8 month old baby menu
Nutrition for an 8 month old baby is an important component of his health. The kid has already grown up, so it is necessary to introduce additional dishes in the menu, enrich the diet. At the same time, do not forget that the child should be taught to new products gradually, in small portions. In the menu of an 8 month old child, in addition to fruits, vegetables, cereals, kefir, meat, fish and bread should also be present.
Nutrition for an 8 month old baby
At eight months, the baby retains five meals a day with a night break. The optimal interval between meals is four hours. At this age, it is important to feed your baby at the same time. If you adhere to a constant daily regimen, then the baby will eat and sleep well, and while awake it will be active and cheerful.
For full development, the diet of an 8 month old baby should consist of breast milk and complementary foods. Breastfeeding helps build the immune system and supplies the baby's body with beneficial antibodies. With their help, the baby develops immunity to various diseases. In addition, breast milk contains:
- Proteins;
- Fats;
- Carbohydrates;
- Enzymes;
- Antibodies;
- Vitamins.
However, it can no longer fully satisfy the needs for proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins of the growing body of the crumbs, so it is enough to keep only morning and evening feeding, and replace the rest with complementary foods. In addition, the introduction of additional meals allows you to diversify the menu of an 8 month old baby. What foods should be introduced first for complementary foods at this age?
Nutritionists recommend starting with fermented milk products, as they are easy to digest and absorb. Also, in the diet of an 8-month-old child, you should gradually begin to bring meat (preferably veal, turkey, chicken), egg yolk, bread and crackers.
In addition, a little fish can already be added to the menu of an 8 month old baby. This product, like meat, is a source of complete protein, fats, vitamins B1, B2, B12, PP and mineral salts. In addition, fish is easier to digest than meat, and fish oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are most often deficient in infants, especially those who are formula-fed. The fish should be served in the form of steam cutlets or a cooked mass, wiped through a sieve. Since fish is a potential allergen, you should not give it to your child more than once a week.
In the diet of an 8 month old baby, food should not only be liquid or thoroughly wiped. As soon as the first teeth appear, you can already use a coarse grater or cut the food into small pieces so that the baby can chew.
Fruit and vegetables must be peeled. Cook meat and fish as usual for the whole family, but do not add any spices. Then cut off a small piece for the child and mashed. Can be diluted with a small amount of vegetable broth if necessary. Soup for an 8 month old baby is prepared in meat broth. Sugar and salt should not be added to food; you can season with butter or well-refined vegetable oil (olive, sunflower or corn).
8 month old baby menu
At eight months, the child develops a craving for new experiences, including food. Most often, the baby has a good appetite during this period, so he does not have antipathy to most foods. And although a baby at this age will not refuse a breast or a bottle with a mixture, he is more willing to satisfy hunger at the expense of other food. Moreover, the time of his feeding may already coincide with the diet of the whole family.
Sample menu for an 8 month old baby:
- Breakfast - 6:00. For the first meal after waking up, the most familiar food for a child is best suited - breast milk or formula (200 g);
- Second breakfast - 10:00. The second meal is recommended to be more varied. This can be 150 g of dairy-free porridge, 50 g of breast milk and half an egg yolk;
- Lunch –14: 00. At this age, a baby's lunch is more like an adult's lunch. Soup for an 8 month old baby is prepared in meat broth or vegetable puree soup (150-180 g), and for the second - 50 g of meat or fish. Milk or juices are recommended as drinks;
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Optimal diet for an 8 month old baby Afternoon snack - 18:00. You can pamper your child with fruit (50 g) and give milk again (150-180 g);
- Dinner - 20:00. For dinner, milk or kefir is best for the baby. So that the child does not feel hungry and sleeps all night, 200 g will be enough.
It is worth noting that cereals for a baby are cooked in milk or water, it will not be superfluous to add fruit puree to them. The main group of vegetables that is used in the diet of an 8 month old child is potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, it is not forbidden to mix them in various variations. You can also add no more than 50 g of carrots, beets, cabbage or green peas to the main mixture.
So that the 8 month old baby gets used to the new products added to the menu faster, they can be mixed with his favorite dishes, gradually increasing the proportions. Sometimes children refuse new food not because it tastes bad, they just need to get used to it.
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