Your baby has stepped in to 8 months of his age. This means that, he will be capable of consuming and digesting the solid food.
Let us know about the food sources from which your child is likely to get adequate nutrient for his growth and development at this stage. Your baby will also have a diet chart that must be followed to keep him healthy always.
This is the time when your baby will be crawling. He would also try out pulling himself up to his two feet. Thus, this is the right time to give him adequate protein and strength giving food.
Essential nutrients required in this month
During the 8th month of your child, you must be including all types of nutritional food to his bucket. Protein is something which he will definitely require as this is the stage when he will be developing his muscle.
Also, this is the stage when your baby will grow and start getting taller. Along with protein, it is also important for you to give your baby adequate amount of iron and vitamins.
Sources of nutrients
You can now get good source of nutrients in vegetables, cereals and also animal meat. The sources of nutrient for your child will be cereals, the breast milk which contains good amount of iron and vitamins.
You can also keep on changing food habit of your child so that he becomes accustomed in consuming every types of food. This will help him to digest all types of food even the food that are consumed by adults.
Foods to avoid
Sugar
We adults must be consuming lot of sugar every day in our tea, coffee, sweet dishes etc. Even if we are aware about the fact that, sugar is harmful for our health we hardly avoid it.
But, do not make your baby have it in his meals. This can lead to food allergies to your child and even many health disorders in the long run.
You can go for natural source of sweetener like strawberries and other berries.
Popcorn/ marshmallow etc
Some hard food should not be fed to your baby as it is really harmful and restricts the process of digestion. Your baby has very few teeth which makes impossible to bite and make the hard food to digestible pieces.
Thus, your baby can suffer from stomach ache and other ill health.
A simple diet plan for each week
Monday
7 am- 8 am- formula milk or breast milk
10 am – apple suji kheer
12 am- stewed mixed fruits
2 pm- suji halwa
4 pm – rice cereal
8pm – baby milk formula
Tuesday
7 am- 8 am- breast milk
10 am – stewed berries
12 am- Idlis soaked in dal
2 pm- rice with veggies
4 pm – formula milk
8pm – formula milk
Wednesday
7 am- 8 am- formula milk or breast milk
10 am – cereal boiled
12 am- banana smashed
2 pm- mashed beetroot and carrot
4 pm – formula milk
6 pm- freshly mashed paneer
8pm – formula milk
Thursday
7 am- 8 am- breakfast with breast milk
10 am – stewed apple with peach
12 am- formula milk
2 pm- smashed rice with mixed veg
4 pm – formula milk
6 pm- suji upama
8pm – formula milk
Friday
7 am- 8 am- breakfast with formula milk
10 am – banana smoothie
12 am- formula milk
2 pm- plain rice with curd
4 pm – formula milk
6 pm- khichdi
8pm – formula milk
Saturday
7 am- 8 am- breakfast with butter milk
10 am – atta halwa
12 am- carrot and pumpkin mashed
2 pm- formula milk
4 pm – idli soaked in veggies
8pm – formula milk
Sunday
7 am- 8 am- breakfast with formula milk
10 am – porridge with ragi
12 am- formula milk
2 pm- tomato rice
4 pm – formula milk
6 pm- lentil soup
8pm – formula milk
References to recipes
Apple and chicken kheer
To make this wonderful recipe for your child all you need are :
Ingredients
Boneless chicken- 1/3rd cup (chopped)
Cinnamon- a pinch
Cooked apple pulp- 1/4th cup
Procedure- First of all you need to make your food processor ready. Now place the apples and chicken in it in the quantity mentioned above. Now add a pinch of cinnamon in it.
Blend it and take it in a sauce pan and take it over the oven. Add little water to cook it. Cook it in simmer for 15 minutes by stirring it continuously. Then you can see it is gaining its consistency.
Cool it down and feed your baby.
Fruity potatoes mixed
This is another baby food recipe that you can make for your child in order to bring taste in his tongue. The ingredients required are:
Ingredients
2 ripe peaches cubed and pitted
Sweet potatoes 1 ( peeled and sliced
Ginger – 1 pinch
Cinnamon- 1 pinch
Procedure- First of all you need to pre heat the oven for the temperature of 375 degree F. Now take the baking dish and add the sweet potatoes, peaches, ginger, and cinnamon with adequate water.
Cover it with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Once it is fully baked, take it out and cool it. Then smash it and make your baby feed it.
Diet tips
- Include baby food that has more taste and textures
- Do not make your child have too much hard food that he cannot digest
- Cook baby food little longer to avoid choking and make it softer