BLW Portion Sizes: How Much Should Babies Eat?
BLW Portion Sizes – How Much Should Babies Eat? Your Practical Guide to Age-Appropriate Servings
Wondering how much food a baby really needs during baby-led weaning? This portion-size roadmap answers every common question.
Portion anxiety strikes nearly every parent who embraces BLW. In this BLW Portion Sizes: How Much Should Babies Eat? guide we combine paediatric research, Blw portion sizes how much should babies eat NHS leaflets, and seasoned advice from Blw portion sizes how much should babies eat mums discussions to give you clear, actionable numbers. A printable Baby food size chart is linked below to keep by your high-chair.
1. How much should a baby eat in BLW?
The core BLW philosophy says “food before one is just for fun”, meaning breast-milk or formula still supplies bulk nutrition until 12 m. Aim for 1–2 tablespoons of iron-rich food plus two side items (veg or fruit) per meal, served twice daily at six months. Babies self-regulate; your job is to offer safe textures and trust appetite cues.
2. How much should a baby eat when weaning?
Gradual increase beats big jumps. Use the Baby-led weaning food size by age principle: around six months present finger-length strips; by eight months offer soft batons and crumble-resistant patties; by nine to ten months introduce pea-sized cubes. Consult the table below, adapted from Portion size for 7 month old NHS, Portion size for 8 month old NHS, and beyond.
| Age | Iron Hero | Veg/Fruit | Starch/Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 m | 2 tbsp shredded salmon | Avocado spear | Steamed sweet-potato wedge |
| 7 m | 3 tbsp lentil patty | Broccoli tree | Half slice whole-wheat toast |
| 8 m | 4 tbsp minced beef | Strawberry half | Quinoa porridge finger |
| 9 m | 5 tbsp diced chicken (1 cm) | Kiwi half | Small pasta handful |
| 10 m | 6 tbsp turkey meatball pieces | Mango cube cup | Cooked rice handful |
These quantities mirror Portion size for 9 month old NHS and Portion size for 10 month old NHS guidance while honouring self-feeding cues.
3. How much baby food in a jar should a 6 month old eat?
If supplementing BLW with purée jars, think half a 125 g jar (≈ 4 tbsp) per meal, not the entire jar. Load purée on a pre-loaded spoon to uphold self-feeding. Pair with solids such as avocado spears to meet texture exposure goals.
4. How much should baby eat per serving?
The NHS suggests baby hand-sized portions—roughly the size of their palm for proteins and the size of their on-the-go fist for carbs. Use the “three-item plate” rule: one iron hero, one vitamin-C sidekick, one energy booster. Visual guides reside in the downloadable chart linked later.
5. Hunger & fullness signals—decoding baby cues.
- Hungry: leans forward, opens mouth, bangs tray.
- Full: turns head away, throws food, clamps lips.
- Respect cues—forcing “one more bite” can raise obesity risk.
6. Common portion pitfalls (and quick fixes).
- Over-piling the plate. Presenting buffet portions overwhelms a six-month beginner. Fix: offer two items, refill if finished.
- Skipping iron heroes. A sweet-potato-only plate lacks iron. Fix: add egg, beef, or lentils.
- Assuming jars replace solids. Purées add calories but can’t teach chewing. Fix: combine spoon and finger foods.
Many of these errors show up in Mistakes new blw parents make Reddit threads. Avoid them by following today’s chart.
7. Age scaling quick-reference (Baby food size chart excerpt).
| Age | Solid Size | Approx. Weight/Meal |
|---|---|---|
| 6 m | 8–10 cm strip | 30–45 g |
| 7 m | 5 cm baton | 40–60 g |
| 8 m | Thick coin | 55–75 g |
| 9 m | 1 cm cube | 65–90 g |
| 10 m | Pea-sized | 75–100 g |
For a full grid—including texture cues and cooking times—download the PDF below.
8. Downloads & next steps.
- BLW Portion Sizes printable PDF – NHS-aligned serving guide.
- Baby food size chart – wall-friendly infographic.
- See our Cutting Techniques article to match sizes with safe shapes.
Save this BLW Portion Sizes: How Much Should Babies Eat? page for week-by-week guidance, and pair with our 7-day Meal Plan to simplify shopping. Trust your baby, respect cues, and keep mealtimes fun.
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