: Cheeseburger (ground beef, chicken or turkey), cut up in pieces on a whole grain roll and soft roasted zucchini
Dinner Option 5: Fork mashed salmon and soft cooked cauliflower
Snacks Option 1: Baked Seasoned Tofu
Snacks Option 2: Hummus with steamed or soft cooked veggies
Snacks Option 3: Banana & Yogurt Muffins
Snacks Option 4: Diced, ripe fruit
Snacks Option 5: Shredded or cubed cheese

Additional Tips

Read Labels: Read the label on the back of food packages to make sure there are no added sugars.
Proper Preparation: Grapes, cherries, and cherry tomatoes can be great options for your toddler but they must be cut and prepared properly to prevent choking.
Nutrient-Rich Foods: Provide your toddler foods that are full of nutrients. Start simple by serving your baby roasted, steamed or mashed vegetables instead of fried vegetables or vegetable chips.
Introduce Allergens Early: Did you know that there is no need to wait to introduce your little one to eggs, seafood, soy, nut products, cow's milk, cheeses or yogurts? In fact, science shows that offering your baby these foods now could prevent an allergy later in life.
Offer Healthy Fats: Offer your baby one ounce of fish once or twice a week.

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