Diet plan for an 8 month old baby. Eating a child at eight months: diet regimen and menu

The presence in the diet of 8- month old baby healthy products recommended by experts is an indispensable condition for the proper growth and development of the baby. At this age, physical activity increases markedly, which requires a greater energy value of the diet.

According to WHO recommendations ( World Organization health), there is no difference in the diet of children on and babies receiving. Previously, children artificial feeding complementary foods were introduced in more early dates. This was due to the poor quality of milk formulas, which did not provide the child with the necessary nutrients.

Currently, adapted mixtures are almost identical in composition to breast milk. Therefore, the timing of the introduction of certain complementary foods in infants and artificers does not differ. True, on the Internet you can read many articles with recommendations for different timing of the introduction of complementary foods and differences in the diets of infants and artificers. In some regions of the country, you can also meet pediatricians working in the old fashioned way, adhering to old methods.

Not less than important point There is also the question of the timing of the introduction of juices into the diet of babies. Previously, they were recommended to start giving from 1-2 months, and by the age of 8 months, the recommended portion of juice reached 50-70 ml. Until now, in many articles on the Internet (as well as in the advice of some pediatricians), these recommendations have been preserved.

However, studies by foreign experts have proven that juices have an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa and can cause development not only, but also in adolescence. Therefore, fruit juices should not be introduced into the child's diet until the age of one. Some experts advise giving juices even later.

The list of products and their quantity for the diet at 8 months

Millet porridge with a banana diversifies the diet of an 8-month-old baby.

The diet includes most of the products received by the child earlier, but their range is expanding, the portion sizes are increasing. One of the new products is fish, but more on that below. The difference is also the fact that now you can cook multi-component vegetable and fruit purees and cereals for your child.

Vegetables

In addition to vegetables already familiar to the child (, pumpkin, carrots,) green peas, beans can be used. Crushed legumes are added to vegetable puree from other vegetables or to meat puree. The addition of legumes should be small (30-40 g), since a large amount of them can cause bloating and discomfort. Onions can be added to vegetable purees, puree soups. The maximum serving of vegetables for a child to consume per day is 180 g.

Kashi

This dish is a must for an 8 month old baby. In addition to the porridge already familiar to the baby (oatmeal), you can gradually introduce it, starting with 1 tsp. new product. You can cook porridge on water, on vegetable broth, on breast milk or a mixture.

You can add no more than 1 tsp to the finished porridge. creamy or mashed boiled vegetables or fruits. You can cook porridge for your mother yourself or purchase industrial products for children. At 8 months, you can give your baby 150-170 g of porridge.

Some children do not master the volume of the normative portion of porridge or vegetable puree, others willingly cope with it and can also suck on the breast. If the baby eats less, but gains weight well, then parents have nothing to worry about.

Dairy products

From fermented milk products, a child can be given not only cottage cheese, but also. These products can be made in addition to other dishes, or you can feed a child with cottage cheese and kefir in the afternoon. They can be bought in the baby food department, paying attention to the production time and composition.

The best is the preparation of lactic acid products by the mother on her own. For this purpose, a yogurt maker and special starter cultures purchased at a pharmacy are used. Such yogurts not only enrich the child's body with beneficial microflora, but also prevent the development of pathogens.

The fat content of dairy products should be minimal. To improve the taste of these products, you can add crushed fresh fruits or dried fruits (pre-soaked in warm water). Permissible daily consumption rates: yogurt and kefir - 200 g, - 50 g.

Fruits

Fruits serve as a source of trace elements and vitamins for the body. used to be a child already met with an apple, banana, apricot and. Now the child can also receive currants (preferably golden),. Each variety of fruits (berries) should be administered separately, starting with a minimum portion (0.5-1 tsp) and monitoring the body's reaction to a new product.

From the fruits already familiar to the baby, you can prepare a multi-component puree. At the same time, its basis (50% of the volume) should be applesauce, other fruits are added to it. If the child's stool is normal, then raisins, melon pulp can be introduced into the diet. Citrus and Exotic fruits(, mango, kiwi) is not recommended. The normative age portion of fruit puree can be up to 80 g per day.

Meat

Many children have already begun to introduce meat into the diet at the end of the eighth month. In this case, after reaching the full 8 months, you should increase the portion of chicken meat puree,. Additionally, you can enter veal, beef. Meat puree can be added to vegetable puree. The daily portion of meat can be brought up to 50 g.

If up to 8 months the meat has not yet been introduced to the child, then you should start with a minimum amount (0.5 tsp) of ready-made meat puree. To prepare it, you need to boil (or cook in a double boiler) chicken breast, grind it with a blender and dilute it with breast milk to the desired consistency.

In the absence of a blender, the meat must be scrolled through a meat grinder twice. In addition to chicken, rabbit and turkey can be used for the first samples. With good meat tolerance, the portion of it gradually increases to the standard.

Fish

For the first test, the child should be offered boiled fish of low-fat varieties.

is a new product that experts recommend starting to introduce into the diet after 8 months. Fish contains not only valuable proteins, but also polyunsaturated fatty acids (including omega-3), minerals and vitamins.

For the first sample, low-fat sea fish is suitable:

• pollock,
• cod,

Its introduction into the diet should be carried out according to the same rules: from a minimum amount (5 g), monitoring the reaction of the body, gradually increasing the portion to 30 g.

With good tolerance of sea fish, after about 3 weeks, you can offer the child river fish (carp, salmon, pike perch). Mashed or soufflé is prepared from fish. A fish dish can be given no more than 1-2 times a week.

Beverages

You can drink a child boiled water(or special water for children). In addition, the child can be given compote and jelly prepared by the mother from fresh fruits or without sugar. You can also make decoctions of dried apricots, raisins, prunes.

Other products

In addition to the above, other products should be given to a child at 8 months:

• a small amount (5 g per day) of wheat, slightly dried bread;
• biscuit cookies or crackers - 3 pieces (soak in breast milk or kefir);
• homemade crackers from a wheat loaf or drying (give suck or gnaw under the supervision of an adult);
• the amount of butter and vegetable (sunflower, olive, corn) remains the same, that is, 5 g;
• a serving of hard-boiled egg yolk () also remains the same - ½ yolk 1-2 times a week.

Hard crackers offered to the child will contribute to the development of chewing skills and the formation of the maxillofacial apparatus, which will also have a positive effect on the development of speech.

Diet and feeding regimen at 8 months

At 8 months of age, the child receives 5 meals a day. Breast milk or adapted formula feeding should be maintained. Mom's lactation may already be reduced, but you should not rush to replace mother's milk with a mixture. Breastfeeding is important to maintain at least until the age of one. The diet is varied, but it is recommended to give breasts or a mixture at least before bedtime and early in the morning.

Mom can compose on her own various options menu, guided by the following tips:

• the same product should not be given to a child twice a day;
• without fail, the baby must receive daily cereals, meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy products in order to provide the body with the necessary nutrients, minerals, vitamins;
• mom can decide for herself when it is better to give porridge (for breakfast or dinner), and when fermented milk products; a combination of them is also possible;
• for lunch, be sure to cook vegetable dishes, fish or meat;
• for dessert, you can prepare fruit and berry puree, baked fruits, fruit soufflés or mousses.

To make it easier to organize the nutrition of the baby, it is better for the mother to prepare a menu for the week in advance, taking into account the recommendations of specialists in the set of products and the daily need of the child for them.

sample menu

Yogurt with your favorite fruits will surely please the little gourmet.

Menu for the day

• 6:00 - mother's milk or formula;
• 10:00 - porridge on the water, monocomponent or multicomponent with butter; fruit puree;
• 14:00 - vegetable puree soup with the addition of vegetable oil and half the yolk, meat puree or soufflé, bread, compote;
• 18:00 - yogurt with fruit or kefir, cottage cheese with cookies;
• 22:00 - mother's milk or adapted formula.

The sequence of the dishes offered to the child can be changed. For example, fermented milk products can be given to the baby for a second breakfast, and porridge (dairy or dairy-free) can be prepared for dinner. After a more satisfying dinner and breastfeeding before bed, the baby will sleep and not require a breast at night. The same recommendations are given by Dr. E. O. Komarovsky, known to many parents.

Always from 6:00 to 7:00, that is, at the first breakfast, and at 22:00 (before bedtime), the baby receives breast milk or an adapted formula.

What to feed an allergic child?

For a baby with a tendency to allergies, only products that rarely cause the development of allergic reactions should be selected. The doctor will help you choose a hypoallergenic milk formula. Under an absolute ban should be cow's milk. According to the recommendations of experts, complementary foods are introduced to children with allergies a month later than to healthy children.

An 8-month-old allergic child is not allowed to eat highly allergenic foods:

• poultry meat;
• fish;
• whole milk products;
• chicken eggs;
• fruits and vegetables with bright colors.

The basis of nutrition is homemade sour-milk products, vegetables and gluten-free cereals boiled in water. Rabbit meat and lean beef are introduced no earlier than 9 months, and fish - only shortly before the age of one.

Chicken eggs can not be introduced up to a year, with the permission of the allergist, they can be replaced with quail eggs. From fruits, you can give a green apple, banana, plums, golden currants. Ideally, you should coordinate the set of products with an allergist or pediatrician.

Summary for parents

The diet of an 8-month-old baby is so varied that it allows mom to show both her imagination and her culinary skills in order to prepare new healthy and tasty dishes.

At 8 months, the child learns to use cutlery, behavior at the table. Even crackers in the diet are not given by chance - they will help develop the baby's chewing apparatus and prepare for meals at the common table.

Pediatrician, nutritionist S. G. Makarova talks about how to feed a child at 8 months:

The nutrition of an 8 month old baby is an important component of his health. The baby has already grown up, so it is necessary to introduce additional dishes into the menu, enrich the diet. At the same time, one should not forget that the child should be accustomed to new products gradually, in small portions. In the menu of an 8 month old baby, 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 the baby at the same time. If you adhere to a constant daily routine, then the baby will eat and sleep well, and during wakefulness 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 the formation of the immune system, supplies the child's body with useful 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 dishes 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 easily digested and absorbed. Also, in the diet of an 8-month-old child, one should gradually begin to introduce 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 artificially fed. Fish should be given in the form of steam cutlets or boiled mass, rubbed 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 be only liquid or thoroughly wiped. As soon as his first teeth appear, you can already use a coarse grater or cut food into small pieces so that the baby can chew.

Fruits 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 grind into puree. If necessary, dilute with a small amount of vegetable broth. Soup for an 8 month old baby is prepared with 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).

Menu for an 8 month old baby

At eight months, the child develops a craving for new experiences, including food. Most often, the baby during this period has a good appetite, so he does not dislike most foods. And although a baby at this age will not refuse a breast or a bottle with a mixture, he is more likely to satisfy his 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:

It is worth noting that cereals for a baby are boiled 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 nutrition of an 8-month-old baby is potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, they are not forbidden to be mixed in various variations. You can also add no more than 50 g of carrots, beets, cabbage or green peas to the main mixture.

To new products added to the menu, 8 month old baby got used to it faster, they can be mixed with his favorite dishes, gradually increasing the proportions. Sometimes kids refuse new foods not because they don't taste good, they just need to get used to them.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

The menu of an 8-month-old baby continues to be replenished with new dishes and products. This must be done slowly and carefully, following the reaction of the body. In the event of a rash, vomiting or diarrhea, the introduction of complementary foods should be discontinued. There is a list of foods that are allowed at this age, and some dishes should be left for subsequent months.

An 8-month-old baby must be fed with cottage cheese and other fermented milk products. The menu includes yoghurts. Products should not have a long shelf life. It is better if the dishes are cooked at home.

Complementary foods from cottage cheese dishes can be combined with fruits or dried fruits.

Kefir can be served as an addition to morning or evening milk feeding. If the child refuses to eat this product, then it will be enough to give him a few spoons before the main feeding with breast milk or formula.

At 8 months, the menu contains all types of allowed cereals. You can cook them from rice, corn, oatmeal, buckwheat. You can diversify the diet by cooking porridge from several cereals. In the finished dish, begin to add a little butter. Porridge needs to be boiled in water, you can use pasteurized milk.

Complementary food in the form of hard-boiled chicken yolk is a new product in the menu of an 8-month-old baby. The whole yolk should not be given yet, it should be divided in half. The yolk should be introduced into the diet no more than twice a week. If the child does not like this product, you can finely grate it and add it to the mixture or porridge.

The diet of the child includes complementary foods from meat dishes. Initially, you should cook the broth on the meat, then the soup.

On average, it takes about two weeks to get acquainted with meat dishes. Twice a week, it is recommended to replace the meat dish with fish.

The menu is complemented by complementary foods made from fruit puree. It is allowed to make it from peaches, apples, pears, apricots, bananas. You can squeeze juice, cook compotes.

In the diet of an 8-month-old baby, with caution, you can try to introduce complementary foods from legumes (beans, peas, lentils).

Between the main feedings, it is allowed to feed the child with cookies or white bread crackers, no more than 10 grams.

Features of feeding at this age

At 8 months of age, the child eats five times a day with an interval of approximately 4 hours. The child's diet looks like this: in the morning it is advisable to cook porridge, for lunch - soup or meat broth, in the evening - a light dinner with sour-milk products. Early first breakfast and evening late dinner should consist of breast milk or formula. A breastfed baby should receive about 900 g of milk per day.

The approximate menu schedule for an 8-month-old baby follows the following hourly schedule.

1. The baby wakes up still early, around 6 o'clock in the morning. At this time, you need to feed him with breast milk or a mixture. You should not stop breastfeeding, especially if the baby is in dire need of it. Mother's milk contains components that ensure the maintenance of immunity and the normal functioning of the intestines, which is especially important during the introduction of complementary foods.
2. Breakfast must necessarily consist of cereals. They are boiled in water, without the addition of salt and sugar. Cereals should be chosen without gluten (oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, corn). If the children are on breastfeeding, then the menu will consist of new cereals, by this time the artisans are getting acquainted with all allowed cereals. In the finished dish, you can add a small piece of butter (5 g). Additionally, you can serve the yolk of a chicken egg (1/2 pc.).
3. For lunch, you can serve vegetable soup or broth, cooked from lean meats (rabbit, chicken, turkey, veal). You can make cutlets or meatballs for a couple, cook mashed vegetables. It is allowed for dessert in the diet to include natural juice from fruits familiar to the child's body.
4. Dinner should not overload the digestive organs. It is best to give the baby kefir or cottage cheese, fruit puree.
5. Before going to bed, breast milk or formula will be indispensable.

If the child is artificially fed, then the first complementary foods were presumably introduced earlier, at 4-5 months. Therefore, at 8 months, you can include fish in the diet. It is better to choose river or ocean fish with white meat (hake, pollock).

Fruit dishes should be included between main feedings. They cannot replace other products. So they are better digested by the body, and all the nutrients will be absorbed.

Feeding rules

The table will help you visualize what the diet of an 8-month-old baby looks like, regardless of what kind of feeding he is on.

Feeding time	Products, dishes and their quantity
First breakfast (6.00–6.30)	Mom's milk or mixture (220 ml). If the child is bottle-fed, then half of the volume falls on kefir (110 ml).
Second breakfast (10.00–10.30)	Porridge (170 g) with butter (5 g), puree from familiar fruits (50 g).
Lunch (14.00–14.30)	Vegetable puree (160 g), meat cutlet (40 g), favorite fruit puree (40 g), natural juice (30 g).
Afternoon snack (18.00)	Curd dish (40 g), fruit puree (50 g), cookies (10 g) and kefir (100 g).
Late dinner (22.00)	Breast milk or mixture (220 ml). You can give kefir (110 ml).

Approximate menu of an 8-month-old baby for a whole week in the form of a table.

Days of the week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Time
6.00	Breast milk or formula and kefir.
10.00	Rice porridge, egg yolk, fruit puree.	Corn porridge, applesauce.	Buckwheat porridge, fruits.	Oatmeal porridge, egg yolk, apricot puree.	Rice porridge with carrot puree, pear puree.	Buckwheat porridge, beetroot puree.	Oatmeal, plum and apple puree.
14.00	Meat broth, mashed potatoes with meat, jelly.	Broth on meat, meat with boiled carrots, natural fruit juice.	Fish broth, meat patty with squash puree, compote.	Vegetable puree with fish cake, apple juice.	Meat cutlet, cauliflower puree, jelly.	Mashed potatoes and meat, natural juice.	Meat puree with vegetables, apricot juice.
18.00	Kefir, cottage cheese, cookies.
22.00	Mother's milk or adapted formula.

• food must be brought to a puree state;
• do not add spices, as well as salt and sugar;

• three breastfeedings can already be replaced with complementary foods;
• the dish must be prepared for one feeding;
• the child should be weaned from feeding at night.

The first complementary foods directly affect the further development of the child's digestive organs. Mom should draw up a feeding regimen on time and correctly, with the inclusion of permitted products.

Starting from about six months, without interrupting breastfeeding, children begin to gradually introduce "adult" food. At six months, they are offered some types of vegetables and fruits as complementary foods (zucchini, potatoes, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, apples, pears), juices, milk and dairy-free buckwheat and rice porridge, fat-free kefir and cottage cheese.

At seven months, the menu is replenished with egg yolk, spinach, carrots, dried bread, cheese, cereals, garlic, butter and lean meat. Complementary foods at 8 months represent the baby's further exposure to animal and plant foods, and are supplemented by more complex foods and spices.

From this article you will learn:

Pediatricians' recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods in different countries similar - mothers of the entire civilized world breastfeed their children for up to two years, at six months they offer them the first "solid" food - one-component porridge or one-component vegetable puree, starting with an amount equal to a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume to 200 grams, which is enough to fully replace one feeding.

True, in Japan complementary foods are introduced no earlier than a year. Up to this point, babies eat exclusively mother's milk or an adapted mixture. In Sweden, "pure" breastfeeding lasts up to 8-9 months, after which the babies try the first vegetables and fruits.

In India, babies are breastfed until they are 3-5 years old, but at the same time they start getting acquainted with “adult” food almost from birth. In the first 2-3 days of their life, instead of colostrum, they receive juices, animal milk and mixtures; on the 4-5th day, babies are finally applied to the breast.

Updated menu

The main novelties in the food set that make up the menu for feeding babies for 8 months are a variety of varieties and types of lean meat:

• beef;
• veal;
• pork;
• chicken;
• rabbit meat;
• horsemeat;
• venison;
• turkey;
• hare;
• offal (liver, tongue, heart).

Experts say that at the beginning of meat feeding, children should be offered the least allergenic foods (rabbit meat, turkey fillet), later they can be offered beef, pork, poultry, etc.

The advantages of eating meat by babies, in addition to satisfying hunger, are:

• Enrichment of a rapidly growing organism with valuable animal protein, minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus) and vitamins;
• An increase in the level of red blood cells in the blood;
• Formation of new cells in the body;
• Strengthening the immune system;
• Prevention of anemia and underweight.

How to serve meat

At 8 months, few of the babies know how to chew, and therefore, it is better to offer them meat products in the form of pate (mashed potatoes) or by preparing various soups based on them.

As practice shows, kids eat grated meat with mashed potatoes with pleasure. Not without enthusiasm, they are taken for meat and vegetable soups, crushed to a creamy structure.

To prepare a delicious, and most importantly healthy children's soup, we suggest using the following recipe:

First, prepare the broth: fresh meat, 100-150 grams, cut into small pieces, dip in hot water and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes (depending on the type of meat). Then, in a boiling broth, without foam, dip 2 potatoes (diced), after 10 minutes, send the grated carrots and chopped onions to boil. After 5-7 minutes, dip chopped Brussels sprouts or broccoli (3-4 heads) into broth into the broth and at the end of cooking add a tablespoon of barley or millet groats to the soup.

Using this recipe, you can quickly prepare a delicious and healthy meat and vegetable soup, but remember that it should be cooked under a closed lid, and as a seasoning, you can use a small amount of salt (at the tip of a teaspoon), white pepper and one bay leaf, dipped in boiling water with meat for 2-3 minutes at the very beginning of cooking.

As complementary foods at 8 months, meat is mandatory introduced in France. There, children are offered mashed potatoes from turkey, chicken, beef, pork, as well as boiled ham and offal.

Fish as an element of complementary foods

In addition to meat, the diet of an 8-month-old baby should include fish dishes.

Fish is introduced to 8-month-old babies in India, Italy, Austria and France. As a rule, preference is given to lean fish with white meat.

By itself, fish is an invaluable source of nutrients, vitamins (A, B2, D12, D, E, PP) and microelements (zinc, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, bromine, iodine, fluorine, phosphorus) so necessary for the development of the child's body.

Its systematic use has the most positive effect on:

• Normalization of the metabolic process;
• Stimulation of intellectual and brain activity;
• Strengthening the cardiovascular, blood and nervous systems;
• Formation of healthy and strong teeth and bones;
• Formation of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland.

So, as a complementary food for an 8 child, you can enter the following types of marine and freshwater fish to choose from:

• herring;
• silver hake;
• pollock;
• zander;
• carp;
• catfish;
• chum salmon;
• cod;
• salmon;
• trout;
• pink salmon;
• mackerel;
• herring;
• halibut;
• sturgeon.

In the first couple, it is worth introducing lean meat into complementary foods, and towards the end of the 8th month, the child can be safely introduced to fatty fish, rich in the omega-3 family of unsaturated fatty acids.

How to feed a child fish

Modern pediatricians and nutritionists recommend introducing specialized canned fish as complementary foods. Small jars contain balanced in composition, safe, fortified and completely ready-to-eat daily rate product that only needs to be reheated.

But, if you want to start cooking fish yourself, then we present to your attention a universal recipe-recommendation that will help you make tasty and healthy baby fish food in less than half an hour.

To begin with, the fish must be washed, cleaned, bones and skin separated from it and cut. Next, send it to boiling salted water and cook over low heat. When cooking sea fish, it is recommended to add a little dill to the water.The readiness of the fish is determined by the size of the pieces (small ones are cooked for about 10-15 minutes). If the meat is ready, you need to cool it a little and grind it with a blender. Puree can be stored no more than 48 hours at a temperature of +2-6 degrees.

Other complementary foods at 8 months

8 months is the perfect time to introduce your baby to:

• bread;
• crackers;
• bagels;
• cookies;
• soft cheese;
• dried apricots;
• prunes;
• legumes (beans and peas);
• bell pepper;
• beets.

Bread

Many people think that if you give bread to kids, then whole grain, rye or bran. But, despite its benefits, due to its immaturity, the child's digestive system cannot cope with such products. Therefore, preference should be given to simple wheat white bread (yesterday's) - a crumb without a crust.

goodies

Crackers and specialized baby cookies can be offered to babies at 8 months in order to diversify taste sensations and to stimulate gums that bother them.

Soft cheese

This is a product with a soft curd-creamy texture, not amenable to heat treatment, which is based on cow, sheep and goat milk. Toddlers can be completely offered Mozzarella or lightly salted cheese.

Dried fruits

By 8 months, the child is already familiar with raisins (which can be added to compote), apple and pear drying, now it's time to try dried apricots and prunes. They can be used to make compote or as a treat.

Legumes

Young green peas, beans and lentils (red) can be offered as complementary foods to an 8-month-old baby, but not as an independent dish, but as a constituent element of vegetable puree, in a ratio of 1: 3, seasoned with onions or herbs.

"Bright" vegetables

Beetroot for a child at the age of 8 months is given only boiled and in a puree form, mixed with other vegetables and cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat and rice) in a ratio of 1:3. Bulgarian pepper is introduced towards the end of the 8th month and becomes one of the ingredients of vegetable soup.

And finally, when introducing new foods into the child's diet, do not rush to adapt. In world practice, the figures are 3 days, 5 days, a week, so slowly but surely move towards the development of a full-fledged, multi-component cuisine, and then your baby will be healthy, strong and happy.

The nutrition of a child at 8 months should be five times a day. At the same time, night feedings are no longer part of the daily routine. Another complementary food is now being introduced into the baby's diet. There are already three of them during the day. When introducing a new complementary food, it is imperative to consult a pediatrician. Breast milk should be fed 2 times: it is necessary to start and end the day with it.

Breast milk in the diet does not exceed 1/3 of the daily volume of food.

Differences in the nutrition of children growing up on natural and breastfeeding gradually disappear by this age. Their menus are almost identical. From 8 months, the baby should get used to chewing and swallowing food that differs in taste and texture. During this period, babies begin to be attracted to small objects, including pieces of food that interest them.

What to feed a baby at 8 months

The child's menu is now a combination of a variety of products. However, the introduced product is not always immediately to his liking. The fact that a significant amount of food will initially be smeared on the face instead of entering the mouth should not worry parents.

Milk products

An important part of the diet of crumbs should be fermented milk products, mainly kefir and cottage cheese. This food is perfect for the introduced third complementary foods. Dairy products are introduced into the daily menu gradually. They start feeding it with 1 tsp. and bring over time its total amount to 150-200 ml per day.

When choosing kefir, you need to look at its expiration date. Do not purchase a product that has more than a week of it. It is recommended to buy kefir, suitable for several days, during which the bacteria that are useful for a fragile organism will be most active. You can also prepare a homemade kefir drink based on purchased milk and kefir. For this, 2 tbsp. yesterday's kefir with a fat content of less than 3% is added to a glass of boiled milk. Without a refrigerator, the resulting mixture should be infused for 12 hours in summer and a day in winter. This drink should be fed to the baby, giving him no more than 100 ml per day.

The cottage cheese included in the menu should always be fresh, it is best to cook it yourself or purchase it in a dairy kitchen. It is not recommended to feed children with sweet curds, since sugar at this age is harmful, and it impoverishes the natural beneficial features cottage cheese. The daily norm of cottage cheese for a child who has reached the age of 8 months is 40-50 g.

Meat products and fish

The introduction of meat into the diet occurs gradually, starting, as a rule, with 1/2 tsp, mainly in the form of mashed potatoes. At 8 months, the recommended amount is 40 g. Veal, beef, chicken and turkey meat fit especially harmoniously into the menu. Be careful with chicken and veal. The first is capable of causing an allergic reaction, and the second is unsuitable for feeding children with intolerance to cow's milk. Along with meat, offal can also be used: liver, tongue and brains.

At 8 months, the child can already cook meat broth, as well as make vegetable soups based on it. In the process of cooking, it is allowed to add a little salt and oil to the soup. You can use a regular fork to soften the pieces. When choosing meat puree in the store, you need to opt for a product made from meat of only one type without the presence of spices and unacceptable potato starch. It is necessary to take into account age recommendations and individual intolerance.

From 8 months, fish becomes an indispensable source of calcium, iodine and phosphorus. It is best to use fish that has well-separated large bones for food. Fish fillets can either be steamed or boiled and then minced. The main thing is that it is non-greasy. Preference should be given more to oceanic fish: cod, pollock and salmon.

It is necessary to introduce fish into the diet gradually, and the first feeding with it should start with 0.5 tsp. fish puree combined with vegetable puree. The recommended daily intake of fish is 30 g. Fish is one of the allergens, so children with poor health should be introduced to this product carefully. A healthy child is recommended to eat fish products, mainly in the form of mashed potatoes and steam cutlets, no more than twice a week. During feeding, they replace meat products.

Bakery products, purees and cereals

From 8 months, the child should be gradually accustomed to bakery products. This is necessary because the cereals that form their basis are an important element for a growing organism. The baby can be offered to gnaw crackers, bagels and cookies. Given the discomfort in the mouth caused by teething, these products will have a double benefit. They will be a great addition to dairy products. Crackers can also be softened in meat broth. The inclusion of cakes and buns in the menu is unacceptable.

In addition to meat puree, vegetable and fruit puree will be useful for the child. At 8 months, the daily norm of vegetable puree should be 180 g. This amount can be divided into 2 times. In puree, you can add half the chopped yolk of a boiled egg and 1 or 2 tsp. vegetable oil. As for fruit puree, its daily intake in the established diet should be no more than 80 g. It should be divided into two or three feedings.

It is also necessary to teach the baby to cereals. Now they can be cooked with sugar. The use of oil in the preparation of porridge is permissible, but in an amount not exceeding 5 g. Milk porridge is cooked exclusively in whole milk. It is advisable to cook a different kind of porridge every day. You can also use semi-finished cereals, which you only need to pour boiling water over. The introduction of porridge into the diet, even if its diversity is observed, is sometimes hampered by the unwillingness of the baby to eat it. However, over time, it will still harmoniously fit into the diet. You can also improve the taste of the product by adding fruit puree to it.

The diet of a baby at the age of 8 months should look approximately as follows:

06:00 - Breast milk, or a special milk formula (200 g).
10:00 - Dairy or dairy-free porridge (180 g) with the addition of 5 g butter, half a chopped boiled egg yolk, fruit juice (30 ml) and fruit puree (20 g).
14:00 - Vegetable puree (180 g), meat puree (50 g), bread or cracker (5 g), vegetable oil (1 or 2 tsp), fruit juice (50 ml). You can reduce the amount of vegetable puree by giving it during the next feeding, and add meat broth (20 ml) to the diet.
18:00 - Kefir or yogurt (100 ml) with cookies (10 g), cottage cheese (40 g), fruit puree (40 g);
22:00 - Breast milk, or a mixture (200 g).

In the intervals between the second and third, as well as the fourth and fifth feedings, the baby can be given fruit juice (40 ml). The above diet is not the only option. You can also find several other variations. The main thing is that the mentioned food variety and approximate dosages are observed.

Finally

1. During the five meals a day, the baby should eat at least 1000 g of food. An indicator that the child's diet was built in the right way is the age-appropriate weight gain. In 30 days, the baby should gain 500 g. His height will increase by 1.5 cm.
2. Before buying or preparing a new product, in case of doubt, it is best to consult a specialist. Experimenting with the health of the child is still not worth it.