6 months baby food chart along with baby food recipes. The best time to start solids for babies is from or after 6 months. There are many sources suggesting introduction of solids from 3 to 4 months. But an early introduction of solids can lead to more colic, digestive troubles and allergies. A baby develops digestive enzymes in between 4 to 6 months which are crucial for digestion of foods. It is a good choice to wait until the baby develops these enzymes completely.
A baby typically begins to develop head control from 3 to 4 months and gains strong head to neck muscles by 6 months. A strong head to neck control helps the baby to accept solids well and can easily swallow. So by 6 months a baby has a better digestive system and good head control which are needed before the introduction of solids.
Breast milk is the best bet for babies to grow healthy and it is recommended to exclusively breast feed a baby for the first 6 months. As an exception, formula milk is an alternate for women who cannot breast feed baby due to professional, personal or medical reasons.
If you have a baby older than 7 months, you can follow this complete
baby food chart for 8 months old and above
A food chart for 7 months baby will be shared shortly.
Tips on how to start solids for baby
1. Always start with a single food. Either a fruit, vegetable or grain. Avoid a mixture of foods. You can start with mashed fruit first. The presence of digestive enzymes in fruits helps the baby to digest them better. After a week, while you continue feeding fruit, you can start rice water (kanji), after a week clear dal soup or boiled vegetable water. You can also try feeding ragi milk extracted from soaked ragi / finger millet.
2. Always follow the 3 day test rule for every food you introduce. Wait for the results until the 4th day.
3. A 6 month old baby can eat only a tsp of mashed food initially, slowly increase the quantity to a tbsp and then more.
4. Use stainless steel or glass bowls and cups for preparation of baby foods. Avoid plastic ware even made of any superior material, including virgin plastic or graded as BPA free. Any kind of plastic ware consists of plasticizers that are used to make the containers flexible. Plasticizers are similar to BPA and are an endocrine disruptor. Even BPA free plastic and virgin plastic ware have chemical plasticizers. Please use google search for more info.
5. Always feed the baby in a calm, quite environment and in a steady place like on the lap or in a high chair or on the floor. While feeding, refrain the baby from activities like watching a TV show, playing with a hand held gadget like mobile, and tablet or game devices. Some of these emit radiation that is not good for the baby. Meal time has to be a learning for the baby, speaking to your baby about the food – its texture, taste and color helps the baby to develop a liking for the food. Or narrate a good story to the baby, do not encourage the baby to talk while eating. This may seem to be over disciplined but this is the only way i have found to grow fuss free kids. They will begin to love any food that is served.
6. Introduce water from a steel cup or a glass not from a feeding bottle or sipper. A 90 ml cup is best suited. This makes the transition from teat to cup easy when the baby grows up.
6 months baby food chart
A baby usually consumes milk every 2 to 3 hours. Solids should be served in between the feeds. Use plain boiled and cooled water to puree the fruits if needed. Avoid mixing milk or any other ingredient in fruit. The combination of fruit and milk products results in indigestion, loss of appetite, no weight gain and accumulation of toxins.
Clear soups can be used to make pureed rice, oats or ragi cereal. Feeding only clear soups regularly is not a good idea as they lack the nutrition that is provided by a semi solid food or milk.
| Wake up |
| Breastfeed or formula milk. What ever time your baby wakes up. |
| breakfast 7.30 to 8 am fruit puree |
| One of the following: (only after 1½ to 2 hours of milk). You can use boiled cooled water to thin down the puree. 1. Banana- mash with a fork or run in a blender. 2. Apple- peel,core,steam for about 5 to 6 minutes. Puree in a blender 3. Chickoo (sapota)- mash with a fork and spoon 4. Pear- peel and core, steam for 5 to 6 minutes 5. Papaya – mash with a fork or blend 6. Ripe avocado – add it to a blender and puree |
| lunch 11.30 to 12.30 pm |
| After introducing fruits, you can try these. Continue to feed fruits for breakfast. first 1 week – rice cereal 2nd week apple rice or rice cereal with boiled carrot 3rd week ragi porridge Or apple ragi or oats porridge Or apple oats Or clear moong dal soup 4th week – Repeat the foods mentioned above. You can also introduce soupy khichdi. You will have to make it following the same method I mentioned for rice cereal above. |
| rest of the day |
| Breast feed or formula (only after 1.5 to 2 hours of lunch) |
- ½ small apple
- ½ small pear
- ½ cup sapota
- ½ cup papaya
- ½ medium banana
- Banana – 3 to 4 times
- Apple – daily
- Chickoo- daily
- Pear- 3 to 4 times
- Papaya – 4 to 5 times
- Avocado- 3 to 4 times or daily
- I have provided how to make the puree details in the chart above
More tips on preparing Lunch
first 7 days -Single grain with milk (formula or breast milk). You can also use gluten free or baby oats or ragi to make porridge.
next 7 days – Rice with a single veggie or apple. You can use steamed or boiled carrots.
from 3 rd week - Rice, ragi or oats. Clear dal soup with veggie.
GRAINS to prefer
unpolished rice
ragi / finger millet
oats after 6 months. You can use baby oats if the baby has just turned 6 months.
VEGETABLES to prefer
1. carrots
2. pumpkin
LENTIL/ DAL to prefer
1. moong dal
2. toor dal
Ashwini says
Hi
Mam ,
Ur information help me a lot
Thanks
pksahoo says
very very helpful.
Maya saikia says
Hello mam,i have a baby and she has just complete 5monts.now i want to know extra food is necessary at this time
swasthi says
Hi Maya
You can start with fruit puree, then vegetable puree
Teja says
Mi blog chala bagundi. It is very helpful for new moms..
Asiya says
Hi swathi I really like ur recipes and ideas for babies ..my baby has just turned 6 months old what would you recommend for her solids ..I have started with 1 tbsp of rice cereals with pear purée and apple purée once a day in morning plz let me know what next I can start her with thanks
Vibhavari says
Hi, is there any substitute for formula milk ….. my baby doesnot like it at all
He is 6 and 1/2 months old
I feed him
Formula in morning
Rice and moong dal watery paste in afternoon
Formula in evening
Rice moong dal watery paste in night
Along with breestmilk
Zuha says
Thank u so much
I want to ask that how much boiled water should be given for the baby after the food my baby is 6 and half months
swasthi says
Welcome Zuha
Just 2 to 3 tsps of luke warm water after 15 to 30 mins of solids prevents colic in babies. Do not give a lot.
Kavitha says
Hi my baby is 6 months 17 days old I have started to give solid foods but I have small confusion that how many times solid food can be given to her.. I’m hearing advices such solid foods have to be given only once a day and the rest of the day breastfeeding whether it is correct or not.whether she can have the nutrients by exclusively breastmilk..pls reply
swasthi says
Hi Kavitha
yes you are right, it has to be only once a day. As the baby grows when your baby completes 7 months, you can start twice – 1 fruit or vegetable feed & 1 grain, lentil & veggie feed.
Actually babies at 6 months wil not be able to eat much, they eat just about a tsp to tbsp. So milk is very important.
If there is not enough breastmilk, then you can use formula.
Monisha says
Hi swasti…thank u so much for the above details….i got few question which i didnt find im other people’s comment…
1. When will my baby start to show thats its gaining weight.
2. I feed my baby moon dhal kichadi so is it safe to give milk after feeding the kichadi seperatly.
swasthi says
Hi Monisha, you are welcome
You haven’t mentioned the age of your baby