Usually, babies start feeding at six months of age. So by eight months, the baby is already familiar with most food products. But many mothers, due to their guardianship and distrust of pediatricians, try to limit the baby from "adult" food to the maximum, believing that it is too early for him to try this.
What can you give a child at this age, the article will tell you.
If the baby is breastfed, this is only a plus. You shouldn't give it up. But it is worth replacing the main meals with "adult" food. In the morning and in the evening, it is worth feeding the baby with breast milk, and at lunchtime we begin to introduce the baby to solid food.
If the baby is artificially fed, then the principle of feeding the baby with milk remains in effect. It is only replaced with adapted milk formulas.
Healthy and resolvable foods at 8 months:
1. Porridge:
Do not give crumbs of semolina. It contains gluten. At this age, the stomach of the child will not be able to digest it. According to pediatricians, semolina is allowed from ten months.
It is advisable to dilute cereals with fruits and vegetables. Cook oatmeal with a banana or apple, corn and rice with pumpkin, and wheat porridge goes well with berries.
2. Fruit:
3. Berries:
4. Meat:
It is highly undesirable to give pork and lamb. These are fatty meats.
5. Vegetables:
6. Eggs:
But don't give more than half of the yolk every three days. It is better not to include protein in the diet of crumbs. Remember that eggs are a very dangerous food product, so they must undergo prolonged heat treatment.
7. Oil:
8. Flour products:
9. Condiments:
10. Dairy products:
Every mother is worried about the question of what can be used to feed a baby at this age. Namely, what kind of dishes. After all, there are many products, but they are all recommended in limited quantities. In order to solve this problem, we present to your attention an approximate child's nutritional menu for every day.
In the morning and in the evening we breastfeed or an adapted milk formula. In total, at this age, the baby should have 5 meals, including morning and evening meals. This means that there are 3 meals left every 4 hours. At 10-11 in the morning we give the baby rice porridge with pumpkin.
Then we feed him meat soup with vegetables. We allow bread, but no more than 5-10 grams. At 4 days, we feed the crumbs with cottage cheese with fruits and sweet kefir.
Every mother wants to feed her child only with homemade and proven products and dishes, so we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several recipes for children's dishes that can be prepared every week for your baby:
A baby at this age should eat up to 1100 grams of food, excluding liquid food and water. But each child develops individually, so if your baby doesn't eat that much, you shouldn't worry. Children of this age often lose their appetite due to teething.
Pay attention to the amount of fluid you consume, namely plain water. On average, a baby should drink 30 ml of water for each kilogram of his weight. So, if the crumb weighs 7 kg, then its daily intake of fluid is 210 ml.
Your baby's first breakfast should be started with breast milk. For the second breakfast we give the crumbs porridge with fruit, kefir, fruit puree. At lunchtime, the baby is fed with first courses. In the afternoon, we give the crumbs more hearty food: cottage cheese, cookies soaked in milk or crackers. But it is worth remembering that if the baby is prone to constipation, then the amount of cottage cheese should be limited.
The child's menu at 8 months of age should be balanced. There is no particular difference between baby bottle feeding and breastfeeding. Unless an artificial person needs more full-fledged food, and a baby at this age can have mother's milk and food in proportions of 50:50, since from his mother he receives almost all the substances the child needs.
The kid can already eat a lot, but it is still worth carefully introducing him to new products. New food is introduced into the diet gradually in order to observe the reaction of the crumbs' body. You can add new foods to your favorite dishes - then they will be perceived better.
The first (after sleep) and the last feeding (before sleep) should be formula or breast milk!
How to feed a baby at 8 months? Necessarily porridge. You can cook corn, rice, oatmeal separately, or you can assorted several cereals. It is better to do this with cow's or goat's milk, slightly diluted with water.
In addition to cereals, the baby should eat:
The last point has been controversial for a long time. Some mothers say that it is too early to give fish at such a small age, others insist that the fish contains substances necessary for proper brain activity, which is important during the period when the baby learns the world. Remember that the child's diet is thought out only by the mother, who sees her child and his reaction to different foods.
There are also a number of foods that are undesirable in the diet of an 8 month old baby. We will not write about chips, crackers, sweets bought in a store, mayonnaise and so on, because this is a matter of course. In addition, it is better not to give the baby:
You should not put salt, spices or sugar in your child's food, you can only season it with sunflower or butter for taste. I will also change a child of 8 months on breastfeeding, or on an artificial one, you need to remove everything to which he has allergic reactions, diarrhea or constipation.
This is how the menu of an 8-month-old child looks for every day, but all children are unique: someone eats complementary foods from 4 months, and someone at 8 months only gets to know him. Only the regime itself remains unchanged in children: feeding occurs 4-6 times a day, leaving an interval of about 4-5 hours. Some eat while waking up in the middle of the night. Try not to overfeed your baby at night so that his body also rests during sleep.
Creating a menu for a baby 8 months for a week is practically a science. It is necessary to distribute the dishes for a week in such a way that the baby gets the maximum benefit from them, and so that he does not get tired of eating the same thing. We made the following approximate table:
Day of week | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Afternoon snack | Dinner | Night meals (if required) |
Monday | Milk or mixture | Curd Oatmeal Apple or pear puree | Zucchini and potato puree Egg yolk Rabbit mousse Vegetable juice | Buckwheat Vegetable juice or compote | Milk or mixture | Milk or biscuits |
Tuesday | Milk or mixture | Buckwheat Natural yogurt or kefir Peach puree | Soup with potatoes and cauliflower Meat puree | Rice milk porridge with pumpkin Fruit juice | Milk or mixture | Milk or applesauce |
Wednesday | Milk or mixture | Rice porrige Plum puree with quince Fruit juice | Cauliflower and zucchini puree Turkey or chicken puree Blackcurrant juice | Milk porridge oat Fruit and vegetable juice with pulp | Milk or mixture | Milk or fruit puree |
On other days of the week, you can repeat this menu or come up with something else.
Menu for a baby of 8 months on artificial feeding or on the chest does not have to look like that. Correct it at your discretion, ask your pediatrician, and most importantly - watch the baby. If the baby does not like the product, try giving it a little, mixing with other products. The child refuses to eat, for example, broccoli, "calculating" in any puree? Stop feeding her and try again after a few months.
Between meals, treat crumbs to dryers or homemade breadcrumbs to scratch their gums. Be sure to give juice, water or compote throughout the day. It is better to make the drink yourself to be sure of its quality. You know how to feed your child - all that remains is to figure out how to create a varied menu from these products. Try to decorate the dishes at the same time - the child will like it, and he will eat with great appetite.
For growth and optimal development, your baby needs to eat healthy foods. When he is 8 months old, the diet is replenished with new products, regardless of whether the baby is breastfed or artificial.
At this age, the baby is already quite active, and he needs a lot of energy, which he receives from a balanced menu. 8 month - it's time to accustom the baby to the diet. Therefore, even from an early age, he must have breakfast, lunch and dinner at a strictly defined time.
The new product should be introduced little by little, over several days, until it becomes familiar to the baby. At the same time, parents can be advised to keep a diary in which all stages of the development of the children's diet will be recorded.
Abroad, in addition to the listed components of the children's menu, 8-year-olds are fed tofu soy cheese and other types of cheese based on cow's or goat's milk. Moreover, in some cases, such products begin to be introduced as early as 6 months. In our country, this practice has not become very widespread, perhaps for the better.
If the child is still feeding on breast milk, then at this age it is not necessary to completely transfer him to artificial feeding just for the sake of expanding the diet. Some babies like to end their main meal with mother's milk. You can also leave morning and evening breastfeeding.
When preparing food for crumbs for 8 months, you should use a blender or mixer (these modern devices allow you to achieve maximum grinding of ingredients), in extreme cases - a special strainer for complementary foods or a grater.
The most common dish in a child's diet at 8 months old is porridge, which can be cooked in various variations. For example, an assortment of several types of cereals, with the addition of fresh or.
You can cook porridge in milk, preferably homemade with a high percentage of fat (this must be diluted with water). You can grind the cereals yourself, or you can buy ready-made chopped ones, which you just need to fill with boiling water or hot milk.
The development of a child largely depends on the variety of cereals in the diet, since they contain many substances useful for the child's body.
Meat is an excellent source of protein, although at this stage of development, babies get most of it from their mother's milk. The main advantage of the product for babies is its high iron content. After all, it is in the period between 6 and 9 months that babies most often experience a lack of this mineral.
Meat as a separate product for an eight-month-old child should be given puree, but can be mixed with vegetable puree or added to porridge boiled in water.
Low-fat varieties are best suited for the baby: chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit, beef. The meat must be cleaned of fat, films, veins and boiled. Then twist several times in a meat grinder and pass through a sieve.
Fish is a very useful product for the growth and development of the body, rich in amino acids, omega3, trace elements and important. Pediatricians recommend introducing it into the baby's diet at 8 months.
You need to choose fish carefully, give preference to low-fat varieties such as cod, pike perch or hake.
Cooking will also require you to be careful. After boiling, the fish broth should be strained several times to avoid bones getting into the food. And it is still better to buy a quality fish fillet than a gutted carcass.
Starting from 8 months, it is allowed to cook soup for a baby in meat broth, but the meat used for this should not be fatty. Fish broth can be given once a week.
Potatoes, a little onion, carrots and herbs are also added to this broth. You should also add quite a bit of salt, although pediatricians disagree on this.
At the end of cooking, season the soup with butter (vegetable or butter).
It is necessary to grind everything thoroughly in a blender, since the child still has few teeth. If there is no technique at hand that is so useful for a young mother, the most ordinary fork will do, but lumps will remain.
It is necessary to continue giving the child fermented milk products in the form of kefir, cottage cheese and yogurt. They are alternated in the menu according to the principle: one day - one product.
It is better if the "milk" is homemade. It is no coincidence that homemade yogurt makers have become so popular among parents. When buying a store, you should carefully check not only the production date and shelf life, but also the composition.
It should be 30 ml per day. Continue this for several days, and then increase the portion to 150-200 ml in 8-9 days.
To diversify the milk table, use children's yogurt, you can add a little fruit to it, but sweetening with honey is prohibited. The presence of bee products in the menu of a child under one year old is fraught with severe allergies.
Chicken or quail eggs in the child's menu of 6-9 months contribute to the development of the brain, however, the independent introduction of these products into the diet is not recommended. Since eggs are a strong allergen, it is best to consult a pediatrician.
At first, the baby should receive mashed egg yolk, mashed with a fork.
Beans, peas and lentils are high in protein, so they look very attractive for a child's diet. Indeed, with the gradual transition to artificial feeding for the development of the child, it is extremely important that the protein component in his diet does not decrease.
But be careful. All legumes cause bloating, so don't overfeed your baby with foods in this group.
Any kind of ready-made baby puree bought in a store is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours. Although some labels have longer deadlines, it's best not to risk it.
You can also feed your 8-month-old baby with a bagel or crouton, but be careful not to swallow a large chunk or choke on it.
Some foods can trigger an allergic reaction. These include: chicken, cow's milk, many fruits and berries, and some vegetables. For example, there are cases of a child's allergy to carrots.
A child of 8 months should have a clear diet. He needs to be fed at about the same time every day.
There may be light snacks between meals. The children's diet provides for this. If the crumb constantly asks for food, slightly increase the portions of the main dishes. Intermediate snacks can consist of cookies, a piece of fruit, or a crouton.
The described regime is very formal, since each child is unique. Everyone's sleep patterns are different, so meal times may shift.
If your toddler is sick or teething, he is likely to refuse complementary foods and ask for breastmilk more often than usual. This is quite natural - this is how the baby seeks to calm down and feel safe. When the baby's condition improves, the previous feeding regimen should be restored.
Ruth Yaron is a popular author among American parents, who promotes his own developed system of feeding babies. The key principle: quick and easy preparation, as well as the absence of animal products in the diet. If you want to adopt this system, consult your pediatrician. Since in Russian realities, not all of the listed products are suitable for your child. But it's interesting to read.
Here's what Ruth Yaron advises to give to eight-month-old babies:
The introduction of the first complementary foods is a responsible business. Each mother makes a choice in favor of the product that she considers more suitable for her child. The first "adult" food is given to babies at the age of 5-7 months. By this age, you already have your first teeth, it's time to start learning to chew. The gastrointestinal tract is ready for the process of digesting a new type of food. We use Blender for absolutely all dishes. Its relevance will be up to 1.5 years, until the child finally learns to chew all the food. What and how to cook for a child of 8 months, each mother decides for herself. At this age, the children's menu does not differ much from the original dishes. It should be remembered that it is healthier for babies to eat freshly prepared food. Based on this, mom should plan her schedule so that she has time to prepare fresh meals.
If the mother decides to introduce the first complementary foods with the help of vegetables, then the methods of cooking, baking and steaming are what you need. The most useful way of cooking is, of course, steam. Vegetables do not lose their useful properties at all, but on the contrary, they acquire them. Next in the ranking is baking. It is convenient for mom and good for baby. Fish, vegetables, meat and even some fruits acquire a wonderful aroma and appetizing crust. With the appearance of the first teeth in children, mothers give them crusts of bread, humpbacks. The little ones also gnaw on bagels and crackers with pleasure, which means that their mother's cookies will be to their taste. You can make it easily and quickly using the oven, especially since the choice of recipes is so great that you can bake it from the products available at home. Liquid food is very important and necessary for the child's body, so first courses should be present in the diet at least once a day. This golden rule applies not only to adults, but also to the smallest. In order not to cook separately for the child, during the preparation of soups, borscht and cereals, you should not add seasonings and spices, and then the dishes will be suitable for the whole family and for its youngest members.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower are the most popular vegetables to be used as a first food. Later, they are also successfully used for soups, vegetable stews and casseroles. If the child does not have signs of allergies, then at the age of 8 months, vegetables such as carrots, beets and white cabbage are added to their food. Pumpkin is considered one of the most popular and healthy vegetables. The method of cooking pumpkin can be either baking neat or with an apple, or stewing with various cereals for cooking porridge. The dried fruit uzvar has passed the tests with a bang, which means you can try to introduce home-made compotes. Currants, strawberries, gooseberries, cherries, plums are the most useful berries also because they grow in our region, and are not brought from Turkey, Greece, Spain. Scientists have proven that it is more useful to consume those vegetables and fruits that are grown in their native land.
The well-known pediatrician Komarovsky E.O., like all doctors of the Soviet era, recommends introducing the first complementary foods, starting with dairy products. But whatever the choice, by the age of 8 months, the child should consume dairy products every day. An exception may be children who are allergic to cow's milk. Cottage cheese goes well with fruits and berries. Casseroles, puddings and cheese cakes will delight both the baby and the whole family. Kefirs, yoghurts, ferments perfectly normalize digestion, have a beneficial effect on metabolism, and the content of probiotics in them allows the gastrointestinal tract to work well.
Proper feeding of a baby up to 1 year old is one of the main tasks of a young mother, no matter what kind of feeding the baby grows on - breastfeeding or on mixtures. The child is growing, he is already 8 months old and the dishes on his menu are becoming more and more diverse - in addition to cereals and mashed potatoes, meat and fish are already being introduced into his diet. With such an abundance of products, mom can already experiment, prepare multi-component meals and delight her baby with new tastes.
A baby of 8 months already eats cereal porridge, grated boiled fruits and vegetables with enthusiasm. Its menu contains organic fermented milk products, egg yolk and meat. You can already replenish the menu of a child of 8 months with lean fish and expand the list of vitamin components.
In this section, we will provide the most acceptable meals for all meals throughout the day. With our food list, you can easily plan daily and weekly meals for your growing toddler.
Keep in mind that the total amount of food at one meal is about 200 g, and at lunchtime - a little more. If there are products on the list that are unfamiliar to your child, then take our instructions above.
Milk porridges for children under 1 year old are prepared only on adapted milk mixtures. Cow (goat) milk is not absorbed by the child's fragile body, it can provoke a metabolic failure and make the child's kidneys work in an extreme mode.
The cereals are first boiled until airy softness, wiped and liquefied with a dry mixture dissolved in water and boiled again for a couple of minutes. No salt or sugar is added.
Fermented milk products such as kefir, yogurt and curd should be adapted to the physiology of children under 1 year old.
We choose tender, without coarse fibers, vegetable crops. This can be zucchini, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, cauliflower, stalked celery, broccoli, and others.
Even more care should be taken with fruits, since many of them can provoke allergic manifestations in a child.
It is advisable to prepare mashed potatoes and soufflés from meat, which are combined with mashed potatoes from vegetable crops or vegetable broth. Meat used in dishes for an 8 month old baby should be fresh and not greasy.
Forbidden: goose and duck, fatty pork.
If the baby receives breast milk, then it is better to introduce fish into his diet not at the age of 8 months, but later - at 9-10 months. Fish contains many unsaturated fatty acids, minerals and vitamins and often causes allergic skin reactions.
If the crumb is artificially fed, then you can carefully give him a taste of fish soufflé or mashed potatoes, starting with 1/3 teaspoon. The baby can eat fish dishes no more than 2 times a week, 30 g each, mixing it with mashed potatoes or vegetables.
Preference should be given to sea fish with white meat: pollock, hake, cod. It is better to refrain from red salmon fish. From river fish, carp and pike perch are suitable for dishes for an 8-month-old baby.
You, as the mother of a growing baby, know more clearly than all other family members what your baby needs. You spend all your time with your baby, and there is an inextricable bond between you. The appropriate inclusion of any meal for an 8 month old baby is prompted by your maternal intuition. May it never dry up in you!