Nutritional Diversification for Baby - 2nd step: 7 to 8 months
As part of our partnership, WHAT’sIN gives the spotlight to BÉABA nutritionist advice’s on nutritional diversification for your little ones! This collection of articles will cover the 4 steps of nutritional diversification from 6 to 24 months.
The child’s capacities first of all!
As from 7 months, the child’s nutritional needs are more and more significant. However, at this stage, only breast milk or powdered formula are essential. Do not panic if your child is not quite at a stage as presented in parental magazines. What is important is that the diversification matches your child’s capacities and his/her varying appetite. Certain children need their bottle for longer, others are impatient for alternative food.
It is also during this period that you will know the joys of teething! This is likely to change your baby’s appetite, who, attracted to sugar to relieve pain, runs the risk of shunning pureed vegetables. Once again, this does not mean that your child does not like vegetables and know that nothing is forever. Be patient, continue to provide purees diluted with milk, even if you have to give him/her a bottle to reassure your little one.
The evolution of textures
Since the beginning of nutritional diversification, flavors change. As from the 7th month, textures evolve too! You can move onto dishes containing very fine semolina then more consistent cereals like bulgur, quinoa, etc… Your child will be able to start chewing, even with very few teeth. A gesture he/she reproduces when he sees you doing it!
Remember to always listen to your child: perhaps he/she is not yet ready to discover textured dishes. It doesn’t matter and it’s not forever: he/she will be ready in several days or weeks! The only thing that counts is that there is sufficient milk for him/her to grow. The rest is a bonus for the development of his/her taste buds!
The composition of a meal
You may feel overwhelmed with this stream of information. What to feed baby, how to create his/her meals? Say to yourself that this basis should always be followed: starchy food and/or 1 vegetable + 1 portion meat/fish/egg + 1 dairy product and +/- 1 fruit. The portions should be adapted as to whether it is lunch, a snack or dinner.
Small example of a day’s menu for a baby from 7 to 8 months:
In short!
The key point for this second stage of nutritional diversification is to adapt to your child’s capacities and progressively add more and more textured food to these purees. Your baby will get bigger, make the most of these precious moments of sharing and discovering!
And to accompany you in this marvelous parenthood adventure, discover the Béaba® and Me App. Genuine nutritional coach to give the best to baby, it is also and above all a committed community for sharing recipes and your children’s experiences.