7 Month Old Baby Feeding Schedule, Recipes and Tips

“There is no greater blessing in life than to watch your baby grow”.

Time flies quickly. Your newborn baby is growing up and the dietary requirements are changing. Exclusive breastfeeding for the initial six months is recommended by experts as perfect nutrition for the baby. Once that threshold is passed, it is time to introduce solid food in the baby’s diet along with breastfeeding for their healthy development and growth. Here we have for you a 7 month old feeding schedule that you can use for your little one. Let’s read!

Video: 7 Month Old Baby Feeding Schedule, Food Recipes and Tips

What to Feed a 7-Month-Old?

Before you start with a feeding schedule for 7 month old, it is important to check with a paediatrician if the baby is ready to start with a solid diet. A general indication of a sufficiently developed digestive system is the doubling of a baby’s birth weight. Your baby will also give you signs that he is ready for solids by opening his mouth when presented with food. Also, his ability to sit upright, hold his head unassisted, swallow with ease and absence of protrusion of tongue while feeding are some more indications to look out for the readiness.

You will have to ensure that the food introduced to your 7-month-old baby is soft to his gums and mashed well, making it easy for him to swallow. Start with small portions and work up the quantity of solid food in the daily diet. Begin with soft and mushy food, and eventually, make it chunky. Here are some foods to include in a 7 month old eating schedule:

1. Fruits/Vegetables

• Small portions of pureed fruits like apples, pear, bananas, avocado, etc.
• Cooked and mashed vegetables like potatoes, carrots, squash, broccoli, and pumpkin.
• Soup with bite-sized, well-cooked chunks of peas, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, etc.

2. Non-vegetarian

• Shredded bits of well-cooked, skinless chicken.
• Fish and eggs. You must take an opinion from a doctor before you introduce fish and eggs to avoid allergies. Egg whites are known to cause allergies.

3. Other Food Items

• Porridge made with rice, lentils, and vegetables.
• Oats and cereals made from whole grains.
• Mashed pulses like chickpeas and kidney beans.
• Baby food mixed with formula or breastmilk.
• Tofu and other foods rich in protein.

You can steam, boil or bake these foods. You may invest in a steamer to make your cooking process easy. Frying and grilling should be avoided.

How Much Milk Is Enough for a 7-Month-Old?

The transition from breast milk or baby formula to solid food is going to take time. You will have to start by incorporating small nibbles and gradually increase the size of the portions of solid food. As the solid food intake increases, you can gradually reduce the quantity of breast milk or formula milk or continue till the child naturally weans out. On average, a 7-month-old needs to have 3 to 4 feeds consisting of 8 to 12 tablespoons or 1/2 to 1 small katori of solid food, and 3 to 5 feedings of baby formula or breastmilk. With solid food incorporated into the diet, the baby will have a fuller tummy and sleep well through the night. There will be a lesser dependency on the mother since the solid food can be administered by a caretaker or family member. This can be beneficial for a working mother.

Feeding Schedule

Wondering how much formula does a 7 month old needs? A proper eating schedule can bring discipline to the daily schedule of the baby. A diet planner will make it easy to ensure that the baby is steadily introduced to a variety of food. It would be a good idea to have a food chart in place. The timing can be adjusted as per the sleeping schedule of the baby. It will take a few days to get adjusted to the diet plan and will need to be tweaked and adjusted as per the baby’s comfort. Display this chart at a prominent place so that everyone in the family involved with childcare can follow the schedule.

Here’s a sample of how much should a 7 month old should eat The quantity of food can vary from child to child. Ensure that you start and end the day with breastfeeding or formula.

Foods to Avoid for a 7-Month-Old Infant

The digestive system of the baby takes time to develop. Therefore, a few foods, such as the ones given below, should be avoided for a 7-month-old.

• Cow milk is difficult to digest and can cause allergies.
• Honey can lead to infant botulism, which can be fatal and hence needs to be avoided.
• Nuts should be avoided as they pose allergy and choking hazards.
• Citrus fruits should be avoided.
• Small food like grapes can pose a choking hazard.
• Eggs and fish can trigger allergies and are recommended to be introduced a little later.
• Processed food is unhealthy and can cause indigestion.
• Oil should be avoided or used sparsely.
• Avoid salt and sugar until the baby is at least one year old.

You must keep track of any new food introduced and keep a check on allergies. Do not introduce multiple foods together and keep a gap of a week between new foods to help develop the palate and recognise the preference of the baby.

Recipes for a 7-Month-Old Baby

Here are some interesting, healthy lunch options for 7-month-old babies. Include these in the meal plan as your baby’s first food and introduce vegetables, fruits, and grains interestingly in your baby’s diet. For those who do not consume meat, there are other options to get proteins in the form of tofu and sprouts.

1. Roasted Carrot and Spinach Puree

This simple recipe is packed with vitamins and vital nutrients. The roasted vegetables add extra flavours to titillate the taste buds of the little ones. This recipe is suitable for freezing, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium carrots, washed, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup spinach, washed and pat dried

How to Prepare:

1. Wrap the carrots and spinach in aluminum foil.
2. Place the parcel on a baking tray and bake at 190° for 30 minutes. Alternately, you can place it on the open flame and cook till the carrots are tender.
3. Cool and blend the vegetables in a grinder.
4. Add breastmilk or formula with little water.

2. Apple and Cinnamon Porridge

Apples are perfect as the first food for babies. They are naturally sweet and packed with nutrition. The pureed apple can be stored in the freezer and used as required.

Ingredients:

• 1 juicy apple, peeled, de-cored and chopped
• Quarter cup water
• Breast milk or formula milk (stage 1) for dilution
• 3 teaspoons fine oats
• 1 pinch cinnamon powder (ceylon variety of cinnamon)

How to Prepare:

1. Peel and cube the apples. Cook them in a saucepan with water till tender. You may steam the apples too.
2. Simmer oats and breast milk in another pan and bring it to a boil. Stir occasionally.
3. Mash the apple and mix it in the oats porridge.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon and serve warm.

3. Chicken and Vegetable Mash

A perfect way to introduce non-veg to your baby’s meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken, skinned and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 25-30 grams of cheese finely grated, specifically cheddar variety
• 1 pinch dried oregano

How to Prepare:

1. Boil the vegetables till tender.
2. Drain the water from the vegetables and add oregano.
3. Chop or mince the chicken as fine as possible. It’s always better to boil small pieces of boneless chicken. Boiling helps to soften the food and kill organisms causing infections.
4. Mix the chicken with vegetables and mash it well.
5. Always add cheese while cooking itself so all bacterial contamination is removed.
6. Serve lukewarm.

4. Sweet Potato and Sweet Corn Pasta

This recipe is a nutritious 1 pot meal packed with vitamins, proteins, and carbs for your baby.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups of milk, preferably breast milk or formula milk or if cow milk is used then take in a 2:1 dilution
• ½ cup cauliflower, cleaned well
• 4 spoons of fresh corn boiled and mashed well
• 25-30 grams of cheese finely grated, specifically cheddar variety

How to Prepare:

1. Simmer sweet potatoes and milk for 10 minutes.
2. Add cauliflowers and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
3. Add sweet corn and continue the cooking for 5 minutes.
4. add cheese and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Mash the mixture to sauce consistency.
6. Add cooked and chopped or minced pasta, and serve warm.

Feeding Tips for Parents

Feeding a baby can be challenging and time-consuming. You need to dedicate a lot of time to feed a small amount of food to the baby. There are going to be a lot of trials and errors before you succeed. The baby may refuse to open his mouth or indulge in playing with it. There are more chances of food on the baby than inside the baby. Here is a feeding guide and some tips for new parents to follow:

• Keep a fixed infant feeding schedule to help the baby adjust to timings.
• Always start with rice-based preparation as it’s most easy to digest.
• Start with a small amount and eventually work up the quantity. Overfeeding a baby can lead to indigestion.
• Start with bland food and slowly introduce different flavours.
• Introduce one new food a week to identify allergies.
• Processed dairy products/packaged foods with preservatives can cause gut-related issues like indigestion, loose motions or vomiting.
• Offer the same food every day for a week to allow the baby to adjust to the taste and consistency of the food.
• Introduce various textures like mashed, pureed, ground, and soft chunks, and gradually thicken the consistency of the food.
• Avoid food with choking hazards.
• While introducing finger food, make sure it’s neither too hard, nor too soft.
• Make a small batch of food for the baby keeping in mind how much solid food you want your baby to have.
• Some foods can be frozen and preserved. However, a freshly prepared meal is always a healthier option.

FAQs

1. Is It Safe to Introduce Allergenic Foods to a 7-Month Baby?

There’s no reason to avoid allergenic foods. Research indicates that introducing the top eight allergens (eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish) to children at an early age might potentially decrease the likelihood or intensity of allergies later in life.

2. Can You Give Water to 7-Month-Old Infants?

You can provide your infant with a limited quantity of water during meals, but it should not exceed eight ounces (equivalent to one cup) per day.

3. How Often Should a 7-month-old Eat?

A 7-month-old baby should typically eat solid foods two to three times a day in addition to breast milk or formula, which they should continue to consume multiple times throughout the day.

A proper feeding schedule can go a long way in developing the food habits in your baby. Make sure you create a healthy timetable.

References/Resources:

1. Healthy Eating for 6 to 24 month old children; .fhs.gov.hk; https://www.fhs.gov.hk/english/health_info/child/14727.html

2. Starting Solid Foods; healthychildren.org; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Starting-Solid-Foods.aspx

3. How Much and How Often To Feed; cdc.gov; https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/foods-and-drinks/how-much-and-how-often.html

4. Feeding your baby: When to start with solid foods; UNICEF; https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/feeding-your-baby-when-to-start-solid-foods

5. Working Together: Breastfeeding and Solid Foods; healthychildren.org; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Working-Together-Breastfeeding-and-Solid-Foods.aspx

Also Read:

Starter Guide on Baby Food and Nutrition
Best Baby Foods You Should Give Your Child
How to Plan a Healthy Food Menu for Your Baby?