Baby Food Portion Calculator. How Much to Feed by Age & Weight

🍽️ Calculate Portion Sizes

Enter your baby's age and weight. We give you exact tablespoon and katori amounts for lentils, rice, vegetables. Plus fruits and more.

Step-by-Step Guide

How this tool actually helps

Five quick steps to get a realistic portion plan for your baby.

1
Enter your baby's age in months
Anywhere from 6 to 24 months. We do not cover before 6 months because exclusive breastfeeding or formula is recommended till 6 months. No solid food calculation needed.
2
Enter weight in kilograms
From your last family doctor check. We compare against WHO weight-for-age standards and adjust portion suggestions slightly if your baby is on the lower or higher end.
3
Pick gender
WHO growth standards differ slightly by gender. We use the right reference for boys and girls.
4
Choose feeding type
Still breastfeeding, exclusively formula, mixed, or weaning off milk feeds. This adjusts the solid food calorie target. Breastfed babies at 8 months need less solid food than fully weaned babies.
5
Click Calculate
You get daily calorie target from solids, number of meals plus snacks, exact portion sizes for Canadian foods (lentils, rice, vegetables, fruits, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs), recommended texture, and a sample Canadian meal plan for the day.

💡 A small piece of advice from one mom to another

I spent the first three months of weaning my daughter convinced she was starving. She would eat two spoons of porridge and turn her face away. I would chase her around the room with the bowl. Eventually my in-laws (after the third panicked phone call) said something I now repeat to every new mom: a baby who is not eating is not hungry. A baby who is hungry will eat. Trust her stomach. It is smarter than your spreadsheet.

⚠️ This is not medical advice

These numbers are from WHO and CPS general guidelines — useful for the everyday cooking question. They are not a substitute for your family doctor who knows your specific baby. For any concerns about weight gain, refusal to eat, or feeding difficulties, the doctor wins.

How This Works

The actual feeding science, explained simply

Why two tablespoons at 8 months, why three meals at 9, where these numbers actually come from.

Where the calorie numbers come from

The daily calorie targets are from WHO Complementary Feeding Guidelines and the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) infant feeding recommendations. Both organisations have studied infant nutrition for decades. The numbers are not made up. They come from measuring what well-nourished babies of various ages actually consume.

Daily calorie target from solids (not including milk)

6-8 months: 200-300 kcal/day

9-11 months: 300-400 kcal/day

12-23 months: 500-900 kcal/day

Solid food calories steadily increase as breast milk or formula intake decreases.

Why we ask for your baby's weight

Two babies of the same age can be quite different. A chubby 9-month-old needs more food than a small one. Body weight is the best predictor of calorie needs after age. Roughly 80-90 kcal per kg of body weight per day for active babies in this age range.

We compare your baby's weight against WHO weight-for-age standards (50th percentile reference). If your baby is significantly above or below average, we gently nudge portions up or down. This is just a starting point. Your baby is the final authority. If she stops eating, the meal is over.

Why feeding type matters

An exclusively breastfed 8-month-old already gets around 400-500 kcal from breast milk. So her solid food only needs to provide another 200-300 kcal. A fully weaned 8-month-old gets nothing from breast or formula and needs the full target from solids.

Approximate breast milk / formula contribution by age

6 months: 500-600 kcal from milk

9 months: 400-450 kcal from milk

12 months: 300-400 kcal from milk

18 months: 200-300 kcal from milk

24 months: 100-200 kcal from milk

Why we count meals AND snacks separately

Baby stomachs are small (roughly the size of their fist at this age). Trying to fit a full day's calories into 3 large meals does not work. WHO recommends:

Meals + snacks structure

6-8 months: 2-3 meals + 0-1 snack

9-11 months: 3-4 meals + 1-2 snacks

12-23 months: 3-4 meals + 1-2 snacks

Snacks are not chips or biscuits. Snack = small portion of fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese cubes, mini soft snack, or flatbread pieces.

Canadian portion sizes. Tablespoons and katoris

Canadian feeding traditions use spoons and small steel bowls (katoris) rather than grams and calories. We convert WHO recommendations into these familiar units.

What we mean by these units

1 tbsp (tablespoon) = standard Canadian dining spoon, about 15 ml

1 small katori = small steel vati, holds 100-150 ml when full

"Half katori lentils-rice" = about 75 ml or 4-5 tbsp of cooked, slightly mashed food

If you are unsure, just use the spoon and bowl you have. Approximate is fine.

Texture progression. Purees to family food

Texture matters as much as quantity. Stuck-on purees at 12 months means your baby will not learn to chew and may reject lumpy food permanently. Move texture forward gradually.

6-7 mThin smooth purees. Like custard, runs off the spoon

7-8 mThick purees. Like soft snack batter, stays on the spoon

8-10 mLumpy mashes. Fork-mashed, with finger foods alongside

10-12 mSoft chopped. Small pieces of soft food, self-feeding starts

12-24 mFamily food. Same food as everyone else, just less spicy

What about salt and butter?

This is where Canadian feeding wisdom and modern pediatrics actually align well.

Salt and sugar

Before 1 year: No added salt. Baby kidneys cannot process it.

Before 1 year: No added sugar. Builds bad taste preferences early.

After 1 year: Salt in small amounts is fine. Sugar best minimised throughout childhood.

Butter. The Canadian exception

From 6-8 months: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per meal

From 9-12 months: 1/2 to 1 tsp per meal

Butter is excellent for baby brain development (cholesterol is essential at this age) and helps with calorie density when stomachs are tiny. Canadian parents have known this for centuries.

Foods to avoid before age 1

❌ Honey. Botulism risk before age 1 (yes, even pure organic honey)

❌ Cow milk as a drink. Fine in cooking. Not as a beverage before 12 months.

❌ Whole nuts, grapes, hard fruits. Choking hazard. Pureed almond or grape is fine.

❌ Raw or runny egg. Risk of salmonella. Cook till firm.

❌ Added salt and sugar. See card 7 above.

❌ Packaged baby foods with preservatives. Fresh home-cooked is far better.

❌ Citrus fruits in large quantities. Small amounts of orange or lime fine after 8 months.

❌ Very spicy food. Chillies, raw onion, raw garlic. Mild masala fine after 10 months.

Reading hunger and fullness cues

Trust your baby. Babies are born knowing how much they need. Adult-style "finish your plate" feeding teaches them to ignore their own hunger and fullness signals. Which becomes a lifelong problem.

Hungry signs

Opens mouth when food approaches

Reaches for the spoon or food

Leans forward, makes eager sounds

Full signs (this is a NO)

Turns head away

Closes mouth and clamps lips

Pushes the spoon back, throws food

Gets fussy, looks elsewhere

When you see fullness signs, the meal is over. Even if "just one more spoon" feels right to you.

FAQ

Things parents actually ask

My 8 month old only eats 2 tablespoons of lentils at lunch. Should I be worried?

Two tablespoons is actually in the normal range for an 8 month old. The portion sizes here are upper limits, not requirements. Babies are remarkably good at self-regulating intake. If your baby is gaining weight on the growth chart, has wet diapers 6+ times a day, and is meeting milestones, you are doing fine. Watch your baby, not the spoon.

What if my baby refuses solid foods entirely?

Completely normal at 6-8 months when starting out. It takes 10-15 exposures to a new food before a baby accepts it. Do not force, do not turn meals into wars. Continue breastfeeding or formula as the main nutrition source. That is enough until 1 year. Offer 1-2 spoons of solids at meal times calmly. Babies are programmed to accept new tastes through repeated calm exposure, not through pressure.

My baby is below the average weight for age. Do I increase portions?

Not without speaking to your family doctor first. Being below 50th percentile is not automatically a problem. Many healthy Canadian babies sit around the 25th-50th percentile. What matters is the trajectory on the growth chart, not the absolute weight. If weight has dropped percentiles consistently or your baby seems lethargic, see your family doctor. Just stuffing more food into a baby who is not hungry does not work and can make feeding stressful.

How do I know if my katori is the right size?

A standard Canadian small steel katori (vati) holds roughly 150-200 ml when full. We mean about half-full (75-100 ml of food) when we say one katori. For a 12 month old, a half katori of lentils-rice mush is a reasonable lunch portion. For a 2 year old, a full katori. Tablespoon means an Canadian dining tablespoon (about 15 ml), not a measuring tablespoon.

Why does my baby eat so much one day and almost nothing the next?

Welcome to baby feeding. Babies have wildly variable appetites based on growth spurts, teething, illness. Plus sleep and just toddler logic. A baby might eat enough for a small army on Tuesday and then mostly snack on air for the next three days. This is normal. Look at total intake across a week, not within a single day. If they ate well three days out of seven, they are fine.

Do these portions include breast milk or formula feeds?

No. These are solid food portions on top of continued breastfeeding or formula feeds. At 6-8 months, breast milk or formula is still the main nutrition. At 9-12 months, solids contribute roughly half the calories. After 12 months, solids become the main source and milk becomes complementary. The calorie numbers we show are for solid foods only.

What about water? How much should my baby drink?

Before 6 months: no water needed, breast milk or formula has enough. 6-9 months: 100-200 ml total water per day during/after solid meals. 9-12 months: 200-400 ml total. After 12 months: 500-800 ml depending on weather and activity. In Canadian summers, increase by 200 ml. Watch the urine. Pale yellow means hydrated, dark yellow means more water needed.

Should I give my baby salt and sugar?

No salt before 1 year. Baby kidneys cannot process it. No added sugar before 1 year either. After 1 year, salt is fine in small amounts (skip processed foods like chips and biscuits). Sugar is best minimised even after 1 year. Canadian sweets, maple syrup in moderation, ripe fruits as the primary sweet. The taste preferences you build in the first 2 years stay for life. Build them carefully.

My doctor said to give multivitamins. Should I follow that?

Follow your family doctor's advice. Most pediatricians prescribe vitamin D drops from birth (we cannot produce enough indoors), and iron supplementation from 6 months for breastfed babies (breast milk iron drops sharply by 6 months). Some prescribe a multivitamin if intake is variable. These supplement, not replace, real food. Do not skip food because you gave the syrup.

Is this calculator a substitute for my family doctor?

No, absolutely not. This is a portion guide based on WHO and CPS recommendations to give you a sense of normal ranges. Your family doctor knows your baby's specific growth, medical history. Also family situation. For any concerns about feeding, weight, or milestones, the family doctor's advice always wins. We are useful for the everyday how-much-should-I-cook question. Not for clinical decisions.

Healthcare in Canada

How baby feeding guidance works in Canada

Canadian pediatric care runs through provincial public health. Your health card covers everything: ER visits, family doctor appointments, walk in clinics. OHIP in Ontario. RAMQ in Quebec. MSP in British Columbia. Each province slightly different but the principle is the same. Pediatric specialty hospitals serve as referral centres. SickKids in Toronto. BC Childrens in Vancouver. CHEO in Ottawa. Sainte Justine in Montreal. The 811 health line is your first call for after hours triage. Available in most provinces. Many Canadians do not have a family doctor right now (the shortage is real). Walk in clinics and Telus Health Virtual Care fill the gap. Wait times are the main frustration with the system.

📞 Emergency contacts in Canada

In Canada, call 811 for free 24/7 health advice (available in most provinces). For emergencies, call 911. Pediatric specialty hospitals (SickKids in Toronto, BC Children, CHEO in Ottawa, Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Stollery in Edmonton) have after hours services. Your provincial health card covers all of this.

Context for Canadian families

What Canadian moms actually deal with

Canadian parents are generally pragmatic and reasonably trusting of the medical system. Wait times frustrate everyone. The family doctor shortage frustrates everyone more. Cultural norm is to call 811 first, then decide between walk in clinic, family doctor, or ER based on what they tell you. Winter respiratory illness season is brutal in Canada. November through March, intense circulation of RSV, flu, and COVID. Babies under 6 months are at highest risk for complications. The RSV prophylaxis program (nirsevimab, brand Beyfortus) is now standard. Free through provincial programs in most provinces. Ask your family doctor or call 811 to confirm eligibility for your baby.

More FAQs for Canada

Canadian-specific questions

What does Health Canada say about Baby Led Weaning?

Health Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society support introducing solids around 6 months with iron-rich foods first. They allow for Baby Led Weaning as an acceptable approach when baby is developmentally ready. The CPS Caring for Kids site notes that BLW may improve self regulation and reduce picky eating. They emphasize iron-rich foods (meat, fish, eggs, iron-fortified infant cereal, lentils, beans) at every meal. Texture should progress from purees or mashed to chopped soft foods by 9 months. The Bilingual Tip Sheet on Infant Feeding from Health Canada is excellent.

When should I introduce allergens?

Canadian Paediatric Society guidance recommends introducing common allergens (peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, fish, sesame, soy, tree nuts) from 6 months alongside other solids, NOT delayed. For high risk babies (severe eczema, immediate family member with allergy), CPS recommends discussing with family doctor or pediatrician before introduction, possibly with referral to allergist. The LEAP study evidence for early peanut introduction is well established. Whole nuts are choking hazards until age 4. Smooth peanut butter mixed with infant cereal or breast milk works. The Allergy Asthma Information Association (allergyaa.org) has free Canadian resources.

How do I get feeding support without a family doctor?

Public Health nurses at your local health unit handle feeding questions free. Most provinces run drop in clinics for babies under 1 year. Call 811 for nurse line advice. La Leche League Canada and breastfeeding clinics offer free or low cost feeding support. Telehealth Ontario and equivalent provincial services can provide guidance. For specific concerns (food allergies, faltering growth, severe feeding aversion), 811 can refer to dietitian or pediatric services. Many Indigenous communities have free dietitian services through First Nations Health Authority. Quebec's CLSC system provides excellent free postnatal feeding support.

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Baby Food Portion Calculator