How much food to feed 8 month baby

Sample Menu for a Baby 8 to 12 Months Old

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Now that your baby is eating solid foods, planning meals can be more challenging. At this age, your baby needs between 750 and 900 calories each day, of which about 400 to 500 should come from breast milk or formula (if you are not breastfeeding)—roughly 24 ounces (720 mL) a day. Breast milk and formula contain vitamins, minerals, and other important components for brain growth.

At about eight months, you may want to introduce foods that are slightly coarser than strained pureed foods. They require more chewing than baby foods. You can expand your baby's diet to include soft foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. Eggs (including scrambled) are an excellent source of protein, as are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado.

Sample menu ideas for an 8- to 12-month-old baby:

1 cup = 8 ounces = 240 ml
¾ cup = 6 ounces = 180 ml
½ cup = 4 ounces = 120 ml
¼ cup = 2 ounces = 60 ml

Breakfast

• 2 to 4 ounces cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg

• 2 to 4 ounces mashed or diced fruit

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

Lunch

• 2 to 4 ounces yogurt or cottage cheese, or pureed or diced beans or meat

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked pureed or diced yellow or orange vegetables

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Snack

Dinner

• 2 to 4 ounces diced diced poultry, meat, or tofu

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked green vegetables

• 2 to 4 ounces cooked soft-whole grain pasta or potato

• 2 to 4 ounces diced or mashed fruit

• Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula

Before bedtime

Breastmilk or 6 to 8 ounces formula, or water. (If breastmilk or formula, follow with water or brush teeth afterward).

More information

• Sample Menu for a One-Year-Old
• Starting Solid Foods
• Breastfeeding Mealtime Milestones
• Ask the Pediatrician: Is it OK to make my own baby food?

Last Updated

8/12/2022

Source

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 7th Edition (Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

How much should my baby eat? A guide to baby food portions

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Wondering how much to feed your baby? This can be hard to figure out, especially when you're starting solids and most of your baby's food ends up on your little one or the floor. It's also difficult to determine how much an 8-month-old (or older baby) should eat – babies this age are more interested in solid foods but still get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula. This visual guide to baby food portions can help you figure out how much your baby should eat at every stage.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much should my baby eat?

Do you worry that your baby is eating too little or too much? Your baby will self-regulate her food intake based on what their body needs, so let their appetite be your guide.

It's helpful to have a reference point, however. Here are photos of how much solid food a baby typically eats in a day. You can also ask your baby's doctor for feeding advice.

This visual guide shows:

• Portions for infants who are new to solids (typically 4 to 6 months)
• Two sample meals for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)
• Three sample meals and two snacks for an older baby (8 to 12 months) from a menu developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Your little one may eat less or more than what's shown here. Your job is to provide a variety of healthy foods at regular intervals without pressure, and their job is to decide what and how much to eat.

Photo credit: iStock.com / UntitledImages

Watch for signs your baby is full

Lots of factors – including activity level, growth spurts or plateaus, illness, and teething – will affect your baby's appetite, which can vary daily.

End feeding when they signal that they're done. Signs of being full include:

• Turning their head away
• Refusing to open their mouth for another bite after they've swallowed (resist the urge to encourage your baby to have one last spoonful)
• Leaning back in their chair
• Playing with the spoon or food rather than eating

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much a 4- to 6-month-old should eat

When your baby is developmentally ready for solids, typically around 4 to 6 months, talk to their doctor about introducing solid foods. The first bites are mostly about them getting used to the idea of having something different in their mouth.

• Start with a very small amount, 1 to 2 teaspoons, of a single-ingredient puree.

• Gradually increase to 1 to 2 tablespoons of food once a day.
• Follow your baby's fullness cues.

Popular first foods include pureed mango, banana, chicken, turkey, beef, peas, sweet potatoes, and infant cereal. It's up to you what food to start with, but wait 3 to 5 days between introducing each new food to make sure your baby doesn't have an allergic reaction or food intolerance. (And remember, no cow's milk or honey until age 1.)

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much a 6- to 8-month-old should eat

As your little one gets more comfortable with solids, you can increase the frequency of meals and variety of food.

• Transition from one to two meals a day, typically by 8 months.
• Over time, add a second food to each meal. The photo above is an example of a meal with two foods.
• Once you've worked up to two meals with two foods each, aim for a balance of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains in their daily diet.
• Whenever you introduce a new food, start with a very small amount, a teaspoon or two, to allow your baby to get used to its flavor and texture.
• Start with a soupy consistency. Gradually add more texture as their eating skills improve.

Expect their intake of breast milk or formula to go down. They'll start drinking less of it as they eat more solid foods. Provide healthy options at mealtimes, and let them choose how much to eat.

Note: The jars in all photos are standard 4-ounce baby food jars.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Breakfast for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)

Cereal and fruit make an easy combination for a morning meal.

Grain: Iron-fortified, whole-grain infant cereal is a popular first grain. At 6 months, a typical daily portion of infant cereal mixed with breast milk or formula might be 2 to 3 tablespoons, increasing to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) by 8 months. (It's best to avoid rice cereal, though.)

Fruit: Babies love the natural sweetness of fruits like pears, apples, berries, prunes, and stone fruits. Between 6 and 8 months, a baby will typically transition from about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fruit puree a day to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of mashed or minced fruit.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Dinner for a younger baby (6 to 8 months)

If you serve a grain and fruit in the morning, consider offering a protein-rich food and vegetable later in the day. Your child may eat more or less than the amounts shown.

Protein: A baby might transition from eating 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat puree at 6 months to 2 to 4 tablespoons at 8 months, for example. Other good protein sources include cheese, unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt, tofu, beans, and lentils.

Vegetables: Between 6 and 8 months, a baby will typically transition from about 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable puree a day to 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup). Try classic favorites like carrots, spinach, or butternut squash, as well as less traditional first foods such as parsnips, beets, or asparagus.

As your child's eating skills improve, gradually add more texture by dicing or mincing foods.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much an 8- to 12-month-old should eat

By 8 months or so, your baby is likely getting the hang of eating and needs to eat more calories to support their growing body. But since their little belly can't hold a lot of food, they'll need to eat more often. Every baby is different, but this may be a good time to try offering a third solid food meal.

During this period:

• Continue to give your baby breast milk or formula.
• Add morning and afternoon snacks. (Some babies this age are happy with breast milk or formula as their snack, while others gravitate toward solid foods. ) Once you've added a third meal and snacks, your baby will be eating or drinking something about every two to three hours.

• Continue to aim for a mix of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains.
• Introduce coarser and chunkier textures, for example, by dicing or mincing food instead of pureeing it, and graduate to soft finger foods as your baby's eating skills improve.
• Avoid foods with added sugars. Check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods, and try to steer clear of foods that list 1 gram or more of "Added Sugars."
• Provide healthy options, and let your baby choose how much to eat.

To visualize daily portions for an 8- to 12-month-old, check out the following photos of a typical day's menu for a baby this age, developed by the AAP.

Your child may eat more or less than these amounts. If you're concerned about how much your baby is eating, talk to their doctor for advice.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Breakfast for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a breakfast consisting of:

• 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) whole-grain infant cereal mixed with formula or breast milk
• 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) diced fruit

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Morning snack for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a morning snack consisting of:

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced cheese or cooked vegetables

Note: This is an example of a morning snack, which babies typically add sometime between 8 and 12 months. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Lunch for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a lunch consisting of:

• 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt or cottage cheese, or minced meat
• 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2 cup) diced or mashed yellow or orange vegetable

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Afternoon snack for an older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features an afternoon snack consisting of:

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced fruit or unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 whole-grain teething biscuit or cracker

Note: This is an example of an afternoon snack, which babies typically add sometime between 8 and 12 months. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

Dinner for older baby (8 to 12 months)

The AAP sample menu for a baby 8 to 12 months features a dinner consisting of:

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) minced or ground poultry or meat, or diced tofu
• 4 to 8 tablespoons (1/4 to 1/2) cup diced, cooked green vegetable
• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) noodles, pasta, rice, or potato
• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) diced fruit

Note: This is an example. Your baby may eat different foods and amounts.

Photo credit: Karla Martin for BabyCenter

How much should my baby drink once they start eating solids?

Breast milk or formula will fully meet your child's hydration needs until they're about 6 months old. They may start drinking less as solid foods become a bigger part of their diet. Here are typical daily amounts by age – your baby's intake may be different, however.

6 to 8 months: 24 to 32 ounces of formula, or continued breastfeeding on demand

8 to 12 months: 24 ounces of formula, or continued breastfeeding on demand

Water: You can offer your baby water once they start eating solids, but let them self-regulate how much they drink. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends giving babies who are 6 to 12 months old 4 to 6 ounces of water a day, but what your baby decides to drink may vary. They may drink more on a hot day, for example.

Avoid juice: Juice isn't recommended for babies younger than 12 months.

Photo credit: iStock.com / SDI Productions

Your baby has the final say

Keep in mind that these portions are an estimate. The truth is, every baby is different, and there's no set amount of food that's appropriate for every baby at every stage.

If you're worried about whether your baby is eating enough – or too much – the best advice is to look for and respond to signs that your baby is full.

Your baby's doctor will chart their weight gain at regular intervals. If the doctor sees a consistent growth curve and doesn't have other concerns, your baby is most likely eating the right amount of food.

Hungry for more?

Age-by-age guide to feeding your baby

The 10 best foods for babies

The worst foods for babies

Using spices and seasoning in baby food

Elizabeth Dougherty

Elizabeth Dougherty is a veteran parenting writer and editor who's been contributing to BabyCenter since 2015. She's an intrepid traveler, devoted yogi, and longtime resident of Silicon Valley, where she lives with her husband and son.

Ration: making a menu for a child at 8 months

6-12 months

Article

5/5 4 reviews

The first year of a baby's life is full of discoveries. He almost daily learns something new about the world, in particular, gets acquainted with new products. At 6 months, the baby masters gruel, vegetable and fruit purees. The menu of a child at 8 months becomes more diverse. Sour-milk products, meat, lean fish and egg yolks appear in the diet. How to introduce new food into the baby's complementary foods? And how to make a tasty and healthy menu?

7 min. for reading Feb. 17, 2022

What can I give my baby at 8 months? What foods to add to the diet to ensure a balanced diet? Here is a rough list that you can take into account.

1. Egg yolks.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids and healthy cholesterol they contain are essential for the development of the nervous system. The yolk can be given to children from 7–8 months of age, starting with half a chicken or one quail. By this time, enzymes appear in the body to break down this product. Important!

Some people think that quail yolks are better digested and can therefore be given to allergic babies. But quail yolk can also cause a negative reaction. Therefore, eggs must be introduced into the diet with caution, starting with 1 teaspoon and monitoring the reaction.

2. Porridge.

At the age of 8 months, a child can already eat all kinds of cereals: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, corn and wheat. By consistency, they should be quite liquid and homogeneous. To cook baby porridge correctly, see the instructions on the product packaging and follow all the recommendations.

Learn more: Gerber® Cereals

3. Meat.

Introduce solid foods gradually, giving your baby dietary varieties: chicken, veal, turkey and rabbit. The meat is rich in proteins, which are necessary for growth and development, and iron, and is also very useful for the circulatory system. The norm of meat is about 50-70 g per day.

Learn more: Gerber® Meat Purees

4. Lean white fish.

If the baby does not have a tendency to allergic reactions and your pediatrician sees no contraindications, let him try the fish. Due to the smaller amount of connective tissue, fish is an excellent source of easily digestible protein. It contains many minerals, amino acids, arachidonic acid, fluorine and iodine. The latter are minerals needed to strengthen bones and improve thyroid hormone production. In addition, there are a lot of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish, which are needed for the cells of the brain, vision, cardiovascular system and immunity of the child to develop normally. Start introducing fish into the child's menu at 8 months with a teaspoon and carefully monitor that there are no adverse events. If all is well, then give it no more than twice a week.

5. Fruit and vegetable purees.

Your little one has already become familiar with these products, but you can diversify the taste a bit by combining vegetables with meat or different types of fruits.

Learn more: Gerber® Vegetable and Meat Puree

6. Dairy products.

Kefir and cottage cheese are good for the intestines, but can cause bloating, colic or allergies. Therefore, first consult with your doctor and introduce dairy products very carefully.

See also: Why is cow's milk not good for babies?

7. Vegetable decoctions and light soups.

Start with vegetable broths made from potatoes and carrots, lightly seasoned with onions. For the first time, give 20-30 grams, and if the baby perceives the dish well, gradually increase the amount of soup and the variety of its ingredients.

8. Flour.

You can dilute the menu with baby biscuits, crackers and bread. But enter them carefully. In flour products there is a special protein of plant origin - gluten, to which the baby's fragile body can react with allergies and diarrhea.

Diet: when and how much to eat at 8 months

• If the baby is breastfed, feed him about once every 3-4 hours.
• If the baby is fed expressed breast milk, give him approximately 700 grams per day. With 5-6 meals a day, this is about 120 to 200 grams of milk per meal.
• Formula-fed (IV) babies are given 170 to 230 grams of formula 4-6 times a day. To find out exactly how much mixture you need, be guided by the instructions on the package, the recommendations of the pediatrician.
• Complementary foods are best included in the menu of a child at 8 months three times a day: it can be one teaspoon per sample or 50-180 grams of already familiar food.

Important!

The calculation of servings and the number of feedings depends on the individual characteristics of the development and needs of the child. Therefore, first of all, be guided by the recommendations of your pediatrician and the needs of the baby.

We form the basis of the diet for every day

At 8 months old, a baby needs a variety of foods with enough calories to ensure that the actively growing body receives sufficient nutrients. Divide the daily food intake, which is approximately 1000–1200 ml, into 5–6 doses at intervals of 3.5–4 hours: early breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and feeding before bedtime. If the baby is not full on complementary foods, supplement with breast milk or formula if the baby is formula-fed.

Tip!

Do not salt or sweeten food. Introduce the baby to sugar and salt not earlier than 12 months, but better later.

The list of allowed foods at 8 months of age is quite extensive, which gives you room for culinary experiments. Use this table to create a menu for the week, changing types of cereals, alternating purees and juices from different vegetables and fruits, adding new foods or additional ingredients to dishes already familiar to your baby. For example, if the crumbs are already fed up with some kind of porridge or mashed potatoes, improve the recipe a little - add a spoonful of vegetable or butter, or pieces of fruit. And the child will eat again with pleasure.

Read also: Breastfeeding: first steps after childbirth

Important!

If the child is allergic, add something new to the diet with extra care. Especially food rich in animal proteins - cottage cheese, kefir, yolks, milk porridge, fish. Before offering them to your baby, consult a pediatrician.

Sample menu for a child at 8 months per day: table

Feeding time	Products	Serving Size
I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk or infant formula	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Gerber® Milk Oatmeal with Banana and Mango	170 g
	Butter	about ½ tsp
	Boiled egg yolk	½ pcs.
	Supplementing with breast milk or infant formula	50 ml
III feeding 10 hours	Gerber® Meat and Vegetable Puree "Tender Vegetables with Veal"	170 g
	Vegetable oil	about ½ tsp.
	Gerber® Clarified Apple-Pear Juice	½ pcs.
Supplementing with breast milk or infant formula	50 ml
IV feeding 18 hours	Gerber® Apple & Wild Berries Fruit Puree	70 g
	Baby biscuits	1-2 pcs.
	Kefir	40 ml
	Supplementing with breast milk or infant formula	100 ml
V feeding 22 hours	Breast milk or infant formula	200 ml

Sample diet for an 8 month old baby with cow's milk protein intolerance: table

Feeding time	Products	Serving Size
I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk or formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free Gerber® oatmeal with wheat	130 g
	Vegetable oil	about 1 tsp.
	Gerber® Apple & Peach Fruit Puree	70 g
	Gerber® Clarified Apple Juice	30 ml
III feeding 10 hours	Gerber® Cauliflower & Potato Puree	170 g
	Vegetable oil	about 1 tsp.
	Gerber® Gentle Rabbit Meat Puree	50 g
	Gerber® Broccoli Vegetable Puree	70 g
IV feeding 18 hours	Vegetable oil	about 1 tsp.
	Gerber® Tender Turkey Meat Puree	30 g
	Supplementation with breast milk or formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance	100 ml
	Breast milk or formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance	200 ml

Important!

To create a menu for a child, calculate the size of portions and the number of feedings, first of all, be guided by the recommendations of your pediatrician, the individual needs and characteristics of your baby's body.

FAQ:

1. How much should a baby eat at 8 months?

An 8-month-old baby needs a portion of food per day, which is equal to about ⅛ of body weight. This is 1000-1300 ml of food, excluding water, juices, children's tea. Divide this amount by about 5 feedings and you will get a single serving of 200-210 ml.

2. When can cow's and goat's milk be added to complementary foods?

Whole cow's and goat's milk should not be given to children until at least 9 years of age according to WHO recommendations.months, and possibly up to 12 months. In order not to deprive the baby of the benefits of dairy products, replace with milk-baby kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese. But before introducing dairy into the menu, consult with your pediatrician.

3. If the baby has allergies, what should I do?

Atopic dermatitis, redness, itching are all signs of intolerance to a substance or food. If, after introducing a new food, you notice any of these symptoms, you need to eliminate the allergen from the diet. If you experience severe symptoms: swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, consult a doctor immediately. The pediatrician will select the therapy for the baby: it can be a special diet or medication.

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Diet for an 8-month-old baby

Fish can be introduced into the diet of babies at the ninth month. Along with animal meat, fish is a source of complete protein with a well-balanced composition of amino acids, fat, vitamins B2, B12 and minerals. Compared to meat, fish contains 5 times less connective tissue, due to which it is quickly boiled soft, has a delicate texture after heat treatment and is easier to digest. Fish oil is characterized by a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the ω-3 class. These substances are necessary for the child to mature the brain, retina, strengthen the cardiovascular and immune systems. Sea fish contains such important trace elements for the child's body as iodine and fluorine. The child should be given 1-2 times a week instead of meat, be sure to monitor how the child tolerates fish in general and its individual varieties. Preference should be given to oceanic fish, preferably white (cod, hake, pollock), red salmon can be recommended, river pike perch, carp.

Self-cooked fish is given to a child with boiled and mashed vegetables. You can also offer your baby fish and vegetable canned food, but they contain only 10 - 20% of fish.

At this age, when all the main food groups have already been introduced, special attention should be paid to the diversity of the composition of dishes. New, possibly combined products are introduced, for example, not only purees from various fruits and berries, but also their combinations with cottage cheese, cream, cereals, etc.

From the age of 8 months, the child's diet can be expanded to include fermented milk products (baby kefir, biokefir, bifidokefir, yogurt, bioyogurt, biolact). Fermented milk products are prepared using a special starter culture that breaks down milk protein, so that the baby can get an indispensable set of amino acids in a well-available form. Fermented milk products improve the composition of the intestinal microflora of the child, are rich in B vitamins and calcium. Their regular use favorably affects the functioning of the intestines, stimulates appetite, and increases the absorption of micronutrients. Children's dairy products are introduced into the baby's diet gradually, starting with 1 tsp. and with good tolerance increase their volume to 150-200 ml per day.

Sample menu for a healthy baby 8 months old

I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk or infant formula	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free* or milk porridge Butter Boiled egg yolk Fruit puree Fruit juice	180 g ½ tsp 1/2 pcs. Learn more What to feed baby horned toads Feeding a baby solids at 3 months Can i feed my baby in the car seat Baby rubbing feet together when feeding Baby feeds for 3 hours Baby milk intake per feeding Baby food flavors beech nut Baby food carrots and pears What baby foods can cats eat Ketogenic diet baby food Baby feeding and changing chart Share this: Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) MENU Home About Us Products Blog Testimonials Contact Us Follow Us Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Cancel Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. .