6 To 9 Month Baby Foods

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It's time to get creative! Your 6 to 9 month baby will be eager to try new foods now, and may even start to chew. Learn how to create meals that will please his tiny palate!

Which foods should I introduce to my 6 to 9 month baby?

There are no hard and fast rules here. All babies are different, with their own unique likes and dislikes. Just like you and me!

The information and recipes in this section are meant as a guide - if your baby doesn't seem to want to try all of these foods just yet, then don't worry. Give it a week or two, then try again. His tastebuds are developing all the time - the meal he adamantly refuses today may be his absolute favourite food next week!

NOTE: When introducing any new foods to your 6 to 9 month baby, remember to apply the four day rule. And ALWAYS check with your doctor before giving any new foods to your baby.

Introducing solids - for baby food beginners
Solid foods and reflux
Eczema and baby food

Fruits and vegetables

Once your baby is enjoying pureed fruits and vegetables, (see baby's first foods recipes), it's time to take a look at these interesting recipes for your 6 to 9 month baby, that incorporate a few new flavours and textures ...

• Fruit recipes
• Vegetable recipes for your 6 to 9 month baby
• Sweet potato baby food recipes
• Avocado baby food recipes and ideas
• Butternut squash baby food recipes
• Preparing bell peppers for baby
• Melon baby food ideas and recipes
• Pear baby food recipes, tips and guidelines

And if you're having problems...

Help! My baby won't eat vegetables

Meats

Chicken or turkey is the best meat to introduce at first - try these chicken baby food recipes at around 7-8 months.

Meat is a good source of protein, but at this stage most babies get protein from their milk. The main benefit of introducing meat is for the extra iron that it provides. This is because babies' stores of iron may begin to deplete between 6-9 months of age. Iron is an essential part of the blood stream, carrying oxygen to tissues to provide the energy needed for growth.

Avoid processed meats like ham or hot dogs - they can be salty and lack the nutritional value your baby needs.

Once your 6 to 9 month baby is enjoying chicken or turkey, then try introducing pork, beef or lamb. Try these delicious and healthy meat recipes - tasty treats for baby!

Iron supplements for infants - are they necessary?


Tofu

Nutritious and versatile, tofu is a perfect addition to your homemade baby food and can be introduced at around 8 months of age. Visit the tofu information and recipes page to learn more about this amazing food.

Soy allergy information


Fish

High in protein, potassium and vitamins, fish is the perfect "health food" for babies. It also contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure. (Of course, you don't need to be worrying about that just yet. But remember, the healthy eating habits you establish now will last a lifetime!)

Try these fish recipes when your baby is around 7 months old - or how about increasing the quantities and cooking these healthy dishes for the whole family?

Your baby and vitamin D


Yogurt

Safe from 6 months - try to stick to natural, unsweetened yogurt (here's a recipe to make your own) and add some fruit to tempt your baby. Don't sweeten yogurt with honey - it is very dangerous to give honey to babies under one year of age (see baby foods to avoid ).

Click here for more information about introducing dairy products to your 6 to 9 month baby and discover why babies need whole milk dairy products and fats.

Milk allergy and lactose intolerance


Cheese

You can safely introduce cheese to your 6 to 9 month baby, but sometimes our children found strong cheeses, like Cheddar, a little too powerful in taste. Cottage cheese is a good alternative and you will come across it in many of the recipes on this site. You can read more about giving your baby cheese on our dairy foods page.


Eggs

It is safe to introduce mashed egg yolks to your 6 to 9 month baby, but don't introduce the whites until your baby is at least 1 year old. This is because egg whites are highly allergenic - see our egg allergy information page for futher guidelines about introducing eggs into your baby's diet.

Mashed egg yolk actually makes a great thickener for over-runny purees. And there is some evidence that eating egg yolks contributes to the development of your baby's brain. So add a little to your baby's meals here and there for an extra, nutritional boost!


Legumes

These are foods such as beans, peas and lentils - they are high in protein, vitamins and minerals and a great addition to baby's diet. But beware! We are all familiar with the discomfort from wind, a common effect caused by foods such as these. Take care not to overfeed your baby from this food group!

For some tasty 6 to 9 month baby recipes using legumes, take a look at our
lentil baby food ideas and vegetarian baby food recipes


Plus find out more about...

• Introducing wheat and gluten
• Wheat alternatives for babies with wheat allergy/gluten intolerance
• Giving baby sesame foods, such as hummus and halva
• Giving babies spicy food
• Feeding a baby with a cold

Should I Puree Or Mash The Food For My 6 to 9 Month Baby?

At around 7-8 months, your baby may have a tooth or two. This varies a great deal, though, from child to child - some get their teeth earlier, while others remain delightfully gummy through most of their first year.

Once teeth appear, you can try mashing food instead of pureeing it, as your baby should then be able to handle soft lumps. But some babies seem to manage quite well by mashing food with their gums alone, so it is not absolutely necessary to wait for teeth. We introduced lumpier food to our babies when they were around 7 months old - three had teeth, one didn't, but they all seemed to cope well.

Introducing lumpy foods

Just remember to watch your baby carefully when you change the texture of his food - as he becomes accustomed to small, soft lumps, then go from mashing to finely chopping the food. You know what's best for your baby, so take things at his pace, but do try to encourage chewing and don't stick to pureed foods for too long.

Our youngest child was incredibly lazy when it came to chewing! It was very tempting to stick with pureed food, knowing she'd eat it rather than spit out every tiny lump. But we persisted, and eventually she got the hang of it. So be patient, and keep trying!


Read more about...

• Ideal finger foods
• Homemade finger food recipes
• Breakfast ideas for baby

How Many Times A Day Should I Give Solid Food To My 6 To 9 Month Baby?

At 6 months, this may only be once or twice a day.

Many parents find that, by 9 months, their babies have settled into a pattern of having 3 meals a day. But all babies are different and this may not suit your child... so let him guide you - you'll be able to tell when it's time to increase his intake of solid foods.


How much should my baby be eating?

Remember, though, that milk is a very important part of your 6 to 9 month baby's diet, and you shouldn't aim to replace it with solid food at this stage. Try giving your baby half his milk before his solid food and half afterwards. Towards the end of his first year, you may find that your baby begins to refuse the second half of his milk. And so this is the time to think about dropping a feed or two.

Feeding accessories

When Should I Introduce A Cup To My 6 To 9 Month Baby?

You can try introducing a "sippy" cup at about 7 months. We found it hard to find the perfect cup at this age - the spill-proof varieties seemed to require quite vigorous sucking and I think our babies were just too lazy to oblige!

We ended up using a free-flowing spouted cup. Our baby could drink more easily, but babies have a tendency to shake things up and down - hence we all had a shower every mealtime.

Whichever type you choose, our advice is to STICK TO WATER as a main drink for as long as you can. If a baby has never had juice, then he won't know what he's missing and he'll be perfectly satisfied with good old water! Once he's tried juice, he'll never look at water in the same way again. And that's a shame - the benefits of plenty of water are well known to us all!

When should I give my baby water?

If you really want to give your baby juice, then ONLY give it in a cup, never a bottle. Dentists agree that the sugar in the juice does more harm when the teeth are "bathed" in juice from a bottle.

More information about introducing fruit juice to your baby

Caring for your baby's teeth