The menu of an 8-month-old baby should already be quite diverse. The diet of a baby who is being breast-fed is significantly different from the “baby” diet, as the first feeding is introduced 1 month earlier: instead of the prescribed 6 months - at 5. At this age, the child should already get acquainted with many products.
Sample list of products introduced by month
- The first product that should be introduced into the baby’s diet at 5-6 months is vegetables.
- At 6-7 months of age, depending on the method of feeding, porridge is introduced, preferably milk-cereal, cooked on its own or bought in a children's store.
- At 7-8 months, dairy products are introduced - kefir, cottage cheese.
- At 8-9 - meat, fruits.
- 9-10 - fish of low-fat varieties.
The remaining feedings should be replaced with breast milk or an adapted mixture.
All products on the menu of an 8-month-old artifact or infant are introduced gradually, starting with a quarter of a teaspoon. Further, if there were no unexpected reactions, you can give twice as much, and so on to the required rate.
Meat
If you decide to add meat to the menu of an 8-month-old baby, then it is better to start with the broth. Your baby at this age should already eat all kinds of vegetables, so grate them and add to chicken stock. Next, if there are no problems, the next day try adding shabby meat to the soup. After a week, you can mix it with porridge or mashed potatoes.
Better to start with chicken, rabbit, veal, beef - they are less greasy and more susceptible. Meat is necessary for a growing child’s body, because it contains amino acids, fats, animal proteins, mineral salts and many essential vitamins.
Yolk
After a week, try giving your child the yolk of a chicken egg. Start with a quarter, then increase the dose. It should be remembered that up to a year, giving a whole yolk to a child is undesirable.
Fruits on the menu of an 8-month-old baby
Komarovsky Evgeny Olegovich, a well-known children's doctor, recommends administering fruit exactly when the baby has the first tooth, but not until 6 months. It is not necessary to start with juices; it is better to give your child a baked or grated apple. Then expand the diet by offering the baby a banana, after which you can try apricot, etc. Enter first a teaspoon and monitor the reaction. You should not give too allergic products at this age, for example, oranges, tangerines, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, etc. After a few days, you can offer the baby a compote of fruits or dried fruits.
Remember that fruit puree does not replace the main food, but is given in addition to the main food.
How can you diversify the menu of an 8-month-old baby?
You can add low-fat sour cream and crushed cookies to the curd. In the soup - a two-day bread. If your baby’s gums itch, offer him a cracker, bread crust or bagel, this should certainly please him.
But what about the main nutrition (meaning mother’s breast or adapted mixture)? If the mother still wants to feed her milk, then let him feed at least one year, after a year it no longer makes any biological sense for the child. As for the menu of an 8-month-old child-artisan, milk mixtures are no worse in composition than cow's milk, so they can be fed up to 2 and up to 3 years.
At this age, you can start giving your child semolina. You will probably be surprised, but this
type of porridge should not be introduced into the baby's diet before the age of 8 months due to the content of gliadin (gluten) in it. In rare cases, this substance can provoke quite serious intestinal diseases.
Sample menu for an 8 month old baby
1 feeding (6-7 hours): adapted mixture or mother's breast.
2 feeding (9-10 hours): cottage cheese with banana and cookies - 100 g, kefir - 110 g.
3 feeding (13-14 hours): vegetable soup on meat broth or with grated meat - 180 g, bread - 5 g, half yolk, fruit juice - 50 g.
4 feeding (17-18 hours): mashed vegetables - 160 g, fruit puree - 40 g, compote of dried fruits or fruits - 50 g.
5 feeding (21–22 hours): porridge with milk and fruit - 180 g.
What to drink?
It should be remembered that it is not worth giving the baby water from the tap or boiled water. The first - due to pathogenic bacteria, the latter - due to precipitated dissolved salts, which will not bring any benefit to the baby. Therefore, it is advisable to buy mineral water specifically designed for children. It must be non-carbonated. If there is no opportunity to purchase such water, then prepare a raisin broth that will quickly cleanse it. To do this, pour 1 tablespoon of raisins with a glass of freshly boiled water. Let it brew for a few minutes, bring to the right temperature and give to the child.
The main thing you should pay attention to is gradualness and patience. It is necessary to introduce products into the menu of an 8-9 month old baby with special care, it is necessary to observe the reaction of the baby. If you notice any problems in the form of skin rashes or unusual stools, stop introducing the product unfamiliar to the child and postpone it to a later date. Do not give sweets, chocolate, sausage, store juices, sparkling water to your baby at this age , explain to your grandmothers that the liver at this age is not yet fully developed and any malnutrition can lead to irreversible consequences. Know the measure and rely on your maternal intuition.