From 9 to 12 months: bigger bites

3 min read

Between 9 and 12 months most babies develop a pincer grasp, picking up small pieces between finger and thumb. This is the time for smaller, bite-size pieces of soft food, alongside longer sticks.

Move on from smooth purée to mashed and lumpy food, and to soft pieces of what the family eats. Continue to cook harder foods soft and to cut round or slippery foods lengthwise.

Move towards three meals and one or two snacks a day, with milk after or between. Let your baby have a spoon and a cup: it will be messy and it is how skills are built.

After the first birthday, whole cow’s milk can become the main drink and your baby can share most family meals, with less salt and sugar. Keep safety rules in place: certain foods stay a choking risk until about age four or five.