What My 8-Month-Old Eats in a Day
The title might catch your eye – don’t but let it trick you into thinking that what my baby eats your baby should be eating too. We are all in different seasons, our babies develop differently, we have different capacities to prepare food and we have very different levels of comfort surrounding infant feeding.
Wherever you are, remind yourself of that! If you slip into a comparison trap, I encourage you to gently call it out and remind yourself, “Okay, I’m reading this to help give me a general idea of what or maybe even when I could feed my baby.” This post
At 8 Months, you have likely started feeding your baby solids. If not, that’s okay! Discuss with your healthcare provider a schedule to start. In the meantime, here are 10 Tips For Successful Infant Feeding!
How Often Should I feed my baby at 8 – 10 months?
Around 8 – 10 months, you should offer your infant about 2-3 meals per day + 1-2 snacks.
If your infant just turned 8 months today, you will likely lean more towards the 2 meals + 1 snack per day. As they approach 10 months the 3rd meal and 2nd snack will naturally enter into your infant’s schedule. This is a part of the weaning process – it is gradual.
A “meal” for an infant should be composed of about 3 oz of carbohydrates, 2 oz of protein, 1 oz of fruit, and 1 oz of vegetables. This is called the 3-2-1-1 rule. You want to offer enough food so your baby is not bored, but not too much that they are overwhelmed.
Keep in mind this is a general suggestion, something that you can base your food options on. Your baby will likely NOT eat all that you offer, but the point is to get them familiar with meal structure, new flavors, and a variety of textures.
Offer 2-3 servings (1-2 tbsp) of iron-rich foods.
How Much Milk Should I Offer My Baby at 8 – 10 Months?
Offer your 8 – 10-month-old about 3-4 milk feedings (7-8 oz/feeding; 24-32 oz/day); OR continue to nurse on demand.
If your infant is starting solids late, experiencing problems with solids, or you are just not comfortable with it yet, milk feeds will remain closer to what you were offering through 6-8 months.
Keep your healthcare provider in the loop and monitor their anthropometrics and nutrition status to ensure they are receiving adequate nutrition.
What My 8-Month-Old Eats in a Day
I want to share some background information on my babies at this age! My babies have been very different, and I imagine your baby is also very different.
- Boy at 8 months – no food allergies, breastfed/bottle fed including formula, ate anything and everything, 99th percentile for weight, and 75 percentile for height.
- Girl at 8 months – sensitivity to gluten and dairy exclusively breastfed (refused bottle), ate anything but prefered to nurse only, 80th percentile for weight, 60th percentile for height
Breakfast
- Boy: nurse on both sides, 1-2 egg strips with shredded cheese and a serving of whole grains (slice of toast, oatmeal, or piece of bagel)
- Girl: nurse on one side, 1 egg strip with sauteed bell peppers and onions, nurse on the other side before first nap
Snack
- Boy: 4 oz bottle of formula, 2 teether crackers (check out the best teething crackers in 2023)
- Girl: nurse on both sides, 3 slices of dried mango
Lunch
- Baby Boy: 4 oz bottle of formula, avocado toast (whole grain bread toasted) with feta cheese crumbles, and strawberries
- Baby Girl: nurse on one side, 1/2 avocado rolled in ground flaxseed, 1/2 rice cracker nurse on the other side
Snack
- Baby Boy: 4 oz bottle of formula or nurse
- Baby Girl: nurse on both sides
Dinner
- Baby Boy: 1-2 small finger strip pieces of fish, 3 cooked carrots or mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, 2 slices of watermelon, nurse on both sides
- Baby Girl: 1-2 small finger strip pieces of fish, 3 cooked carrots or mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, 2 slices of watermelon, nurse on both sides
Written by, Sheridan Glaske, MS, RDN, LD
