Meal Plan for 6 to 9 Month Old Baby

What should you know about feeding your 6- to 9-month-old?

• Learn about how to introduce solid foods to your baby

• Know that what foods you introduce now help influence baby’s preferences in the future

• Explore menus that help you understand the transition from purees to soft solids

Starting solid foods is an exciting time for you and your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend introducing solid foods around 6 months of age.^1,2

Check out our signs of readiness article and speak with your baby’s pediatrician to help determine when your little one is ready to start solids.  

While starting solids, you will continue to provide most of the essential nutrition and hydration your baby needs from breast milk or formula, while also exposing your baby to a new world of diverse flavors and nutrients.

In fact, this is one of the most influential periods in your baby’s taste development.^3,4 Your baby will most readily try and accept all kinds of foods at this age so it’s important to offer a variety of different flavors from meal to meal.

There are two meal plans below

One for starting solids with purees, and one for when your little one starts to advance textures. Both have snack and recipe ideas to help you get started. They also have plenty of flavor variety to help maximize your baby’s taste
development.

Read more: Learning to Love Healthy Foods

Pro tips for 6- to 9-month-old baby meal plans

Eating solids at this age is mostly about letting your baby explore new flavors and textures. Breast milk or formula will remain your baby’s primary nutrition source during their first year, so continue to give breast milk and/or formula just as you were before starting solids. Your little one will begin to reduce how much formula or breastmilk they take as they get closer to 1 year.^5,67

For breastfed babies, introduction of solids at 6 months helps your little one get enough of certain nutrients. For example, at 6 months stored iron begins to diminish. Since breast milk is not a good source of iron, including some iron-rich foods, such as fortified cereals and pureed meats, will help your little one get enough.⁸

For more information, chat with baby’s health care provider for their recommendations.

For more information on the nutrient needs of your older baby, check out: Nutrient Needs and Feeding Tips for 6 to 12 Month Olds

How much should I feed my baby?

At around 6 months old, you can start by offering 1 to 2 tablespoons of food once or twice per day. Once your little one gets the hang of eating and shows more interest, slowly begin offering foods 2 to 3 times per day and ¼ to ½ cup at a time.^9,10

Remember to listen to your baby’s hunger and fullness cues throughout their feeding journey, rather than go by specific portions. Your little may take more or less each day; by responding to their feeding cues you’ll be providing them with just what they need.¹¹

It’s important to advance texture once your baby is comfortable. Start with thin, pureed foods, thickening them a bit as baby gets used to eating. Next, move to lumpy, mashed foods; followed by finely chopped, soft foods.¹²

Read more: Introducing Solids: First Foods & Textures

Introduce one single-ingredient new food at a time

Allow for 3 to 5 days before introducing another new food to make sure your baby is not allergic or intolerant to these foods. ^9,12

Foods most often associated with allergies are eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and seeds, wheat, fish, shellfish, and cow’s milk (drinking cow’s milk is not recommended before 12 months, but milk can be used in small amounts in baked or cooked foods, and baby can also eat yogurt and cheese as long as there is no allergy or intolerance).¹³

Read more: Introducing Major Food Allergens to your Infant

What should baby eat by 9 months?

By 9 months of age, your baby should be eating foods from all food groups, and should have been introduced to lumpy purees.¹⁵ Some little ones may be able to handle small, soft pieces of finger foods by this age as well.

Pay attention to your baby’s cues, have fun, and let your baby set the pace while offering your baby healthy foods that contain important nutrients to set the standard for healthy eating patterns.

Baby doesn’t like a food? Try, try again!

Your baby may grimace, wrinkle their nose, or make other faces when they try new foods and textures. Know that this is completely normal and doesn’t mean your little one dislikes the food or is being picky.

Babies may need to taste a food up to 10 or more times before they start to accept it, so just keep offering (though not forcing) that food.¹⁴

Remember, starting solids is mostly about introducing a variety of flavors and textures – and keeping it fun and stress-free!

If you have questions about introducing solids or advancing textures, reach out to our team of registered dietitian nutritionists for free! They are here to help on our free live chat from Monday through Friday, from 8am–6pm ET. Chat now!

Around 6-month old meal plan: First foods and purees

Breakfast

• Option 1: Whole Ancient Grain Baby Cereal

• Option 2: Mashed avocado

• Option 3: Avocado and Pea Puree

• Option 4: Apple and acorn squash mash (pureed apples and squash mixed)

• Option 5: Pureed peaches or soft cooked pears

Lunch

• Option 1: Root Vegetable Puree

• Option 2: Unsweetened whole milk yogurt

• Option 3: Avocado and Pea Puree

• Option 4: Pureed apples

• Option 5: Quinoa cereal

Dinner

• Option 1: Mashed “Banacado” (banana and avocado mashed together)

• Option 2: Baby Muesli with Peach Yogurt

• Option 3: Tropical medley (mashed papaya and mango)

• Option 4: Garden veggie and fruit combo (mix mashed/pureed apples, spinach and peas)

• Option 5: Beet and Cantaloupe Puree

7-9 months-old-menu: Advancing Textures

Breakfast

• Option 1: Unsweetened yogurt with mashed peaches

• Option 2: Oatmeal cereal

• Option 3: Whole grain waffle strips

• Option 4: Orange Sunny Soup

• Option 5: Soft scrambled egg

Lunch

• Option 1: Soft cooked whole grain pasta with olive oil and parmesan cheese

• Option 2: Slivers of turkey with peas

• Option 3: Unsweetened applesauce and shredded or cubed cheese

• Option 4: Chickpea and Carrot Spread

• Option 5: Cottage Cheese with Cinnamon and Diced Strawberries

Dinner

• Option 1: Soft cooked slivers of chicken, with steamed carrots

• Option 2: Ginger Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash + Lean Beef

• Option 3: Small chunks of low mercury fish, like cod

• Option 4: Soft steamed chunks of broccoli or green beans

• Option 5: Lumpy, mashed kidney or black beans

Let's Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.

Our Happy Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too, which means they’ve been there and seen that. They’re here to help on our free, live chat platform Monday - Friday 8am-6pm (ET). Chat Now!

Read more about the experts that help write our content!

For more on this topic, check out the following articles and recipes:

Starting Solids: Purees versus Baby Led Weaning

Starting Solids: Baby Led Weaning

The Division of Responsibility: Helping Avoid Picky Eating

Feeding Tips for Healthy Weight Gain in Babies and Toddlers

Our meal plans offer recipe and meal suggestions for your child. They are not designed to replace your doctor’s recommendations, nor do they take into account special nutritional needs, including allergies and intolerances. The meal plans suggest serving sizes that may or may not be appropriate for your child. Please consult your doctor to determine what is best for your child.