Learn what Stage 3 baby food includes, along with the best recipes to try and tips to make meals and snacks easy for both you and baby.
This stage of food for babies aged about 9 months and up includes thicker mashed foods and purees with a lot of texture. The foods are still very soft, but they are moving toward table foods and may include some finger foods. There will usually be bits of food for baby to chew and may include some foods that baby can pick up with her fingers.
These early finger foods for baby include foods such as soft avocado, very soft scrambled eggs, mashed meatballs, grains including rice and rolled oats, and slightly mashed raspberries.
TIP: Brush up on Baby Food Stages 101, plus the best baby-led weaning foods, 9 month old meals, and my index of easy baby meals.
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Easy Foods for 9-12 Months
For this age group, you can make baby food just for them—including thicker, more textured Baby Food Combinations—and also start to include more foods from your family meals if you haven’t been doing that already. The goal in this stage is to continue to expose baby to a range of flavors and textures so she continues to have lots of opportunities to learn and develop her ability to eat.
TIP: Check out my favorite easy method for serving nutrient-rich grains and pasta to this age group at the bottom of this post! My oldest was SO hungry at this age, and this was my go-to way to make sure she was satisfied before bed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically it’s for babies about 9 months and up, though there may be some normal variation in that age based on baby’s progression through learning to eat solids. Before this one, is Stage 2 which includes Baby Food Combinations.
Some examples include very soft risotto, soft oatmeal, pastina in a sauce or a tiny amount of broth, mashed meatballs, finely shredded and very soft beef or chicken, very soft scrambled eggs, and baby food purees that are thick and have soft chunks.
The main difference is that Stage 3 is thicker and has more texture than stage 2. It may also have more complex flavors (though Stage 2 should include a lot of flavors too!). Stage 3 may also include very soft finger foods.
Soft ones can be! You want them to be very easy to squish between two fingers to ensure that they are easy for baby to chew and move around in her mouth. Foods shown above including very soft minced broccoli (top parts only), diced or mashed meatball, crumbled goat cheese, diced avocado, small pieces of scrambled egg, and oatmeal can be great finger foods to start with. (Find more Early Finger Foods for Babies here.)
Stage 3 Recipes to Try
Here are some of my very favorite recipes for this age group. This is a nice place to start if you’re wanting to make food either just for baby or to feed to the entire family. (Also: You can also mash other soft foods you have at the table. Anything you offer should be very easy to squeeze between your fingers.)
Blend up a fruit or veggie with an egg for the fluffiest, easiest, healthy baby pancakes. These use just 2 ingredients, have four flavor options, and are a perfect texture for both babies and toddlers. See the NOTES at the bottom for the flavor variations.
Best 2-Ingredient Baby Pancakes
You can use ABC pasta, orzo, pastina, or ditalini—or any other very small pasta shape in this Alphabet Soup recipe. And you can start with fresh or frozen veggies. See below for options.
Favorite Alphabet Soup
Transform plain oats into a yummy and easy-to-eat finger food with this baked oatmeal cups recipe. You can double the recipe to make more if desired.
Baked Oatmeal Cups
You can cook the rice ahead of time and do Step 1 ahead. Or make the whole dish ahead and warm to serve when needed.
Shortcut Butternut Squash Risotto
With the flavors of carrot cake, this Carrot Cake Oatmeal is a favorite breakfast to share with the kids. It’s a good source of whole grains, fiber, and yummy flavor.
Easy Carrot Cake Oatmeal
With a simple cheese sauce—no standing and stirring over the stove here!—a solid dose of veggies, and a super creamy final result, this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a fast lunch or dinner option for toddlers. (And the rest of the family, too!)
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (5-Ingredient)
I like to use canned full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and creamy texture, though you can use “light” coconut milk if that’s what you can find at your store.
Favorite Coconut Chia Pudding
With the texture you expect from a traditional meatball but added nutrition from three types of veggies, your whole family will love these.
Healthy Meatballs (with Hidden Vegetables)
Forget takeout—deliver this popular Indian dish to your table instead. Shredded chicken thighs are coated in a rich, buttery sauce with hints of tomatoes, ginger, and garam masala—a messy but very flavorful finger food. Adapted from The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook.
Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Make this easy sweet potato recipe as a make-ahead lunch component or a simple side dish for family dinner.
Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This bright green pesto is cheesy and mild, making it a perfect sauce for a quick dinner of pasta and peas!
Spinach Pesto Pasta with Peas
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
With a quick method and a variety of vegetables packed into the soup, this vegetarian Lentil Soup is a perfect weeknight family dinner—especially when you’re craving comfort food.
Favorite Vegetarian Lentil Soup
TIP: Offer more flavors of baby food without the work with the awesome Intro to Veggies Pack from Amara Organic Baby Food. You get 30 meals (for less than $2 a day!) packed with a wide range of veggies including greens, squash, peas, sweet potatoes and more—no chopping, blending or steaming required! (sponsored)
Best Tips for Stage 3 Foods
- Aim to include a range of textures and flavors so baby has a wide variety of food experiences.
- It is normal for some babies to like certain textures more than others, but do your best to continue offering all foods (they may just need more practice) and ensure that the food you offer is easy to eat.
- You can let baby feed themselves with their hands, offer preloaded spoons (see the image above), bites of food on a spoon, or a combination of the methods. With any of them, allow baby to decide when the meal is done, so end it when she turns her head, signs “all done” or gives another signal that the meal is over.
- Follow baby’s cue’s for hunger and fullness.
- Remember that there is a natural range among babies in terms of how into food they are. Yours may be more or less into it, and that’s normal.
- Babies continue to rely on breastmilk and formula for their main nutritional needs until age 1, though solids gradually become more and more important—and are needed for nutrients including iron.
- At this stage, it is normal for a baby to be eating 1-2 meals. You can increase or decrease according to baby’s interest and hunger for solids, and also for your schedule. (Aim for 3 meals by the first birthday.)
Related Posts
I’d love to hear any comments or questions on this post, so please comment below to share!
Sauce or Puree (choose 1)
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Prepare your grain or meat, making sure it’s cooked through and soft.
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Choose your sauce or puree.
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Add both to a medium bowl and stir together. Serve warm with a preloaded spoon or as a (somewhat messy) finger food.
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Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for future weeks.
- You can really use any soft grain or cooked meat you like using this method, it’s very versatile!
- Trust baby’s hunger and end the meal when they fuss, throw food, turn their head away, or give another signal that they are no longer hungry.
Other recipes to try for this age:
Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 11mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 9IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg
This post was first published February 2021.