signs your baby is hungry or full when eating solids
Learning your baby’s cues for when he is still hungry or full is especially helpful when starting solid foods. This will help you feed him the right amount of food and it will teach him to stop eating when he is full. Try to avoid forcing him to eat “just one more bite,” or finish all that you prepared, as this can lead to overeating later in life.
On the other hand, restricting food for fear that baby will overeat is equally unhealthy. Allow baby to eat until he is satisfied. This will help him develop healthy eating patterns and a healthy relationship with food.
signs your baby is still hungry
- shows an interest in continuing to eat
- opens mouth for food
- puts hands in mouth
- excited and happy
signs your baby is full
- turns his head away from the food
- pushes away the spoon
- seals his lips together
- pushes food out of his or her mouth
For more information about feeding your little one solid foods, check out Happy Tummies, a cookbook for new mamas! references
- Katie A. Loth et al., "Food-Related Parenting Practices and Adolescent Weight Status: A Population-Based Study", Pediatrics 131, no. 5 (2013): e1443–50. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-3073.
- Mary Kay Fox et al., "Average Portions of Foods Commonly Eaten by Infants and Toddlers in the United States." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 106, no. 1 (2006): s66–76.
doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2005.09.042.
