One of the questions I’m often asked is what changes at 1 year old when it comes to nutrition for babies? It seems like there are many rules around “until 12 months” and understandably, many families are left a little confused by what happens when their little one turns 1.
In this blog, I want to run through some of the things you can expect around 12 months, from a nutrition, appetite and growth perspective.
Food becomes main source of nutrition
One of the main changes is that around 12 months, solid foods firmly become the main source of nutrition for little ones. Before this, and throughout the weaning phase, milk – whether breast or formula milk – still provides the bulk of a baby’s nutrition. Weaning is all about babies learning the skills to eat and becoming exposed to a variety of flavours and textures, as well as getting some important nutrients, in addition to their usual milk.
By 12 months, babies no longer ‘need’ milk feeds, breast or formula. This doesn’t mean you need to stop, as milk feeds can continue to provide nutrition, comfort, familiarity and routine. However, solid foods should be their primary source of nutrition.
Cow’s milk as a main drink
Milk recommendations are often confusing for families. Before the age of 1, cow’s milk including Arla Big Milk – is fine to be used in cooking – e.g. porridge, cereal, sauces for babies, but it shouldn’t be offered as a main drink, to replace breast or formula milk. This is because cow’s milk doesn’t have the same nutrient profile as either breast milk or formula milk, and wouldn’t be suitable to ensure babies are getting the right nutrition alongside solid foods.
Breastfeeding can provide multiple benefits to your child well beyond the first year or life, so if you want to continuing breastfeeding, it’s certainly beneficial to do so.
After 12 months however, once food becomes the primary source of nutrition, it’s fine to offer cow’s milk in addition to a balanced and varied diet. As mentioned above, you don’t have to stop breast or formula feeding, but cow’s milk is an option if you wish. Read more about milk and little ones here.
If you do choose to offer some fresh cow’s milk to your one year old, Arla Big Milk can also add extra nutrients such as Vitamin D, A and Iron at this stage too, which may be helpful as some of these nutrients can be harder for little ones to get in their diet (see section on supplements below).
When it comes to plant-milks, there is no one plant-based milk alternative that is an ideal replacement for cow’s milk and it depends on your individual babies needs and the rest of their diet. Most plant milks are lower in calories and protein when compared to cow’s milk. Similar to cow’s milk, plant-milk alternatives can be used in cooking from 6 months, but shouldn’t be offered as a main drink. From 12 months, fortified, plain plant milks can be offered as a drink alongside a healthy balanced diet. If your little one can’t or doesn’t have dairy, you may need to pay a little more attention to certain nutrients, including calcium and iodine. Read more about Plant Milks for Babies here.
Moving from bottle to cup
Whilst you can continue to offer breast and formula milk beyond 1 year, if you’re still offering a bottle, it is recommended to move away from bottle feeding after around 12 months. Prolonged use of the bottle is associated with tooth decay, delayed speech as well as fussy eating and low iron levels due to high levels of liquid, which can displace other nutrients in the diet. This can sound quite scary to parents, but you shouldn’t worry if your child continues to use a bottle after 12 months. Simply try to focus on encouraging your little one to drink from an open cup where possible and gradually reduce the use of bottles where you can.
Snacks
Snacks are another topic that can bring up lots of questions. Before 12 months, snacks aren’t necessary in addition to solid foods and their regular milk feeds. From around 1 year, the general recommendation is that children are offered 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Remember, this is a very general recommendation and not all children necessarily need two snacks, in addition to 3 meals. In both my personal and professional experience, this is very much child dependent and it’s important to work out what’s best for your child.
Some children have small appetites and may benefit from more regular meals to be able to top up their energy and nutrient needs throughout the day. Others may have larger appetites and manage more at main meals, and therefore have less of a need for snacks in between meals.
Honey
Under 12 months, it’s not advised to give honey to babies. This is because it can contain a bacteria that can cause a rare, but very serious condition called infant botulism. As little ones grow, their immune systems become a little more mature and more able to fight off the bacteria, meaning their risk is significantly reduced. After 12 months, you can offer honey to little ones if you wish to, however it is still considered an added sugar. Added sugars are best avoided or limited wherever possible for young children, as they can be harmful to teeth, and displace other nutrients in the diet.
Growth
During the first year of life, particularly the first 6 months, babies are growing at an incredible rate. As they grow into toddlerhood and they become more active, their growth slows down somewhat. Whilst they are still actively growing and need plenty of energy and nutrients, it’s normal for slower growth to have an impact on their appetite too.
During toddlerhood is often when ‘fussy eating’ starts to come into play. Fussy eating happens for MANY different reasons, and slowed growth is certainly one of them. Toddlers will go through periods of slow growth and then growth spurts, which can mean their appetite can suddenly shoot up and down, making it hard to keep up!
Sleep
One thing ALL parents could do with more of, is sleep! It’s expected that by toddlerhood, sleep will have improved and little ones will be sleeping solidly through the night. For MANY families, this simply isn’t the case, and sleep can continue to be quite disrupted for some time.
I’m often asked if there are certain foods that do or don’t help little ones sleep or if they should be taking supplements to help them sleep better. Firstly, there isn’t one solution that will solve sleep problems, as it’s often a combination of factors at play.
When it comes to food and sleep, one common worry is that children will wake up in the night because they’re hungry. If children have regular opportunities to eat throughout the day, with a variety of foods available, it’s unlikely that sleep will be affected by hunger. If you ARE finding that your little one is waking in the night hungry, or they’re waking up early because they’re hungry, introducing a regular pre-bedtime snack can help. This can be really simple, such as a banana with some yoghurt or a cracker with cream cheese or avocado. Making it a regular part of your routine, so it’s offered regardless of whether they’ve eaten dinner or not, can help to avoid it becoming an alternative if they refuse dinner.
Supplements
The advice around supplements for young children is largely the same until around 5 years of age. The supplements that are advised as a general rule for all children are:
- Vitamin D – this is quite difficult to get in sufficient quantities from the diet, and so it’s recommended that a supplement is offered from birth, if your baby is breastfeeding, or if formula feeding, once your baby is having less than 500ml of formula per day. The amounts recommended are:
- 0-12 months – 8.5 – 10ug daily (only once having less than 500ml of formula per day)
- 12 months to 5 years – 10ug daily
- Vitamin C – In the UK, vitamin C is recommended as a supplement from 6 months to 5 years, unless your baby is having more than 500ml of formula per day. This is because previous data has shown that some children in the UK don’t get enough vitamin C through their diet alone. Foods that are rich in vitamin C include fruits and vegetables such as oranges, tomatoes, berries, peppers, potatoes, kiwi, grapefruit and broccoli.
- Vitamin A – Similar to vitamin C, a daily vitamin A supplement is recommended to children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years, unless your baby is having more than 500ml of formula per day. Foods that provide vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, mango, yellow peppers, spinach, dairy and eggs. For most children, it is possible to get the recommended intake from foods alone, but a supplement is recommended as a general rule, as there are certain groups in the UK that may be at risk of vitamin A deficiency.
Arla Big Milk is enriched with vitamin D, iron and vitamin A and so contribute towards some of these vitamin needs.
Remember that this is a general guide and not every child will be following the same timeline. Try not to compare your little one to others as all children are different and grow and develop at different rates. And for more specific advice, or anything medical, please do have a chat with your Health Visitor team or GP.