What food is good for 7th month baby

What To Feed Your Baby | 7 to 9 mths | Weaning

Baby's age

Around 6 months
7 - 9 months
10 - 12 months
12 months+

7 - 9 months

By now, your baby will have had some good practice learning how to eat! Eat together as much as possible – they learn a lot from watching you.

Your baby will gradually move towards eating 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea). Offering a wide variety of different foods is important to ensure they get enough energy and nutrients (such as iron). Babies don't need salt or sugar added to their food (or cooking water) – salty food isn't good for their kidneys and sugar can cause tooth decay.

Remember, it may take 10 tries or even more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures. There'll be days when they eat more, some when they eat less, and then days when they reject everything! Don't worry – this is perfectly normal. Just be patient, keep offering a variety of foods, even the ones they don't seem to like, and let them get used to it in their own time.

Babies under 12 months don't need snacks, if you think your baby is hungry in between meals, offer extra milk feeds instead.

Smooth or lumpy?

Hopefully your baby will now be more confident exploring new textures. Offer more mashed, lumpier foods as well as a variety of finger foods. Giving your baby finger foods helps them learn to feed themselves, develop hand-eye co-ordination and learn to bite off, chew and swallow small pieces of soft food.

Babies take different amounts of time to get used to lumps, but it's an important skill they need to learn. Just keep offering them lumpy textures and finger foods and stay with them so you can be sure they are swallowing it safely.

What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning means offering your baby only finger foods and letting them feed themselves from the start (rather than spoon feeding them puréed or mashed food). You can offer a range of small, finger-sized, pieces of food.

Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding, while others combine a bit of both. There's no right or wrong way – the most important thing is that your baby eats well and gets all the nutrients they need.

Should I still give my baby breast milk or first infant formula?

Yes. Breast milk or first infant formula is still important for energy and nutrients during the first year, and should be their main drink until 12 months. You can continue breastfeeding for as long as you both want. As time goes on and your baby eats more solids, they may naturally want less breast milk or first infant formula.

If you're breastfeeding, your baby will adapt their feeds according to how much food they're having. Formula-fed babies may need around 600ml of milk a day, but just use this as a guide. Remember your baby's tummy is tiny and fills up quickly, so offer milk feeds after solids and don't force them to finish the bottle.

Drinks?

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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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. 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).

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.

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).

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 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.

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.

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

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Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with over eight years of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children. Then she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition coach in different... more

Charmaine Dominguez is a plant-based online dietitian nutritionist. She has her own online nutrition practice. Charmaine is currently living in LA, California in the US, and pursuing Masters of Public Health at California State University, Long Beach. She has completed her Bachelor in Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University, Long Beach. Charmaine is passionate about helping others regain control... more

Diet for a child aged 7 months

When compiling a diet for a seven-month-old baby, distribute the products so that you get a certain prototype of the menu of an already grown-up child with breakfast and lunch.

At this age, the yolk of a boiled chicken egg, a valuable source of fat, vitamin B12, A, phosphorus and selenium, is introduced into the child's diet. Chopped yolk can be added to porridge or vegetable puree.

At the age of 7 months, you can already give your baby a cracker (in the form of dried bread) and baby biscuits.

The volume of fruit puree and juice is increased to 70 g.

It is still better to give preference to commercially produced complementary foods, given their high degree of safety and variety. If the baby does not perceive a new product the first time, it can be mixed with an already familiar product.

Approximate diet for a child aged 7 months.

I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk or VHI*	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free or milk porridge ** Butter Boiled egg yolk Supplementation with breast milk or VHI	150 g about ½ tsp. ¼ pcs 50 ml
III feeding 14 hours	Vegetable puree Vegetable oil Meat puree Fruit juice	170 g approx. 1 tsp. 30 g 70 ml
IV feeding 18 hours	Fruit puree Baby biscuits Breast milk supplement or VHI	70 g 1-2 pcs 130 ml
V feeding 22 hours	Breast milk or VHI	200 ml

* - infant formula
** - dairy-free porridge should be diluted with breast milk or infant formula that the child receives. Milk porridge is diluted with water.

Approximate diet of a 7-month-old child with cow's milk protein allergy:

I feeding 6 hours	Breast milk or formula for infants with intolerance to cow's milk proteins	200 ml
II feeding 10 hours	Dairy-free porridge* Vegetable oil Fruit puree (apple, pear)	130 g approx. 1 tsp. 70 g
III feeding 14 hours	Vegetable puree Vegetable oil Meat puree (rabbit, turkey)	170 g approx. 1 tsp. 30 g
IV feeding 18 hours	Vegetables or dairy-free porridge** Vegetable oil Meat puree	180 g approx. 1 tsp. 20 g
V feeding 22 hours	Breast milk or medicated formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance	200 ml

* - dairy-free porridge should be diluted with breast milk or formula for children with intolerance to cow's milk proteins.
** - you can either alternate porridge or vegetables, or offer a mixed dish - porridge with vegetables.

what can be given, what fruits and vegetables, how to feed a 7-month-old baby on breast or artificial feeding

Healthy nutrition allows the baby to grow and develop properly. Despite the fact that breast milk remains the basis of the diet, complementary foods also become important for the child. Acquaintance with new products should be carried out carefully, starting with a small amount, monitoring the reaction and getting used to changes in nutrition. What can you eat at 7 months? The list is replenished with fruits and vegetables, cereals and mashed meats, and you can drink children's tea or water.

Content: Hide

Acquaintance with new products
Features of the introduction of new products in the menu of new products
Approximate food regime at 7 months
In what form to give products
The baby's diet at 7 months
Getting to know new products

You need to start feeding your baby gradually, moving from simple to complex. At first, it is better to use one-component products - vegetable purees or cereals. Fruits should be introduced after them, as a pleasant addition to the main course. Over time, you can add new ingredients, increase portions and make the consistency thicker, with pieces of fruit or vegetables. At the same time, the feeding scheme for each baby is individual.

Menu introduction highlights

Pay close attention to your baby's signals. He is probably already full if:
- turns away from the spoon and closes his mouth;
- is easily distracted by extraneous factors;
- pushes and tries to throw food away;
- starts to eat much more slowly.
It is normal if the amount of food varies from feeding to feeding. However, if the child has become restless, an intestinal disorder or a rash has appeared, then complementary foods should be discontinued and wait until all symptoms disappear, and then offer another product. Bad experiences should also be reported to the pediatrician.

Approximate diet

The child should have a clear daily routine, this also applies to the organization of nutrition. As a rule, children eat five times a day. An example menu might look like this.

First meal. Occurs at 6 a.m. and consists of mother's milk or special formula if the baby is formula-fed. Doctors usually recommend that you breastfeed your baby for as long as possible, if possible, and add supplemental foods gradually.

Second meal. At 10 am it's time for the children's breakfast. The basis for it is porridge. Also, a child at 7 months old can eat boiled chicken yolk - this is a source of vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus. During breakfast, you can offer your baby a new product. The child is already hungry enough to try it, and mom will have time to track the reaction throughout the day.

Third meal. Lunch usually starts at 2 pm - this is the most satisfying meal, followed by a walk. If in the morning you did not give the baby unfamiliar foods, then you can introduce something new into the diet. Vegetable and / or meat puree, porridge with a vegetable component are suitable for lunch, if the child did not receive porridge in the morning.

Fourth meal. At 6 pm it's time for afternoon tea. Unfamiliar products should not be present here. The main task of this meal is to replenish the energy spent in the morning and on a walk. Bebi milk porridges contain natural fruit additives and biscuits. The dish is balanced in terms of the composition of nutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates) and gives strength for an active evening.

Fifth meal. At 10 pm, the regimen is completed with mother's milk or IV formula. Feeding something else is not worth it in order to exclude overeating, as well as the possible consequences of getting to know new products.

See also: Complementary foods and dishes

How to give food

The list of what a child can eat at 7 months is already quite wide, compared with crumbs up to six months. Preparing a dish for a baby is not difficult at all. If you decide to feed your child mashed vegetables, then they need to be peeled, boiled and chopped in a blender. Fruit puree is even easier: they don't need to be boiled, although some can be baked beforehand. Particularly hard foods can first be passed through a meat grinder, and then use a blender. Soft fruits are easy enough to grate. If you are giving egg yolk, boil the eggs for at least 15 minutes.

Why is self-catering not always appropriate? Pediatricians recommend using cereals, mashed potatoes and other industrial products when organizing the nutrition of a child at 7 months. Such complementary foods are produced taking into account strict hygienic requirements, have the necessary degree of grinding and a verified composition, including vitamins, and, if necessary, are enriched with minerals, pre- and probiotics, omega-3 and other biologically active components.

Baby's diet at 7 months

Porridge. At the age of 7 months, porridge is already a familiar product in the baby's diet. During this period, the volume of complementary foods per day is 150 g. Dairy cereals or fruit and cereals, dessert (for an afternoon snack), vegetable and probiotic-enriched porridges of industrial production are selected.

Vegetable puree. First products must have soft dietary fiber. Zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli or cauliflower will do. Later, you can add carrots, beets, potatoes. Legumes are recommended to be introduced after 8 months as they can contribute to gas and bloating. Puree for a child should not contain salt or spices. You need to feed the baby gradually, starting with one teaspoon and gradually increasing the portion. For 7 months, the average volume is about 150 g.

Meat puree. If a child is prone to allergic skin reactions to complementary foods, then a rabbit or turkey is a good place to start. If you are allergic to milk proteins, beef and veal should be excluded. With iron deficiency, rabbit meat is recommended - it contains a lot of this substance. Meat puree should be combined with vegetable puree and given at lunchtime. In this combination, iron is well absorbed. In the first days, you can dilute the puree with vegetable broth or breast milk - a familiar taste will help speed up adaptation to new products.

Fruit puree. It is introduced after the child has become acquainted with cereals, vegetables and meat. For the first time, apple or pear puree is suitable - they are easier to digest. Apricots, bananas, plums and berries are medium allergenic foods, so the baby is introduced to them later. Melon, strawberries and citrus fruits can be given at the age of about one year. If you choose ready-made products, then pay attention to the composition: it is better if the puree does not contain sugar, starch and other additional components.

Baby biscuits. It can be given as a treat. Ordinary sweets are not suitable for a child at this age, as well as bread or crackers, to which he can reach. You need to choose specialized products designed specifically for babies. They are introduced into the diet in the same way as other types of complementary foods, given in the morning and monitoring the reaction.

Drinks

A 7-month-old baby should only drink water and baby tea. As for regular tea, WHO does not recommend its consumption by infants and young children. This is due to the fact that such a drink contains tannins, as well as other compounds that bind iron and other minerals, which reduces their bioavailability.

Experts also recommend delaying juices. So, in the “Program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation”, the following is said about the drink: “Given their insignificant nutritional value, it is advisable to prescribe only after the introduction of all the main types of complementary foods. In addition, the use of juices, especially between meals, increases the risk of tooth decay. A large volume of juices (above the recommended amount) can serve as a risk factor for overweight in the future.

Important tip

By planning a balanced diet, you can ensure that your child has a healthy diet and the nutrients he needs for growth and development.
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