7-month Baby Food Chart | Daily Meal Plan for Your Baby

Looking for a 7 month old feeding schedule?

What foods can I give my seven month old baby?

Can I start cow's milk or non-vegetarian foods?

Will it be safe to introduce this particular vegetable or fruit at this age?

This post will help you in detail to know all about the 7 month old feeding schedule along with foods and a FREE downloadable food chart. I have included the correct ways to feed your sweetie pie who has already got the taste of a few food items in her 6 ^th month.

Now that your bundle of joy is seven months old, you must have already introduced solid foods in this diet. But still you will have n-number of doubts regarding the feeding schedule and food you give your kiddo.

What all foods can be given to a seven month old baby?

By this time your kiddo must be familiar with at least 5-6 different food items. Check the food chart for a six month old baby.

As your little one turns 7 months, you will be thinking on what to feed a 7 month old. Here is the answer.

As per most of the experts seventh month is a good time to introduce dairy in your baby's diet and while some prefer to wait till 9 ^th month to give dairy products.

Ahaa...by dairy, I didn't mean that you run to your grocery and buy a carton of milk for your kiddo.

No no to cow's milk as of now. Your baby's little tummy is not yet matured enough to handle this. Let your baby cut her first birthday cake before she gets a sip of cow's milk.

Read to know why cheese and butter, but no cow's milk till your baby's first birthday.

Though milk cannot be given, you can introduce ghee and butter in baby food around 7 months. A very little amount of ghee or butter can be added in baby foods to enrich the taste and flavor. Plain yogurt can also be given.

You can read the step by step guide to make ghee from store bought butter.

Also please note that if your family has a history of milk intolerance or dairy allergy, then it will be good to wait for 2-3 months more to include dairy products in your munchkin's diet.

Let us first see what all can be given to a seven month old baby.

Grains, cereals and pulses - Rice, ragi, semolina (rava or sooji), split yellow gram (moong dal), whole green gram, barley, sabudana, bajra, jowar, wheat and oats. No masoor dal and toor dal.

Fruits - Banana, apple, pears, mangoes, peach, plums, prunes, avocado, and papaya. No citrus fruits.

Vegetables - Sweet potato, carrots, green beans, beetroot, pumpkin, peas, zucchini, spinach, kidney beans

Non-veg - None

Dairy - Butter, ghee and plain yogurt

Spices - None

What is the mostly preferred baby food in India for a 7 month old?

In South India, ragi porridge and raw banana powder porridge are given for babies at 7 months.

Usually raw banana powder porridge is the first baby food preferred to start followed by other food items and ragi porridge. Raw banana powder is a rich source of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron.

If you plan to give homemade raw banana powder porridge to your baby, you can read the step by step method to make raw banana powder.

You can also introduce vegetable or fruit purees first and then go for raw banana powder recipes.

Ragi being gluten free and having less fat is safe and easy to digest at the same time loaded with nutrients.

Ragi porridge, ragi idli and ragi manni, minus the sugar and salt, are some recipes you can include in your 7 month old's diet chart.

Kerala banana mash is another popular food. It is power packed with nutrients and is a little heavy food.

Kerala banana is an excellent weight gaining food. It might also cause constipation as the fibre content would be too much for the baby to start with - hence it can be started at a later stage (after 8 months when steamed and boiled foods are introduced). But if your baby can digest kerala banana without any digestive problems, you can continue giving it.

Dal ka pani or lentil soup and moong dal khichdi are also preferred foods. Only yellow split gram is given to 7 month old babies as masoor dal and toor dal are a bit heavy to digest at this stage.

Khichdis are the most popular baby food when North Indians are concerned. Khichdi is a wholesome baby food for your 7 month old.

One advantage of khichdi is that you can add any veggies to it and make it in different flavors.

One suggestion I would like to give every parent is to give more importance to those foods that are locally available. If one particular baby food is more preferred in your region, give more importance to that food. Like wheat is more important for people of North and rice for south Indians.

As you all know, the food habits of each region evolved through centuries in accordance with the climate, terrain and seasonal foods available in each region. So it is clear that a particular food that is produced/common in one region is healthier for the people there as it suits the climate there and the lifestyle of the people there.

Please keep in mind this same point when you introduce/feed food for your baby. Go for locally available food items. That doesn't mean that you should avoid food recipes from other parts of the world. It is always good that your baby gets a taste of all the food around the world.

What I am suggesting here is that, for example if your baby doesn't like oats or you are not able to get a good pack of avocados for your baby, don't stress. These are not part of Indian diet and its okay if its not available for your kids. Instead give more importance to your traditional food. Go for seasonal fruits and vegetables that suits the area where you life.

How much should a seven month old eat?

By this time some babies will be ready to take three meals a day.

If yours doesn't accept three meals a day, don't stress, give him his time. Remember each baby needs his/her own time to get adjusted to anything new in life.

As far as the quantity of food is concerned, I am of the opinion that don't stress too much about it at this stage as far as your baby is getting his breastfeeds or formula.

Some baby's can eat only 2-3 tablespoons of solid foods at this stage, and there are some who can gulp down a whole baby food jar. And also if the food is new, the baby may only take 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Let your baby give you the cues about the quantity of food at each feed. Know the signs that your baby shows which signals that he/she is full. Turing away from the spoon after a couple of spoons, playing with food etc. shows that her little tummy is full.

Also your junior may show little interest in breast milk if he is happy with his solid food and vice versa. You should be only concerned if your baby is neglecting both breast milk or formula and solid foods.

What is the type/consistency of food for a seven month old baby?

By this time your baby must have said goodbye to gummy grins and welcomed a few new pearly whites or must be in teething stage.

Having teeth or not, the baby gums are strong enough to grind small chunks of food. Most of the babies will be happy to accept little chunks of food by this time while others will stick on to pureed or watery consistency food.

Try different textures and slowly thicken the consistency of the food you offer so that transition from pureed food to regular food is easy for both the baby and you.

Chocking is a hazard, so always take proper precaution when feeding your kids.

Don't force feed or stuff food forcefully inside their mouth. Give enough time to chew properly. Let them play with food to know more about the texture and taste.

Teething and food refusal

You must have experienced yourself or heard many mommies say this - their little one used to gulp down any food when solids were introduced around 6 months, but now she starts crying at the sight of food and feeding time is literally wartime.

This refusal of solid foods by the baby along with many symptoms like excessive drooling, rashes on cheek or face, biting everything, irregular sleep etc. can be due to teething.

Some babies say bye-bye to gummy grins as early as 2 ^nd month and some will wait until after their first birthday. But most of the babies get their first set of teeth around their 7 ^th month.

How to make a teething baby eat at 7 months?

There is no clear cut answer for this question. Each baby is different and so they will show different interest while teething too.

Some only accepts breast milk/formula or liquid consistency food when they have sore gums. Some babies will show more interest in chewing as the pressure on the gums can reduce pain to some extend. So how can we parents help?

Patience is the key. First of all rule out any other reasons for the extreme decrease in food intake in your kid.

If you are sure that the reduced food intake is due to teething, try smooth puree consistency food first that they can eat without putting much pressure on their gums.

If your baby refuses that and if he is full time chewing on to his toys or fingers, may be chewable food can help. When giving chewable small chunks of food. Monitor your baby closely so that no choking accidents happen.

Another option is cold food. Cold food can help relive the pain. Offer chilled applesauce or chilled fruit slush.

Plain yogurt is another food suitable while teething.

You can offer chilled fruit pieces or even chilled vegetables like cucumber and carrot. You can offer these fruits/veggies in a silicone fruit feeder to be safe from choking. Silicone fruit feeders are more soothing for teething babies plus they are easy to clean than the mesh fruit feeders.

Another option is teething biscuits and rusks. You can go for unsweetened varieties to restrict the sugar intake.

You can use a steel spoon kept in fridge to feed the baby. Biting on cold spoon can help relieve the pain.

What other ways you can help your teething baby? To know you can read all about teething in babies.

Teething symptoms will vanish once the pearly whites emerge out of the gums and your baby will be back to her normal eating routine.

But keep in mind that if baby is completely avoiding both solid food, breast milk and continuing hunger strike for more than 5-6 days, it is always good to consult your pediatrician to make sure that it is not anything serious.

Keep these in mind while feeding your seven month old

Sample 7 month old feeding schedule with FREE printable:

Here I am giving a food chart or feeding schedule for a week for a seven month old.

The given baby food chart for 7 months is only a sample that you can use as reference.

As breast milk is the best food for your baby even at this stage, continue breastfeeding on demand. The timings given are also for reference and should be adjusted according to your baby's daily schedules.

Some recipes that you can include in the menu for 7 month old.

The above given recipes are to help you understand how to make yummy and healthy baby foods at home itself. You can make your own baby foods by combining different vegetables, pulses, grains or fruits your have already introduced to your baby.

Hope this guide helped you on how to feed your seven month old.

Refer baby food chart for the eighth month old to know what all you can give in the next stage of weaning.

How was/is your baby's 7 month old feeding schedule?

What was the 7 month old meal plan that you tailored for your baby?

Was he or she happy to have new food?

What was the consistency of baby food at this stage?

Please do write your queries and feedback in the comments. We are always happy to hear from you.