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Transitioning away from bottles and boobs can be such a confusing time. How do you get rid of the bottle? When do you get rid of the bottle? Do they need to eat more when you cut down on nursing or bottles? What should their daily schedule look like?! It brings up so many questions! Since most of my clients are parents of kids in the toddler age range, I’ve helped tons of families establish a new 1 year old feeding schedule.
This post has all the information I’d share with my clients, including sample feeding schedules and toddler-friendly meal ideas. I hope it helps you navigate this change with way more confidence (and way less doubt)!
This feeding transition can be really nerve wracking for parents, and it’s because we go from being able to clearly quantify our baby’s food intake (how many ounces, how many nursing sessions, and how long sessions last), to having them eat mostly meals, which is so different. It makes a lot of parents worry about whether or not their little ones are getting enough to eat, and this makes sense. How can you know if they’ve eaten enough when what feels like half of their food ends up on the floor! And, if they refuse a meal, are they just not hungry or do they not like it? Should you give them something else?
It’s as big of a change for you as it is for them, and it can feel overwhelming. But know that you’re not alone in feeling this way, and that it’s not an insurmountable thing. My hope is that this post gives you the background knowledge you need to trust the process a little more– because everything will turn out okay (scout’s honor!).
As a dietitian, I have a deep understanding of toddlers’ nutritional needs. In fact, my knowledge, training, and experience with feeding goes far beyond even what most pediatricians know. Very few pediatricians have up to date, robust nutrition knowledge.
As a result, lots of parents have come to me so confused by what their pediatrician recommended regarding nutrition for their one year old. Some doctors encourage measuring out toddler portion sizes, counting calories, cutting down on carbs, going low fat, or relying on protein shakes or supplements for them, which is just not ideal.
Of course, this doesn’t make them bad doctors by any means– they just have a million other medical things they need to know, so nutrition isn’t given priority in their education. And, some pediatricians really prioritize nutrition and know a lot. But ultimately, if in doubt, it’s best to get a second opinion from a dietitian (even on nutrition recommendations that come from your child’s pediatrician).
Once your child turns 1, if they’re drinking cow’s milk, make sure to keep it to 16-20 oz per day. Any more than that can prevent them from getting a good variety of nutrition (because it fills them up), and can increase chances that you’ll see picky eating behaviors. It can even lead to iron deficiency.
I recommend dropping bottles completely between 12 and 15 months. Instead, have them drink milk in a cup with meals. This way, we’re placing the emphasis on table foods, which is developmentally appropriate once they turn one (as long as they don’t have any significant developmental or feeding delays).
More reasons to wean your child from bottles are to prevent:
When you’re ready to switch your one year old from a bottle to a cup, it’s ideal to practice with a water cup at meals, right from the time they start solids. Now, if you haven’t done that yet, don’t worry! It’s never too late to start.
Use an open cup, a 360 cup, or a straw cup at meals. These types of cups are preferred by dentists, pediatricians, OTs, and SLPs. and me! My favorite cups are available in my Amazon shop. You can use them for water or milk.
If you’d like a little how-to tutorial on teaching your babe to drink from a straw, just press play on the video below.
Your 12-month-old should be feeding themselves vs. you feeding them. And, they can be eating most of the same foods that you’re eating. Just make sure they’re practicing with utensils! I really like Grabease Utensils and Bumkins Silicone Chewtensils for a one year old.
Utensil Tip: If your child has a hard time using them, guide them with hand-over-hand. Put their hand around the utensil first, then put your hand on top of theirs. Move their hand to pick up the food with the utensil and guide it to their mouth. It’s great to get in the habit of practicing a little at each meal, and it’s totally okay if they get tired or frustrated with the utensil and switch to using their hands.
Once they’ve mastered the hand-over-hand style, you can step it up by preloading their utensil for them, and letting them guide it to their mouth without your help.
The best way to approach “how much” is to use starter portions. This post on starter portions explains exactly how much to offer them, how to know when they need more, and how to know when they are done. This video on portion sizes for our 1 year olds should help, too.
Now that we’re on the same page with weaning bottles, working towards self-feeding, and sorting out portions, let’s get into the feeding schedules! These are a few examples to help you wrap your head around what a day in the life looks like on a one year old feeding schedule.
For all: Remember to limit cow’s milk (or non-dairy milk alternatives) to 16-20 oz. If you’re breastfeeding, you do not need to limit your nursing (unless you and/or baby are ready to drop sessions).
| 6:30/7a Wake up | Nurse |
| 7:30a BREAKFAST | Cup with water |
| 9:30a SNACK | |
| 10a – 11a Nap | |
| 12p LUNCH | |
| 2:30p SNACK | Can replace snack with pre-nap nursing |
| 3p – 4p Nap | |
| 5:30p DINNER | |
| 7/7:30p Bedtime | Nurse |
| 6:30/7a Wake up | |
| 7a BREAKFAST | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 9:30a SNACK | |
| 10a – 11a Nap | |
| 12p LUNCH | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 2:30p SNACK | |
| 3p – 4p Nap | |
| 5:30p DINNER | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 7/7:30p Bedtime |
| 6:30/7a Wake up | Optional nursing |
| 7:15a BREAKFAST | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 9:30a SNACK | |
| 11:30a LUNCH | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 12p-2p Nap | Optional pre-nap nursing |
| 2:30p SNACK | |
| 5:30p DINNER | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 6:30/7p Bedtime | Optional nursing |
| 6:30/7a Wake up | |
| 7a BREAKFAST | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 9:30a SNACK | |
| 11:30a LUNCH | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 12p-2p Nap | |
| 2:30p SNACK | |
| 5:30p DINNER | Milk or water in cup with meal |
| 6:30/7p Bedtime |
A one year old, you really want to let go of any baby food in your child’s diet, replacing it with family food. As long as you’re vigilant about preventing choking with appropriate textures (nothing too hard, crunchy, or chewy), your little one can start to eat a lot of the same foods you do!
My post on food groups for toddlers goes into detail on what to make sure you are feeding your toddler.
Here are some ideas from my Instagram feed:
Note that the times listed on these images vary slightly from the suggestions I gave above, and that’s okay. It’s going to look a little different for each family, depending on waking and bedtimes.
Breakfast: A slice of French toast using Dave’s Killer Bread White Bread Done Right (dipped in batter of egg, whole milk, and cinnamon) cooked in butter, and apple sliced thin (the pieces look kind of big here, but I just didn’t separate them all for the photo).
Morning Snack: Raisins and Hippeas. Small raisins are ok for toddlers (read: not a choking hazard).
Lunch: Canned salmon mixed with Sir Kensington’s mayo, 1 tbsp of Greek yogurt, and 1 tsp dijon mustard, with Triscuits. Triscuit Thin Crisps (not pictured) are easiest for a 1 year old to manage.
Afternoon Snack: Thinly-sliced carrots with ranch dressing (I like to mix Ranch with Greek yogurt for my kids, for a little added nutrition).
Dinner: Crockpot pot roast, mashed potatoes (made with milk and butter), whole grain bread, and some plain spinach from my salad.
Breakfast: A random, leftover piece of Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars I made, a Kidfresh waffle, and a blueberry banana smoothie.
Morning Snack: Orange (peeled and sliced).
Lunch at Daycare: Half of a mild cheddar cheese sandwich, raspberries, and broccoli (you can steam or roast broccoli if they can’t chew it raw yet).
Afternoon Snack: Raisins and crackers (these are Simple Mills). You can dip crackers in milk if they are too crunchy for your 1 year old)
Dinner: Homemade pizza and peas.
My Meal & Snack Survival Guide is packed full of healthy grab-and-go snacks and stress-free recipes! They’re easy to make, and they’re fully approved by toddlers (and me!). Your family will love them!
36 Comments
Talia · April 1, 2023 at 7:10 pm
Hi my lo is about to be 12 months. I am ready to make the switch to wholes milk. Afew questions. Our current routine is for her to have 4oz of breast milk when she wakes up at 7am and then she doesn’t eat breakfast until around 8:30am. Now My dr said in the morning to just give her whole milk instead of breast milk. Do i give her milk before her breakfast? And just keep all the times the same?
Jacqueline · September 12, 2022 at 3:12 pm
If your lo has feeding aversions- is slow to eating solids – pending OT eval, should we keep bottle feeding? He is 1. I think part of the problem is he is getting too many calories from the bottle, so I am wondering if adopting the above schedule will help with the feeding aversions. What do you think or should I wait to talk to OT?
Gabby · May 30, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Food intake . I have used some of the recipes for my 12 month old but he doesn’t eat everything and looks like he just grazes . How do I know he’s getting enough food?
Gabby · May 30, 2022 at 12:42 pm
Food intake
Elisa Alvarez · May 19, 2022 at 9:27 am
1 Year Old Feeding Schedule: 2 Naps, No Nursing – my little ones naps are on the earlier side so I’m confused on when to offer snacks. His naps are at 9 AM, 1 PM and bed is at 6 PM. Also, how much milk do I offer each time and is it only during meals or snacks too?
Esther · December 28, 2021 at 11:33 pm
My grandchild seems very grumpy from the time she awakens in the morning or from nap until she is fed. After eating her mood changes and she becomes generally cheerful. She is 14 mo. And on table foods 100% and only given cows milk with supper. I would guesstimate she is getting around 8 oz. They do let her eat till she says she’s done and refuses more food. They also limit her water between meals so she wont fill up on water. However, I am concerned they are under feeding her. Is this amount of cow’s milk something to be concerned about. Is there information available about underfeeding risks you could direct me to?
Mama Knows Nutrition · January 10, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Hi! Some kids can be very “hangry” and that is totally normal. I have a post on my blog for all your milk questions here: https://mamaknowsnutrition.com/milk-for-toddlers/. This will help you see if she’s getting enough dairy and fat in her diet to help her stay full. Overall there is no problem with only getting 8oz of milk, especially if they are getting dairy in other places(yogurt, cheese etc). Milk and dairy can block certain nutrients so even though its a great option for getting calcium, fat and protein, you don’t want to go over the amount they need. You can also check out my podcast on hanger to see if there is anything else that helps! https://mamaknowsnutrition.com/mkn_podcast/hunger-tantrums/
MC · December 3, 2021 at 11:23 am
Cannot thank you enough for your perspective at the beginning of this article! I’ve been feeling so stressed, and your guidance is so helpful.
mamabunny · November 17, 2021 at 4:12 pm
Hello, my boy is 11 mo. This is his schedule so far… 6:30 bottle- he drinks while sleep( i leave for work) 11am breakfast food 3pm lunch 4:30 bottle 7 food 8 bottle 111:30 bottle. He dirks about 6 oz of formula. His meals are 6 oz purees. **** I need him to sleep till about 10 am or later- husband goes to bed very late**** Today is Nov 17- I am going to stop the 6:30 bottle and let him sleep and I go to work. I told my husband to feed breakfast to him when he wakes up. I am shifting my work schedule to be home by 2pm. I figure lunch will be at 2:30 once I clean up. I thought a bottle can go in between breakfast and lunch. He will still have a 3 bottle day till I can figure out something else. I am looking for guidence . Thank you hope to hear from you soon <3
Kelle Trusso · October 11, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Keep up the great work. Love your site!
Samantha · September 22, 2021 at 9:21 am
I just wanted to say thank you. This is the most helpful post! The transition to full solids is so confusing. The sample schedules split up by nap and nursing is everything. Thank you thank you!
Mama Knows Nutrition · September 22, 2021 at 10:57 am
I am so happy to hear that!!
Briana H · February 11, 2021 at 8:50 pm
What do you propose if my child goes to bed around 7:30 and doesn’t wake up until 8:30/9 AM? She usually goes down for 1 nap from 12-3/33:30PM. I want to make sure she’s getting all of her nutrition in but, she absolutely loves her sleep.
DG · February 4, 2021 at 1:27 pm
Did you just drop the bottle at 12mo or was there a transition period prior? I can’t decide if it’s something I need to start working on now or just cold turkey it?
Erin · November 10, 2020 at 10:37 pm
Hi Kacie! All of your info is always so helpful – thank you. I am getting ready to move from breastmilk bottles to cow’s milk as my baby is about to turn 1. He sips water from an open cup at meals now, but definitely isn’t drinking lots of oz from the cup. We prefer to use an open cup, but I’m nervous that he won’t get enough oz of milk once the bottles are gone. Any tips? Or do I trust that he’ll get the hang of drinking more with continued practice?
Vania B. · October 30, 2020 at 9:27 am
Hi!
My little one is 10 months and so we aren’t completely at the point where we are transitioning from breastmilk to cow milk, but we are getting close. Currently, he nurses in the morning before breakfast and then has an 8 oz. bottle in the middle of the day after lunch and a bottle right before bed. It seems easy enough when he transitions to cow milk to just change the middle of the day bottle to an 8 oz. sippy cup of milk with lunch.
However, I am worried about transitioning the nighttime bottle to cow’s milk. Drinking milk is a part of his bed time routine. We usually give him a bath and then get dressed for bed, then he drinks his bottle and then we sing for a bit until he goes to sleep. Once we switch to cow milk and no bottles, how would you recommend I give his nightime milk?
Should I just give him a sippy cup with dinner and read a story during the time that he use to get milk? Or should I give him a sippy cup before or after his bath?
Mama Knows Nutrition · November 2, 2020 at 10:32 am
Hi Vania, yes I would move milk to be with dinner and then do the story when he used to have his milk, it may take him a couple days to adjust to the new routine but I would stick with it!
Ashley · October 28, 2020 at 12:46 pm
hi there – I was just wondering in the 2 naps no nursing schedule I didn’t see a bottle before bed and he’s used to that. He also doesn’t sleep well through the night right now since i’m weening him off nursing completely so would it be sensible to give him a small bottle right before bed after his bath?
Carly · August 24, 2020 at 8:28 am
My little guy just turned one, and I still have quite a bit of frozen breastmilk so I plan to continue offering that in place of cow’s milk for now. I nurse him when I’m home (once in the morning and once in the evening), and on my days off on demand (usually 6 times). My question is when should expressed breastmilk be offered? Should it be with meals like cow’s milk would be, or snacks? Right now he gets a sippy cup with BM at 9:30 a.m., around 12, and 4:15 p.m.
Mama Knows Nutrition · September 30, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Carly I’m sorry, I somehow missed this! You probably found a solution by now but I would offer with meals like you would cow’s milk
Mama Knows Nutrition · July 16, 2020 at 3:55 pm
It depends how much time is in between dinner and bed. If it’s less than 2 hours (like dinner is at 5/5:30 and bed is at 7) then a bedtime snack is typically not needed. And I would tell him at dinnertime that this is the last time to eat or drink today (besides water) so to make sure his belly is full and happy. He should do totally fine overnight. If he wakes up earlier than usual in the morning, I’d try to keep him in the crib until the time you normally get him up, and avoid giving him milk right when he gets up (that can perpetuate early morning wakings).
Laura Hildebrand · September 30, 2020 at 5:36 pm
If my one year old doesn’t go to sleep at night til 8, should he be getting a snack between dinner and bedtime?
Mama Knows Nutrition · September 30, 2020 at 7:04 pm
If dinner is earlier than 6 then yes I would offer a snack in between
Sarah · July 16, 2020 at 10:49 am
Thanks, Kacie! Good (and relieving) to know. I will say, he caught onto drinking from a cup VERY quickly–I followed your cup-drinking video–Thanks for posting gems like that, super helpful!
Slight follow up: When we get rid of the bedtime bottle (I plan to slowly decrease the amount he gets across several days), how do we do so with minimal disruption to his sleep—it’s a big transition, so I anticipate some hiccups, but I want to try to prevent him waking earlier in the morning because he’s hungry. He’s generally a good eater throughout the day. Dinner can be hit or miss in terms of the amount he consumes. Thanks so much for your help!
Mama Knows Nutrition · July 16, 2020 at 9:59 am
Hey, sorry I thought I responded to this but I guess it didn’t post! That is totally okay and very common for toddlers to not drink much from a cup when they still have a bottle in the routine, and even for a few weeks after bottles are gone. Serve other calcium rich foods like yogurt or cheese if he likes those, and keep offering milk in a cup. Usually they come around to it within a few weeks 🙂 and he will be okay in the meantime!
Sarah · July 15, 2020 at 8:20 pm
*I should say, I’m worried about getting rid of the bottles if he doesn’t drink enough milk during meals
Sarah · July 14, 2020 at 10:08 pm
We’re in the (slow) process of transitioning from formula to milk (slowly increasing ratio of milk to formula across all bottles), then we’ll get rid of bottles altogether. We offer a 360 miracle cup of milk with each meal, but my son doesn’t drink a lot from it. Any advice/tips?
Karol Copeland · July 5, 2020 at 11:34 am
I need help getting rid of a bottle for 2 year old. She drinks from a cup but will refuse milk from a cup
Courtney · July 3, 2020 at 8:37 am
I’m still a little confused about milk if you’re nursing. In the first example with 2 naps it says water with meals and nursing (so no milk in this example). In the example with 1 nap it says water or milk plus nursing. So if you’re nursing, should they still get cows milk with meals or only water?
Mama Knows Nutrition · July 3, 2020 at 9:12 am
Hey, if they are nursing 3-4x a day or more, then no cows milk (or milk alternative) is necessary. If they are only nursing 1 or 2 times, then they can have milk with meals.
Courtney · July 4, 2020 at 11:25 am
Thanks!!
Ann · May 15, 2022 at 8:32 am
Hi. I have a 13 month old. I just weaned breastfeeding (well, it’s still a work in progress. She still likes to nurse in the morning). But I’m having trouble with our routine.
I BF exclusively for 12 months. But at her 12 month appt, I started back to work a month or two prior and the doctor said no more breastfeeding because I stopped making enough milk due to work and wanted her to just go to cow milk. It was hard because she was basically only used to breastfeeding. So I know supposed to wean off bottles, but one thing at a time. Finally she’s on bottles 99% of the time, nursing in morning for comfort.
5-6 wake up and nurse. I do offer a bottle after because I know I don’t really have milk and it’s more for comfort. She drinks 3-4 ounces cow milk.
7 breakfast she eats OK.
Depending when she woke up, nap anywhere from 8-9 and we always offer a bottle before because she used to nurse to settle. So now we do a bottle. If we give her 4 ounces, she drinks it all, same with 6 ounces.
Wakes between 10-11 depending when she went down. We do offer a pouch of fruit or some bottle 3-4 ounces
12 lunch with water.
1-2 nap depending when she woke up. We offer a bottle before 3-4 ounces depending how she did with food at lunch.
When she wakes between 3-4 we ordered a yogurt. Then it’s dinner 5:30. Bedtime between 7-8 and we give full bottle 7 ounces then.
My fear of eliminating feeds around nap is she will then fight naps. I also fear her being hungry since she is small and we wanted more weight gain. But I do fear IDA and her not adjusting to solids more. She does OK with solids, but not GREAT. Any advice?
We use dr brown bottles. Size 4 nipples. Maybe the flow is too much? We had her in size 1 nipples because that’s how we bought them a year ago and never had to use them. Then I noticed how long it would take! So I did research and realized 1 was not appropriate for her age and 4 was.
Just lost on the schedule.
Nikki · July 2, 2020 at 10:56 pm
Thank you for this info! Can I give my one year old a sandwich with bread that isn’t toasted or cut up into smaller pieces? She has two top teeth and two bottom…we did blw and she is a great chewer.. just not sure if we still need to lightly toast the bread for her? Also do you give the triscuit crackers whole? Thanks again!
Mama Knows Nutrition · July 3, 2020 at 9:13 am
Hey, you don’t have to toast the bread for her 🙂 and she can take bites, it’s good for them to learn how to take bites frmo a larger piece of something. The triscuit thin crisps are much easier to chew, or if you do the regular ones you can break them in half if you want, or can dip them in milk (think like cookies in milk) to soften a little.
Catherine · July 1, 2020 at 1:28 pm
How can I slice carrots for my one year old? He doesn’t seem to like them much, same with most raw veggies. I imagine they are hard to chew since he only has his front four teeth. We’ve always done blw but raw veggies have always been spit out.
Kacie Barnes · July 1, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Hey, have you tried grating them? That’s a good place to start!