At the age of eight months babies show interest in eating a variety of solid foods, grasping the spoon or picking up the food. With the two or four teeth they start chewing food, however some babies have delayed teething which is quite normal. It is advisable to give mashed food or semi solid food to an 8 months baby.
If your baby is able to sit without support you can give him mashed food, if he still needs support to sit give him semi solid food. This will help your baby to eat well and not have any choking issues while eating.
It should be noted that breastfeeding or formula milk is still necessary for the eight months babies along with a small portion of solid food. Breastfeeding is necessary until one year to provide all the essential nutrition as well as the hydration to them.
Here are some food lists and Indian baby food recipes for 8 month babies.
FOODS FOR 8 MONTHS BABY
Fruits- Apple, Banana, Papaya, Watermelon, Peaches, Chikku, Pear,Mango, Cherry, Grapes, Dates, Pomegranate
Vegetables- Carrot, Sweet Potato, Raw Banana, Bottle Gourd/Lauki, French Beans/ Green Beans, Peas, Cauliflower, Raw papaya, Okra(Bhindi), Spinach
Grains- Rice, Sabudana/ Sago, Phool Makhana, Semolina/Rava/Suji, Rajgira, Puffed Wheat/ Rice, Beaten Rice- Poha, Daliya, Wheat(Ata), Oats, Barley
Pulses- Moong Dal (Yellow and Green Lentils), Masoor Dal (Red Lentils)
Dairy Products- Ghee, Butter, Paneer
Non Veg- No
INDIAN BABY FOOD RECIPES FOR 8 MONTHS BABY
Oats
Oats is a nice food option for babies as they are rich in fibre, minerals and antioxidants. It gets easily digested in a baby's little stomach. You can use any brand of plain oats, do not buy any flavoured or masala oats for baby food. If you want, you can grind oats into fine powder and store it in an airtight container for one month. Powdered oats are easy to manage while making baby food, as we do not have to blend into smooth paste once it gets cooked.
Oats Carrot- Wash the carrot, peel and grate it. Take a pan, put the grated carrot and some oats into the boiling water. Cook it for 15minutes in medium flame, stir the mixture continuously while cooking, otherwise oats may stick to the pan. Cool the porridge and blend it into the blender. (You can avoid the blending process if you are using the powdered oats). Serve the lukewarm oats carrot porridge to your baby.
Oats Apple- Wash the apple, peel and grate it. In a vessel, put some oats and grated apple and cook it for 15 minutes in medium flame. Do not forget to stir it while cooking because oats have a sticky tendency when boiled with water or milk. Cool the porridge, blend it and serve the lukewarm healthy oats apple porridge to your baby. (You can avoid the blending process if you are using the powdered oats). You can also use the steamed apple and mix it into the blender with the cooked oats. Apple and carrot has its own natural sweetness so do not add anything like maple or date syrup. Let your baby have the taste of apple and carrot.
Barley (Jau)
Barley is a great baby food and is full of nutrients. It is rich in fibre and helps in regulating the baby’s bowel movement. Easy to digest and healthy for your baby. You can buy the packaged powdered barley or the raw barley and make it to powder. Wash the barley, dry it under the sun or in shade for 1-2 hrs until the barley dried completely. Once it gets dried put the barley into the pan and dry roast them in low flame. Cool it little and blend it to smooth powder. Powder form of barley is easy for making baby food.
Do not use powder barley in excess quantity because it gets doubled when cooked in water. Pearled barley is easier to cook, while hulled barley(choker wali jau) contains more fiber. Both are good for infants, so buy good and organic barley.
Barley Apple- Wash the apple and remove the seeds. Cut it into small pieces and put it in the blender. Add some seedless dates as well in the blender. Blend the apple and dates to a smooth puree. Now put 2 tbsp of barley and 1 cup of water into the pan. Cook the barley for 15 to 20 minutes in low flame. Stir it continuously to avoid forming lumps and sticking to the pan. Once the barley is cooked mix the apple and date puree to cook it for 5 minutes. Cool it and serve the barely apple porridge to your baby. You can add a pinch of cardamom powder to enhance the flavor of porridge.
Barley Banana- Make the puree of banana in the blender and add it in cooked barley. Cook the barley and banana puree for 4-5 minutes and put off the flame when it gets a little thick. Sprinkle some cardamom powder to enhance the taste. Serve the barley banana porridge to your little one.
Daliya (Broken Wheat)
Daliya is easy to digest food for babies, rich in fibre and magnesium. It is nutritious and keeps the baby tummy full with a lot of energy.
Sweet Daliya - Roast 1/2cup of daliya in ghee till it turns brown and crunchy. Add 2 cup of water, little jaggery, seedless dates, raisins and pressure cook the whole ingredients till 3 to 4 whistles. Daliya absorbs water and takes time to cook so always cook the daliya in the pressure cooker. Once it is cooked you can mash it little and add a pinch of cardamom powder to enhance the flavor. You can also blend it to the puree form and serve it to the baby.
Daliya Khichdi- Roast ½ cup of daliya in ghee till it turns brown and crunchy. Add 2 cup of water, a pinch of hing powder and add some vegetables like chopped carrot, beans, peas, raw papaya. Add little turmeric and pressure cook all the ingredients till 3 to 4 whistles. Once it is cooked you can mash it little in the masher or blend if required. Add some roasted jeera powder and serve it to your baby.
Wheat
Wheat Halwa- Roast ½ cup of wheat flour in desi ghee till it turns brown. Add 1 and ½ cup of water, and some jaggery to it. Stir the mixture continuously in medium flame and cook until the wheat flour is cooked completely. It gets thick once it gets cooled so you can add a little warm water to it and blend it to make it like puree. Now add a pinch of cardamom powder and serve it to your baby.
Wheat Moong Dal Porridge- For wheat moong dal porridge, you need to first make the moong dal powder. Moong Dal Powder: Wash 2 cups of moong dal and 4 almonds. Dry in the sun or in the shade for 30 minutes. Then roast the sun dried moong dal and almond and grind to make it smooth powder. Store this moong dal powder in an airtight container for 1 month. Now to make the wheat moong dal porridge, roast the wheat flour in desi ghee until it turns brown and then add the moong dal powder to it. Add 1 ½ cup of water and jaggery to it. Cook the mixture and stir continuously to avoid sticking on the pan. Once it gets cooked, switch off the flame and cool it. If it gets thick, put some warm water and blend the mixture and some cardamom powder and date syrup to it. Serve it to your baby.
Banana Pancakes- In a blender put a peeled banana, ½ cup of wheat flour, some jaggery, cardamom powder and water. Blend it to smooth paste, oil the pan or tawa with desi ghee, make pancakes of the smooth banana paste. Serve it to your baby with date syrup.
Click here to read, for more recipes like: Moong Dal and Rice Khichdi, Moong Dal Khichdi, Suji Porridge, Sabudana/ Sago, Instant Moong Dal Khichdi Powder Recipe, Moong Dal Rice Instant Porridge, Rice Instant Porridge
Travel Baby Food Recipes- Puffed Wheat Powder, Puffed Rice Powder, Beaten Rice/ Poha
HEALTHY SOUPS FOR 8 MONTHS BABY
Dal Soup- Add some desi ghee in a pressure cooker, once it gets hot put jeera to crackle and sprinkle some hing powder. Put moong, grated carrot, turmeric and pressure cook it for 4 to 5 whistles. Strain the dal and serve it to your baby.
Mix Dal Soup- Cook moong dal, along with veggies like spinach, carrot, beans, peas, and raw papaya in a pressure cooker. Put some turmeric and oil to prevent the dal from spilling out of the pressure cooker. Once it gets cooked, mash and strain the dal mixture to serve.
FRUITS JUICES FOR 8 MONTHS BABY
Coconut water
Pomegranate Juice- In a blender, put the pomegranate seeds, add a little water and blend it. Strain the juice to serve.
Apple Juice- Wash and cut the apple, remove the seeds and put it in the blender. Put some water and blend it. Strain it to serve the baby. You can skip the straining part as well for apple juice.
Grape Juice- Wash the grapes and add it in the blender. Put a little water and blend it. Strain to serve the baby.
Pear Banana juice- Wash and cut the pear, remove the seeds and put it in the blender along with the peeled banana. Blend it to smooth paste and serve it to your baby.
Watermelon Juice- Cut the watermelon into small pieces, remove the seeds properly and add it into the blender. Blend it for a minute and strain to serve the juice.
Banana Cherry Juice- Wash the cherry, remove the upper stem and put it in the blender along with the banana. Blend it for a minute and then serve it to your baby.
FOOD QUANTITY FOR EIGHT MONTHS BABY
Vegetable and Fruit Puree- Can be given ½ to 1 cup depending upon your baby's interest. Gradually you can increase the quantity.
Cereal- Can be given ½ to 1 cup depending upon your baby's interest. Gradually you can increase the quantity.
Soup Water- Can start with 6 tbsp to 8 tbsp.
Fruit Juices- Can start with 4 tbsp to 5 tbsp.Later increase the quantity after two three weeks.
8 MONTHS BABY INDIAN FOOD CHART
For an eight month baby you can give solids food more than two times as per the baby interest. Always choose light food for dinner, do not opt for dal rice khichdi, daliya khichdi for 8 months baby for dinner. Do not repeat the same food in lunch and dinner. If you have given moong dal khichdi in morning to your baby then at night do not cook moong dal halwa for him. Give different food so it will help your baby to get the variety of nutrients and vitamins from his food.
Early Morning- Breastmilk/ Formula Milk
Breakfast- Oats apple/Oats banana/ Oats carrot/Barley banana/Barley apple
Mid- Morning- Breastmilk/ Formula Milk/ Dal Water/ Fruit Puree/ Vegetable Puree/ Soup/ juices
Lunch- Cereals- Daliya khichdi/ Moong dal rice khichdi/ veggie dal and rice
Mid Evening- Breastmilk/ Formula Milk
Evening- Soup/ Beaten rice powder/ Puffed rice/wheat powder
Dinner- Chapati Dal/ Wheat Halwa/ Moong Dal Halwa/ Crumbled Paneer
Late Night- Breastmilk/ Formula Milk
FEEDING TIPS
- Always sterilize the utensil used for feeding your baby.
- Always wash the fruits or vegetables well before cooking. Soak the fruits/vegetables in warm water, mix 1tbs baking soda and 1 tbsp salt to it. Keep the soaked fruits/vegetables for half an hour and then use it. We all know the world is suffering from pandemic coronavirus, so we must take necessary guidelines to avoid infections in our family as well as in society.
- Introduce food one at a time. Always go slow, week by week, for introducing any new food.
- Make sure no sugar and salt in baby food until one year. Palm candy powder can be used in place of sugar which must be minimal in amount.
- Always use roasted jeera powder (cumin) instead of jeera seeds as babies are not able to digest the sabut jeera till one year of age.
- Always prepare fresh food for your baby. Never use the morning leftover food at night even if you have kept it in the fridge.
- Always check the baby food is not so hot while feeding. Sometimes, the spoon is hotter than the food, therefore check the temperature before feeding. We recommend a silicon heat indicator spoon for feeding. You can also try a silicon bottle feeder to ease your baby feeding process.
- Ensure your baby is not getting allergic to any food. If any allergic symptoms appear, stop feeding that particular food to the baby.
- Always ask your pediatrician before introducing any meal plan to your little love.
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