--- title: "Baby Food Schedule: Meals at 6, 9 and 12 Months | Dalo Baby" description: "How many meals a day at 6, 9 and 12 months, how textures progress, why under-ones do not need snacks, and how much milk stays in the day." canonical: https://dalofamilyapps.com/learn/solids/baby-food-schedule-6-9-12-months --- [Home](/)/[Knowledge Hub](/learn)/[Solids](/learn/solids) # Baby food schedule: 6, 9 and 12 months [Dalo Baby Editorial](/learn/editorial-policy)Published September 4, 2026Last reviewed September 4, 20264 min read At around six months a baby has one small meal a day alongside milk on demand. Between seven and nine months this grows gradually to three meals a day, with mashed, lumpy and finger-food textures. From ten to twelve months it is three meals plus milk feeds. Babies under one do not need snacks. ![Baby food schedule: 6, 9 and 12 months](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2Fbcb161c8f66326873818f7984f7abc51ee07a6c0-1376x768.jpg%3Frect%3D176%2C0%2C1024%2C768%26w%3D800%26h%3D600%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) ## Key takeaways - Around six months: one small meal a day, with milk still the main source of nutrition. - Seven to nine months: gradually to three meals a day, with textures moving to mashed, lumpy and finger foods. - Ten to twelve months: three meals plus milk feeds, with a main and a pudding at two of them. - Babies under twelve months do not need snacks — offer an extra milk feed instead. - A new food may need offering ten times or more before it is accepted. Rejection is not a verdict. In this article 1. [Around six months: one meal, milk unchanged](#around-six-months-one-meal-milk-unchanged) 2. [Seven to nine months: towards three meals](#seven-to-nine-months-towards-three-meals) 3. [Ten to twelve months: three meals plus milk](#ten-to-twelve-months-three-meals-plus-milk) 4. [Milk is still the base](#milk-is-still-the-base) 5. [What does not go on the schedule](#what-does-not-go-on-the-schedule) 6. [Textures move faster than the calendar](#textures-move-faster-than-the-calendar) The schedule below is the NHS shape of the first year: one meal a day at around six months, three meals a day by nine, and three meals plus milk feeds by twelve. It is a map, not a timetable — the number of meals follows your baby's appetite, and milk stays the base of the diet the whole way through. Around 6 months 7 to 9 months 10 to 12 months Meals a day 1, at a time that suits you both Gradually towards 3 3, plus milk feeds Texture Purée, mash and soft finger foods Mashed and lumpy, more finger foods Mashed, chopped and finger foods Milk Still the main source of nutrition, on demand Still central, alongside meals Alongside three meals Snacks None Not needed — offer extra milk instead Not needed under 12 months The first year, in three steps ## Around six months: one meal, milk unchanged Start with a small amount of solid food once a day, at whatever time works for both of you. Breast milk or first infant formula is still your baby's main source of nutrition at this stage, so keep offering it on demand — solid food is added alongside milk, not instead of it.[\[2\]](#ref-n6) Start bitter, not sweet Beginning with less sweet vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, spinach — helps a baby get used to a range of tastes rather than just the sweet ones, and may help with fussiness later. Sweet potato and carrot will be accepted whenever you introduce them; the bitter ones benefit from going first. ## Seven to nine months: towards three meals Over these months your baby gradually moves to three meals a day — breakfast, lunch and tea — with variety mattering as much as volume, because this is the period where iron intake starts depending on food rather than milk.[\[3\]](#ref-n79) Move on to mashed and lumpy textures and more finger foods as soon as your baby can manage them; leaving textures smooth for too long makes lumps harder to accept later. 10+ times a baby may need to be offered a new food before accepting it[\[3\]](#ref-n79) That number is the single most useful thing on this page. Rejection at the first, third and seventh attempt is ordinary and is not information about whether your baby likes something. Keep offering, without pressure, including foods that were spat out last week. Babies under 12 months do not need snacks If your baby seems hungry between meals, the NHS advice is to offer an extra milk feed rather than a snack. Snacks arrive after the first birthday, when three meals no longer stretch far enough. ## Ten to twelve months: three meals plus milk By now three meals a day should be the established pattern, alongside milk feeds, and lunch and tea can each include a main course and a pudding such as fruit or unsweetened yoghurt.[\[4\]](#ref-n1012) Your baby should be managing mashed, lumpy, chopped and finger foods, and picking food up themselves with more precision. Eating together matters more than it sounds — a lot of this is learned by watching you eat. ## Milk is still the base Through the whole first year milk remains the foundation, with solids gradually taking over. If you are trying to work out how much milk to offer alongside meals, our [milk volume calculator](/tools/milk-volume-calculator) works from weight and age. And if you are not yet sure your baby is ready to start at all, the [solids readiness check](/tools/solids-readiness-quiz) goes through the three signs that actually matter. National guidance differs — follow your own Feeding schedules are one of the places where health authorities genuinely disagree. The timing of the first meal, the number of meals at eight months and the recommended daily milk volume are not the same in the UK, France, Spain and Denmark. This page follows the NHS; wherever you are, your own national guidance is the one to use. ## What does not go on the schedule - No added salt or sugar, including in cooking water — salt is hard on a baby's kidneys and sugar causes tooth decay. - No honey before twelve months, because of the risk of infant botulism. - No whole nuts, whole grapes, raw hard apple or popcorn — choking hazards regardless of age within the first year. - No cows' milk as a main drink before twelve months, though it can be used in cooking or on cereal from six months. ![](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fsmart-solids-icon.webp&w=256&q=75&dpl=dpl_HDQuuA58EiAncPne4fumhEvNhdFC) Dalo Solids The schedule, minus the spreadsheet Dalo Solids keeps track of what has been offered and how many times, so "has she actually tried broccoli, or did I just think about it?" stops being a guess. [Dalo Solids](/apps/dalo-solids) ## Textures move faster than the calendar The most common mistake is keeping food smoother for longer than a baby needs, because it feels safer. It is not: babies who meet lumps and finger foods early tend to accept them more easily, and the window for doing that comfortably is in the second half of the first year. [How to cut food by age](/learn/solids/how-to-cut-food-by-age) covers the shapes that are safe at each stage, and [gagging vs choking](/learn/solids/gagging-vs-choking) is worth reading before the first lumpy meal rather than after it.[\[5\]](#ref-avoid) For the per-ingredient specifics — whether [broccoli](/learn/food/broccoli) goes in as florets or stalks at seven months, how to serve [banana](/learn/food/banana) so it can actually be held, when [oats](/learn/food/oats) work as a finger food — our food database has a page per food with preparation by age.[\[1\]](#ref-start) In this article 1. [Around six months: one meal, milk unchanged](#around-six-months-one-meal-milk-unchanged) 2. [Seven to nine months: towards three meals](#seven-to-nine-months-towards-three-meals) 3. [Ten to twelve months: three meals plus milk](#ten-to-twelve-months-three-meals-plus-milk) 4. [Milk is still the base](#milk-is-still-the-base) 5. [What does not go on the schedule](#what-does-not-go-on-the-schedule) 6. [Textures move faster than the calendar](#textures-move-faster-than-the-calendar) ## References & disclaimer We link every source we used. Where guidance differs by country, we cite the authority that applies where you are. 1. 1. [How to start weaning your baby](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/weaning/how-to-start-weaning-your-baby/) NHS · Guideline 2. 2. [Feeding your baby: from around 6 months](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/weaning/what-to-feed-your-baby/from-around-6-months/) NHS · Guideline 3. 3. [Feeding your baby: 7 to 9 months](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/weaning/what-to-feed-your-baby/7-to-9-months/) NHS · Guideline 4. 4. [Feeding your baby: 10 to 12 months](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/weaning/what-to-feed-your-baby/10-to-12-months/) NHS · Guideline 5. 5. [Food and drinks to avoid](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/weaning/safe-weaning/food-and-drinks-to-avoid/) NHS · Guideline * * * Before you act on this This guide is general information about healthy, full-term babies. It does not replace advice from your paediatrician, health visitor, midwife or dietitian, who know your baby. If you are worried about your baby's feeding, growth, breathing or sleep, contact a health professional. ## Questions, answered How many meals a day should a 9-month-old have? Three, alongside milk feeds — breakfast, lunch and tea — reached gradually across the seven-to-nine month period rather than switched on at a particular date. Milk is still central at this age, and no snacks are needed between meals. Should solids come before or after a milk feed? In the early weeks, after — a hungry baby is a frustrated baby, and the first meals are practice rather than nutrition. As meals grow through the second half of the year, they gradually move to being the meal rather than the dessert. There is no fixed date for the switch; follow how much your baby is actually eating. My baby refuses vegetables. Do I stop offering them? No — it can take ten or more offerings before a new food is accepted, and the first refusals carry no information. Keep serving the vegetable without pressure or bargaining, ideally alongside something already accepted, and eat it yourself at the same table. Pressure is the one thing that reliably makes acceptance less likely. When can my baby have three meals a day? Most babies get there during the seven-to-nine month window, arriving at it gradually rather than on a set date. The trigger is appetite and interest, not the calendar: if your baby is finishing meals and looking for more, add the next one; if they are still exploring one meal at eight months, that is within normal too. ![Dalo Solids](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Fsmart-solids-icon.webp&w=128&q=75&dpl=dpl_HDQuuA58EiAncPne4fumhEvNhdFC) Get it on your phone Dalo Solids [Dalo Solids](/apps/dalo-solids) Part of [Starting solids: the complete guide](/learn/solids/starting-solids) ## Keep reading [ ![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2F3cc74a688f1c3dbf8618c469daf594b946325154-1376x768.jpg%3Frect%3D7%2C0%2C1363%2C768%26w%3D440%26h%3D248%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) ### How to cut food by age: sizes, shapes and safety Two principles cover almost every food: cut round shapes lengthways, and soften firm ones until they squash between your fingers. How the cut changes from 6 months to 18 months and beyond. ](/learn/solids/how-to-cut-food-by-age)[ ![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2Fba27f81e6ab5f9f3aa94a2c4dbd4ea5753ca1e3c-1376x768.jpg%3Frect%3D7%2C0%2C1363%2C768%26w%3D440%26h%3D248%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) ### Gagging vs choking: how to tell the difference Gagging is loud and normal. Choking is silent and an emergency. How to tell them apart, what actually causes choking, and when frequent gagging is worth raising with a professional. ](/learn/solids/gagging-vs-choking)[ ![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2F73dbaccccfc51f8a5a8978f5af865b8d1da3ff56-1376x768.jpg%3Frect%3D7%2C0%2C1363%2C768%26w%3D440%26h%3D248%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=75) ### Baby-led weaning vs purées: what the trial actually found The only randomised trial found no BMI difference, no difference in choking, and one result that contradicts the theory. An honest comparison, including what each approach asks of you. ](/learn/solids/baby-led-weaning-vs-purees) ## Try the free tools - [Is your baby ready for solids?](/tools/solids-readiness-quiz) - [Baby Milk & Formula Calculator](/tools/milk-volume-calculator) ## In the food database [![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2Fd8fea95d4fc746d5486ca495f5c1553507bd0900-600x600.webp%3Fw%3D64%26h%3D64%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=64&q=75)Broccoli](/learn/food/broccoli)[![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2F3e89869b2525aa8a9bf023c356ceedfe1a70b8d2-600x600.webp%3Fw%3D64%26h%3D64%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=64&q=75)Banana](/learn/food/banana)[![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2F61f2d1f5828f9c60da63b699f64fbcc89632c080-600x600.webp%3Fw%3D64%26h%3D64%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=64&q=75)Oats](/learn/food/oats)[![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F87uht7oc%2Fproduction%2Fc3bee39e44f4c7f9d81273e0bc248dff305e77f8-600x600.webp%3Fw%3D64%26h%3D64%26fit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=64&q=75)Sweet Potato](/learn/food/sweet-potato) ## Development milestones - [6-9 months](/learn/milestones/6-9-months) - [9-12 months](/learn/milestones/9-12-months) [← All solids guides](/learn/solids) [Read as Markdown](/api/markdown?path=%2Flearn%2Fsolids%2Fbaby-food-schedule-6-9-12-months)