Your baby is eight months old now, and his curiosity about everything is increasing day by day. An eight months old baby is a master in swallowing mashed foods. Moreover, gradually they also learn how to chew on solid foods.
Your child is in a developing stage at this moment. Subsequently, you should ensure that the nourishments you give him help build up his biting abilities and meet his dietary necessities as well.
By eight months, usually, babies have tried several different foods and most likely have found their favorite ones. However, half of the calories necessary for their development despite everything originate from breast milk and formula milk.
Best foods for an eight months old baby:
A healthy and sound eating regimen that contains the right amount of carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, minerals, and nutrients is vital for the development of your child. We can find the right blend of every one of these supplements in a wide assortment of food items.
Oats/Cereals and grains:
You can combine a portion of the oats that your eight-month-old infant is already eating without showing any allergic reaction. You can likewise include biscuits and bread into the diet plan for your eight-month-old after your baby is capable of enjoying foods with different textures. Babies of this age love pasta mixed with cheese. Wheat, sesame, rice, millet, and buckwheat are some grains that you can add in your eight months old baby’s meal plan.
Rice, pulses, and wheat:
You can feed your eight-month-old baby some non-spicy cooked lentils. Try to avoid feeding your baby multi-grain bread. You can also introduce soft and freshly baked wheat bread in your baby’s diet plan.
Vegetables:
Before, your baby could only eat mashed vegetables or vegetable puree. But now he can eat steamed small cubes of vegetables. You can consolidate many different kinds of vegetables into your child’s eating routine. You can make a steamed vegetable bowl or add vegetables in boiled rice. Try to introduce vegetables like asparagus, cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli, and green peas in his meal plan gradually. All of these vegetables are incredibly healthy for an eight-month-old baby. Make sure to wait for at least three to four days before introducing another vegetable. Just in case to be careful if your baby is allergic to any vegetable or food.
Protein:
You can introduce different nourishments that are wealthy in protein for eight months olds eating pattern. Some protein-rich nourishments incorporate fish, beef, turkey, tofu, chicken, egg yolks, and beans. You can also chop this food into smaller cubes or cook and puree them.
Fruits:
Fruits are a great source of the mineral, micronutrients, and other vitamins. Aside from the regular fruits such as bananas, apples, papayas, mango, and so forth. You can likewise add a few organic fruits such as pomegranates, kiwi, and strawberries, etc. You can also cut these fruits into cubes or different shapes for making beautiful finger foods for your baby. Cut them in different and creative shapes, and your baby will love to eat them all.
Dairy:
Cheese made from pasteurized milk is a superb source of calcium for your eight months old baby. You can incorporate Colby, jack, cheddar, and cottage cheese into your baby’s diet. Avoid giving soft cheese to your baby as they can cause some health issues if given at an early age.
Fish:
Fish is an exceptionally nutritious nourishment that one can give to babies as youthful as eight months. You can feed your baby fish in the form of puree or soup. Fish enrich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, rohu, and tuna are great for the development and mental health of babies.
Chicken:
Chicken is known as probably the most healthy and advantageous nourishment for babies. It can be given to babies by the age of seven months. Chicken is normally given in the form of soup or puree to the babies. The juice in which the chicken is cooked is likewise really healthy for babies.
Eggs:
Eggs are rich in healthy proteins and good fats and are known as the healthiest nourishment for babies. You can feed boil eggs to your baby by cutting them into smaller pieces. Some of the babies might be allergic to eggs. So, you should keep an eye out for any indications of hypersensitivity in your child.
Cheese:
Cheese is an amazing source of calcium for developing babies. You can use processed cheese as a great snack for babies. Moreover, it is readily available in the market. You can offer cheese to your baby or can mix it in other foods such as pasta etc. as well. Make sure to give it in constrained amounts as a lot of anything can cause an upset stomach.
Yogurt:
Thick yogurt made by using cow’s milk is great nourishment to be given to babies, particularly in summer. You can likewise use it as a snack for babies. There are plenty of yogurt flavors available in the market. You can choose as per your baby’s liking. They are a magnificent source of minerals and vitamins for eight months old babies. Moreover, they also provide good bacteria for the baby’s gut health.
Breast milk:
Keep giving breast milk to your baby, along with solid foods, as he is still in the developing phase. Give solid foods as extra nourishment. Breast milk is more necessary to be fed in the first six months as compared to the seventh month, and so on. Baby’s breast milk requirement descends as they start eating solid foods. An eight months old breastfed baby must be given 19 to 30 ounces of breast milk every day (570-900 ml).
Formula milk:
Formula milk or powder milk intends to give the same benefits as that of breast milk. You can also add formula milk as a meal in your baby’s diet plan. Offer your baby some formula milk in a cup or glass. In case he declines or refuses to drink from a cup, you can pour it in a feeder and feed it to your baby.
A feeding schedule of an eight months old baby:
Making a feeding schedule of your baby helps you in getting familiar with your baby’s daily routine. You can track down your baby’s sleep, eating, and playtime. If there is no daily routine, then you can make one. While making the timetable of your eight months old baby, you must keep these things in your mind that children of this age need the accompanying:
- Your baby must be given solid foods for two to three times every day.
- 25 to 32 of breast milk or formula milk should be given to the baby in 24 hours along with the solid foods.
- Start introducing new foods such as finger foods and Sippy cups etc.
- You can also slowly start increasing the quantity of food.
- By eight months of age, babies need at least 13 to 14 hours of sleep every day.
- Eight months old babies take two naps in a day—one in the morning and one in the evening.
- Social communication with parents helps babies in growing new aptitudes.
Food schedule:
Following is a sample food schedule for your eight months old baby.
- Morning: Baby wakes up and feeds for half an hour around 200 ml.
- Breakfast: You can give one cup of steamed vegetables or steamed chicken pieces or whatever else you want.
- Noon snack time: You can cut one or two fruits into small pieces and give it to your baby for mid-morning snack time. You can also try giving yogurt. If your baby likes eating boiled vegetables, you can feed your baby boiled vegetables again
- Lunch: One cup of cereal made with breast milk or formula milk is the ideal lunchtime meal.
- Naptime.
- Evening Snack: Feed your baby (breast milk or formula milk) about 200 ml.
- Dinner: You can give your baby some porridge or another bowl of cereal for dinner.
- Night – Breastfeed/Formula feed your baby and put him to sleep.
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