Feeding Your Baby - Crawlers

These instructions are for caregivers of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with babies that crawl to learn about feeding and nutrition for this age group.

Important information about feeding your baby who crawls:

• Crawlers can crawl with their stomachs up off the floor. They may pull themselves up to stand. Children develop at different rates, but this happens for many babies sometime around 9 months old.

• Crawlers are often ready to advance from Stage 2 baby foods to Stage 3 baby foods. Stage 3 foods have larger pieces of food in them.

• Crawlers may try feed themselves with their hands, move spoons to their mouths and mash food in their mouths. Some crawlers hold a cup on their own.

• Crawlers usually still drink breast milk or formula. If they drink breast milk or formula, they may take up to 24 ounces per day.

Instructions for feeding crawlers:

• Many crawlers can eat the same food as adults do. Food should be chopped for crawlers.

• You can start giving your child snack foods such as Cheerios™, puffs, yogurt bites, and biter biscuits. These foods should be offered as a snack and not as extra food between regular meals and snacks. Your baby should not be eating all day. A good serving size is up to 1/8 cup of puffs or 1 biter biscuit.

• It is important that babies at this stage get enough iron and zinc. Use cereals that are fortified with iron unless your healthcare provider tells you not to. Use baby food meats or homemade pureed meats. If you puree meat, cook the meat until it is done, then add gravy or water when you puree it.

• Your child should drink water instead of juice. If you choose to give your child juice:

  • Choose 100% juice.

  • Limit to no more than 4 ounces of juice per day.

• The amount of food your child eats will be different at every meal and every day. This is OK. Do not force your child to eat a set amount of food. Watch for signs that your baby is hungry or full and feed your baby as needed.

• Children should eat sitting down to prevent choking.

• Do not give the following foods to small children:

  • Gum

  • Hard candies

  • Popcorn

  • Whole grapes

  • Chewy candies

  • Raisins

  • Hot dogs

  • Nuts or seeds

  • Raw carrots

  • Chips

  • Chunky peanut butter

  • Cherries with pits

  • Marshmallows

  • Large chunks of meat

  • Whole cherry tomatoes

Instructions for introducing new foods:

• When trying new foods, watch and wait. After you give a new food for the first time, do not give any other new foods for about 3-5 days. Watch for signs that your baby is having a reaction to the food. Some signs to watch for are rashes, vomiting and diarrhea. If these things happen, call your healthcare provider. It may mean your child has a food allergy. If there are no signs of a reaction for about 3 days, you may try another new food.

• At 6 months or older you may carefully give your baby foods with peanut butter if your baby does not have any food allergies and no one in your family has any food allergies. If your baby, or anyone in your family has a food allergy, you should talk to your healthcare provider before you give your baby anything with peanut butter.

• If you choose to give your child peanut butter or other nut butters, use just a thin layer because it is a choking hazard.

Sample meal pattern for crawlers: (8-12 months)

Breakfast

• About 3 to 4 tablespoons of baby food cereal made with breast milk or formula

• AND

• About 4 tablespoons of Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food fruit or soft, mashed fresh fruit

• AND

• 4-8 oz breast milk or formula and sips of water

Mid-morning snack

• 4-8 oz breast milk or formula

• AND

• Snack

  • Example:

    • 1/8 cup of puffs type baby food or

    • 1 biter biscuit type cracker

    • ¼ cup diced cheese or cooked vegetable

Lunch

• Option 1:

• About 2 tablespoons of Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food meat or homemade meat puree

• AND

• About 4 tablespoons Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food vegetables or vegetables that have been cooked and pureed or mashed

• Option 2:

• About ¼-½ cup of Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food meal of meat and vegetables together

• AND

• 4-6 oz breast milk or formula and sips of water

Afternoon snack

• About 3 to 4 tablespoons of Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food fruit or soft mashed fresh fruit, 1 teething biscuit or cracker

• AND

• 4-8 oz breast milk or formula and sips of water

Dinner

• About 2 tablespoons of Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food meat or homemade meat puree

• AND

• About 4 tablespoons Stage 2 or Stage 3 baby food vegetables or vegetables that have been cooked and pureed or mashed

• AND

• 4-8 oz breast milk or formula and sips of water

Evening snack

• 4-8 oz breast milk or formula and sips of water

• AND

• Snack

  • Example:

    • 1/8 cup of puffs type baby food or 1 biter biscuit type cracker

    • ¼ cup diced cheese or cooked vegetable

Reviewed on December 1, 2021, by Emily Shotwell, RD