Protein foods for 9 month old baby
A Healthy, Balanced Diet for a 9-Month-Old Baby | Healthy Eating
By Kristin Mortensen Updated December 12, 2018
Nine months is an exciting age for your baby. He’s learning to crawl with greater efficiency. He’s learning to play independently and may even be starting to communicate a little bit. Good nutrition keeps his body and brain healthy so he can accomplish all these new skills. Meal time can be an important part of learning hand-eye coordination as well as nourishing his body, and these foods are great for your baby.
Breastmilk and Formula
By 9 months, your baby is most likely drinking less breast milk or formula because she is eating more foods; however, she still needs the protein, calories and other nutrients they provide. The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, recommends breastfeeding at mealtimes and before bed, offering about four feedings of 4 to 6 ounces daily.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Continue adding fruits and vegetables one at a time to your baby’s diet and watch for allergies. Remember to offer your baby fruits and vegetables from all the colors of the rainbow for a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Examples include green beans or peas, yellow bananas, orange squash or carrots and purple plums. Your 9-month-old can easily choke, so smash or cut up soft or cooked fruits and vegetables. The AAP states that juice is not necessary for a healthy diet; however, if you want to give your baby fruit juice, the association suggests limiting it to less than 4 ounces a day and to use a cup to make weaning a little easier over the next few months.
Protein Foods
Your 9-month-old can eat small pieces of meat, poultry, beans, yogurt, cheese and thoroughly cooked egg yolks, which provide high-quality protein, B vitamins, calcium and iron necessary for proper growth and development. Your baby needs approximately 11 grams of protein daily. One-fourth to one-half cup of protein foods at each meal should adequately meet her needs.
Grains
Enriched whole grains such as rice, breads, crackers and cereals provide your baby with fiber and carbohydrates along with iron and folate. These foods make great finger foods for a 9-month-old. Most babies this age love to feed themselves, which allows them to learn fine motor skills. The Kids Health website suggests asking yourself if the food “melts in your mouth,” as most cereals and crackers do, or can it be “gummed”, as pasta can, before offering it to your baby to prevent choking.
Fats and Sweets
Your baby’s developing brain needs fats; however, she doesn’t need sweets. Nine-month-olds need about 30 grams of fat daily. Half of the calories in breast milk and formula come from healthy fats. Other healthy fats you may give your baby can be found in meats, poultry, fish, cheese and whole-fat yogurt. By feeding your baby between 16 and 24 ounces of breast milk or formula plus three meals and three snacks daily that include foods containing healthy fats, she should consume the required amounts for her growing body and brain.
Avoid feeding your baby desserts, candies or other sweets.
- HealthyChildren.org: Sample One Day Menu for an 8 to 12 Month Old
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Infant Nutrition and Feeding
- HealthyChildren.org: Water and Juice
- Kids Health: Feeding Your 8- to 12-Month-Old
- HealthyChildren.org: Weaning to a Cup
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital: Your Baby at Nine Months
Kristin Mortensen began writing newspaper articles in 1992 for The Sierra Vista Herald. She has also been a registered dietitian since 1991, and has worked for hospitals, clinics and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. Mortensen has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Brigham Young University.
Best Proteins for Babies – Happiest Baby
By Gabrielle McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN
You might think of babies as mini bodybuilders…though they’re far from pumping iron, they make incredible gains during their first year of life! Babies triple their size by 12 months, and that massive amount of growth requires plenty of nutrition (especially from protein).
When introducing solids, many parents’ first instinct might be to load Baby up with fruits and veggies. And while, yes, fruits and veggies offer lots of valuable nutrients, they come up short on the protein babies need. On average, your babbling bundle needs about 11 grams of protein daily, which can be broken down into one to four tablespoons servings between 6 months and 12 months of age.
So, alongside those carrot and spinach purees, make sure you’re serving up plenty of muscle-building proteins too. A good place to start? These 10 protein-rich foods that will help support your baby’s growth and development.
Salmon
Though your baby isn’t quite ready for sushi or sashimi, fully cooked salmon is a perfect match. Salmon boasts lots of potassium, brain-building choline, and—you guessed it—protein! Two tablespoons of salmon contains a whopping 5.6 grams of protein. The pink fatty fish is rich in omega-3s, to boot, which supports your little one’s vision, brain, and nerves.
And good news for busy parents: There’s no shame in offering canned salmon, which has higher amounts of bone-friendly nutrients like calcium and vitamin D!
Ground Beef
Though many parents may feel nervous about offering babies meat, know that beef is a gold-mine of good nutrition. Beef contains must-have nutrients for babies, including iron for healthy blood cells and anemia prevention, zinc for an immunity boost, and choline for brain power. To serve, brown some raw lean ground beef on your stove until no pink parts are left. You can puree the meat while it’s hot and moisten with water, breastmilk, formula, or a low-sodium broth. Blending beef with pureed veggies or rice is another option, too! Two tablespoons of ground beef supplies 5.5 grams of protein.
Chicken
A popular first food, chicken doesn’t disappoint nutrition-wise because it’s a healthy source of niacin for energy, selenium for healthy skin and heart tissues, and protein for growth. You can prep cooked chicken by shredding, pureeing, or cutting it into tiny pieces.
Create your own baby-food blend by pureeing chicken with green peas or pears.
Peanut Butter
There was a time when parents held off on introducing peanut butter out of concern that their little one would have an allergic reaction. Now, there’s evidence that introducing peanut butter early can lower the chances of developing a peanut allergy. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, your baby can benefit from eating peanut butter at around 6 months of age.
However, straight peanut butter is too thick and sticky for babies and can pose a choking risk. So, before offering peanut butter to your little eater, thin it with breastmilk, formula, or pureed fruit. When possible, stick to varieties that are low in sodium or salt-free. Babies have immature kidneys, which can become overloaded with too much salt. One tablespoon of peanut butter gives your babe 3.5 grams of muscle-building protein.
Eggs
There isn’t much to eggs-plain, as eggs are famous for their protein benefits (two tablespoons of eggs have 2.
7 grams of protein). They also contain choline for your baby’s brain health. Thoroughly cook eggs by scrambling them on your stovetop, you can make your scramble softer by whisking your raw eggs with breastmilk or formula milk before cooking. Babies who are eating finger foods can try a cut-up omelet or hard-boiled egg.
Tofu
Tofu is an easy-to-munch nutrient powerhouse, making it a great food for infants. In addition to serving up 1.8 grams of protein, tofu is excellent source of calcium to protect your baby's teeth and gums. You can offer small pieces of soft tofu or puree with fruit for a creamy snack that’s sure to fill little tummies.
Cottage Cheese
Add some new textures to your wee one’s diet with cottage cheese. Two tablespoons of cottage cheese give your babe 1.6 grams of protein. The dairy-based food loads your little one up with calcium, choline, and vitamin A for those developing peepers. Stick to lower sodium varieties with under 100 grams of sodium per serving.
Serve cottage cheese plain or mix it with mashed sweet potato or a fruit puree.
Greek Yogurt
While cow’s milk is a no-no for babies until they reach 12 months, yogurt is fair game. Greek yogurt is one of the most protein-wealthy yogurts and is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous to nourish your babe’s growing bones. Two tablespoons of Greek yogurt contain 1.4 grams of protein. Offer your mini muncher plain whole milk Greek yogurt mixed with some pureed fruit for a spoon-able snack.
Lentils
Lentils are easy-to-digest plant proteins that are a must-have food for babies because they’re brimming with nutrients like iron, calcium, phosphorus, calcium, choline, and folate, as well as 1.1 grams of protein. Before cooking, rinse and sift through raw lentils to remove any possible debris from harvest, making them safer for your tiny nosher to nibble.
Quinoa
Quinoa grains are soft-cooked edible seeds. They’re chock-full of nutrients like folate and iron for your baby’s developing brain.
Quinoa is considered a complete protein. That means it’s packed with all nine essential amino acids the body cannot make on its own but relies on to support rapid growth. There’s a natural coating of saponin on quinoa that you’ll need to rinse off before cooking as it can have toxic effects and a bitter taste. Boil quinoa seeds in water or a low-sodium chicken or veggie broth for extra flavor. Two tablespoons of quinoa have 0.5 grams of protein.
More advice about feeding babies:
- Happiest Baby's Feeding Guide
- Best Puree Recipes for Babies
- What to Know About Baby Led Weaning
- Best Foods for 6- to 9-Month-Olds
- Best Foods for 10- to 12-Month-Olds
About Gabrielle McPherson
Gabrielle McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN is registered dietitian in Missouri who specializes in community and pediatric nutrition. Gaby is passionate about encouraging families to eat well in simple, practical ways that are realistic...and delicious! When not working, Gaby loves cooking, baking, and making messes and memories with her sous-chef/preschooler Charlotte.
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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.
Nutrition for children under one year old - Healthy Russia
By the age of six months, the child gets acquainted with the first "adult" food. What and how to feed the baby at this age?
By six months, the baby is ready to start eating more than just breast milk or formula. At this age, the child gets acquainted with the first "adult" food. Tatyana Borovik, Head of the Department of Healthy and Sick Child Nutrition at the Scientific Center for Children's Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, tells about what products are used to feed children under one year old.
Is it possible "out of the jar"?
Despite the fact that baby receives his first complementary food with a spoonful of in the truest sense of the word, even such a volume of cooking can be difficult for parents. After all, it is necessary to buy high-quality and absolutely fresh products, cook them in compliance with all hygiene standards, grind them to the desired consistency, and even so that all important vitamins remain in the food.
Infant nutrition
Find out when your baby should start eating complementary foods, how to introduce them correctly and where to start.
In most cases, Prepackaged Weaning Products make life easier for parents and provide the baby with all the nutrients.
Cereals
Grain complementary foods - porridge is one of the main sources of carbohydrates, vegetable proteins and fats, dietary fiber, iron, selenium, vitamins B1, B2 and PP.
Grain-based complementary foods should start at gluten-free (gluten-free) cereals: rice, buckwheat, later corn. Porridges can be dairy or dairy-free, depending on what suits your baby. Dairy-free cereals are diluted with breast milk or infant formula received by the child. In the future, if the baby has no problems with digestion, you can start using gluten-containing cereals: oatmeal, barley, wheat, semolina and cereals from a mixture of cereals.
Vegetables
Vegetable puree is a source of potassium, iron, dietary fiber, including pectins, and other useful substances. Certain types of vegetables - carrots, pumpkin, spinach - are rich in carotene , which in the body turns into vitamin A, which is necessary for the normal growth and development of the child. At the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods , vegetable puree should consist of one type of vegetable with delicate fiber, such as zucchini.
Further, it is advisable to use a combination of 3-4 vegetables.
Protein products
Children up to one year of age should be fed gradually cottage cheese and egg yolk — valuable sources of animal protein and fat, calcium, and vitamin B2. Meat contains complete animal protein, which in beef, lean pork, rabbit meat, chicken, chicken, turkey, horse meat contains up to 20-21 percent. The meat contains well-digestible so-called heme iron, magnesium, zinc, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12. Puree from dietary meat in the diet is recommended to be introduced to children older than 6 months. Fish is a complete source of protein and fat, it contains omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins B2, B12 and minerals. Fish is introduced into the diet of children from 8–9 months with caution, carefully observing whether the child has signs of intolerance. It is used once or twice a week instead of a meat dish.
Juices and fruit purees
Juices contain natural sugars - glucose, fructose, sucrose and organic acids - malic, citric, which have a positive effect on digestion. In addition, they are rich in potassium, which in most juices is up to 150 mg per 100 ml, and contains up to 2 mg of iron per 100 ml. Vitamin C, citric acid, individual minerals, and natural fruit flavors can be additionally added to industrial juices. The first baby should be given apple or pear juice , which are traditional for Russia and rarely cause allergic reactions.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding? We tell you how to prepare for feeding, how to avoid possible difficulties, and how a nursing mother should eat.
Fruit purees are similar in composition and nutritional value to fruit juices, especially those containing pulp. At the same time, they contain sugars, organic acids and dietary fiber in greater quantities than juices.
Dairy products
Despite the fact that cow's milk is an excellent product for adult nutrition, rich in valuable protein and calcium, it is not suitable for feeding children under one year old . After all, human and cow's milk are two completely different products. For example, cow's milk has 2.5 times more protein than women's milk, and a baby does not need such a large amount of protein yet. For the same reason, fermented milk products for baby food (baby kefir, yoghurts) can be introduced into the child's diet no earlier than 8 months of age. And in an amount of not more than 200 ml per day.
About water
The largest amount of water - about 85 percent - is found in breast milk and infant formula. The composition of "solid" food - bread, cereal, mashed potatoes - includes 30 percent of water. So the liquid for the baby at the stage of introducing complementary foods is quite enough.
For drinking and preparing formulas and complementary foods, it is best to use the special bottled water for baby food . It is bacteriologically safe, does not contain harmful chemical and radioactive substances, does not require boiling.
Rules for the introduction of each new product
The introduction of each new product starts with a small amount, gradually increasing it. It makes sense to give a new product in the morning - in order to note a possible reaction to it. It is better to start introducing cereals, fruit and vegetable juices and purees into the baby’s menu from single-component dishes in order to know exactly how and what the body reacts to. Complementary foods are given from a spoon before breastfeeding or formula. New products are not introduced if the child does not feel well.
Memo to parents
Feeding your baby can be started with special industrial products.
All types of products are introduced gradually and at the appropriate age. You should not give your baby whole cow's milk up to a year, and fermented milk products - up to 8 months.
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Infant's energy and nutritional requirements
Since infants have small stomachs, compared to adults, they need different food. Even a small portion should contain a large amount of energy and nutrients. There is no place in the baby's diet for excess liquids or foods with low energy value. Adults can make do with the energy already stored in the body from time to time, and babies do not have these reserves, however, due to their rapid growth, they need all the nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.
Energy requirement
During the first 5 years of life, the child grows and develops most rapidly. Most of the changes go unnoticed.
The brain grows very fast, lungs develop, bones form, and so on. All this requires a lot of energy and nutrients. Energy consumption per kilogram of weight in infants is higher than in adults, since part of it is spent on growth. In the first 4 months of life, about 27% of energy is spent on growth, and by the end of the first year of life, this percentage drops to 5.
Average energy requirement for children aged 1-12 months per kilogram of body weight and estimated daily requirement based on average weight. The amount of energy takes into account breast milk (or formula) and age-appropriate solid foods.
| Age0006 | 7 | 6,5 | 700 | 650 | |
| 6-11,9 | 80 | 8,6 | 8 | 690 | 640 |
The need for basic fits Recommended for the basic requirements and consumption of growing and the effectiveness of the overalls and the effectiveness of the transition of the proteins. Excessive protein intake increases the filtration load on the kidneys. In fact, the kidneys do not cope with a high load only in the first month of life. During the first 6 months, breastfeeding is recommended, and the protein content of breast milk is considered adequate for term infants. If the infant is formula-fed, the protein content of the mixture is regulated by the regulations of the European Union. The upper limit of healthy protein intake for infants is yet to be clarified. Excessive protein intake during infancy and early childhood increases the risk of obesity in the future. Which period is most dangerous in terms of increased protein intake is still unclear, but based on the available data, it can be assumed that protein intake in the amount of 15-20% of total energy intake during the first two years of life can provoke obesity later in life. In accordance with the recommendations, up to 75% of the protein in the diet of children and adolescents should come from animal protein ( high quality protein ). The need for an infant in fats 6.1-11.9 months fat, including as little as possible *Because infants under one year of age are partially breastfed, the recommended percentage of saturated acids is not prescribed and in mixtures, is approximately 50% of the total energy. Since it is recommended to feed exclusively on breast milk in the first 6 months of a child's life, and in milk formulas the fat content is regulated (40-55% E in an adapted and 35-55% E in a partially adapted formula), no recommendations are given for the first six months. Because breastmilk has a higher fat content than formula, depending on the composition of complementary foods and the frequency of breastfeeding, fat intake may drop significantly towards the end of infancy. Daily amount of added sugars (sucrose, fructose and carbohydrate hydrolyzate) should be kept below 10%E (ideally below 5%E). Fluid requirement In case of thirst, drinking water without additives should always be preferred. The fluid requirement of infants per kilogram of body weight is higher than that of adults because their fluid content is also higher. It is worth starting to offer the baby water when there are 3 meals of solid food in his daily diet. Regardless of age, the feeling of thirst is a sign of a lack of fluid, which must be eliminated as quickly as possible, that is, replenish the level, preferably with ordinary drinking water.
For children aged 6.1-11.9months, proteins should make up 7-15% of food energy. 
Therefore, daily dairy products should be on the child’s menu, as well as fish, eggs or meat.
After the child reaches six months, it is necessary to continue breastfeeding the child for as long as it suits the mother and baby. Half or even more of the energy received from breast milk comes from fats. Typical fatty acid composition of breast milk: 40-45% saturated acids, 40-45% unsaturated monoacids and 13-16% unsaturated polyacids. 
