Happy birthday to your one year old! Your baby is becoming a child and wants to start eating like the rest of the family. The tips inside will help in making the change.

When should I take away the bottle?
Begin weaning at 9 to 12 months. Children are eager to drink from a cup at this age. If they are not weaned until older, they may grow dependent on the bottle. Weaning now will avoid a struggle later on.

How much milk and juice should I give?
Offer no more than 16 to 24 ounces of milk each day. Use whole milk until the second birthday.

Limit juice to 4 to 8 ounces daily. Too much milk or juice will spoil your child’s appetite. Too much juice can also cause diarrhea. Offer water instead of sugary drinks.

What foods should I offer and how much?
Children grow more slowly at this age so they need small portions.

Start with one to two tablespoons of each food and quarter slices of bread.

They may be more willing to eat a little than a lot. Offer small servings and let them ask for more.

Your child should no longer need strained foods. At meals, offer a variety of soft, chopped table foods that are not too fatty or spicy. Between meals, serve snacks like cheese strips, soft pieces of fruit or vegetable, dry cereal or crackers. Offer at least this many servings daily.

• Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta 6 servings
• Milk, Cheese, Yogurt 4 servings
• Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs 2 servings
• Fruits 2 servings
• Vegetables 3 servings

Here is an example of meals and snacks for the whole day:

Breakfast Lunch Supper

½ cup milk 1 Tblsp green beans 1 ounce chicken
½ scrambled egg ½ cup milk 1 Tblsp rice & 1 Tblsp carrots
¼ slice toast ¼ slice bread ½ cup milk

Morning Snack Afternoon Snack Evening Snack

½ cup orange juice ¼ cup yogurt with ½ cup milk
3 crackers 1 Tblsp fruit & 2 Tblsp cereal 2 Tblsp cereal

How can I prevent choking?
All young children gag and choke a little. That is a good reason to stay with your child during mealtime. Choking often happens when children lie down or run when eating. Be sure they sit down to eat. Avoid hard foods like nuts, hard candy, tough meats, raisons, and popcorn. Cut round foods like hot dogs and grapes the long way first and then cut them in pieces. Chop all coarse foods into small pieces.