Baby Solids: 6 to 9 Months Baby Food Guide

For a list of all the foods that we usually give, check out my Typical Foods for 6-9months old guide.

For more information on my favorite store-bought food, check out my Easier than Homemade post. 

See my review of Baby Led Weaning vs Purées

 

Meals per Day

From 6-7.5 months, we were doing breakfast and dinner, with maybe a Once Upon a Farm pouch midday. At around 8 months, we added in a more substantial lunch in addition to substantial breakfast and dinners.

Typical Meals

I generally think about the day as a whole and make sure that she in general is getting vegetables, protein, fats, fruits and an allergen or two in (dairy, nuts or eggs). I didn’t include many whole grains besides those in her jars (quinoa) until closer to 9 months.

 

Breakfast

A typical breakfast would be yogurt with smashed fruit, blueberries cut in half, slices of mango, avocado smashed up and a Yumi jar. Often I give her the handheld pieces (like mango or pear) first because it buys me time to prepare her full breakfast plate!

She also love eggs, so occasionally, I mix an egg and cook it like an omelette then cut it into strips for her. Using coconut oil helps to give these more fat and flavor.

Lunch

Ideally, I’d do a fat (one that I didn’t do for breakfast) such as avocado or peanut butter mixed with banana or applesauce. I do some sort of veggies, either steamed veggies or fresh and I try to make sure that we get a protein in there. Chicken, lamb meatballs, pork, lentils or beans are all good options. I often throw in a piece of fresh mozzarella too.

However, lunch is usually more hectic as we are either out or about to go out, so this is when the Yumi jars or Once Upon a Farm pouches come in very handy.

Dinner

Usually the same as lunch, but I often add in a whole grain and a fruit based puree too.

 

Water

After 6 months, I got a lot more liberal with water. I used to worry that she’d fill up on water and not drink breastmilk, but now she has water available at every meal and sometimes in between. She never seems to guzzle it, and if she does once in a while, I assume she needs it. I find that now that she’s eating more, the water really helps with constipation.

For cups, I use the Munchkin 360 Water Cup and the Zoli Straw Cup. I alternate between these two, and am starting to introduce an open lidded cup.

High Chair Time

Babies are all about routine so for breakfast and dinner, we always make sure to have it in the high chair. I usually sit or kneel in front of her, sometimes I am eating as well. I’ve really liked the 4 Moms highchair as it has a sleek look but also feels safe and sturdy. It is also easy to clean as the tray comes up with a snap. The tray is also magnetic so if you purchase their magnetic tableware, it stays on the tray. However I didn’t find this to be necessary as I tried one and Aurora could lift it pretty easily so now I use mostly the suction tableware (favorite suction tableware here). 

 

Messy Business

We allow her to get messy. I know not everyone is okay with that but I learned that it is a valuable part of the discovery for her. If I kept wiping her face (which she hates) or limiting what she grabbed and flung, it wouldn’t be much of an exploration. Yes, this means that I clean yogurt off the walls, my bibs are stained and she looks like she took a bath in food at the end of some meals, but at least she had fun?

I recommend getting a good splat mat. I was very excited to find these Gathre mats, made out of leather (!) which are stain proof, waterproof and THEY LOOK REALLY NICE. I am always trying to get away from the cheesy prints, animals, etc when I can, so this was a nice breath of fresh air. They have all sorts of sizes and colors here–I got the high chair one.

Also, we use both the OXO waterproof bib (with the little catchall) and the green sprout cloth bibs. The latter is also waterproof but does get stained (even though I use stain remover) but I find them to be a little more comfortable for her and easier to put on or take with you.

 

Appetite

All kids are different in this department, but for now, I’d say that Aurora has a hearty appetite. I have noticed this appetite dramatically increase around 7/8 months. I believe it corresponds to her physical development. She was really crawling fast and cruising, and I assume, burning so many calories as she is moving all. day. Long. She also had had a couple solid months of repeated exposure so seemed to really get the hang of the whole food thing.

I found the biggest factor in feeding meals is timing. If it is too soon after milk, she’s less interested. If it has been too long since a nap and she’s tired, she’s less interested. If her dad comes home in the middle of dinner, dinner is over because she’s just too excited. Each meal takes thought, time and money, but I’ve learned myself that it’s okay if she doesn’t eat it because this repeated exposure is just all the part of the bigger process. It’s hard to predict if she’ll finish her plate or not eat more than a bite. I try not to let it get to me or feel like I am “failing” if she doesn’t eat a lot.