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What are finger foods?
Any bite-size pieces of food that the baby can pick up quickly and eat by themselves are called finger foods. Finger foods can be introduced to a baby's diet from 8 months.
Finger foods help to teach the baby to chew, encourage self-feeding & introduce different textures! Do supervise the baby when eating finger food to avoid the risk of choking! Babies can try finger foods even if they don't have teeth. The baby can bite the food using the gums, which also helps speech muscles develop!
Cooked carrots, peas, cut apples, papaya, banana, boiled potato salad, crumbled paneer, and chopped boiled egg are some examples of finger food.
Always remember that solids food can't replace the nutrients breastmilk or formula provides during the first year. So consider including solids in your baby's diet as complementary feeding. Please read on seven months baby food chart (to cross-check the foods you have introduced at seven months) before you plan a chart for your eight months baby food. And Consider preferring homemade meals for your baby, which are safe.
What foods can be included in an 8-month baby's diet?
At eight months, you can introduce the below foods in addition to the 6 & 7 months food chart.
What's new on eight months of baby food?
Fruits: blueberries, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, mangoes, apricots
Vegetables: White Potato, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, squash, zucchini
Cereals: wheat, broken wheat (Dalia), oats
Pulses: chickpeas (white & black chana), urad dal, green gram
Dairy: Curd or Yogurt, cottage cheese (paneer), tofu
Non-Vegetarian: Egg yolk
Spices: Turmeric, garlic, ginger, asafoetida, cumin seeds, pepper, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, caroms, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (all can be added in little amounts say a pinch)
The complete list of food options for eight months baby:
Here is the full list of options you can include in 8 month old baby's diet.
Fruits: Apple, Avocado, Banana, Pears, muskmelon, Peaches, Plums, Prune, Chikku, papaya, blueberries, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, mangoes
Vegetables: Carrot, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, beetroot, bottle gourd, tomato, ash gourd, green beans, peas, White Potato, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, onions
Cereals & Grains: Rice, Ragi, Barley, Semolina/Suji/Rava, sabudhana, wheat, broken wheat (Dalia), oats
Pulses: Yellow Moong Dal, masoor dal, chickpeas (white & black chana), urad dal, green gram
Dairy: Ghee, Butter, Cheese, Curd or Yogurt, cottage cheese (paneer), tofu
Non-Vegetarian: Egg yolk
Spices: Turmeric, garlic, ginger, asafoetida, cumin seeds, pepper, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, caroms, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (all can be added in little amounts say a pinch)
Sample Food chart or Diet plan for eight month old baby
For eight months baby, you can offer two meals and an optional snack that can be finger food or any light snack for a day. The rest should be breastfeeding or formula feeding. Also, if your baby is not ready for finger foods and rejects them same, offer mashed food instead( but continue trying Finger foods once a day). Hence I have given both options (finger foods & mashed food) in the diet chart. Choose the timings for meals and snacks according to your baby's preference.
How much quantity per day?
For the quantity of food, always be guided with your baby's hunger as appetite varies from baby to baby, and most babies change daily. Here is an approximate amount:
- Vegetables - ½ cup
- Fruits - ½ cup
- Cereal - ½ cup
Introduce one food at a time and follow three days rule, which will help determine allergic reactions to a particular food.
8 Months Baby Food Recipes
Here is the collection of 8 Months Baby Food Recipes. Please customize the below sample charts with the mentioned recipes that can be included in 8 months baby’s diet based on availability, convenience, and your baby’s preference.Sample Food Chart for 8 Months Baby
Here is the sample food chart with recipes (please click on the hyperlink to get the recipes) for eight months baby food,
Early Morning
|
Breakfast
|
Mid-Morning |
Lunch |
Evening |
Dinner |
Bed time |
|
Day 1 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Cooked carrot or peas pieces (FF)/ Mashed carrot |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
||
Day 2 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Raw Apple/pear or muskmelon or papaya/chikku or banana (FF)/
mashed banana chikku / mashed
papaya/Mashed Apple or pear/mashed muskmelon |
Curd rice with homemade
Curd / Vegetable dal soup |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
|
Day 3 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Boiled mashed egg yolk (FF) |
Rice moong dal porridge
with vegetables
Stock/mashed apple sweet potato |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
|
Day 4 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Crumbled Paneer (FF) |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
||
Day 5 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Toasted bread cubes/ banana pancakes /bread omelet
(FF) |
Moong dal khichdi with vegetables /mashed ghee rice with egg yolk |
BM/FM |
Idli/ Steamed Dosa/ Chapati or Roti (dipped in dal) |
BM/FM |
Day 6 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
|||
Day 7 |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
Plain homemade curd |
BM/FM |
BM/FM |
* BM/FM-Breastmilk/Formula Milk, FF-Finger Food
Notes:
- Sterilize the bowls and spoons used to feed your baby in a vessel with hot water for five minutes and immerse it in the same container until use.
- Never introduce more than one food at a time when introducing solids to your baby.
- Salt and sugar are not recommended in the baby's food until one year.
- Check for allergy symptoms when introducing new food to your baby, and stop feeding your child if you find any signs.
- This chart shows what foods can be included in the baby's diet at a particular month. It should not be considered medical advice.
- Feed your baby with breastmilk or formula milk on-demand other than the timings mentioned in the chart.
- Always check with your pediatrician before introducing any new food.
- Steaming is a healthy option for baby food than pressure cooking. So I prefer steaming using an Idli pot or steamer.
Last Updated: April 2018
- Also, Check out the food charts for 6 months to 3 years of Homemade Baby food recipes
Brandon Parmer
Especially new parents are worried about their baby's diet plans. Due to lack of proper diet most of the times we have found that babies are suffering from various diseases and therefore parents are always taking the help of expert advice before choosing food and recipes for their babies. Here in this article we have found the complete list of baby's diet plans and what should be eat in the 8 months of age. I hope new mother should follow this diet plan for their 8 months baby.
Baby Foods
tina
I have a Philips baby food steamer but I feel the food is uncooked as compared to pressure cooker
gkfooddiary
For every food u need to steam for a particular time for example carrot takes 15 minutes & potato takes at least 20 minutes of steaming.. I haven't faced any problem yet
Unknown
Half a cup for 8months..how much is half cup?
gkfooddiary
Half cup is approximately 120 ml. Always feed baby on demand. Quantities given here are just to give an rough idea
Sabina
Dinner at what time should be given for 8 months baby
Kalyani
Timing is purely depends on your baby's schedule. Two to three hours before sleep is ideal for dinner
Gayatri
My baby is not like any sweet... Wt can do.. Also not drink other milk
gkfooddiary
No problem if baby don't take milk other than breastmilk/formula. Don't need to worry about sweet as well. Just give whatever baby prefers.
Lavanya K Gopikrishna
Thank u for this info. It gives a clear picture. Very useful article.
gkfooddiary
thank you for your feedback:)
Saranya
My child s October 11 2017 born. Which diet plan should i follow... she s 7 months running so can i follow 7 months diet plan
gkfooddiary
Solid food can be included in baby's diet at 6 months , i.e after 180 days completed, Hence as of now you should follow 6 months food chart.. From May 11 2018, 7 months food chart as your baby completes 7 months
Dpusha
My baby girl is about to complete her 8th month.her weight is 5.7 kgs. Her birth weight is 2.4kgs. she hardly takes 4 or 5 spoons(silicon) what should I do?
Kalyani
Dont worry much about weight if baby is active. For 8 months baby, breast milk/formula should be a major thing. solid food is just complementary. so make sure she is getting enough milk. also try variety of foods as babies get easily bored if same food offered everyday.
Sam
Your article was really very helpful. Can you please suggest how to increase baby immunity and weight esp in a premature baby girl with very low birth weight. My baby girl is 8 months old i.e her corrected age. She takes only 120 ml milk wveey four hours. Doesnt eat anything and shuts her mouth tight when she see bowl and spoon in my hand. Im extremely worried. Can you plz help.
Kalyani
Babies of this age eat only less amount. MAke sure to feed enough breastmilk/formula until one year. Also, Don't worry about weight if the baby is active and meeting milestones. However, for weight gain include healthy foods like banana, potato, milk products, chicken, eggs, sweet potato, ghee, dry fruits nuts, urad dal, sesame seeds, avocado, raw banana powder, cheese which helps in healthy weight gain (in any form your baby prefers).
For improving immunity, you can include a small amount of Turmeric, Tulsi, ghee, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon, red bananas, pomegranate, barley, fenugreek, almonds, walnuts, eggs oranges, and Vitamin C rich foods in your baby's weekly/monthly diet.
Leena
My baby HS complete 8months...she has gas problem n she use to drink in bottle so bar bar infection horaha tha..so my doctor told stop milk fr smtym .n even bottle...BT she wants milk wat should I do...n I ws gvg her amul milk nw witch milk should I give her...
Kalyani
Only formula milk or breastmilk is good for the baby until 12 months. Try to change the formula milk brand(after consulting with the doctor) and see.
Sharayu
My baby having a constipation. Could you please recommend some home remedies and the food that he can eat.
Kalyani
check this: https://gkfooddiary.com/30-home-remedies-for-constipation-in-babies-toddlers/
Shruti Maliwal
Hey...include prune ..that helped me
Chandni
Can i add very little cow's milk to their porridge??if baby has no teeth yet how can we introduce finger foods??is there any chance for choking??
Kalyani
No cows milk is recommended until one year. Babies can chew with their gums. Give soft finger foods and always watch for choking
Keerthi
my baby hates milk and is losing weight, how many oz do you think the baby should drink after having the following meal?
Kalyani
how old is your baby?
Menka
Hi my baby is 8 mnths nd not sitting. I follow all your diet chart nd it helps me a lot. Pls suggest food for weight gain of baby as she is low weight. Till what age parboiled rice to be guven
Kalyani
Don't worry about weight if baby is active and doing well, However, For weight gain include foods like banana, potato, sweet potato, ghee, dry fruits nuts, urad dal, chicken, eggs, sesame seeds, avocado, raw banana powder, cheese which helps in healthy weight gain (in any form your child prefers ) check some weight gain recipes here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUW9RMBlrio&list=PLmmmsKso8Fs9a1JJnFjDCm8wpDMpt1iw5
you can give any rice variety to the baby which is a staple for your family and use it every day
Shruti Maliwal
Hey. How to give cheese, paneer. Is butter a choking hazard?....can I give paneer homemade...but my baby has not got teeth....how can she chew it???....and home made paneer is made using nimbu satva...so is it good for baby?
Kalyani
yes, homemade paneer is safe you can give. get more info here: https://gkfooddiary.com/paneer-recipes-babies-kids-when-can-i-give-my-baby-paneer/
Shruti Maliwal
Hey...cheese is processed and has salt also right...then which brand will be good?.....
Kalyani
choose unsalted and organic cheese. get more info here: https://gkfooddiary.com/when-can-i-give-my-baby-cheese/
Shruti Maliwal
Hey...u said about pasteurised milk right....Ghar pe jo cow milk comes...is that ok after boiling it?
Kalyani
yes boiled cows milk can be given to babies after one year
Shruti Maliwal
For preparing cheese...my baby is 8 months old...can I use Ghar ka cow milk?
Kalyani
yes
Shruti Maliwal
Hey when to start dry fruits?
Kalyani
You can start nuts to the baby from 8 months. First, introduce each nut separately to your baby in powdered form or paste form (one at a time) in paste or powder form by adding to baby food to see if it suits her.
The nuts powder can be given to babies after introducing each nut, and dry fruits separate. Once you introduced each nuts separate and ruled out allergies, try the nuts powder.
Start with 1/2 tsp of nuts powder and check whether the baby shows an allergic reaction, check it for three days, and if the baby is not allergic to it, you can increase the amount gradually. Check the nuts powder recipe here:https://gkfooddiary.com/nuts-powder-recipe-for-babies-toddlers-and-kids/
Shruti Maliwal
Hey...fan of this lovely site... Really a great work
Just want you to put the recipe of other home made cheese to be fed to babies..
Thank you in advance ?
Have a great day
Kalyani
check here: https://gkfooddiary.com/when-can-i-give-my-baby-cheese/