Best First Foods for 6 to 9 Month Old Baby.

It is about time to add some real food to your baby’s menu, with breastmilk or formula! This is not an easy task, but with a newborn, nothing is easy! You just need to know which are the best first foods for the baby and have patience during this period.

When the time for solid food comes, what should you feed your baby with? The little ones will discover a whole new nutritious universe of unknown textures and flavours! Prepare yourself for hits and misses, as well as a very messy space after eating! Pay attention to how your child reacts to all this new food and include the ones they like in their meal planning.

As a 6-month-old baby cannot chew yet, start with purees. The food your baby is consuming should be rich in iron, as they need this supplement while growing so rapidly. Suitable options are mashed beans, lentils, and, of course, meat products. Rice products, for example, should be avoided because they contain arsenic, which can be harmful to young children.

To make things easier, We will give you a list with many suitable options to include in your baby’s feeding plan due to their age:

Menu for 6 month old baby:

• We advise you to continue giving breastmilk or formula. To make things more interesting, you can mix it with oats or cereal (avoid rice cereal). Put the mixture away for a few minutes until the grains are mushy and super soft.
• Steamed (if needed) and mashed fruits and vegetables – the best options are mashed bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and avocado.
• Mashed lentils or beans. They are such a good protein source! Just don’t forget, you will give this food to your baby. Do not use spices or other seasonings that you would normally use to flavour your meal.
• Pureed meat will have so many good sources. You can use chicken, turkey, or beef.

Menu for 7 month old baby:

Time to upgrade! Just a month after starting feeding your baby with new foods, you can also start giving them the bowl or plate and begin practising self-feeding. Actually, this is the moment it will get messy, but we promise, it is all worthy, as the kid will begin to be so much more independent with time. Try to cover the area somehow to make the cleaning afterward more manageable.

Your baby has already been introduced to a whole new universe of flavours, it is time to show them more! Keep adding options and start mixing them all together to create fun meals. Here are our suggestions:

• Starting with a very nutritious option for your little hero. You can mix the breastmilk or formula with some squash, sweet potato, or pea puree.
• Mix and match apple puree with carrots, prunes, beets, or cauliflower puree.
• Time to add some greens! You can use kale puree on mashed potatoes, squash, peas, and cauliflower.
• At this point, your baby will probably start teething. To calm their irritation, you can give them a frozen piece of fruit to rub on the area. Put the fruit in something like a mesh bag to prevent choking.

Menu for 8 month old baby:

Your baby already knows the taste of so many foods, and they probably already have favourites. However, we recommend you continue with small amounts of milk, especially if you can still breastfeed, as it is so nutritious.

Now is the time to introduce your baby to some potential allergen foods. You should do this before their first year to prevent future allergies. Include those in the menu, starting with a very small amount. Of course, if you have any concerns, first consult with a paediatrician. Here are some examples

• Whole or scrambled eggs.
• Nut butter mixed with water to reduce the sticky taste.
• Mashed salmon or tuna fish.
• Well – cooked to a super – soft state, pasta. Adults don’t like overcooked pasta, but it is easier for your baby to eat it this way.

Menu for 9 month old baby:

As your baby is ready to eat almost everything, it is time to mention what you must not feed them with. Before they are one year old, avoid honey and cow’s milk. If you can, keep the breastmilk or formula milk at least until the baby is one year old. Also, do not give them hard foods or sticky foods.

Your baby will probably get more confident in self – feeding. You can also stop cooking separately for them and just mash and chop the family food. You need to give them four to five small servings of fruits and vegetables daily. They are not only super-rich in vitamins and minerals but also very eye-catching. If your kid is not into eating, make them beautiful plates, creating a rainbow of colours.

If you are struggling with meal planning, here is one nutritious example:

• Staring at a beautiful breakfast – mix breastmilk or formula with mashed banana and oats. You can replace the banana with steamed pears or apples.
• For lunch, cook some pasta with cheese and add a few steamed roasted vegetables to it.
• Give them snacks a few times per day. At least once a day it should be small pieces of fruits and vegetables – carrots are very good. You can give them cheese slices, crackers, or boiled eggs.
• For dinner, you can mash sweet potatoes with chicken and salad. Make sure every ingredient is soft, chopped, and easy to eat.

This is just a simple example, but you can serve your baby so many meals now, encourage them to try new things and share the happiness of food altogether as a family!