What to feed for 8 months baby
Sample Menu for a Baby 8 to 12 Months Old
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Now that your baby is eating solid foods, planning meals can be more challenging. At this age, your baby needs between 750 and 900 calories each day, of which about 400 to 500 should come from
breast milk or formula (if you are not breastfeeding)—roughly 24 ounces (720 mL) a day. Breast milk and formula contain vitamins, minerals, and other important components for brain growth.
At about eight months, you may want to introduce foods that are slightly coarser than strained pureed foods. They require more chewing than baby foods. You can expand your baby's diet to include soft foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. Eggs (including scrambled) are an excellent source of protein, as are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado.
Sample menu ideas for an 8- to 12-month-old baby:
1 cup = 8 ounces = 240 ml
¾ cup = 6 ounces = 180 ml
½ cup = 4 ounces = 120 ml
¼ cup = 2 ounces = 60 ml
Breakfast
2 to 4 ounces cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg
2 to 4 ounces mashed or diced fruit
Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Snack
Lunch
2 to 4 ounces yogurt or cottage cheese, or pureed or diced beans or meat
2 to 4 ounces cooked pureed or diced yellow or orange vegetables
Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Snack
Dinner
2 to 4 ounces diced diced poultry, meat, or tofu
2 to 4 ounces cooked green vegetables
2 to 4 ounces cooked soft-whole grain pasta or potato
2 to 4 ounces diced or mashed fruit
Breastmilk or 4 to 6 ounces formula
Before bedtime
Breastmilk or 6 to 8 ounces formula, or water.
(If breastmilk or formula, follow with water or
brush teeth afterward).
More information
- Sample Menu for a One-Year-Old
- Starting Solid Foods
- Breastfeeding Mealtime Milestones
- Ask the Pediatrician: Is it OK to make my own baby food?
- Last Updated
- 8/12/2022
- Source
- Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 7th Edition (Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
Is it OK to make my own baby food?
Yes, you may find several benefits to feeding your baby homemade foods.
It can be less expensive than store bought, for example. It can let your child enjoy baby-friendly versions of foods they see the rest of the family eating. And it may be easier than you think. All you need is a blender, food processor, or even a hand-held mixer.
Keep these tips in mind to ensure homemade food is nutritious and safe for your baby:
When is my child ready to try baby food?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months. Before your child starts solid foods, be sure they are developmentally ready. They should be able to sit in a highchair or feeding seat with good head control, for example, and should show interest in food, opening their mouth on their own. Your pediatrician can help guide you through getting started.
What's the best way to get started making my own baby food?
First, think about foods are already on your menu. There's probably no need to make a special item.
After introducing individual foods, you may want to try combinations. Don't worry too much about ratios—there is no magic formula. And try not to overthink which solids and how much of each to give your baby. (Remember that breastmilk or infant formula still provides the vast majority of calories and nutrients for infants under age 1.)
Instead, consider balancing several types of foods to offer different nutrients. You may find that your baby only eats a few bites of something new, so plan to store leftovers for later. Some foods may need to be offered 8-10 times before an infant or toddler eats them well.
Balance, moderation & variety
The latest USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage parents to “make every bite count" by having every food in an infant's diet support nutrition and growth needs. Think of each bite as a chance for your child to explore the color, taste, and texture of a nutritious food.
When offering your baby new foods, try to include fruits and vegetables in each color of the rainbow.
Also offer good sources of protein (such as beans, chicken, fish, and yogurt), fat, and iron (for example, iron-fortified oat cereal or meats). Serving a variety of foods also is key to helping lower the risk of toxic element exposure for your baby. (See Heavy Metals in Baby Food.)
Get those allergen foods in!
Early exposure to common food allergy culprits, such as egg, soy, gluten, dairy, nuts and fish, can lower the risk of babies developing allergies to them. Try mixing a small amount of peanut butter with oatmeal cereal, for example, or offer bites of scrambled egg. You can also introduce yogurt or shredded cheese once your baby is eating solids, along with small bites of a well-cooked white fish like tilapia or cod. If your child has severe eczema or an egg allergy, be sure to discuss introduction of these foods with your pediatrician.
What should I avoid?
Do not feed infants under age 1 honey, since it can contain bacteria that could make them sick.
Also beware of foods that may be a
choking hazard, such as nuts or raw carrots. You can offer your baby
water with meals, but it is best to avoid all other beverages except breastmilk or formula. Homemade foods should not replace breast milk or infant formula, and remember that you should
not make infant formula at home. (See
Is Homemade Baby Formula Safe?)
Storing homemade baby food
Some parents like to prep in advance by cooking in batches and storing the pre-made baby food. This can make life easier during busy days. Consider freezing the leftovers to use another time. After cooking, an ice cube tray is a wonderful way to freeze leftover food. Each cube is about 1 oz of food, and you can transfer to a zipped plastic bag or other storage container after freezing. Be sure to label the type of food and the date. Plan to eat frozen baby food within 3 months by reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
What about baby-led weaning?
Some families choose to skip pureed foods and offer babies small bites of regular table foods, typically without utensils.
This allows infants who reject purees or prefer texture to feed themselves, even choosing what and how much they eat.
It's a good idea to talk with your pediatrician before starting. Your child should show signs of general developmental readiness for solids, plus the ability to bring their hands to their mouth. Begin with small bites of soft or mashed foods first, such as baked sweet potato, scrambled egg, small pieces of banana or ripe mango, or green peas. Remember to avoid raw vegetables, nuts and seeds, popcorn, whole grapes, and other foods that may increase choking risk.
Remember
What's right for your family may not be the same as for your friends, so try to avoid comparisons. All families are different and strive to do their best. Making homemade baby food is a great option, but don't feel badly if you need to use store-bought food, as well. Family size, budget, and schedule all contribute to these decisions. Just remember to offer a variety of foods to your baby, and make every bite count!
More information
- Starting Solid Foods
- Choking Prevention
- Ask the Pediatrician: How should we feed our baby if we're running low on money?
-
Heavy Metals in Baby Food
Diet for an 8-month-old baby
In the ninth month, fish can be introduced into the diet of children.
Along with animal meat, fish is a source of complete protein with a well-balanced composition of amino acids, fat, vitamins B2, B12 and minerals. Compared to meat, fish contains 5 times less connective tissue, due to which it is quickly boiled soft, has a delicate texture after heat treatment and is easier to digest. Fish oil is characterized by a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the ω-3 class. These substances are necessary for the child to mature the brain, retina, strengthen the cardiovascular and immune systems. Sea fish contains such important trace elements for the child's body as iodine and fluorine. The child should be given 1-2 times a week instead of meat, be sure to monitor how the child tolerates fish in general and its individual varieties. Preference should be given to oceanic fish, preferably white (cod, hake, pollock), red salmon can be recommended, river pike perch, carp.
Self-cooked fish is given to a child with boiled and mashed vegetables.
You can also offer your baby fish and vegetable canned food, but they contain only 10 - 20% of fish.
At this age, when all the main food groups have already been introduced, special attention should be paid to the diversity of the composition of dishes. New, possibly combined products are introduced, for example, not only purees from various fruits and berries, but also their combinations with cottage cheese, cream, cereals, etc.
From the age of 8 months, the child's diet can be expanded to include fermented milk products (baby kefir, biokefir, bifidokefir, yogurt, bioyogurt, biolact). Fermented milk products are prepared using a special starter culture that breaks down milk protein, so that the baby can get an indispensable set of amino acids in a well-available form. Fermented milk products improve the composition of the intestinal microflora of the child, are rich in B vitamins and calcium. Their regular use favorably affects the functioning of the intestines, stimulates appetite, and increases the absorption of micronutrients.
Children's dairy products are introduced into the baby's diet gradually, starting with 1 tsp. and with good tolerance increase their volume to 150-200 ml per day.
Sample menu for a healthy baby 8 months
| I feeding 6 hours | Breast milk or infant formula | 200 ml |
| II feeding 10 hours | Dairy-free* or milk porridge Butter Boiled egg yolk Fruit puree Fruit juice | 180 g |
| III feeding 14 hours | Vegetable puree Vegetable oil Meat puree Fruit juice | 170 g 1/2 tsp 50 g 50 ml |
| IV feeding 18 hours | Cottage cheese Baby biscuits Fruit puree Supplementation with breast milk or baby kefir/yogurt | 40 g |
| V feeding 22 hours | Breast milk or infant formula | 200 ml |
* - diluted with breast milk, infant formula or water
Approximate daily ration for an 8 month old baby allergic to cow's milk proteins
| I feeding 6 hours | Breast milk or formula for children allergic to cow's milk proteins | 200 ml |
| II feeding 10 o'clock | Dairy-free* porridge Vegetable oil Fruit puree (apple, pear) | 120 g 1 tsp 80 g |
| III feeding 14 hours | Vegetable puree Vegetable oil Meat puree | 170 g 1 tsp 40 g |
| IV feeding 18 hours | Vegetable puree or porridge Vegetable oil Meat puree | 170 g 1 tsp 30 g |
| V feeding 22 hours | Breast milk or formula for children allergic to cow's milk proteins | 200 ml |
* - diluted with breast milk or a therapeutic formula for children with allergies to cow's milk proteins
optimal menu for an eight-month-old baby
01.
29.2019 diet of adult food and reduce the number of feedings. But I decided to study the issue and share with you. Let's find out how the eating behavior of an 8-month-old baby changes.
Important foods for an eight-month-old baby
At this age, breast milk or formula is still the main food for a baby. Their volume will reach up to 700-900 milliliters per day. But adult food is still in second place, although the composition of complementary foods is already expanding. The child becomes more and more familiar with new tastes, he develops food interest.
Let's see what can be added to the diet:
Cereals:
In addition to buckwheat, rice and corn, add oatmeal. Also, a child can already try pasta and vermicelli for soups. But it is better to introduce bread not earlier than a year.
Vegetables:
Broccoli and cauliflower, spinach, green beans are added in addition.
Fruit
The child can already taste bananas, prunes, plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots.
Meat
Add turkey, rabbit, chicken and veal to your menu. But soups with meat broth should be avoided for the time being.
Eggs
Since eggs can cause allergies, the hard-boiled yolk is given a taste first. A whole egg can be given after a year.
Fish
This is a new food item. For an eight-month-old baby to get acquainted with fish, cod is suitable.
Butter
Prefer butter, olive and sunflower oils.
Dairy products
Many mothers introduce them as early as possible to provide the baby with calcium. You can give pureed cottage cheese and yogurt.
Biscuits
Baby biscuits should be added in small portions if the child already chews well.
Drinks
In addition to breast milk or formula, offer your baby other liquids such as water, juice or compote.
How to cook and serve food
Cooked fruits and vegetables can be given to your child. We cook food mostly still in a soft and puree form. It is better to make porridge boiled to feed the baby.
At this age, the child begins to take food by himself and is already better able to chew. To practice these skills, offer food in the form of pieces so that he can take them by hand. For example, bananas, pasta, meat and vegetables. Never leave your baby unattended while feeding. Do not give grapes, raw carrots, raisins, as they are easy to choke on.
Offer new food in the morning. And in the evening you can have the dishes familiar to the child.
A table with an example of what a daily menu for an 8-month-old baby might look like (suitable for both breastfeeding and IV):
Remember that this is just one example of nutrition at this age.
When introducing new products and monitoring the nutrition of an eight-month-old baby, be guided by the baby and his taste preferences.
