Over time, you will notice that your child becomes more and more interested in food. You can then go from tasting portions to small meals instead. In this article, we guide you!

When the child wants larger portions, gradually increase the amounts to small meals. Breast milk or formula still contains a lot of the nutrients the baby needs, so there is no rush to switch to regular food at all meals. Let the child’s interest in the food set the pace! Eventually, when the baby is ten to twelve months old, it needs two main meals a day and a few snacks in between.

At this age, the food only needs to be roughly chopped with a knife or grated using a grater or food processor. You can also give slightly larger pieces that the child can hold in their hands.

Breakfast, snack and evening meal:
Breast milk, baby formula, porridge, preferably in a mug, or a sandwich are good breakfasts, snacks and evening meals. Serve with some fruit, berries or vegetables.

Lunch and dinner
Let potatoes, pasta, rice, bread, bulgur or similar form the basis of meals alongside root vegetables and other greens. Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils or tofu complete the meal. Feel free to finish with some fruit or berries. Fruit and berries contain vitamins, including vitamin C, which help the child absorb the iron in the food.

Continue to introduce new tastes and textures so that the baby gets used to many different types of food. It may be easier to absorb a new taste if it is served with food that the child already likes.
If you are not used to cooking or feel unsure as to whether you can prepare food that will provide your baby with enough nutrition, you may think that it is easier to give baby canned food. Canned food is not wrong, but it can be expensive to always buy ready-made food. Home-cooked food doesn’t have to be difficult. For example, take some of the family food, but avoid adding salt, because too much salt can raise a baby’s blood pressure. Read more about salt in the section “Is it something that children under one year should avoid?”.

How much food does your baby need at eight months?
Your child knows how much food they need. At some meals, your child will eat a little less food, but compensates naturally by eating more at another meal. Over a longer period of time, children usually get enough food. As long as the child grows and develops normally, you don’t need to worry.

Small children cannot eat large amounts of food and therefore need to eat more often than adults. Through regular meals, the child gets the amount of food needed more easily. A good meal pattern can be breakfast, lunch and dinner with a few snacks in between.

Children under two years of age need slightly fattier food than adults, because they grow so quickly. For home-cooked food, one teaspoon of liquid margarine or oil, preferably rapeseed oil, per portion is sufficient, unless the dish already contains fat. Ready-made baby food already contains a fair amount of fat, so no extra is needed.

Iron is an important nutrient that young children have difficulty getting enough of. Because they grow so fast, they need almost as much iron as a grown man. But small children cannot eat as much as an adult and therefore they need food that has been enriched with iron.