Diet and Nutrition
During this stage, babies require approximately 750-900 calories per day, with 400-500 calories coming from breast milk or formula—about 720 milliliters of milk per day. Breast milk and formula already contain vitamins, minerals, and other substances that promote brain development. However, if your child's appetite has decreased compared to before, there's no need to worry. Now that their growth rate has slowed down, there are many new and interesting things besides drinking milk that attract their attention.
Around 8 months old, you may want to introduce slightly chunkier foods to your child. These foods require more chewing. You can also add yogurt, mashed bananas, potatoes, and even thicker soups or cooked vegetable chunks to expand their diet. Eggs are an ideal source of protein, and additionally, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado are excellent protein sources.
As your child's hand dexterity improves, you can give them a spoon to play with during meals. When your child knows how to hold the spoon correctly, encourage them to try feeding themselves. Initially, don't expect too much from them—many foods may end up on the floor instead of in their mouths. You can place a plastic sheet under your child's high chair to make cleaning up easier after meals.
Be patient and don't take the spoon away from your child. They need constant practice, confidence, and encouragement from you. After they can consistently put the spoon into their mouth (which may not happen until around 1 year old), you may want to help them by loading the spoon with food to prevent too much mess and food wastage, but always let them feed themselves. In the initial weeks of your child feeding themselves, things may go more smoothly when they are very hungry or more interested in eating than playing with the spoon.
Finger foods your child can grab and eat include steamed vegetable chunks, fruits (such as bananas), cooked noodles, chicken pieces, scrambled eggs, whole grain rice cereal, etc. Offer your child foods with different tastes, shapes, colors, and textures, but always keep an eye on them while they eat to prevent choking hazards. Additionally, since your child may swallow food without chewing, avoid giving them large spoonfuls of peanut butter, large pieces of raw vegetables, whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn, hard candies, and other hard or round foods. Also, be vigilant while your child eats ham, cheese, or meat chunks, as they may pose a choking hazard. Therefore, when giving these types of foods to children at this stage, always cut them into small pieces. If all family members have undergone basic first aid training, you won't have to worry about no one being able to help your child in case of an emergency.
Things may go more smoothly in the initial weeks of your child feeding themselves when they are very hungry or more interested in eating than playing with the spoon.
Daily Menu (8-12 Months Old)
Breakfast
1/4 - 1/2 cup of rice cereal, scrambled eggs or egg custard (1 egg).
1/4 - 1/2 cup of fruit puree or diced fruit.
Breast milk or 120 - 180 milliliters of formula milk.
Snack
Breast milk or 120 - 180 milliliters of formula milk.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced cheese, cooked vegetable puree, or vegetable dices.
Lunch
1/4 - 1/2 cup of yogurt, cottage cheese, minced meat (or diced meat), or mashed beans (or diced beans).
1/4 - 1/2 cup of cooked yellow or orange vegetable puree or vegetable dices.
Breast milk or 120 - 180 milliliters of formula milk.
Snack
1 piece of teething biscuit or whole wheat biscuit.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of yogurt, mashed fruit puree, or diced fruit.
Dinner
1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced meat or tofu.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of cooked green vegetables.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of cooked noodles, rice, or potatoes.
1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced fruit or fruit puree.
Breast milk or 120 - 180 milliliters of formula milk.
Before Bedtime
Breast milk, or 180 - 240 milliliters of formula milk or water (if giving milk before bedtime, remember to rinse and brush your child's teeth after feeding).