WHO guiding principles for feeding the breastfed child recommend that breastfed infants aged 6–8 months be provided complementary foods 2–3 times per day and breastfed children aged 9–23 months be provided complementary foods 3–4 times per day with additional nutritious snacks offered 1–2 times per day. Guiding principles on feeding the non-breastfed child increase that recommendation to 4–5 meals per day for non-breastfed children. Feeding meals/snacks less frequently than recommended can compromise total energy and micronutrient intake, which in turn may cause growth faltering, stunting and micronutrient deficiencies.

Percentage of children 6–23 months of age who consumed solid, semi-solid or soft foods (but also including milk feeds for non-breastfed children) at least the minimum number of times during the previous day.

Sex of child, place of residence, household wealth

Numerator: children 6–23 months of age who consumed solid, semi-solid or soft foods at least the minimum number of times during the previous day. The minimum number of times is defined as: - two feedings of solid, semi-solid or soft foods for breastfed infants aged 6–8 months; - three feedings of solid, semi-solid or soft foods for breastfed children aged 9–23 months; and - four feedings of solid, semi-solid or soft foods or milk feeds for non-breastfed children aged 6–23 months whereby at least one of the four feeds must be a solid, semi-solid or soft feed. Denominator: children 6–23 months of age. For more information, please consult Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices: definitions and measurement methods. Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240018389

Population-weighted average

“Feedings” include both meals and snacks, other than trivial amounts. • Milk feeds include any formula (e.g. infant formula, follow-on formula, “toddler milk”) or any animal milk other than human breast milk, (e.g. cow milk, goat milk, evaporated milk or reconstituted powdered milk) as well as semi-solid and fluid/drinkable yogurt and other fluid/drinkable fermented products made with animal milk. • Milk feeds are not included for breastfed children because the minimum meal frequencies for this indicator assume average breast milk intake: if a substantial amount of energy is derived from other milk feeds, breast milk intake is likely to be considerably lower than average.

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UNICEF Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring

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