12-month baby meal ideas: family meals, snacks and milk
4 min read
Quick answer
Easy 12-month baby meal ideas are family meals chopped small and cooked without salt: scrambled egg on toast, shepherd's pie with greens, lamb curry with rice, fish with potato and broccoli. From 12 months, the NHS suggests 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks a day, with whole cows' milk as a main drink.
- 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks a day from 12 months
- Whole or semi-skimmed cows' milk can now be a main drink
- Infant formula is no longer needed
- Keep dairy full fat until 2 years
- Still no added salt or sugar, and no whole nuts until 5
What should a 12-month-old eat?
From 12 months, your child can eat most family meals, chopped small or served as finger foods. Each day, include starchy foods, fruit and vegetables at every meal, milk or dairy, and protein from animal or plant sources.
Keep dairy full fat until 2 years. Whole nuts are still a choking risk until 5 years, so crush or grind them, or use smooth nut butter spread thinly.
12-month baby meal ideas
These NHS meal ideas suit 1-year-olds who are used to a wide range of food.
- Breakfast: unsweetened porridge with whole milk and mashed ripe pear
- Breakfast: toast or muffin fingers with scrambled egg and sliced tomato
- Breakfast: lower-sugar cereal with stewed apple and plain yoghurt
- Lunch: baked beans (reduced salt and sugar) on toast
- Lunch: cauliflower cheese with pasta pieces
- Lunch: lamb curry with rice
- Tea: beef, lamb, lentil or vegetarian mince under a mashed potato top, with green vegetables
- Tea: white fish gently cooked in milk, with potato, carrot and broccoli
- Tea: chickpea and cauliflower stew with mashed sweet potato
Healthy snack ideas for a 1-year-old
From 12 months, the NHS says your child may need 2 healthy snacks between meals. Keep them simple and unsweetened.
- Fruit slices: apple, banana, soft ripe pear or peach
- Vegetable sticks: broccoli florets, carrot or cucumber
- Plain full-fat yoghurt
- Toast, pitta or chapatti fingers
- Unsalted, unsweetened rice cakes or corn cakes
- Small strips of cheese
How much milk does a 1-year-old need?
From 12 months, pasteurised whole or semi-skimmed cows' milk can be your child's main drink. The NHS suggests at least 350ml (12oz) of milk daily, or 2 portions of milk-based foods such as cheese or yoghurt. If you are breastfeeding, you can carry on alongside food and other drinks.
Infant formula, follow-on formula and growing-up or toddler milks are not needed after 12 months. Unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drinks can be given from 1 year. Rice drinks are not suitable for children under 5. Skimmed and 1% milk should not be a main drink under 5.
What changes at 12 months?
Several first-year rules change on your baby's first birthday, while others stay.
- Cows' milk can be a main drink
- Move from bottles to an open or free-flow cup, as the NHS advises stopping bottle feeding by 1 year
- Snacks become part of the day
- Children aged 1 to 4 should have a daily supplement of vitamins A, C and D
- Still no added salt or sugar, no whole nuts until 5, and no rice drinks until 5
Iron and oily fish for toddlers
Iron from meat and fish is absorbed more easily than iron from plants. If your child does not eat meat or fish, offer fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables, beans and lentils regularly. The NHS also suggests at least 1 portion of oily fish, such as salmon, a week.
Sources
We check this guide against these sources. It is general information, not medical advice: speak to your health visitor, GP or paediatrician about your own baby.
Questions parents ask
How many meals should a 12-month-old have?
The NHS suggests 3 meals a day plus 2 healthy snacks from 12 months. Each meal should include fruit or vegetables and a starchy food, with milk or dairy and a protein across the day. Appetite varies a lot at this age, so let your child decide how much to eat.
Can my 1-year-old eat the same food as us?
Mostly, yes. Chop food small and take your child's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or gravy, which are often high in salt. Keep fruit and vegetables in every meal. Eating together helps, because children copy what they see you eat, and it saves cooking twice.
Should I switch from formula to cows' milk at 12 months?
Yes, if you are using formula. From 12 months, pasteurised whole or semi-skimmed cows' milk can be the main drink, and formula is no longer needed. Offer it in an open or free-flow cup rather than a bottle. If your child has a cows' milk allergy, ask your health visitor or GP what to use instead.
My 1-year-old only eats a few foods. Is that normal?
Many toddlers go through phases of eating only a few foods. The NHS says that if your child only eats 1 or 2 types of fruit or vegetable at first, keep offering small amounts of others alongside ones they like, without pressure. If you are worried about weight or growth, talk to your health visitor or GP.
Can my 1-year-old have fruit juice?
It is not needed. Water and milk are the best drinks for young children. If you do offer juice or a smoothie, the NHS suggests diluting it 1 part juice to 10 parts water and giving it only with meals, to protect teeth. Squash, fizzy drinks and flavoured milk are not suitable for young children.