8 Month Old Feeding Schedule – What You Should Know?

Providing your baby with the proper diet ensures that they grow and develop properly. As babies grow older, their food habits and schedule also need to change. As a result, an 8-month-old baby should not be fed on the same schedule as a 6-month-old baby. So, what is the best 8 month old feeding schedule? 

A baby who is eight months old can eat semi-solid or solid meals. Thus, you can feed your baby solid foods. You must feed the baby at least six times a day to provide optimum nutrition. Furthermore, foods rich in essential nutrients should be included at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You will learn the appropriate feeding timetable and food menus for your 8-month-old baby from this article. Before that, you should know how much food to feed your baby. Later, I will share some tips to help you maintain the feeding timetable.  

Foods That You Should Feed Your 8-Month-Old Baby

Your child’s daily intake should deliver the essential macronutrients and energy for proper growth and development. Nutrient deficiencies will hamper a child’s growth, neurodevelopment, and immune system. 

Therefore, you have to provide appropriate and adequate nutrition to ensure your baby’s lifelong health and well-being. 

Daily meals consisting of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals will give your baby the necessary energy and nutrients. So, make a feeding schedule with the correct proportion of various foods that will contain all the mentioned nutrients. 

Here is a list of nutrients and food your child needs: 

Whole Grains And Cereals 

Carbohydrates play an important role in a baby’s growth and development. It fuels the brain with glucose. So, to keep your baby active and alert, there should be a good amount of carbohydrates. It is abundant with many different foods, such as grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables.

You must have introduced these foods to your baby by now. Your 8-month-old baby is also capable of eating whole-grain bread and biscuits because they can digest solid food. 

As these foods have natural sugar, you do not have to add extra sugar to your baby’s food to fulfill the necessity of glucose for brain development. Rice, wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, pasta, and bread are some foods rich in carbohydrates. You can add them to your 8-month-old baby’s food menu.

Foods With Protein And Amino Acids

Protein and amino acids are also necessary for your baby’s growth. These elements perform structural and functional roles in every cell in the human body. They also develop the brain, muscle, immune system, and intestinal functions. 

Some rich protein and amino acid sources are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, grains, nuts, and seeds. Since an 8-month-old has just started to eat solid food, you can cut and chop meat, fish, and poultry food into small pieces. Other foods like cheese, nuts, and seeds can be mashed and added to the grains.

Fiber Food

Up to six months, your baby does not need fiber. However, later in life, the fiber becomes a necessary nutrient. It keeps the baby full and ensures proper digestion. 

Fibers come primarily from plant sources like grains, fruits, and vegetables. Thus, you can include oats, Rice, wheat, and whole-wheat pasta. Adding plums, pears, and peaches to the baby’s food menu is another way to fill up the fiber needs.  

Dairy For Fat And Calcium 

Fat and calcium are extremely crucial for a baby’s health in the first 2 years. Mother’s milk or formula fulfills most of the needs. However, your 8-month baby should be introduced to an additional source of fat and calcium. 

Butter, margarine, yogurt, and cheese are rich in fat and calcium. Do not feed cow milk in a bottle to your 8-month-old yet. They may not be able to digest it completely. You can also add poultry products, fish, seeds, nuts, and suitable bakery products to the diet as a source of dairy. 

Vegetables And Fruits For Vitamins And Minerals

Vegetables and fruits are the primary source of vitamins and minerals for your child. Vitamin C is vital for building up your baby’s immune system. So, you must have citrus fruits, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, and spinach in an 8-month-old baby’s diet.

Vitamin A can be acquired through sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, and melons. Finger meals for an eight-month-old baby should include sliced and cubed fruits and veggies. To make fruits and vegetable pieces suitable for newborns, you can soft boil them.

Food Enriched With Other Micronutrients 

Babies also need iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and vitamins for healthy growth and brain development. Your baby already gets its fair share of micronutrients, especially Vitamin D, from breast milk or formulas. 

You can introduce the baby to foods like liver, lentils, beetroot, millet, and tofu. These foods are enriched with iron, zinc, and vitamin B. 

So, these are the primary food groups and nutrients you should include in your 8-month-old’s daily diet. If you’re cooking for your infant, you should also use vegetable oils like olive oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. They are high in fatty acids, which aid in the baby’s development.

How Much Should An 8-Month-Old Eat? 

Let your child be your guide. However, you must pay attention to your baby to determine how much it needs to eat. The food intake of babies varies according to their size and weight. As a result, parents feed their children as much as they require.

However, you have to balance carbohydrates and protein with vegetables and fruits so that the baby does not get overweight.

An eight-month baby slowly adapts to solid food. So, it is difficult to measure the right amount of food for the baby. The amount of one spoonful of liquid or semi-solid food and solid food is not the same. Hence, you may need help figuring out the right amount of food for an eight-month-old. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a sample meal plan for babies. Thus, there is also a sample meal plan for 8 to 12-month-old babies. 

According to the AAP, an 8-month-old baby needs 700 to 900 calories per day. Fortunately, 400 to 500 calories come from breast milk or baby formula. The rest of the calories must be fulfilled with different types of food. So, to fully meet your baby’s nutrition requirements, you must provide: 

• 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk or formula
• 6 to 8 ounces of solid food. Three-time meals (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and snacks.

Here is the diet plan designed by AAP for 8-month-old babies:

Breakfast 

• Whole-grain foods or cereals mixed with 4 to 6-ounce breast milk or formula- 4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup. 
• Diced or mashed fruits–4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup

Morning Snacks

• Sliced cheese, fruits, or cooked vegetables- 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup 

  Lunch 

• Plain whole-milk yogurt/ Cheese/minced meat- 4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup 
• Sliced or mashed yellow or orange fruits and vegetables- 4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup

Afternoon Snack

• Plain yogurt- 4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup
• 1 piece whole-grain cracker or biscuit

Dinner

• Ground meat or poultry or diced tofu- 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup
• Cooked green vegetables- 4 to 8 tablespoons or ¼ to ½ cup
• Pasta, noodles, rice, or potato- 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup
• Diced fruits- 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup

As you can see, the AAP has been instructed to keep a combination of different types of food with all the important nutrients. In-between these meals, you have to make sure your 8-month-old baby gets at least 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk or formula. 

8-Month-Old Feeding Schedule

Here is a schedule for eight-month-old babies. It is a sample feeding schedule where you will see different foods to ensure daily nutrition. There are many options to choose from, and you can also add your own choice of food to fulfill your baby’s needs. 

Water should be present during every meal. Although 6 to 12 years olds do not need water, you can give them a few sips of water right after finishing a meal. Babies get their share of water from milk and formula, which you should give them every 3 to 4 hours. 

You have to follow the timetable to feed your baby every day. However, you can always change the menu. But foods on the menu must contain the right amount of nutrients for the baby. It can be changed depending on food availability and your baby’s preference. 

So, it is better to experiment with various types of food to find out which food your child prefers. It may take a few days, but you can eventually make a food menu that fits your baby. 

Why Is It Necessary to Feed Babies on Schedule? 

Timely feeding your baby will help with normal physical and mental development. When babies eat according to a schedule, their bodies function properly. They also have enough energy to stay active and happy. 

With timely food, your baby’s stomach stays full. Thus, it can also take timely rest. Sleeping is imperative for an 8-month-old baby. It helps them in their growth and keeps them calm. Thus, they do not get irritated by lack of sleep.   

As you can guess, ignoring food on schedule or delaying the feeding time hampers your baby’s physical and mental development. When you miss a feeding schedule, the baby will not get the required nutrition and energy to stay active. Hence, they will be tired and irritated. 

Not only that, but untimely feeding also causes digestive issues in babies. They can even have gastrointestinal problems. As a result, they will feel pain inside their stomach and might end up vomiting. It will affect their appetite and might lead to an eating disorder. 

Again, if the baby does not get the 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk or formula milk on time, it can also cause serious problems. An 8-month-old baby depends on milk. So, they can face dehydration and constipation problems because of a lack of fluids. Not having a sufficient amount of breast milk is also a reason for malnutrition among infants worldwide.  

Therefore, it is extremely crucial to maintain a feeding schedule for your 8-month-old baby. It ensures that your child will get the energy to stay active for the day. Besides, it also teaches your baby about the importance of eating food on time. Thus, they can develop a good habit of maintaining a routine. 

10 Feeding Tips for 8-Month-Old Babies

New parents often feel frustrated when their babies do not want to eat nutritious food. As they are new to solid food, they may not like all kinds of solid food right away. However, you should not get frustrated when the baby refuses to eat its food. Instead, think about new ways to encourage your child. 

To make things easier for you, here are some tips you can follow to feed your baby:  

Choose A Specific Time And Location 

When you feed your baby, it is better to follow a timetable. Besides, you should choose a specific place to serve daily meals for your baby. This will help your baby get used to a specific time and place. Hence, they will connect the time and place with food. 

It is best when your child sits in one place while having meals. Some babies often play around while they eat. As a result, they lose concentration and interest in the food. So, you can put your baby on a high chair near the dining table. This way, it can grow the habit of sitting still while eating food. 

Involve Your Baby In Family Meal

Babies learn through observing others, especially family members. So, put the baby on the high chair while you and other family members have meals. Your baby will follow you. So, you must show your best behavior. 

You can also give the baby some finger foods while others are eating. It will indeed imitate putting food in the mouth as others do. 

Be Aware Of Allergic Reactions

Foods can cause allergic reactions. It can be a severe problem for babies. So, you have to be extra observant while your baby eats. When you introduce new food to your baby, the amount has to be small. Give them one or two spoons of the new food. 

Do not blend different kinds of food and start feeding the baby right away. The baby should taste the food ingredients separately before you blend them. 

After feeding a new food, observe the baby for allergic reactions. It can be breathing problems, itchiness, the appearance of rashes, and sneezing. Adults and babies are often allergic to nuts, fish, dairy products, eggs, and some fruits and vegetables. 

To lower the risk of allergy, you can add regional or widespread fruits and vegetables to the baby’s menu. Avoid feeding exotic and rare fruits because your child can be allergic to that food. 

Give Mashed Or Solid Foods

When your baby becomes 8 months old, it has to learn to eat solid food. It is important to eat solid food during this time to build a strong digestive and immune system for the future. So, while you make food for a baby, do not entirely mash the food. Keep it chunky and lumpy. 

It will help an 8-month-old baby learn to chew and bite. Gradually, you can introduce the baby to boiled or cooked solid foods. It has to be easy to consume, and it should dissolve in the baby’s mouth easily. Give your baby some finger foods before it learns to grasp food and put it in the mouth. 

Do Not Leave The Baby Unsupervised 

Never leave a baby unsupervised. Babies, after 6 months, develop the habit of putting things in their mouths. They do not understand the limit and can put in more food than they cannot swallow. 

So, keep an eye on them while they are self-feeding. Otherwise, there is a risk that they will choke on their food. Therefore, you have to start with small pieces.

So, keep an eye on them while they are self-feeding. Otherwise, there is a risk that they will choke on their food. Therefore, you have to start with small pieces. Also, keep other objects out of their reach.

Use The Right Utensils To Feed Your Baby

To help your infant self-feed, use an angled spoon with a firm grip. The spoon should not be sharp on the edges. The edges of the spoon should be blunt.  

Use cups instead of plates because the food can get messy. Please use a suction cup at the bottom. Furthermore, if you use plastic utensils, make sure they are made of food-grade plastics. 

Teach Your Baby How To Eat

Encourage babies to eat the food on their own. You can teach them how to use an angled spoon to scoop semi-solid foods like cereal and porridge from a bowl or cup. Even though they will make a mess, you should still encourage self-feeding.

This practice helps babies improve hand-eye coordination skills and teaches them to eat independently. Be patient while teaching the skill because it is entirely new to your child. 

Do Not Give Extra Salt And Sugar 

An 8-month-old baby may have a stronger digestive and immune system than 6 or 7-month-old babies, but their kidneys are still not enough to process too much salt and sugar. Too much sugar is also harmful to baby teeth. 

Besides, breast milk or formula is enough to provide salt and glucose for the baby. Moreover, whole grains, bread, cheese, yogurt, pasta, and various fruits on the menu also contain nutrients like glucose, iron, zinc, and other minerals.

Do Not Feed Cow Milk To 8-Month-Old Baby

Many people make the mistake of feeding cow milk to infants. Yes, cow milk is rich in calcium and Vitamin D, but it has more salt and potassium than breast milk. As a result, it puts an extra load on an 8-month-old baby’s kidneys. 

If your baby still depends on breast milk or formula, there’s no need to add cow’s milk to the diet. Instead of directly feeding cow milk, you can give them cheese and yogurt. 

Do Not Feed Spicy Or Fried Food

The digestive system and taste buds of an 8-month child need time to change. Because of their taste buds, babies only like sweet food. Hence, they will not like spicy food. Also, spices can induce digestive problems, so do not mix spices with your baby’s food. 

Again, deep-fried foods, no matter how tasty, should be avoided. Fried foods are hard to digest. Since an 8-year-old has just begun to improve their digestive system, they are still incapable of digesting oily fried food properly. 

So, these are the tips you can follow to feed your baby. When you can feed your baby the right food, it becomes easier to maintain your 8-month-old baby’s feeding schedule. It will help you finish the baby’s meal on time. 

Some Baby Food Recipes You Can Try 

Sometimes, babies refuse to eat fruits and vegetables separately. Thus, they miss some vital nutrients. You can be creative and prepare a meal with the most nutrients mixed. A mixed recipe can also save some of your time. 

So, here are two baby food recipes you can try for an 8-month-old:

Recipe 1: Rice, carrot, And potato mix

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons of Rice
• ½ cup chopped potatoes
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• 2 cup water

Instructions:

First, put a saucepan on the stove. Rinse the rice, carrots, and potatoes well before cooking. Then put the ingredients in the saucepan. Next, pour in the water as well. Put the stove on high heat and stir the food. The water and ingredients will soon start to boil. 

When it brings to a boil, lower the heat and start stirring again. Close the lid on the saucepan, and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. When the cooking is done, take the saucepan off the stove and blend the food into a semi-solid state. 

Finally, give this baby food to your 8-month-old baby at lunch or dinner time. 

Recipe 2: Apple Banana Porridge

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons Rice or oats
• A chopped apple
• A chopped banana
• ½ cup water

Instructions:

You can cook in a saucepan, but it is easier to cook in a pressure cooker. Now, put all the ingredients in the pressure cooker and add water. Next, turn on the heat and cook until 4 whistles. After a while, turn off the pressure cooker and let it cool down. 

Then, take off the lid and see nicely boiled food. Now, add the boiled food to a mixer to grind it, or you can mash it with your hands. The apple banana porridge can be served to your baby at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you have learned about the 8 month old feeding schedule. Nutrition during the first three years of babies is crucial for future health outcomes. 

So, follow a feeding schedule with timely breaks. Besides, make sure you add all kinds of nutritious foods to the menu so that your precious child can lead a healthy and prosperous life.