List of food for 7 month old baby

The Best First Foods for Babies 6 to 9 Months – Happiest Baby

By Happiest Baby Staff

You've spent the first six months of your baby's life making sure that they are nourished with breastmilk or formula. As they grow and thrive, you might notice that your little sprout shows you some signs that they are ready to graduate from the bottle or breast to solid foods. If your baby can sit up and hold their head up, that's a great first sign! What's more, if they bring objects to their mouth and show an interest in what you are eating, your curious kiddo might be ready to start eating solid foods.

But what should you feed your baby? Here’s a list of perfect starter foods for your baby from ages 6 to 9 months.

Best Baby Foods at 6 Months

At 6 months, babies may be starting to chew. Though this skill won’t be mastered just yet, they are typically ready to get messy with some mushy, pureed eats—helping them learn about flavor and texture. At this age, the goal is not to satiate your baby with full meals of solid foods but rather to get your child curious and excited about their culinary options.

Because babies are growing so fast, their needs for iron are high to prevent iron-deficiency and support their overall health. Offer your little one iron rich foods like—infant cereal (read up on why you may want to skip rice cereal), well-cooked meat, poultry, mashed beans, and lentils. To keep your baby safe from choking, avoid adding solids like cereal to baby bottles.

Here are some great first foods for Baby to try:

Infant oat, grain, or barley cereals mixed with breastmilk or formula and spoon-fed to your baby
Sweet potato puree
Squash puree
Pea puree
Carrot puree
Mashed banana
Mashed avocado
Mashed or pureed beans
Mashed or pureed lentils
Pureed meats (beef, chicken, or turkey)
Soft, falling apart meats (salmon, beef, chicken, turkey)

Check out more of our favorite first food purees. Or, if purees aren’t your thing, read up on how to start baby-led weaning.

Best Baby Foods at 7 Months

By 7 months old, your baby will probably be eating more solids but not enough to replace breastmilk or formula as their primary source of food. The goal for this month is to keep introducing solid foods to your baby. What's fun is by 7 months, you can get more creative with mixing flavors and adding textures.

Here are a few nutritious and delicious food combos to try with your baby:

Peas pureed with breastmilk (or formula), sweet potatoes, or squash
Kale pureed with blueberry, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, pears, or bananas
Apples pureed with cauliflower, carrots, pears, prunes, or beets
Beef pureed with broccoli
Chicken pureed with carrots and potatoes
Chickpeas pureed with bananas, apples, or sweet potato
Sweet potatoes pureed with red bell pepper

Seven months is also the perfect age to start giving your baby a plate, bowl, and plastic utensils so they can begin to practice feeding themselves. If your baby is teething, you can place frozen chunks of fruit in a sieve feeder/mesh bag that allows them to gnaw on the fruit without choking. Learn more about helping your baby use a fork and spoon!

Best Baby Foods at 8 Months

By 8 months, your baby is likely eating more solids and relying a little less on milk as a primary meal (though it’s still where they get the bulk of their nutrition!). And they’re probably having lots of fun learning how to use their hands to feed themselves. Something else to consider: Babies should be exposed to potential allergen foods (like peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and fish) before their first birthdays to help prevent future food allergies. Starting at 6 months of age, peanut butter is safe to introduce as long as you are comfortable giving it to your baby.

In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans says that babies can begin having these foods when they start eating solids. But many families often feel more comfortable waiting to introduce these foods until around this age. Of course, consult with your little one’s pediatrician if you have concerns about potential allergen foods.

Here are some foods to add to your repertoire:

Whole eggs, scrambled
Nut butter thinned out with water and mixed with cereal (nut butters are sticky and can cause choking)
Fully cooked fish, like salmon or tuna
Full-fat yogurt

Here are some preparation ideas:

Well-cooked (think over-cooked until falling apart) pasta such as elbows or alphabet shapes
Mashed meat with mashed or ground vegetables such as peas and potatoes or kale and squash
Rainbow on a plate: Using tiny pieces of soft, strained, pureed, and mashed food options, look for a variety of colors to offer. Some fun options could include banana, avocado, sweet potato, peas, blueberry, raspberry, cheese, and chicken.

Best Baby Foods at 9 Months

Though there’s a greater variety of foods babies eat now, formula or breastmilk continues to be their primary source of nutrition until age 1. At 9 months old, babies get more comfortable with self-feeding and eating the foods their families enjoy. After all, eating solid foods is a sensory wonderland of texture, smells, and tastes. Not to mention all that fun making messes with those adorably curious fingers.

As you begin to focus on meal planning for your baby, there are few things to keep in mind:

Babies need four to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A serving size for a 9-month-old is less than a quarter cup.
"Eat the rainbow" is excellent advice because it gives your baby exposure to lots of different fruits, vegetables, grains, and starches.

Here are a few menu ideas to help meal plan for your baby…

Breakfast Ideas for Babies

These morning meals pack a nutritional punch—and don’t forget to check out all of our favorite breakfast ideas for babies:

Soft fresh fruit cut up in small pieces (think: banana, raspberries, or blueberries)
Whole-grain waffles or pancakes
Unsweetened oatmeal made with breastmilk or formula combined with cut-up and cooked apples and pears or banana slices. (It is essential to steam the apples or pears to make them soft enough for your baby to mash with their gums.)
Full-fat yogurt mixed with mashed or pureed berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries
Soft scrambled eggs
Veggie frittata

Lunch Ideas for Babies

Spread hummus on soft crackers or bread
Grilled cheese sandwich with cooled tomato soup
Macaroni and cheese with cooked veggies like peas and carrots mixed in
Pizza bites with chopped bits of spinach in the sauce and melted shredded cheese
Quesadilla made with pureed spinach, squash, or beans

Snack Ideas for Babies

Babies this young won’t likely need to snack too much (remember, breastmilk or formula will provide the majority of your little one’s nutrition). Still, it’s not a bad idea to have snacks on hand for when your mini muncher needs something to eat that’s not quite a meal. A few baby snack ideas:

Apple and carrot slaw
Cheese slices
Full-fat plain yogurt
Hard-boiled egg
Avocado slices
Muffins made with fruits, veggies, and/or whole grains
Fruit and veggie pouches
Sugar-free, whole-grain cereal, like plain Cheerios

Dinner Ideas for Babies

To help your baby get and stay excited about eating solid foods, serve a version of whatever the family is having for dinner. Remember to steam or mash, grind or chop foods into appropriate softness and sizes to prevent choking. Some baby dinner ideas:

Pasta with softened vegetables
Well-cooked rice, soft veggies, and chicken
Baked sweet potato with butter or cheese
Beans or lentils served with rice and veggies
Flaky fish served with steamed zucchini

There are endless variations on what you can serve your baby for dinner. As long as your baby is safe and happy, try to encourage lots of food exploration!

You must not feed any child under the age of 1 year honey, cow’s milk, juice, hard foods like candy, raw vegetables, popcorn, or sticky foods like peanut butter, as these each present choking hazards.

Learn more about feeding your baby:

The Happiest Baby Feeding Guide
The Benefits of Homemade Baby Food
The Best Store-Bought Baby Food

***

REFERENCES

Unlocking Opportunities in Food Design for Infants, Children, and the Elderly: Understanding Milestones in Chewing and Swallowing Across the Lifespan for New Innovations. Journal of Texture Studies, August 2017
Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Committee on Nutrition, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, January 2017
Infant Formula Feeding Practices Associated With Rapid Weight Gain: A Systematic Review, Maternal & Child Nutrition, July 2018
Solid Food Introduction and the Development of Food Allergies, Nutrients, November 2018
US Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025

View more posts tagged, feeding

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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

Solids, Food Chart And Recipes

This food chart will help ensure that your baby’s solid food diet meets their needs.

Research-backed

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Image: Shutterstock

If your baby has been transitioning from breastmilk to solid foods, a 7-month-baby food chart can be a helpful guide. During the first six months of life, babies drink breast milk or formula milk to get their complete nutrition. However, after six months, their needs can increase, and it is time to introduce solid foods.

Keeping the transformation slow and introducing foods one by one is essential. Try offering easily digestible, cooked, and mashed food first, then move toward blends. Keep the quantity small and be cautious about choking hazards.

This post provides detailed information on what to feed your 7-month baby and what quantities. It also provides a food chart with some interesting recipes.

How Much Food Should A 7-Month-Baby Eat?

AAP recommends mothers to continue breastfeeding their baby for at least up to 12 months. At seven months, continue to breastfeed your baby while giving them some solid foods. Blanca Garcia, RDN, nutrition specialist at MIDSS, says, “At seven months, an infant’s diet should be mostly breastmilk or formula. If solid foods have already started, they should be complementary to the milk. Only a few small spoons thrice a day are fine, but not whole meals that replace the milk altogether.” According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), following portions of food from different food groups may be included in your seven months old baby’s diet (1) (2).

Food group	Portion size (per day)
Breast milk or formula milk	24 to 32 ounces (oz)
Grain products	1 to 2oz
Fruits	2 to 4oz; cooked, plain/strained/pureed/mashed
Vegetables	2 to 4oz; cooked, plain/strained/pureed/mashed
Meat and protein-rich foods	1 to 2oz; Cooked, plain/strained/pureed/mashed

Food Options For Your Seven Months Old Baby

Traditionally, parents start with single-grain cereals (3) or single vegetable and fruit (blended, mashed or soft cooked). When your baby is around seven to nine months old, you may include a variety of foods from different groups (2) (4).

Garcia recommends, “Give foods that a seven-month-old can easily chew, such as pieces of banana (mostly mashed), mashed beans and strawberries, age-appropriate cookies, whole-grain pasta, whole-wheat bread, and steamed veggies, such as green beans and peas.”

Food group	Food items
Vegetables	Broccoli, cauliflower, peas, spinach, asparagus, parsnips, peppers, carrots, cabbage, avocado, green beans, kale, and pumpkin
Fruits	Banana, apple, mango, blueberries, kiwi, pears, strawberries, papaya, melon, peach, plums, and oranges.
Starch-rich foods	Potato, sweet potato, rice, porridge, oatmeal, oats, maize, millet, quinoa, cornmeal, and bread
Protein-rich foods	Meat (chicken, lamb, fish without bones), eggs, pulses, lentils, beans, and tofu
Dairy	Pasteurized full-fat yogurt without honey, sugar, and artificial sweeteners) Do not serve milk

Boil and mash hard fruits like apples before serving it to the baby. You may blend fruits and vegetable purees with formula or breast milk. When choosing meat, you can also consider serving meat broth.

Related: How Is Breast Milk Made During Pregnancy & Interesting Facts

All foods should be soft to prevent the risk of choking. Make sure the baby eats slowly and in small portions.

Quick tip

Feeding the baby upright or placing them in a high chair during mealtime can help prevent choking (13).

Click here to view an enlarged version of this infographic.

10 Homemade Baby Food Recipes For Your Seven Months Old

You can try these simple nutrient-rich homemade recipes to introduce your child to different flavors and textures of food (5).

1. Steamed apple and pear puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

½ apple, peeled and de-seeded
½ pear, peeled

How to:

Cut the apple and pear into wedges or chunks. Put these pieces in a saucepan with water.
Bring the water to boil and let it simmer for about 7-8 minutes. Allow it cool.
You can make a puree and also use them as finger food (if your baby is ready to eat finger food). You can use yogurt as a dressing!

Related: Apple Puree For Baby: Benefits, Recipes And Precautions

2. Eggy omelet fingers

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 egg
½ teaspoon oil

How to:

Beat the egg. Cut the onion into small pieces and add it to the egg. Whip them together.
Put oil in a frying pan. Once the pan is hot, add the mixture and let it cook.
Let the omelet cool. Cut it into thin slices, and serve it to the baby.

3. Hot lentil soup

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

Handful of butternut squash peeled
¼ onion peeled and chopped
30 g red lentils
½ tsp oil
Water

How to:

De-seed and cut butternut squash into pieces. Finely chop the onions.
Heat oil in a frying pan. Add all diced vegetables and let them soften.
Then add water and washed/cleaned lentils to the pan. Bring the water to boil and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Check if vegetables and lentils have cooked. Once cooked, let the mixture cool down and blend it before serving.

Related: 27 Healthy Soup Recipes For Babies (6-12 Months)

4. Berry porridge

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

2 tablespoon porridge oats
¼ banana
Frozen blueberries (you can use fresh blueberries too)
1 tablespoon yogurt
Water

How to:

Add oats and water in a saucepan. Let it cook till the mixture thickens and softens.
Add small pieces or mashed bananas and blueberries as a topping before serving.

5. Tangy chicken fingers

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

Skinless chicken breast
½ lemon juice

How to:

Take skinless chicken breast and slice it into thin medium-sized pieces.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (about 400°F).
Place the chicken slices in a tray and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on them.
Bake the chicken for 25 minutes. Once baked, you can mince it or give it as finger food.

6. Veggie hotpot

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

½ leek
½ carrot, peeled and cut
1 potato, peeled and cut
1 tablespoon beans, chopped
1 small broccoli
1 teaspoon oil
Water

How to:

Peel and cut carrots and potatoes into small pieces. Cut beans and leeks.
Take a saucepan with water and add leeks, potato, beans, and carrot. Bring it to boil and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes till all vegetables are cooked.
Once cooked and cooled, blend these vegetables into a puree with pasteurized cream cheese.
In another pan, cook pieces of broccoli in water for 3-4 minutes. Add these as finger food on top of the puree.

7. Pumpkin and thyme puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

½ pumpkin peeled and cut
Thyme leaves

How to:

Peel, de-seed, and chop pumpkin into small pieces. Place the pieces on a baking tray.
Preheat oven to 175°C (about 350°F).
Place the pumpkin and bake for 30 minutes. Once cooled, add thyme and blend it in a mixer.

8. Broccoli and spinach puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

1 medium-sized broccoli, chopped
5-6 spinach leaves chopped
Water

How to:

Bring water to boil in a pan. Add spinach leaves and broccoli florets. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Once cooled, mash it with a fork or blend it before serving to the baby.

Related: Spinach For Babies: Right Age, Benefits And Recipes To Try

9. Avocado and banana mash

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

½ avocado
1 banana, peeled

How to:

Scoop out avocado and keep it in a pan. Add banana to it and mash.
You can also add formula or breast milk to the mash and blend it before serving.

10. Root vegetables puree

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

How to:

Place the sweet potato and carrot pieces into a saucepan with water. Bring it to boil and let it simmer for around 10-15 minutes or till the vegetables are soft.
Let the veggies cool down and mash it with a fork or blend before serving.

Seven Months Old Baby Food Chart

You may use this sample food chart for your seven months old baby as a reference (6) (7) (8).

Meal name	Sample meal
Breakfast (morning)	Solid food: ● Iron-fortified infant cereal Liquid: ● Breast milk or formula milk
Snack (late morning)	Solid food: ● Pureed or mashed fruits such as banana, kiwi, strawberries, cooked apple, cooked pear with full-fat plain yogurt (unsweetened). Liquid: · Breast milk or formula milk
Lunch	Solid food: ● Cooked and finely chopped chicken, ● Cooked and mashed vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, squash, etc. with cooked and mashed rice. Liquid: ● Breast milk or formula milk
Snack (evening)	Solid food: ● Cooked and mashed pear ● Cooked and finely chopped carrots or mashed chickpeas. ● Plain yogurt ● Whole-grain cracker Liquid: ● Breast milk or formula milk
Dinner	Solid food: ● Cooked and finely chopped green beans or other cooked vegetables. Liquid: ● Breast milk or formula milk

Start with one or two tablespoons of food and see if your baby shows signs of being hungry or full. Remember, their bellies are small! You can alternate between solid food and liquids, depending on your baby’s hunger cues.

Try including a variety of colorful foods and textures in the baby’s diet. You can also slowly start introducing finger foods by the end of seven months to develop a habit of self-feeding (6).

Quick tip

Refrain from feeding cereal in the bottle as it may lead to choking. However, the doctor may advise it for babies with reflux (3).

Seven Months Old Baby Food Schedule

According to World Health Organization (WHO), complementary foods (food items apart from breast milk) can be given to babies (six to eight months old) up to two to three times per day (9). In addition, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you should give your baby something to drink or eat every two to three hours, that is, about five to six times a day (10).

Tips and Precautions For Feeding A Seven Months Old Baby

These are a few points you should consider when feeding your little one (1) (11).

Introduce one single ingredient at a time. Give the food item for three to five days, during which you do not give any other new food. Observe the baby for any sign of an allergy.

Gradually increase the variety and quantity of food ingredients; start with a teaspoon and then move to a tablespoon.

You can also try to give finger foods if your baby seems ready. Your baby may start to grasp items with fingers when they are ready for finger foods. Make sure you are present when your baby is eating, to avoid any choking hazards.

Related: 21 Healthy Finger Foods For Toddlers

Wash, peel, and remove seeds and pits before giving fruits and vegetables to your baby.

Use a spoon to feed your baby. Make sure your baby sits in a high chair with a table when feeding.

Observe and respond to your baby’s hunger cues. Try to develop a predictable routine of all meals and snacks for your baby and limit the time of each meal from 15 to 20 minutes.

Avoid added salt, sugar, and butter when making baby food at home. In addition, avoid cow’s milk and honey until your baby is at least 12 months old.

Jennifer House, MSc, a registered dietitian, author, and owner of First Step Nutrition in Calgary, Alberta, says, “Milk choices for a seven-month old include breastmilk or formula only. They can have cow’s milk in foods such as a smoothie or cereal, but not as their main milk source, as it doesn’t contain enough fat and calories.”

How to Know When a Baby Is Ready for Solid Food?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the following points could indicate that the baby is ready for solid food (3).

Has good head control.
Can sit upright in a high chair or a feeding seat (with no or little support).
Tries to reach out (leans forward) for solid food.
Opens mouth and seems eager to eat solid food when offered.
Their fingers are able to grasp items, this is a sign that they are ready for solid/ finger foods.

Did you know?

The baby may take ten or even more tries to get used to new textures, flavors, tastes, and foods (4).

According to UNICEF, delaying the introduction of solid foods may affect a baby’s healthy weight gain (12). So, encourage your baby to eat solids as soon as they show signs of readiness. A 7-month-old baby’s food chart can include various healthy foods, such as grains, pulses, meat, fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. With continued breastfeeding or formula feeding, babies can consume these foods in well-cooked puree or mash form.

They can also consume age-appropriate finger foods if they show signs of readiness. Feed them nutritious foods and drinks every two to three hours to support their proper growth and development. If the baby eats lesser than usual on some days, refrain from force-feeding. Remember, the main source of nourishment even for a seven-month-old is breast milk or formula. They can have solids but in small quantities, as they need time to adjust to weaning food’s taste, texture, and digestibility.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

1. Guidelines for feeding healthy infants; The United States Department Of Agriculture. (2017)
2. Healthy Eating for 6 to 24 month old children (1) Getting Started; Family Health Service, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (2019)
3. Starting Solid Foods; American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018)
4. What to feed your baby; National Health Service, UK
5. Recipes and meal ideas; National Health Service, UK
6. Menu planning for babies in childcare; Health Eating and Advisory Service
7. Feeding Your Baby: Sample Meals for Babies 6- 12 Months Old; HealthLinkBC. (2014)
8. Sample Meal Plans for Feeding Your Baby; UnlockFood.Ca. Dietitians of Canada. (2019)
9. What is the recommended food for children in their very early years?; World Health Organization (2011)
10. How much and how often to feed; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018)
11. Feeding Guide for the First Year; Stanford Children’s Health
12. Feeding your baby: When to start with solid foods; UNICEF Parenting
13. Preventing Choking in Babies; Children’s hospital Colorado

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Baby menu at 7 months: what is possible and what is not yet

- Anastasia Ivanovna, what are the nutritional features of children at 7 months?

- The menu for a baby at seven months is different from the menu for a newborn and a baby at one year old. This difference exists due to the fact that a number of body systems, including the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity, have not yet been formed in a newborn, he is only learning to suck. From four to six months, the diet begins to include complementary foods - food that is different from breast milk or infant formula. In the year of the child, in ideal conditions, they are transferred to a common table.

Some pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods from five to six months, sometimes even from four. But the enzymatic system of the baby's body has not yet been formed, so pedagogical complementary foods are possible at four or five months, and pediatric complementary foods by six months.

— How to combine breastfeeding or bottle feeding with complementary foods?

— Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend separating these meals and giving the main dairy food and complementary foods in separate meals so that the child understands what he is eating.

If complementary foods started at 4-5 months

— What rules of baby food should parents know?

— The functions of the gastrointestinal tract are formed in such a way that the body needs to adapt to the incoming products. With proper complementary foods, it is important to monitor the child's condition in the food diary and, if necessary, consult a doctor.

Basic feeding recommendations for seven-month-old babies

One new product is given in small doses at the beginning of the day every four days to monitor for allergies, constipation, peeling and other reactions.
One new food can be given per feeding.
Water is best offered between feedings and not given with complementary foods.
Do not force-feed: if the child refuses a certain dish, it can be offered at another time and in a different form.
A child is not given unfamiliar food when he is not in a very good mood, teething, or has just been vaccinated.

— How to identify food allergies and find the allergen?

Observant mothers will see or hear the problem. The baby will have something on the body, constipation or indigestion will begin. A restless child will cry. To track the allergen, it is advisable to keep a food diary and keep your finger on the pulse. If there is a connection with the pediatrician, ask questions and, taking into account the vaccination calendar, the physiology of the development of your child, offer him certain products so as not to once again provoke an immune response.

What foods can be given at 7 months

Read also

Why it is necessary to introduce meat complementary foods into the baby's diet and what products can be combined with it.

— What purees and cereals can be given at 7 months?

- If this is the first complementary food for a baby, then monocomponent purees, dairy-free and milk porridges with one cereal in the composition are good: they are easier to digest and it is easier to track the reaction of the body using them.

— In what order can complementary foods be given?

— If your baby is overweight by seven months, it is better to feed him vegetable puree. If everything is in order with weight, then preference can be given to cereals. All new products are introduced gradually: they begin to feed in the amount of 5-10 g, gradually increasing the volume to 50 g. By seven months, a portion of porridge at one time can reach up to 200 g. The third option for complementary foods, if parents want, can be fruits. It is in this sequence, because fruits are sweet, and the child does not always eat unleavened vegetables or cereals after them.

Each product will also have its own processing specifics:

vegetables and fruits are given in the form of puree;
purchased cereals are prepared according to the instructions;
homemade porridges are boiled in water, then milk or a mixture is added if desired;
cottage cheese is properly stored in the refrigerator, tracking the expiration date;
dairy, vegetable broths are brought to a single consistency (mashed) so that the child develops the correct perception of the product.

— How many times to feed a child at 7 months and how much food to give?

- You need to focus on five feedings per day. If your baby cannot tolerate the interval between meals, it is worth supplementing with breast or formula after the introduction of complementary foods.

How to calculate complementary foods

A baby at seven months should weigh about eight kilograms. 1/8 of the child's weight is the daily amount of food, that is, approximately a kilogram of food, taking into account all feedings, or 200 grams per meal.

Sample menu for a 7-month-old baby (Russian Federation)

— At what age can semi-solid and solid foods be introduced into a child's diet?

- By 6 months, most babies are ready for a new food: the baby realizes that something is hard in his mouth. By the age of seven months, the skill of palmar grip is formed: the child is able to hold solid food in his hand, and he can be given biscuits and crackers to grind. Allergists and pediatricians consider 6-10 months as the optimal period to begin the introduction of semi-solid and solid foods. But if the swallowing apparatus is not formed, there may be problems with chewing and swallowing disorders up to the gag reflex.

— What should parents do if their child refuses to eat? How to create food interest?

— It is necessary to understand the reasons for the baby's refusal to eat, among which may be: The pediatrician will track changes in health by analysis and, if necessary, adjust the diet.

At seven months, significant changes occur in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the child actively shows interest in "adult" products, in new tastes. It will be easier for the baby to readjust if you choose products that will match his physiology and fully cover his needs for growth and communication. You need to carefully monitor the reaction of the body to each new product for 4-6 days.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life and continued breastfeeding after complementary foods are introduced until the age of 2 years. Before introducing new products into the baby's diet, you should consult with a specialist. The material is for informational purposes and cannot replace the advice of a healthcare professional. For feeding children from birth.

Complementary foods at 7 months, what foods to introduce into complementary foods for a child from the network of 9 months0001

08/02/2022

≈ 6 min read time

Content

How do you know when it's time for your baby to expand complementary foods?
What foods are too early to introduce at 7 months
How to continue introducing complementary foods at 7 months - features and general rules
Complementary feeding regimen at 7 months
The diet of a child on breastfeeding and artificial feeding - what is the difference?
Sample food menu
What to do if the child refuses complementary foods?

If complementary foods started from six months, as the World Health Organization advises, then by 7 months the baby is already “experienced” enough to try new, more “difficult” foods for digestion. For example, only from this age can one offer a chicken egg yolk.

It is extremely important that the menu expands: during this period, taste preferences are already laid that will remain with a person for life.

A growing child's nutritional needs are constantly increasing, but their amount must be strictly verified. For example, with a lack of protein in the diet, the development of a child may suffer, but an excess of protein negatively affects the functioning of the kidneys. And the need for calories per kg of body weight from 7 months is even slightly reduced compared to earlier, infancy. True, the baby gains weight, therefore, of course, consumes more and more calories.

Energy and nutrient requirements of a 7-month-old baby (per kg of body weight)

Energy	Squirrels	Fats	Carbohydrates
110 kcal	2. 9 g	5.5 g	13 g

You can understand that you need to introduce new products by certain signs. Your baby:

willingly eats different types of vegetables, as well as not only gluten-free, but also gluten-free cereals;
eats not only single-component, but also multi-component products - for example, cereals from different types of cereals;
"mastered" different types of meat and fruit purees.

The child's digestive system continues to change. In particular, the length of the intestine increases, and by 7 months the small intestine “becomes” in the same place as in an adult. However, the consistency of food should still remain homogeneous, homogeneous.

Juices . The National Feeding Optimization Program advises introducing them after the main complementary foods. Juices have insufficient nutritional value to cover the needs of a growing organism. In addition, if you give your child juice between feedings, the risk of caries may increase, and excess of the norm creates the preconditions for excess weight.
Unadapted kefir, yoghurt, biolact . Their turn will come only from 8 months. Cottage cheese can be administered earlier, but after consulting with the pediatrician.
Fish puree . For a child of this age, meat has more nutritional value than fish, so you also need to wait another month with it.
Cow's milk . Due to the high protein content, which differs significantly from breast milk protein, experts do not recommend offering this product for the entire 1st year of life.

The main fundamentally new product at the age of seven months is the egg yolk. Previously, nutritionists were wary of the fact that the egg contains cholesterol, the excess of which can be potentially dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. But now science has confirmed that eggs do not increase plasma cholesterol levels.

The egg contains:

fats;
proteins;
vitamin A, B vitamins;
iron, phosphorus, zinc.

However, 2% of babies are allergic to eggs. That is why the product is administered no earlier than 7 months of age. And only the yolk: the molecules that can cause intolerance are concentrated in the protein. But vitamins and minerals are in the yolk. Already by the age of 3, hypersensitivity to the product disappears in half of the kids.

Complementary feeding pattern already familiar:

we offer an unfamiliar product in the 1st half of the day - there will be time to follow the reaction;
offer a small amount, the product must be crushed. If the baby refuses, you can mix a little new product with an already familiar one;
in 5-7 days we increase the portion of the new product to the volume recommended in 7 months - no more than 1/4 of the yolk;
we give only one new product at a time;
we do not introduce a new dish during stressful circumstances: illnesses, vaccinations, moving. You have to wait 3-5 days.

When expanding the diet with new cereals, vegetable and fruit purees, meat, it is better to use the products of licensed companies. It is ready to use and passed the safety control at the proper level.

The complementary feeding regimen at 7 months is five times feeding. The first morning and the last evening - breastfeeding or infant formula. At other feedings, mother's milk or mixture is present as supplementary food.

Complementary feeding table at 7 months

Dishes and products	Weight (g, ml)
vegetable puree	150
Porridge	150
Meat puree industrial production / boiled meat	40–50/ 20–30
fruit puree	70
Yolk	1/4

It is recommended to add oil to vegetables - 5 g per day, to cereals - 4 g per day.

Important: dosages are approximate, it is necessary to focus on satiety and food interest of the child.

Domestic pediatricians recommend continuing breastfeeding up to 1.5-2 years, and WHO experts - up to 2 years and even longer. Breast milk is the ideal food for a baby, it is called the “child health programming factor”. Therefore, although mother's milk no longer provides all the nutritional needs of a 7-month-old baby, it continues to fulfill its protective functions. The "contribution" of mother's milk to the health of a child from six months to a year is at least half of the nutrients. Therefore, it must necessarily be preserved against the background of the introduction of complementary foods.

It is advised to resort to artificial mixtures when breastfeeding is excluded. Manufacturers, when developing mixtures, are guided by the composition of breast milk, but it is simply technically impossible to repeat it in full. Modern infant formula does not contain as many biologically active substances as in breast milk.

It is believed that the scientifically proven ability of a particular mixture to reduce the risk of allergies, prevent acute intestinal infections and provide the baby with additional functional benefits is much more important - so that growth and development, if possible, do not lag behind and "go" at the same pace as with breastfeeding.

There are some peculiarities in the introduction of complementary foods.

Complementary foods at 7 months breastfed

Complementary feeding at 7 months with breastfeeding suggests that every time after the baby has tried a new food, it must be applied to the breast. Even if he is already full, this will help maintain lactation.

In addition, breast milk has the ability to influence the taste preferences of the baby. This is explained by the fact that in the mother's milk there is a taste of the products that she eats. If the child does not want to try new food, you can first “introduce” the baby indirectly: the mother can add products to her menu that she wants to introduce into the child’s menu. If he does not accept the offer the first time, this is absolutely normal. You need to methodically offer to try the next feeding - and so many times.

Formula-fed complementary foods at 7 months

Complementary foods at 7 months on artificial feeding are introduced in the same way as in breastfed babies. Moreover, it is interesting that modern infant formulas take into account how the composition of mother's milk changes with the growth of the baby. For example, the amount of protein in it is gradually reduced - and milk formulas recommended for a child after six months may also contain less protein. But some vitamins and minerals will be added to them compared to mixtures for an earlier age.

By the second half of the year of life, the baby "met" almost all the key complementary foods, albeit in the form of puree or thick slurry. Therefore, the approximate menu of complementary foods at 7 months is already varied enough to make it possible to alternate dishes, not often repeating, and offer new tastes.

Complementary foods at 7 months. Menu for the day

6.00

1st feeding

Breast milk or infant formula

200 ml

10.00

2nd feeding

Dairy-free porridge diluted with human milk or infant formula
Butter
Boiled egg yolk
Supplementation with breast milk or infant formula

150 g

1/2 teaspoon

1/4 piece

50 ml

14.00

3rd feeding

Vegetable puree
Vegetable oil
Meat puree

150 g

1 teaspoon

40–50 g

18. 00

4th feeding

Fruit puree
Baby biscuits
Supplementation with breast milk or infant formula

70 g

1–2 pcs.

130 ml

22.00

5th feeding

Breast milk or infant formula

200 ml

Weekly menu

Experts from the Union of Pediatricians of Russia advise distributing products in the diet of a seven-month-old baby in such a way that “you get a prototype menu for an already grown child with breakfast and lunch.”

If we take into account that the day begins and ends with breastfeeding or artificial formula, then between them the feeding of a child at 7 months can be varied (by supplementing with breast milk / formula) like this:

Day of the week	Morning	Day	Evening
Monday	Rice porridge cooked with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Zucchini puree + vegetable oil + turkey puree	Apple puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula
Tuesday	Buckwheat porridge cooked with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Puree of several vegetables + vegetable oil + puree of rabbit	Pear puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula
Wednesday	Multi-grain porridge made with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Broccoli puree + vegetable oil + chicken puree	Mixed fruit puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula
Thursday	Oatmeal cooked with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Puree from different types of vegetables + vegetable oil + beef puree	Peach Puree + Complementary Breast Milk/Infant Formula
Friday	Multi-grain porridge made with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Pumpkin puree + vegetable oil + different types of meat puree	Vegetable and fruit puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula
Saturday	Corn porridge cooked with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Puree from different types of vegetables + vegetable oil + turkey puree	Apple puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula
Sunday	Wheat porridge cooked with breast milk or infant formula + butter + boiled egg yolk	Carrot puree + vegetable oil + rabbit puree	Pear puree + complementary breast milk/infant formula

The kid may refuse a particular product, happy to try others. But it can also refuse complementary foods in general.

If the baby refuses some new foods, this is completely normal. According to experts, this is one of the manifestations of the so-called. "neophobia", "fear of the new". There is an assumption that evolution has formed it as a defense mechanism to protect the baby from possible poisoning. But in infancy, this mechanism can make it difficult to expand the diet. Studies have shown that most foods that children refuse will be more favorably received if they are offered repeatedly, and sometimes a dozen times.

But sometimes a child does not eat complementary foods for 7 months, i.e. unwilling in principle to switch to food other than mother's milk or formula. Experts believe that the ideal age to start complementary foods is 4-6 months and call this interval the "tolerance window" when new foods are introduced as easily as possible. Those. starting to introduce complementary foods to a seven-month-old baby is already some lag behind the “schedule” recommended by doctors.

The reason for refusal may be:

diseases;
difficulty swallowing;
food intolerance;
improper feeding.

Be sure to check with your pediatrician. Due to the delayed feeding, the baby will lack nutrients that are extremely important for growth and development, it will be more difficult for him to master the skill of chewing and swallowing thick food. In addition, new foods will then have to be introduced at a faster pace, and this will increase the burden on the immune system.

References

The program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation. Moscow, 2019. https://minzdrav.midural.ru/uploads/document/4908/optimizatsii-vskarmlivaniya-detej-pervogo-goda-zhizni.pdf
Approximate diet of a child at the age of 6 months. Union of Pediatricians of Russia https://www.pediatr-russia.ru/parents_information/soveti-roditelyam/ratsiony-pitaniya-v-razlichnye-vozrastnye-periody/7%20%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%81%D1 %8F%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2.pdf
Age features of the digestive system. Sechenov University. https://www.sechenov.ru/upload/iblock/32e/lektsiya-_3-vozrastnye-osobennosti-anatomii-pishchevaritelnoy-sistemy.pdf
Nutrition of children of the first year: topical issues and new trends. Ed. I.N. Zakharova https://remedium.ru/doctor/pediatrics/Pitanie_detey_pervogo_goda_aktualnye_voprosy_i_novye_trendy/
HE. Komarova, A.I. Khavkin. Causes of food refusal in young children: differential diagnostic search and methods of correction. Questions of modern pediatrics. 2014 https://vsp.spr-journal.
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