Snacks are essential to keep your child fuelled and help maintain blood sugar levels, enabling them to feel energised and alert.Ā During stage 3 of weaning - 9-12 months, your baby is ready for further variety in their diet.
When introducing snacks, continue with 3 meals a day, usually about 180ml/6oz per serving.Ā Since it is difficult for a child to achieve enough energy and nutrition in just 3 meals a day, snacks should be offered twice a day between meals. If snacks are well spaced between meals they will not affect your childās appetite.
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Milk
Continue to breastfeed your between meals or approximately 500-600 mls (17-20 oz) of infant formula milk a day, encouraging your child to drink it from a cup as much as possible.
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Sample 9-12 month routine:
7am milk on waking8am breakfast - cereal with fruit
11am snack - Mini Cheesy Vegetable Scones
12pm dinner 1
3pm snack - Apple Slice Cookies
5pm dinner 2
7pm bedtime milk feed
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How to build snacks
If your baby can manage finger food I would suggest you make up their snack plates with a variety of finger foods including dips. Make each plate up with a source of protein, carbohydrate and a fruit or vegetable. Then change it up each day.
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An example of a snack plate:
Toast finger - lightly toast bread, remove the crust and cut into fingersNut butter - make sure it is smooth. Spread on toast fingers or serve as a dip.
Ripe Kiwi - peel chop the kiwi into quarters or into bite sized pieces.
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