7 Months Old Baby Food Ideas

When your baby hits the seven-month mark, he gears up for some important physical milestones like sitting up, teething, etc. Providing the right kind of nourishment in this critical growth period is very important for the baby. During this time, the baby receives the essential nutritional supplements from both the breast milk/formula milk and from solid food. Here are some amazing options for healthy food for a 7-month baby that you can incorporate into your child’s diet.

Video: Food Ideas for 7 Month Old Baby

Best Foods for Seven Month Old Baby

After introducing a few solid foods to your baby at six months, you can slowly diversify the options and incorporate more variety in their food by the next month. Here are some interesting options for solid food for 7 month baby.

1. Fruit Puree

Fruits are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fruits like apple, pears, papaya, banana, watermelon, avocado, etc. are great options for a snack or a meal.

2. Vegetables

Vegetables contain essential multi-vitamins and minerals. It can be given as a meal by steaming it and making a puree. Steamed vegetable wedges can also be given as an excellent snack.

3. Porridge

Porridges made from single grain cereals make for a great nutritional supplement for babies. Cereals like rice, wheat, oats, barley, millets etc. can be processed and powdered to make a porridge mix.

4. Meat Puree

Meat and chicken are high protein and carbohydrate foods that can be introduced to babies in the form of puree.

5. Egg

Egg is a popular source of healthy fat and protein. It can be given to babies as bite-sized pieces after boiling it.

6. Cheese

Cheese made from pasteurised milk is available widely in the market. It is a food rich in fat, protein and vitamins.

Quantity of Food Per Day

Typically, babies who are seven months old take three solid food meals and two snacks in between. Breastfeeding in the morning and night with some mid-day feeding sessions are also part of the routine.

Typically, babies consume about a quarter cup of puree or porridge in a single meal. Based on the demand, you can increase the quantity. Babies also consume an average of 800-900 ml of Breast milk or formula milk.

7 Month Old Baby Food Chart/Meal Plan

Following food, the schedule helps immensely in planning and preparing the baby meals. It also helps in incorporating a variety of recipes that balance the nutritional requirements of the baby. Here is a sample 7-month-old baby food schedule that you can follow to design your own chart.

Day of the week	Early Morning	Breakfast	Mid-Morning	Lunch	Evening Snack	Mid-evening	Dinner	Night
Monday	Breastmilk or Formula Milk	Oatmeal porridge Apple Porridge	Breastmilk or Formula	Ghee Rice	Yoghurt (Flavoured with fruit)	Breastmilk or Formula	Millet porridge	Breastmilk/formula milk before nap time
Tuesday		Pear Puree		Broken Wheat porridge	Lentil soup		Yoghurt with rice
Wednesday		Rice cereal		Rice with curd	boiled vegetable bowl		Rice porridge
Thursday		Wheat Pancakes		Fish Puree	Carrot badam kheer		Barely porridge
Friday		Lentil and rice puree		Carrot and sweet potato puree	Banana		Apple and pear puree

Food Recipes for 7 Month Old Infant

Many babies would have started having a tooth or two by seven months of age. Even if they do not have well-sprouted teeth, they would definitely have stronger gums which give them a tendency to chew on finger foods for a long time. Here are some homemade baby food recipes for 7-month-olds.

1. Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients

• Wheat flour-1 cup
• Jaggery syrup- ¼ cup
• Water- as per requirement
• Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

How to Prepare

• To the wheat flour add jaggery syrup and mix well.
• Dilute with water to a semi-solid consistency
• Add fennel seeds to the batter and mix. Allow it to rest overnight or for a few hours before preparing pancakes.
• In a pan, grease with ghee and pour it in the shape of pancake.
• Cook on both sides with ghee and take it out to serve.

2. Finger Millet Apple Porridge

Ingredients

• Finger millet flour-1 cup
• Apple- ½
• Ghee-1 teaspoon
• Water-as per requirement

How to prepare

• Cut and peel the apple into small cubes. Steam it in water or in a pressure cooker and mash it well to a smooth paste.
• In a pan mix the water and finger millet flour to a smooth paste and cook it in low flame till it bubbles.
• To this mixture add the apple puree and cook further for five minutes.
• Switch off the heat once it’s cooked and add a spoonful of ghee.

3. Millet Porridge

Ingredients

• Homemade millet powder-1/2 cup
• Water- 1-2 cups
• Breast milk/formula milk- ½ cup

How to prepare

• In a vessel, mix the millet flour with water and stir continuously to make a smooth paste without lumps.
• Switch on the heat and cook the mixture well till it starts to form bubbles.
• At this stage reduce the heat and add the milk to bring it to the required consistency.
• As an additional flavour, you can add the puree of any fruit to give it a sweetness.

4. Carrot and Sweet Potato Puree

Ingredients

• Large sweet potato
• Carrots
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Cumin seeds- ¼ teaspoon
• Water

How to prepare

• Chop the carrots and sweet potatoes into small cubes
• Add to a pan with hot water and boil still soft
• Mash the carrots and sweet potato mixture in a puree after draining out the water
• Add a pinch of cinnamon for a zesty taste and serve

5. Pear Puree

Ingredients

• Pear-1
• Water/milk-1/4 cup

How to prepare

• Clean and peel the pear.Cut the fruit into small pieces after taking out the seed.
• In a pan of boiling water, cook the fruits for a few minutes with closed lid.
• Mash the cooked pear with a blender or a mixie.
• Add water or milk to the puree to bring it to the right consistency.

6. Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• Red lentils- 3 tablespoons
• Carrot- 1
• Onion- 1/2 an onion
• Water- as required
• Oil- 1 teaspoon

How to Prepare:

• Finely chop the onion and carrot.
• Heat the oil in a pan, on medium flame, add the onions and cook till translucent.
• Add the carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the lentils to the pan.
• Pour water till the lentils are covered and allow to boil.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft.
• Cool down completely, and puree into a soup consistency.
• Warm it up before serving to your baby.

7. Carrot Milk Pudding

Ingredients:

• Carrot- 2
• Almonds – 5
• Milk- 3/4th cup
• Sugar- 3 tablespoons

How to Prepare:

• Wash, peel, and cut the carrots in halves.
• Add water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Once completely cooled, grind into a smooth puree.
• Transfer to a pan, add sugar and milk, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve warm.

Feeding Tips

Here are some important tips for feeding your seven-month-old baby,

• Do not force feed your baby. Different babies have different appetites and taste preferences. Look at the wet and soiled diaper count to determine if they are getting enough food. Supplement them with a generous amount of breast milk or formula milk to make up for the nutritional requirements.
• When introducing a new food, always wait for three days. This gives time for the body to react to the food and also show symptoms of an allergic reaction. In a case where the baby has an allergy to a particular food, stop it for a few months and retry again.
• Keep a dedicated place for having food, to establish proper eating habits. This habit, creates a connection between the place and food, in the baby’s mind, making feeding sessions less strenuous for the parents.
• Encourage the babies to explore food by giving them finger foods. At this age, babies tend to have a strong urge for biting and finger foods greatly help them soothe the gums. This also gives them a first-hand experience with the texture and taste of their food.
• Avoid feeding with a distraction. This takes them away from the fun of enjoying their food.
• Gagging or chocking is an important hazard in babies, especially when they eat food with lumps or when they chew off a large piece of finger food. Try to monitor the baby while he or she is eating and react immediately in the event of the baby having a chocking episode.
• Clean fruits and vegetable properly before giving. Fruit and vegetable purees can be used as a snack option than as a meal. Try to avoid mixing milk with the fruit as it interferes with the digestion.
• Clean and sterilise the utensils used for making baby food, as babies tend to catch infection very soon. Make use of a good food processor to prepare baby food without lumps.

Seven-month-old babies require a healthy and nutritious diet to fuel their growing body and brain. It is also a transitory phase where they start taking solid food and start developing their taste buds. Exposing them to as many vegetables and fruits will go a long way in establishing good eating habits.