At 7 months, baby discovered the joys of new flavors and the panoply of colors of foods: you began to diversify in food for a month, or even a little more. Every day, at mealtime, you awaken your child and introduce him to the pleasure of sitting at the table. You always delight in his reactions!

From now on, baby eats at the rate of older children but milk remains the main food of the 7 month old baby with an average of 4 bottles or 240 ml feedings per meal. The quantities of purees and compotes, on the other hand, gradually increase as his appetite grows and he gets used to the new flavors.

Here is how each of the meals of the 7 month old child is composed:

Breakfast

The first meal of the day is often a simple bottle (240 ml) possibly containing infant cereals. Unless of course you are still breastfeeding your child!

Lunch

The midday meal is generally an opportunity to offer your baby a vegetable puree that you will accompany with 10 g of protein (2 teaspoons of meat, fish or 1/2 egg yolk). Unless your schedule does not allow it, and you have more time for meal time in the evening. In this case, you will move the mash at dinner to have the joy of sharing this moment with your child.

A bottle (240 ml), or breastfeeding, will be offered as a supplement.

To taste

The snack consists of a bottle (240 ml) – or a feed if you are breastfeeding – and a compote that you will give in variable quantities, according to your child’s appetite and his thirst for discovery. If baby refuses to drink his milk after the compote, simply reverse the order: start with the milk and end with the compote.

Dinner

The last meal of the day generally consists of a simple bottle of milk (240 ml), possibly with infant cereals or in the case of breastfeeding, a breastfeed. Unless you choose this meal to offer your child his big meal: a mash of vegetables and a portion of protein. In this case, this dish will complement the bottle, of course.

Whether your baby is breastfed or bottle-fed, whether it is well diversified or at the start of diversification, milk always occupies the first place in the diet of the 7 month old child to cover his nutritional and water needs. important.

Whatever the stage of your child’s food diversification, and if it has not yet been done, it is important to switch to 2nd age milk, a milk a little more dosed in proteins, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids to better suit the needs of the child. This milk is even normally offered from 6 months. As a reminder, it is not recommended to give cow’s milk to your child before the age of one year, and better yet, before the age of three. Also beware of vegetable drinks (soy, almonds, oats, spelled, chestnut rice, etc.) sold in supermarkets in the organic department: they are not adapted to the needs of babies and are formally not recommended for your little one because of the risks for his health.

If you are breastfeeding your child and it suits you both, do not hesitate to continue because beyond the mother-child bond that you consolidate over the months, breastfeeding can meet all of your child’s nutritional needs. and prevent many infections and diseases by making it benefit from your antibodies. You will simply supplement breastfeeding with purees, a little protein and compotes. You can even add breast milk to your child’s purees, or even, for those who wish, prepare dairy desserts based on breast milk.

It’s been a good month at least that your baby has been tasting new foods, getting used to new textures and discovering the immensity of the colors that nature can offer. The enthusiasm for new things varies from one child to another: some babies will therefore be more comfortable during this great stage of food diversification. If your child is rather reserved in the face of new things, do not worry because there is no rush. The idea is simply, before their first birthday, to introduce your child to a wide range of new foods. So if baby isn’t near this week, he most likely will be a little later. However, continue to introduce him to new foods every day, without rushing him or forcing him. Inducing tension during meals would indeed be counterproductive and would risk blocking it in the more or less long term. When he wants to embark on this great adventure, he will be able to let you know, be patient.

Anyway, at seven months, in addition to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, you will take care to present to him every day:

• Noon and or evening: vegetables, associated with starchy foods and a small portion of protein (mixed or presented in very small pieces)
• At snack time: a fruit.

These foods will be presented in the form of purees and compotes that you will mix more or less according to the evolution of your child. Gradually, you will evolve towards less smooth textures to end up on well-cooked foods that you will crush.

The vegetables

At seven months, baby has already discovered a number of vegetables. Continue to introduce him to those he does not know and once he has discovered the vegetables one by one, you will be able to mix them together to make new recipes and vary the pleasures. Among the least fibrous vegetables, we note:

• Carrots
• Green beans, flat coconut beans
• Spinach
• courgettes
• Broccoli
• Leek white
• Beet
• Eggplant
• Pumpkin, pumpkin, buternut squash, etc.

Prefer fresh seasonal vegetables, and possibly opt for frozen vegetables. However, avoid preserves and still do not add salt!

Starchy foods

At seven months, you can start to introduce half of the starchy foods into the baby’s puree: mix the same weight of vegetables and starchy foods to thicken or soften the purees. In addition to potatoes, sweet potatoes, and polenta, you can start to change the texture of your baby’s mash by including:

• Semolina
• Bulgur
• Tapioca
• Quinoa

Depending on how your baby is progressing, you can also possibly start mixing his vegetables with vermicelli, small pasta (alphabet pasta type) to crushed peas for example. However, always make sure to cook well (or even overcook) the starchy foods so that the texture remains very supple.

For a few more months, avoid legumes such as lentils, split peas, chickpeas as well as white and red beans, which are too high in fiber and not easily digestible.

Proteins: meat, fish and eggs

Generally, it is advisable to introduce proteins only one month after the start of food diversification. The latter starting no later than 6 months, this month, you will offer your child one serving of meat, fish or egg per day. Vary the sources of protein by alternately offering:

• All meats, including ham cooked without rind, limiting offal and cold meats.
• All fish : fatty, lean, fresh or frozen, but avoid breaded fish.
• Eggs: continue to offer only the yolk of the egg. Serve your baby one extra-fresh hard-boiled egg yolk instead of meat or fish.

Just be sure to offer your baby two servings of fish per week, including one oily fish.

Meat, like fish and eggs, should always be well cooked. At seven months, you can cut the protein very finely and present it aside from the vegetables to teach your baby to distinguish flavors.

Whatever the age of your child, pay attention to the quantities of meat, fish and eggs: always take care to introduce only one portion of meat, fish or eggs per day, i.e. at noon , or in the evening, in addition to the mash. From 6 to 8 months the recommended amounts are 10 g in total per day only, or the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of meat or fish or only 1/2 hard-boiled egg yolk per day!

The fruits

Continue to discover the fruits, depending on the season you are in:

• Apple
• Fishing
• Quince
• Pear
• Nectarine
• banana

Seasonal fruits are richer in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You will mix the fruit more or less finely into a compote and if your baby is starting to get used to thick textures, you can simply mash the fruit. In this case, choose them very ripe and juicy. And if the season allows it, let your baby discover apricots very ripe crushed with a fork because they are much less acidic when raw than after cooking. At seven months, you can also start offering your baby pieces of grated raw apple and Red fruits crushed or even clementines or nectarine finely crushed.

Dairy products

If you haven’t already, at seven months you can start introducing your child to dairy products. Prefer them infant dairy products sold in the baby department rather than those sold in the fresh section because they are made with infant formula, the same one you give your child from a bottle and which is perfectly adapted to his nutritional needs. Plain or with fruit, you are spoiled for choice: vary the pleasures to delight your little one’s taste buds. “Classic” dairy products, sold in the fresh section, are too rich in protein.

Here’s an example of a typical eating day for your seven-month-old. Of course, the quantities are given as an indication, and are to be adapted according to your child’s appetite and his mood!

• Morning:

Breastfeeding or bottle of 240 ml of 2nd age milk (240 ml of water + 8 measures of milk)

Optional: Infant cereals (in the bottle)

• Midday :

Mashed vegetables with a spoon + 1 tbsp. to c. of oil (ideally: mixture of 4 oils: Sunflower, Rapeseed, Oléisol, Grape seeds): 120 to 180 g, depending on the stage of diversification of the baby and his appetite.

10 g meat, fish or eggs = 2 teaspoons of meat or fish or 1/2 egg yolk

Breastfeeding or bottle of 240 ml of 2nd age milk (240 ml of water + 8 measures of milk)

• To taste :

Fruit compote: 80 to 120 g depending on the stage of diversification of the baby and his appetite.

Breastfeeding or bottle of 240 ml of 2nd age milk (240 ml of water + 8 measures of milk) or bottle of 150 ml to 180 ml of 2nd age milk and 1 infant milk yogurt

• Dinner:

Breastfeeding or bottle of 240 ml of 2nd age milk (240 ml of water + 8 measures of milk)

Optional: Infant cereals (in the bottle)