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Your eight-month-old baby is at a very interesting stage of growth. With a tooth or two, your baby is grinning its way to become a toddler. By eight months of age, babies master the art of gulping down mashed food and even slowly start chewing on the foods which are more solid. Nutritious food that challenges their chewing skills will perfectly suit the dietary requirements of an eight-month-old baby.
Video: Food Ideas for 8 Month Old Baby
Best Baby Foods for an Eight-Month-Old
A wholesome diet that comprises of the right quantity of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals is essential for a growing eight-month-old baby. There are many natural food substances that offer a right mix of these nutrients. Typically, food for an 8-month-old baby include one or more of the following.
1. Fruits
Fruits are an excellent source of a variety of vitamins, minerals and other micro nutrients. Apart from the regular fruits like apple, banana, papaya, pears, etc., you can additionally include some fruits like kiwi, strawberry, pomegranate, etc. Fruits that are cut in the shape of long cubes make for excellent finger foods for babies.
2. Vegetables
At eight months of age, your baby can move on from mashed vegetable puree to chewing on small cubes of steamed vegetables. A variety of vegetables can be incorporated into the baby’s diet, by adding it to rice or by making a steamed vegetable bowl. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, Asparagus,green peas, pumpkin can be slowly introduced into the diet.
3. Fish
Fish is a very nutritious food that can be given to babies as small as eight months. Fishes like tuna, salmon, hamour etc. that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids are very good for the growth and brain development of babies. Fish can be given to babies in the form of a puree or as soup.
4. Tofu
Tofu is made out of soy milk and cow’s milk respectively. They are protein-rich and are very good for developing babies. Tofu can be used for babies who have an allergy to paneer because of lactose intolerance.
5. Chicken
Chicken is believed to be one of the healthiest foods for babies. It can be typically started at the age of seven months or more and is usually given as soup or as a puree. The broth or the juice in which the chicken is cooked is also a nutritious drink for babies.
6. Cheese
Cheese made out of pasteurized milk is a great source of calcium for growing babies. The processed cheese available in the market makes for a great snack for babies to munch on.
7. Egg
Egg is a wholesome food that contains both good fat and healthy proteins. An egg can be given to babies as a snack by boiling them and feeding them as bite-sized pieces. Some babies have an allergy to egg, and you must watch out for any warning signs of allergy in babies.
8. Yogurt
Thick yogurt made from cow’s milk can be given to babies, especially in summers. There are many fruit flavoured yogurts available in the market that make for excellent snack options for babies. They not only provide good bacteria for the gut but also serve as a great source of essential vitamins and minerals.
How Much Food should a Baby Eat at this Stage?
Most often eight-month-old babies feed actively but sometimes get distracted away from food due to their newfound mobility. Babies who start crawling by this age, usually feed on the go as they show more interest in exploring the things around them. A typical eight-month-old baby follows a schedule that includes three solid meals and two snacks along with at least two sessions of breast or formula feeding.
Food Schedule
Here is a sample food schedule for an eight-month-old baby.
- Morning- Wake up and nurse for a few minutes (About 200 ml)
- Breakfast- 1 cup of puree or any breakfast
- Mid-morning snack- half a cup of fruit/yoghurt/boiled vegetable
- Lunch- 1 cup of cereal
- Nap time
- Evening snack- breastfeeding or formula milk (about 200ml)
- dinner- 1 cup of porridge/puree/cereal
- Night- feed to sleep
8-Month Baby Food Chart/Meal Plan
Here is a sample chart that you can use as a guideline for your eight-month-old baby.
| Day of the week | Early morning | Breakfast | Mid-morning snack | Lunch | Nap-Time | Evening snack | Dinner | Night |
| Monday | Breast milk/ formula milk | Rice porridge | Carrot puree | Rice with dal | Cheese | Rice porridge | Breastmilk/ formula Milk before nap time | |
| Tuesday | Oat meal porridge | Boiled egg | Rice with vegetable | Yoghurt | Whole wheat bread with vegetable | |||
| Wednesday | Meat puree | Apple puree | laban or yoghurt with Lentil puree/soup | Lentil soup | Millet porridge | |||
| Thursday | Broken wheat porridge | Banana | Idli with dal | Apple stew with cinnamon | Rice with vegetable | |||
| Friday | Fish puree | Vegetable soup | Chicken puree | boiled vegetable bowl | Rice porridge |
Food Recipes for 8 Months Old Baby
Apart from the regular puree foods that your baby is now used to having, you can try some of these new recipes to tickle your baby’s taste buds. Here are some interesting homemade baby food recipes for 8 months old
1. Brocolli Soup Recipe
Broccoli is nutritious and tastes delicious too. Here is how you can make broccoli soup for your baby.
Ingredients
- Butter-1 teaspoon
- Broccoli florets- 1 cup
- Pepper powder- a pinch
- salt- a pinch
How to prepare
- Add butter in a pan and allow it to melt
- Add broccoli to it and saute for a few minutes.
- Cover the same and allow it to cook.
- Once the broccoli cools, blend it to a fine paste in a blender.
- In another pan, add a small piece of butter and ass the broccoli mixture to it. Allow it to cook and add salt and pepper powder to it. Feed the baby once it cools down.
2. Fish Puree Recipe
If you love eating fish, your little one will like it too. Learn the recipe of fish puree. It’s easy-to-make and tastes delicious!
Ingredients
- Cleaned and prepared fish
- water-1 cup
How to prepare
- In a vessel add water and keep it on fire.
- In another smaller vessel take some cleaned and chopped fish and place it inside the vessel containing water.
- Allow it to cook. The colour changes to white on getting cooked completely.
- Grind the cooked fish to a puree and add salt and jeera powder to taste and serve.
3. Apple Porridge Recipe
Finger millet is high in proteins, calcium, and iron. It also helps a baby gain weight and you know apples are always good. So include finger millet in your baby’s diet by making yummy apple and finger millet porridge!
Ingredients
- Grated apple- 1 cup
- Millet flour- 1 tablespoon
- ghee- 1/2 teaspoon
- water-1.5 cups
How to prepare
- Take one cup of water and add the millet flour to it. Mix the contents well without lumps.
- Switch on the heat and place the pan.
- Stir continuously till you see the bubbles farming.
- In this stage, add the grated apple pieces to the porridge.
- Allow the apple and millet mixture to cook well. If the porridge becomes very thick, dilute it with water and bring it to the required consistency.
- Once it is cooked, switch off the gas and add a drop of ghee before feeding.
4. Carrot Wedges Recipe
Ingredients
- carrot cut into wedges- 1 cup
- salt- a pinch
- pepper powder- a pinch
- ghee- 1 teaspoon
How to prepare
- Cut the carrot into wedges and keep aside.
- In a pan boil water and when it comes to boil, add the carrot pieces.
- Allow it to cook to a biting consistency.
- Add ghee and saute carrot pieces in a pan.
- Add salt and pepper powder to it, to give taste.
- Once it cools down, allow the baby to chew on it.
Feeding Tips
- Breast milk or formula milk still remains as a primary food for eight-month-old babies. Besides the solid food intake, doctors recommend one or two sessions of feeding for babies up to one year of age.
- Strictly avoid using cow’s milk for your baby, until one year of age.
- If there is a history of any food allergy in the family, especially for dairy products, egg, nuts, etc., watch out for any warning signs. Also, speak to your doctor about the possibilities of your child inheriting such allergies.
- Avoid deep fried foods and try to incorporate more steamed fruits and vegetables.
- Always feed the baby in a particular position and location every day. This develops a strong connection in their mind between food and the place of a feeding.
- Keep the consistency of the food a little grainy and do not mash it completely. It greatly helps eight-month-old babies to transition from mashed food to solid food.
- Avoid the addition of salt and sugar in food for babies within one year of age. Many doctors advice against the use of both, as it puts unnecessary stress on the kidneys.
- Many eight-month-olds get easily distracted by food, as they develop mobility with crawling and are curious about things around them. During such phases of low food intake, try to feed small quantities with increased frequency.
- Babies tend to gag or choke while nibbling on finger food. They sometimes accidentally bite off a large chunk of food. Parental attention is very important while your baby is chewing on solids.
- Prepare and store baby foods in steel or glassware. Avoid the use of plastic as it contains harmful chemicals that have a likelihood of entering the food.
At eight months of age, babies move around quite a lot and spend a lot of their energy in exploring the things around them. To fuel their physical and mental activities, a healthy balanced diet is a must. Planning your baby’s food chart well in advance and sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables can help in providing the best nutritious food to them.
