Easy and delicious Indian baby food recipes for 8 month olds

The task of feeding your baby can be a big challenge for parents, especially after solid food has been introduced in their diet. This is a very interesting stage of growth as your bundle of joy is trying to hold food by themselves and chew it with their gums. This is also the age when your little son or daughter starts crawling and exploring their new-found freedom to the maximum. This enhanced level of physical activity will also increase their appetite, making this the right period to explore some interesting 8-month baby food recipes

Also read The Ultimate Indian Baby Food Chart for 0-12 Month Olds.

The best foods for your eight month old

It is necessary to keep in mind that while your baby might be consuming a significant amount of solid food, that does not lessen the importance of breast milk, which still remains the primary source of nutrition. While an eight-month-old baby will have started using their preliminary motor skills, they are also trying new things like trying to grip items between their thumb and forefinger. At this stage, the baby’s diet will gradually shift towards solids from milk. The best foods for an 8-month-old baby include baby cereal, fruits and vegetables along with mashed or pureed non-vegetarian items. In general, a healthy eight-month-old baby needs three solid meals per day along with two small snacks. If you’re wondering what schedule to follow and what recipes to include, you can explore our complete baby food chart. 

Preparing an 8 month old baby food menu

While preparing the best baby food recipes for 8 month olds, be sure to keep the following points in mind.

• Every child comes with a different appetite and hence the food intake of different babies cannot be compared. If you feel your baby is not eating enough, you can include high-calorie foods for baby weight gain in their diet. 
• With new items to explore around every corner, your baby is easily distracted from their food. It is best not to force-feed and keep an eye out for the signs of hunger. A healthy baby will consume the right amount of food that he or she needs.
• Every item in the 8 month baby food menu needs to be well cooked and soft. Cook the food a little longer or cut it up into smaller pieces to prevent choking.
• To improve their chewing and grasping skills, introduce single ingredient semi-solid items in your food ideas for an 8-month-old baby. Be cautious not to leave your baby unattended with food though; even the most finely chopped food can cause choking.
• It is best to keep introducing new food items after fixed intervals but honey and cow’s milk should not be introduced before your baby crosses the one year mark. At this stage, it’s best to explore other calcium-rich foods for children. Nuts, whole grapes, raisins and butter chunks should also be avoided as they pose a choking hazard. Avoid using sugar and salt in large quantities – your baby should not consume more than a gram of salt per day.
• You can introduce your baby to spices at this stage. Small quantities of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, turmeric and nutmeg can be used to bring in more variety in the recipes. Make sure you do not use more than a pinch.

Baby food recipes for 8 month olds

Baby food recipes for 8-month-olds are also termed as stage-two baby food as they are thicker and have more texture. Let us take a look at some of the best food items that you can prepare for an 8-month-old.

Fruit recipes

Fruits form a major part of the best foods for an 8-month-old baby. Apart from bananas, apples, papayas and mangoes, you can introduce your baby to kiwis, strawberry and pomegranate. The soft fruits cut into small and long cubes can be a very good choice as finger-foods.

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of apple.
• 100 grams of papaya.
• 100 grams of melon.
• A cup of water.

Directions:

• Boil the water in the saucepan and put the fruit pieces in it.
• Stir continuously in a medium flame till a puree is formed.
• Allow it to cool and then serve.

If you find no allergic reactions to these fruits, you can start preparing your own recipes. Try your hand at some nutritious options like melon-papaya swirl and apple-banana puree. These recipes will be sure to delight your little one’s taste buds! This is also the stage where soft and small pieces of raw fruits can be introduced in the baby food menu for 8-month-olds.

Protein recipes

The eight-month mark is the right time to introduce your baby to protein in the form of meat and fish. Tender and boneless pieces of chicken or fish, either boiled or roasted are among the best foods for an 8-month-old baby. The Omega-3 fatty acids in the fish along with the protein makes it an excellent choice for babies. There are many ways to include fish in your 8 month old baby food menu.

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of boneless chicken or fish.
• A cup of water
• One teaspoon of butter or olive oil.

Directions:

• Boil the fish or chicken in water until soft.
• Stir continuously over a medium flame until a puree is formed
• Add butter or olive oil and mix thoroughly.
• Serve while warm.

At the 8 month mark, you can also introduce your baby to cheese, tofu and eggs. Tofu is a very good choice as a finger-food while eggs have excellent nutritional value. Start with the yolk and then include the white part of the egg in their diet. When introducing your child to meat, make sure you feed your baby only home-cooked food and avoid all processed items in your 8 month old baby food menu.

Also read our blog on Is Honey For Babies Bad? The Not-So-Sweet Truth.

Vegetable recipes

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of sweet potatoes/carrots.
• 200 grams of fresh spinach.
• A pinch of cardamom/cinnamon.

Directions:

• Boil the water in the saucepan and put the vegetable pieces in it.
• Allow the vegetables to boil until they are soft.
• Add the cardamom powder and stir till a puree is formed.
• Serve while warm.

Vegetables are a rich source of vitamins and minerals and they can be used to prepare some special recipes in an 8 month old baby food menu. You can introduce your baby to vegetables like spinach, peas, beet, sweet potatoes and carrot at this point. Mix in some fruits with your vegetables to create a wholesome mix. A good example of a boiled preparation of apples and carrots with additional water to make it a smooth consistency. The sweet taste of these vegetables and fruits along with their unique flavours will have your baby smacking their lips for more!

Also read our blog on Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth: How and When to Get Started.

Homemade cereal

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of rice or oats.
• 100 grams of yoghurt.
• 100 grams of minced apple or banana.

Directions:

• Boil the water in the saucepan and put the rice powder in it.
• Keep whisking for 10 minutes while the mixture simmers.
• Add the fruit pieces and allow them to boil.
• Add the yoghurt and mix into a thick puree.
• Serve while warm.

A plain rice dish is not ideal to be included in the baby food recipes for 8 month olds as it does not hold too much nutritional value apart from carbohydrates. To supplement your baby’s nutritional requirements mix your rice dish with some fruits, yoghurt and even vegetables to prepare a wholesome dish.

For more easy recipes and tips on creating an 8 month old baby food menu, check out our complete baby food chart for 8-month-old babies. Healthy grains like oats, semolina flour, wheat, broken wheat and barley are other items that can be used in some of the best baby food menus for an 8-month-old. While introducing your child to textured foods, you can try pieces of bread and muffin and also pasta.

We hope you found these food ideas for an 8-month-old baby helpful for maintaining a balanced diet. Your baby’s food intake will vary depending on his or her environment, so following a fixed feeding schedule may not work at all times. It is best to keep a note of your baby’s reactions and behavioural and schedule their feed time accordingly. If you have any questions about your baby’s diet do not hesitate to reach out to the city’s top paediatricians at mfine today.