Starting solids for your baby: Homemade Cerelac & more

Once your baby completes the 6-months mark, it is the ideal time to introduce her to solid foods. An Indian baby food chart for this stage should be a combination of semi-solid foods and solids. It is important to go slow and keep your baby’s food preference in mind.

Nurse or bottle feed your baby first and then offer your little one solids. It is important to remember that breastmilk or formula milk still continues to be more important than solids at this age.

Starting solids for your baby: Homemade Cerelac & more

How to know if your baby is ready for solid foods?

Before we get into the ideal food chart for your baby now, let’s see what are the indications that your baby is ready for solid foods:

Your baby can now sit up well without any support from you or others
Your baby’s willing to chew things
Your baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex significantly and you don’t see her trying to push solids out of her mouth right away anymore
Your baby looks too eager to taste your food and tries grabbing food items at mealtime
Your baby’s pincer grasp has become too strong now as she tries to grab food items between her thumb and index finger

If you see the aforementioned pointers happening with your baby, in all possibilities, she is ready for her solids.

Check out: The ideal food chart for your 6-months-old baby

Follow the 3-days rule while introducing solids to your baby

It is important to mention that some babies may be allergic to certain baby food items (especially those with a family history of food allergies). Thus, it is essential to follow the three-day rule for baby food. Introduce only one food at a time and check for three days, if your baby is comfortable, then you are good to introduce the next one.

Food chart for your growing baby now should include vegetables, fruits, cereals, grains, protein, and dairy. Food must be home cooked, pureed, or mashed and should be easy to digest. Initially, she will consume only 1-2 tbsp, once a day. Do not force feed and give your little one some time to get used to it.

Ideal breastfeeding/formula feeding schedule for your baby now:

Here's how you should divide your baby's feeding schedule on a daily basis with breast milk, formula milk and also some essential semi-solids:

Vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, carrots, sweet potato, green peas, french beans are healthy options that can be included in the food chart for 6 months old baby. These veggies should be well steamed and can be given in puree or mashed form. Start with very dilute purees and gradually thicken them as your baby gets used to it.
Fruits such as banana, apple, papaya, chikoo, apricots, prunes, mango, peaches are necessary for the overall growth and development of your baby. Make sure it is one fruit at a time. Fruits can be given in puree or mashed form as well. You can also boil or steam the fruit, following by blending or mashing it.
It is the perfect time to introduce water into your baby's diet. Make sure to boil the water thoroughly before feeding your baby.
Include cereals in the food chart as nothing can be healthier than oats, rice, and barley. For oats or barley, you can boil them and add formula or breast milk and add a fruit of your choice.
Cook the rice properly, mash it and then add formula or breastmilk to it. Alternatively, you can also cook the rice and few vegetables together in a pressure cooker and then mash the mixture into a fine paste.

Grandma’s Tip: Sooji can be included in the baby food chart now as it is highly nutritious and easily digestible. Dry roast the sooji and add water/milk to it. Vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, carrots, sweet potato, green peas, French beans are healthy options that can be included in the food chart. These veggies should be well steamed and can be given in puree or mashed form. Start with very dilute purees and gradually thicken them as your baby gets used to it.

Check out: The ideal food chart for your baby at 9 months

• Early Morning Meal

Breastmilk should be given to your baby in the morning.

• Breakfast

You can feed your baby with fruit or vegetable puree for breakfast.

• Lunch

Cereals and grains like rice, oats, barley, etc. should be given in the pureed or mashed form, mixed with vegetables for lunch.

• Snacks

For evening snacks, you can choose between fruits or vegetables in puree or mashed form. Alternatively, you can breastfeed your baby.

• Dinner

You can opt for a rice puree or a vegetable puree for dinner.

In between, keep breastfeeding your baby as and when required.