Baby Meals
Coming up with ideas for what to feed babies can be challenging, especially as they are learning to chew and still relying on formula or breastmilk. Or for when they are super hungry and it seems like we can’t feed them enough. Or when they struggle with new foods. This phase can for sure be a challenge! To help, these meal ideas can work for any time of the day and are mostly geared towards babies aged 9-12 months who may have more of an appetite for full meals. They can be eaten with fingers as Stage 3 baby food and diced up as needed into small bites. These kids meals can be shared with the rest of the family and are actually perfect for one year olds too. I try to remember that baby (and toddler) appetites can vary and be unpredictable, so please know that it’s normal for them to eat a lot one day or at one meal and not a lot at the next. Follow their lead and try to enjoy the process of sharing meals.
Baby Food Resources
If you’re just getting started with baby food, here are a few links that may help:
Ultimate Guide to Baby Led WeaningFavorite Early Finger FoodsSample Baby Feeding SchedulesEasy Homemade Baby FoodMaster List of Baby Food RecipesBaby Food Stages 101
And now, 20 recipes to help you feed baby with little work and lots of deliciousness at the table!
Baby Muffins
Moist, tender muffins are a perfect food for baby for any meal of the day—and this recipe is loaded with three kinds of produce for flavor and nutrition. Pair with a fruit for an easy meal.
60-Second Scrambled Eggs
Fluffy scrambled eggs are rich in healthy fats and protein and are an easy to eat early finger food. And this is a method that takes less than a minute.
Quinoa Pudding
A subtle vanilla flavor gives this creamy pudding a lovely taste, which when paired with the vegetarian protein and fiber, make this a delicious breakfast or snack for baby.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Blend up 3 ingredients to make protein-packed pancakes that are easy for baby to pick up and self-feed. Plus, they store well!
Applesauce Overnight Oats
With just a few pantry staples, you can stir together a satisfying overnight oats recipe that’s a balanced mix of nutrition…with yummy flavor! Serve it with a spoon or in a reusable pouch.
2-Ingredient Pancakes
With four flavor options, these tender pancakes are a power packed meal for baby. Bonus: They are soft enough to work for baby led weaning or as a finger food.
Make-Ahead Egg and Cheese Mini Muffins
With options to add carrots, broccoli, squash, or more, these egg bites are easy for baby to eat and can be served warm or at room temperature. (So they’re great to pack for daycare!)
Vanilla Whole Wheat Waffles
With cottage cheese in the mix for protein and calcium, these mini waffles are a perfect consistency for babies in the 9-12 month range. Dice them or serve them whole baby-led weaning style.
Banana Bread Oatmeal
Put those too-ripe bananas to good use in this delicious (and easy) oatmeal recipe for kids. It’s delicious for babies eating solids and can be served with nondairy milk.
Veggie Grilled Cheese
Whether diced up small or served in strips, this little sandwich has veggie puree right in the mix. It’s soft and flavorful.
Chicken Sweet Potato Meatballs
Combine 4 simple ingredients to make baked chicken meatballs with a veggie tucked right inside! These pair well with marinara, pesto or cheese sauce, are super moist, and are perfect to make ahead. Dice or mash them for easy eating.
Extra-Veggie Baby Pasta
With a flavorful blend of tomatoes and sweet potato or squash, plus beans for iron, this tomato sauce is both delicious and easy to make.
Baby Food Combinations
Learn how to mix and match baby food for endless easy meal options. These are great baby meal ideas for 7 month old babies and up.
Cauliflower Cheesy Rice
With cauliflower cooked right in the rice, this is a delicious vegetarian main or meal component. This works for a baby dinner or lunch from the age of about 8-9 months. (Or earlier if you’re doing baby led weaning.)
Roasted Sweet Potato Hash
Bake up this sheet pan meal to share with baby. Cut the pieces as small as you need for easy finger foods.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Throw the ingredients into the Instant Pot and have the most tender and flavorful chicken to share ready to go. This was one of our favorite family meals to share when my youngest was 9 months old and up.
Italian Lentils and Rice
Filled with Italian flavor and relying on an easy cooking method, this is a dinner to share. (Cut the melon smaller and the cucumbers into matchsticks or skip them as needed for babies.)
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
Use up some leftover baby food in this easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
With an easy method that blends the squash right into the cheese sauce, this is a delicious way to incorporate veggies into a baby meal.
Alphabet Soup
This soup has an easy method and finger-food size pieces that are perfect for baby. This is a favorite baby meal for a 10 month old or 12 month old since the pieces are a great size for little fingers.
Best Tips for Baby Meals
Follow baby’s hunger cues and end the meal when they show signs of being done such as turning away, dropping food, or signing that they’re done.Remember that there’s no one right portion size and kids may eat a lot or a little—and it may be hard to predict.Aim for a variety of foods (and flavors and textures) over the course of the week, but don’t worry too much about tracking individual nutrients or foods as that may just increase your own stress.Sit down and share meals with the kids as you can as modeling eating and letting them watch what and how you eat can have a big impact on how they learn.Review basics on lessening choking risks here.Find tips on baby food storage here.Find tips on weaning here if that is helpful for you.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please comment below to share!
