Foods To Feed Before Your Baby Turns 1

As a mother you want to give the best diet to your baby; a diet which would help in baby’s optimal growth and development. So which foods and in what form, they should be introduced to a baby? Foods introduced before one year of age should match the baby’s nutritional requirement and also be in a form, which can be digested easily by the baby.

Once the baby turns six months, it is time to introduce complementary foods in the diet now. The baby is growing rapidly now and the breast milk alone cannot suffice for the nutritional needs. Milk anyway is not a good source of iron and vitamin C. And by four to six months, the stores of vitamin C and iron are getting depleted in baby’s body. So it is the right time to start with foods rich in vitamin C and iron.  Since the baby’s digestive system has not yet fully developed and the baby is used to only liquid milk, you should start with foods which are liquid in consistency first and then gradually introduce purees, semi-solids of flowing consistency, then lumpy and finally solids.

1) Soups and juices

You can start with vegetable soup; mainly comprising of green leafy vegetables as they are rich in iron and vitamin A. Other vegetables can be pumpkin, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes. Start with fresh fruit juice of apple, pomegranate, pineapple etc. Avoid citrus fruit juices like orange and mausambi till one year as they might give allergy to the baby.

2) Rice and dal water

Next can be rice water and dal water. They should not be seasoned.

3) Porridges and kheer

You can start with malted ragi porridge, rice flakes and sago porridge. Rice kheer can also be started. Keep the consistency flowing only, so that the baby can swallow these easily. Gradually start with suji, dalia porridge/kheer.

4) Boiled and mashed starchy vegetables

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot can be boiled, mashed and given with a spoon of ghee or butter on it.

5) Stewed fruits

Apple, pear, peach can be stewed/boiled, mashed and then be given to the baby. A ripe banana can also be mashed and given to the baby.

6) Curd

Fresh curd set at home is another option for babies at 6-7 months of age. Custard can also be started now.

7) Soaked and mashed dried fruits

You can soak and mash dried fruits like dates, apricots, raisin and give to the baby. These can be added to the porridge and kheer as well. Avoid giving nuts till one year of age.

8) Egg yolk

Semi boiled egg yolk of liquid consistency can be given to the baby. It can be added to soup or boiled mashed dal too.

9) Boiled and mashed dal and khichri

Well, cooked mung dal/washed dal can be started. Similarly, dal-rice khichri with vegetables can be given to the babies now. Take care that the consistency is flowing and not lumpy, as it would be difficult for the baby to swallow it.

10) Oats, rice, chapatti

By 8-9 months you can start with well/overcooked mashed rice with dal or curd. Similarly, oats can be given in porridge or vegetable upma form. Once the chewing and swallowing movements are well developed in your baby, start with chapatti soaked and mashed in thin dal, milk, curd, soup etc.

11) Cooked seasonal vegetables

By the time the baby is turning 10-11 months, you can start with seasonal vegetables except for the ones which may pose choking hazards like corn, peas or any similar.

12) Fruits

Seasonal fruits can be started taking care while feeding grapes or any small fruit.

13) Chicken and mutton

Stewed mutton, chicken or their soup can also be started now.

14) Seeds

Different seeds like flax, sesame, chia, hemp, melon can be powdered and added to the food of your baby now.