10 Month Old Baby Food Ideas

Having a baby for the first time is a reason for joy and happiness in everybody’s lives. However, this period can also be marked by uncertainties. Whether it is the food you are feeding your baby or health scares, there are many times when you will need guidance. Here we discuss how and what to feed a 10-month-old baby.

Video: Food Ideas for 10 Month Old Baby

Nutritional Need of Babies at this Age

The amount of calories your baby will need at this age is entirely dependent on your baby’s weight. As a general rule of thumb, your baby will need anywhere between 90 to 120 calories per kilogram of weight. According to the experts, this translates to 793 calories for male babies and 717 calories for female babies. Your baby will need all the main food groups as you would. You can follow the basic food pyramid chart in order to understand the ratios of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Apart from this, you need to make sure that your baby is getting the adequate amount of calcium and iron in her diet. This is essential for her physical and mental development.

How much Food can your Baby Eat in a Day?

As with nutritional needs, the quantity of healthy food consumed will be dictated by your baby’s needs and appetite. However, as a general rule of thumb, you can assume that your baby will need the following quantities of food.

• Between ¼ to ½ cup of cereal
• Between ¼ to ½ cup of fruits
• Between ¼ to ½ cup of vegetables
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of dairy
• 4 tablespoon of protein or meat

Best Foods for Your Ten Month Old Baby

One of the main things that you must remember is that at this age you will only be supplementing breast milk with regular food. So while you do continue to breastfeed, you can slowly start to replace a few meals with regular and solid food that also includes finger food. However, there is no hard and fast rule as to when you must stop breastfeeding entirely. This is a decision that you must make independently after consultation with your doctor. If you do decide to wean your baby, there are some of the best foods that you can give your baby.

• Whole wheat porridge or bread
• Rice and Chickken Stew
• Rice with vegetables
• Oatmeal porridge
• Homemade milkshakes with fresh fruits
• Boiled or scrambled eggs
• Vegetable soup
• Homemade fruit puree
• Meat and fish puree

10 Month Old Baby Food Chart/Meal Plan

Here is a baby food chart that you can follow for creating a meal plan for your ten-month-old baby. However, it is recommended that you introduce each new food item one at a time. Wait for three days before you introduce another food item as it is the perfect window to observe if your baby has any allergies. This will also let her get used to the flavour. You can make some changes and develop a 10 month old baby food schedule that suits your baby.

Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Below are recipes that you can use when introducing healthy food for 10 months old baby. These recipes are full of nutrients for all-round development.

1. Semolina With Vegetables

Ingredients:

• ½ cup semolina
• ½ cup diced mixed vegetables like carrots, peas, beans, and boiled potatoes
• 1 cup water¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon oil or ghee

How to prepare:

• In a pan, go ahead and roast the semolina until it gives a toasty aroma. Take care to stir continuously as it can burn quickly otherwise. Keep aside in a bowl. In a pan, heat the oil or ghee. Wait until hot and add the cumin seeds so that they crackle. Add the mixed vegetables along with turmeric and salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the semolina and water and stir continuously to ensure that any lumps are removed. Stir until desired consistency is reached. Be sure to keep the consistency a bit loose

2. Lentil Puree

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup pigeon peas or lentil
• ¼ cup rice
• 2 ½ cups water
• One tomato, diced
• ¼ teaspoon oil or ghee
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• A pinch of asafoetida or hing
• ¼ inch ginger piece kept whole
• Salt to taste

How to prepare:

• Wash and clean the lentil and rice until the water runs clear. Put the rice for 30 minutes in water. Do the same with the lentil. Drain the lentil and rice and place it in the cooker with the water and turmeric and cook until done. We add more water in order to keep the cooked food watery. Once the lentil and rice are cooked, and the cooker cools heat the oil or ghee in a pan. When the oil starts to shimmer, add some cumin seeds. Add the hing, ginger, and tomato and sauté for a few minutes, around five minutes. Add the cooked rice and lentil mixture along with all the excess water. Add salt to taste and let the mixture boil for a few minutes. Keep the consistency lightly watery. You can remove the ginger piece as your baby will not like its taste.

3. Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

• One egg
• 2-3 tablespoons of whole milk or formula or breast milk
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh cheddar cheese or any other fresh cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

How to prepare:

• Crack open the egg into a bowl. Add the milk and whisk for a couple of minutes. Then add the grated fresh cheese and mix. Heat the pan with the olive oil. Stir the egg mixture continuously until the eggs are fully cooked. Check for salt and season accordingly. You can also add some finely cut vegetables for a variation in flavour.

4. Chicken and potato soup

 Ingredients:

• ½ cup peeled and diced potatoes
• ½ cup diced chicken
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup fresh grated cheddar cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

How to prepare:

• In a large pot, heat the butter. Once simmering, add the onions and cook until they turn transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes and let it get some colour from cooking in the butter. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the cheese bit by bit while continuously stirring. Bring to a boil once again and add the diced chicken. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper according to taste and the soup is ready. If you have cut the potatoes and chicken small enough, your baby might like to eat them like it. However, if you think your baby is finding it difficult, then you can use an immersion blender and make the soup into a smooth consistency.

5. Couscous wheat porridge

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup broken wheat or couscous
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon roasted almond powder
• Apple or banana puree

How to prepare:

• Place the broken couscous and water in a cooker and cook for three whistles. Once the cooker cools completely, transfer its entire contents into a blender and mix into a smooth consistency. Put all the contents into to a bowl and add the almond powder and mix. Add the banana or apple puree for sweetness.

Feeding Tips

• Make sure that you sterilize the cutlery your baby uses by submerging them into a vessel filled with hot water for at least five minutes.
• Be sure to taste the food before you give it to your baby to ensure that it is at the right temperature.
• Avoid salt as much as you can. Instead, you can get the flavouring from food sources like cheese.
• Be sure to adjust the ingredients according to what your baby likes to eat.
• Only introduce one solid baby food at a time.
• Keep a lookout for symptoms of allergy for up to three days after introducing a new food.
• Feed your baby with breast milk on demand. This is apart from the timings mentioned in the chart above.
• Be sure to consult with your paediatrician before introducing any new food.

Feeding a 10-month-old is a period of experimentation. As your baby begins to distinguish between flavours and starts to have favourites, you will be able to develop meal plans that your baby truly enjoys. Keep the food pyramid in mind when planning meals and be sure to consult with your paediatrician on what you can and cannot feed your baby.