When your baby hits the 6 to 7 month mark, it’s a good idea to set up a feeding plan that meets their growing nutritional needs. Starting your baby on solid foods, along with breast milk or formula is a big step in your little one’s development and an exciting chapter in your journey as a parent!
Starting solids can seem scary, but with the right plan, it can be easy and even fun! Our expert advice and sample schedules will help you tailor a routine that fits your baby’s needs and your family’s lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- Understand your baby’s nutritional needs and caloric requirements at 6 to 7 months-old
- Learn the signs that your baby is ready for solid foods and which foods are best to introduce first
- Create a balanced feeding schedule that incorporates breast milk or formula alongside solid foods
- Recognise your baby’s hunger and fullness cues to adjust portion sizes and meal frequency accordingly
- Get inspiration from sample feeding schedules for both breastfed and formula-fed babies
Feeding schedules for 6 to 7 month-olds
Your baby’s digestive system is getting better at handling different foods so it’s now important to mix breast milk or formula with solid foods so your baby gets all the nutrients they need.
When making a feeding schedule for your 6 to 7 month-old, there are a few key points to keep in mind:
- Frequency of meals: Aim for 3 to 4 solid food meals a day, plus breast milk or formula.
- Portion sizes: Start your baby with small amounts of solid foods and increase this as your baby gets hungrier.
- Variety: Give your baby a range of foods, like pureed veggies and fruits, and mashed meats.
- Texture: Start with smooth purees and move to lumpier purees as your baby gets better at eating solids.
Understanding your baby's nutritional needs
When your baby hits 6 to 7 months, they need the right nutrients to support healthy growth and brain development. Knowing what they need helps to make feeding much easier for you and your little one. This includes proteins, carbs, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Proteins are essential for building and repairing tissues, enzymes, and hormones whilst carbohydrates provide energy for your baby’s growth as well as all their little adventures!
Meanwhile, healthy fats support your baby’s brain development and provide a concentrated source of energy whilst vitamins, such as vitamin A, C and D play crucial roles in various bodily functions such as supporting their vision, immune system and bone health.
Minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc are essential for strong bones, teeth, and overall health.
To give your baby the right mix of nutrients, offer pureed fruits and veggies, fortified cereals for iron, and protein from pureed meats or legumes. Remember, breast milk or formula still plays a big role in their diet and is their main source of nutrition until they are 1 year old.
Starting solid foods for your 6 to 7 month-old
Before you introduce solid foods to your baby, check that they’re ready…
Your baby should have good head control and be able to sit upright with minimal support. They might also start to pick up food and bring it to their mouth. Your baby is also likely to have an increased interest in food, often reaching for what you’re eating!
Their tongue-thrust reflex will also have gone, which means your baby can swallow food rather than push it back out.
Start with single-ingredient, pureed foods that are easy for your baby’s tummy to digest. Good first foods include pureed vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, and butternut squash, pureed fruits such as banana, avocado, and pear, pureed lean meats, like chicken or turkey and single-grain cereals, such as rice or oatmeal, mixed with breast milk or formula.
Over time, you can add more variety and texture, moving from pureed foods to mashed and finely chopped foods. If your baby doesn’t like a food, don’t force it. Try offering it again later or in a different way as it might take a few tries for your little one to accept a new food. There are some off-limit foods that you should avoid giving your baby in their first year:
Creating a balanced feeding schedule
A balanced feeding schedule for your baby should include breast milk or formula and solid foods. This ensures your little one gets the nutrients they need for growth.
Keep breast milk or formula as your baby’s main food source, aiming for 6 to 8 feedings a day. In terms of solid foods, start with single-ingredient purees and gradually add more complex foods to your baby’s diet.
It’s important to make sure your baby starts with breast milk or formula first. Then, offer solid foods. This helps your baby get the nutrients and hydration they need while trying new tastes and textures.
Begin with one solid meal a day, usually at lunchtime, and add more as your baby gets used to eating solids. Here’s a sample of a balanced 6 month-old feeding schedule, but remember that every baby is different and what works for your baby might not necessarily work for someone else’s:
Recognising hunger and fullness cues
Responsive feeding means listening to your baby’s hunger and fullness signals. Babies show their needs in various ways. If your little one is hungry they may root or turn their head towards your breast or their bottle, they may make sucking motions or put their hands to their mouth. Your baby may cry more too and show signs of increased alertness,
On the flip side, when your baby is full, they may turn their head away from your breast, bottle, or spoon, closing their mouth or refusing to open it. Your little one will likely slow down or stop sucking and they will push away their bottle or spoon. All this growing is tiring, so your baby may even fall asleep during feeding!
As your baby grows, so do their nutritional needs and their appetite! Adjusting your feeding schedule means changing portion sizes and meal frequency. The NHS suggests that you introduce a cup of food to your 6 month-old baby and also offer sips of water with meals. When your little one is around 7 months-old, you should gradually move them towards eating 3 meals a day in addition to their usual milk feeds, which may be around 4 a day.
Sample feeding schedules
This sample schedule is a good starting point but remember, your baby is unique. Be ready to adjust this schedule based on your baby’s needs and your family’s routine.
7:00 AM – Wake up and breast milk or formula
8:00 AM – Solid food breakfast (e.g.,mashed fruit)
10:00 AM – Breast milk or formula
12:00 PM – Solid food lunch (e.g., pureed vegetables, soft proteins)
2:00 PM – Breast milk or formula
4:00 PM – Optional small snack (e.g., mashed banana, unsweetened yoghurt)
6:00 PM – Breast milk or formula
7:00 PM – Solid food dinner (e.g., pureed meat, mashed sweet potato)
8:00 PM – Breast milk or formula
Night feeds as needed
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions to help guide you through introducing solids.
Keep in mind the frequency of your baby’s meals, portion sizes, the variety of foods and also the textures.
As you introduce solid foods, the amount of milk or formula might decrease but keep offering it until your baby is at least 12 months old.
Start with single-ingredient, pureed foods for your 6-7 month-old. Good options are baby cereals, pureed fruits like apple and banana, and pureed veggies like sweet potato. Begin with a small amount and increase as your baby gets used to eating solids.
At 6 months, babies need to eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day. This means about 5 to 6 meals a day. These meals include solid foods and breast milk or formula. Remember, every baby is different so watch for hunger and fullness cues and adjust your baby’s feeding times as needed.
