13 to 16 Month Old Baby Food Ideas

Your baby is a year old and has been eating solid foods for a few months now. There may be times when he refuses to eat a particular fruit or vegetable. At those times, you may need clarification about what you can feed your toddler. While the choices are aplenty, you, as parents, will need to exercise caution and attentiveness about what to feed your baby, when, and at what intervals because all things matter. To tackle all such situations, here are a few diet plans, tips, and food options for babies who are 13 – 16 months old. These 13-16-month baby food ideas will certainly ease up your parenting journey.

Best Foods for a 13-16-Month-Old Toddler

Your toddler can now progress to eating solids. So, pick healthy and rich foods to help him grow and stay healthy. However, don’t overfeed him. Some healthy options are listed below:

1. Fruits

Fruits are a great addition to a toddler’s diet to cover necessary nutritional requirements. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre, water content, pectin, etc., that your toddler’s body requires to develop into a strong individual. You can give your toddlers a bowl of freshly cut mixed fruits, such as mango, apple, banana, grapes, etc.

2. Milk

Milk is a must for every toddler. It’s highly nutritious and helps him grow physically strong and mentally sharp. Whether you are still breastfeeding your baby or feeding him cow milk, milk is important. 360-480 ml of cow milk can be given to babies in their initial toddlerhood daily to support the daily calcium and vitamin D requirement (1). If his stomach gets filled up with milk, he won’t feel like eating solid foods.

3. Vegetables

By this time, your toddler can have most vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, potato, peas, beans, and more, in the form of steamed, boiled, cooked, pureed, and mashed (2). You can give these by chopping off the stem and mashing it just a little. Other healthy options are mashed potatoes and carrots, which can be given as snacks. You can also cut carrots into long pieces and give them as finger foods.

4. Meat

White meat is a great source of proteins for your toddler. You can cook it and shred it before feeding your little one. Meat is a great 15 months baby food as it is an energy booster and keeps your child going throughout the day.

5. Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a healthy food for 13 to 16 month old babies and toddlers. It is considered safe for children right from the time they turn 8 months old. This dairy product is full of nutrients and a tasty option for your child.

6. Nuts

Often, parents hesitate to give their baby nuts fearing nuts allergy or choking. Well, if your child is not allergic to nuts, you can start feeding him these right from the time you introduce him to solids. As for choking, break the nuts into small pieces that your toddler can easily chew and swallow.

7. Grains

A serving of grains is necessary for your toddler’s growth and development. You can start by introducing him to broken wheat, buckwheat, ragi, millet, and rajgira atta.

8. Beans

Beans is another healthy snack option for a 14-month-old baby. If your baby likes kidney beans, three tablespoons of it can be given in a day. Kidney beans are a great source of protein and fibre, ideal for your child’s growth and development.

9. Eggs

Eggs are super nutritious and full of protein. You can cook them in lots of ways, like boiling them or making scrambled eggs. They’re so yummy and healthy that you’ll want to keep them in your toddler’s diet for a long time.

10. Porridge

Porridge makes a great breakfast for your baby. It’s packed with important stuff like carbs, proteins, and fibre, which are all good for your little one. Plus, it’ll keep their tummy full for a while and help prevent fussiness.

13 to 16-Month Baby Food Chart/Feeding Schedule

Making a feeding chart for your baby is not an easy task. Here is a chart to guide you. You can personalise it based on your baby’s likes.

Homemade Recipes for 13 to 16 Months Old Toddlers

Homemade recipes are healthy and wholesome. Here are some healthy homemade baby food recipes for 13 to 16 month olds to try:

1. Ragi Idli

This is a healthy Indian dish for 16 months old babies. It’s quite easy to prepare as well.

Ingredients:

For 10 Idlis

• Idli batter (fermented) – 2 cups
• Ragi flour – ½ cup
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Warm water – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

How To Prepare:

1. Mix the flour with warm water in a bowl to make a thick paste.
2. Once the paste is thick, mix it with idli batter and add a little salt. Stir gently.
3. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, boil water in a steamer and grease the moulds with oil.
5. Pour the batter into the moulds.
6. Keep the idli stand in the steamer and allow it to steam for 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm.

2. Chikoo Puree

Sapodilla (chikoo) tastes sweet and has amazing health benefits. Your toddler will finish this lip-smacking chikoo puree till the last drop!

Ingredients:

For 2 ½ Cups

• Chikoo – 1

How To Prepare:

1. Cut the fruit into half and deseed it.
2. Using a fork, mash it to the required consistency.
3. Add a little breast milk or cow milk.

3. Oats Chilla

Ingredients for 6 Chillas (for Baby)

• Oats – 1 cup, powdered
• Chickpea flour – 1/4 cup
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – a pinch
• Carrot – 1/4, grated
• Onion – 1
• Green chillis – 2, chopped
• Water as required
• Oil/ghee

How To Prepare:

1. Add powdered oats and the other ingredients to a bowl. Add water as per your requirement and mix to give it a batter-like consistency.
2. Heat a pan and grease it with oil.
3. Spread a ladle of batter on the pan and let it cook.
4. Flip it so that both sides get evenly cooked.

4. Sago Kheer

Ingredients:

• Milk – 1/2 cup
• Sabudana (Sago) – 1/4 cup
• Full cream milk – 3 cup
• Sugar – ¼ cup
• Raisins – 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
• Saffron strands – 4-5

How To Prepare:

1. Soak the sabudana in a small bowl of water for about 30 minutes.
2. Take a thick-bottomed pan and boil some milk on medium flame.
3. Add the soaked sabudana to the pan with milk. Add some water and stir occasionally to make sure that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Let it simmer until the sabudana swells up and turns translucent.
5. Add in the sugar and cardamom powder and mix well.
6. Chop the raisins, add it to the kheer, and let it simmer for another 20 minutes or until it thickens.
7. Let it cool and garnish with saffron strands before serving.

5. Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients:

• Green beans (diced) – 1 cup
• Extra-virgin olive oil – 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

How To Prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 425º C.
2. Place a jelly-roll pan for ten minutes in the oven.
3. To the beans in the bowl, add a pinch of salt and a little oil.
4. Place the bean mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes until crisp and tender.

6. Blueberries & Spinach Puree

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups of blueberries (pureed)
• 2 packages (10oz each) of frozen spinach
• ½ teaspoon of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of water

How To Prepare:

1. Put the frozen spinach in a pan with water.
2. Bring it to a boil, cover it, and let it simmer for seven minutes.
3. Drain the water from the spinach.
4. Blend the spinach, blueberries, water, and lemon juice until smooth

Feeding Tips for Toddlers (13 to 16 Months)

Over time, you’ll have noticed that your child has become very fussy about food. Don’t worry; your baby is not an exception. Many toddlers suddenly become picky about what they eat. These tips might not make a huge difference, but will definitely improve his eating habits.

• If the food is attractive, your baby will eat it with glee! Little ones, like us, are attracted to pretty things. So if you are making sandwiches, use cookie cutters to give them a cute shape.
• Don’t overfeed or underfeed your toddler.
• Don’t force food into your baby’s mouth. Rather, allow him to eat it himself.
• Avoid giving too many sweets or items with high sugar content.
• When you make a diet plan for your toddler, add a variety of recipes to make it appealing. When your baby knows what to expect for lunch, he will become disinterested in the food.
• Only rich and healthy food must be given to babies between 13 and 16 months. Add fresh fruits and raw vegetables to his diet. By starting early, you can make healthy eating a habit.

FAQs

1. How much milk should I give to my 14-16-month-old baby?

Toddlers at this age should have around 16 to 24 ounces of full-fat milk every day (3).

2. How do I encourage my 13-16-month-old baby to eat?

Encouraging your 16-month-old to eat healthily is a breeze. Engage them in meal prep, keep mealtimes positive, and offer a variety of foods. Instead of punishing or bribing, let them explore food with their hands and follow their cues. Eat with them and stay patient as they learn to enjoy new tastes.

3. What food should I avoid feeding my baby?

During 13-16 months, you should avoid giving food items that are slipping and can cause a choking hazard, like candies, grapes, cough drops, nuts, seeds, large pieces of meat, raisins, popcorn, and raw carrots. Sticky foods like peanut butter and marshmallow should be avoided, too. Nuts, seeds, and peanut butter are both choking hazards and allergy-causing food items (4). Therefore, these should only be given after proper doctor consultation. Other food items to restrict for babies, toddlers, and young kids include sugary foods, high-sodium foods like crackers and chips, unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese, and fish high in mercury (5) (6) (7).

Your baby’s body is constantly growing and changing, so it is vital for him to have appropriate food. Following a healthy diet and allowing him to enjoy his food will inculcate healthy eating habits and also aid his well-being.

References/Resources:

1. Recommendations on Milk Intake for Young Children Information for Health Professionals; Department of Health Hong Kong; https://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/archive/files/reports/Info%20for%20HP_Milk%20Feeding_final_Feb%202012.pdf; 2012

2. Building Balanced Snacks to Feed to Toddlers; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/Selecting-Snacks-for-Toddlers.aspx

3. Feeding Your Baby and Toddler (Birth to Age Two); C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital; https://www.mottchildren.org/posts/your-child/feeding-your-baby-toddler

4. 8 Tips for Introducing Solid Foods With Baby-Led Weaning; Cleveland Clinic; https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-tips-for-introducing-solid-foods-with-baby-led-weaning

5. Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit; CDC; https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/foods-and-drinks/foods-and-drinks-to-limit.html

6. Foods to avoid giving babies and young children; NHS; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/foods-to-avoid-giving-babies-and-young-children/

7. Feeding Your 1- to 2-Year-Old; Nemours KidsHealth; https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/feed12yr.html

Also Read: 

2 Year Old Baby Food Chart
Food Ideas for 17 to 20 Months Old Baby
Healthy Foods for Toddlers to Gain Weight
Healthy and Tempting Finger Foods for Toddlers

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