29
Jul
8 Month Old Baby Food Requirements Best answer on the web
Author: webmaster // Category: xn--g7qx97f.comThere are no hard and fast rules when it comes to feeding an infant. Some infants are robust eaters, while others are picky eaters! Some babies are more active than others, abd some have a higher metabolism. I have posted a BMI calculator further down in this post, allowing you to see if your son's height and weight are in the expected range. Check with your pediatrician to see if s/he thinks your son is at his expected weight if you are concerned"
"Please let your baby guide you in determining quantities. As long as you are giving the types of foods outlined above (and not puddings, desserts, etc.), it is really impossible for you to overfeed your baby. Try to give solid foods first and then follow with breast-milk or a bottle. Breast-fed babies are generally down to 3-4 feedings per day by 9 months and formula intake should be down to the 24-32 oz range on average, but depending on your baby's size and metabolic rate, he or she may vary from this range." http://www.nic.com/~dis/feed.htm#Four
East Tennessee Children's Hospital publishes this guidline chart (It can be slow to load) http://www.etch.com/sharinginfo/feed.pdf
Earth's Best also publishes this chart:
http://www.earthsbest.com/baby_nutrition/feeding_schedule_print.php
"Your baby is at an age where you can be moving into a three meal a day schedule with a snack in between. Allow him his formula in a bottle in the early am and before bed and as snacks. At breakfast, lunch and dinner serve the solid food first, and serve liquid in a baby cup. When the meal is all over, you may offer him a bottle. If you allow him to drink more than 16 to 24 ounces of milk a day, you will begin to crowd out other foods and the important nutrients they contain.
Be sure that he gets a good source of iron everyday, either with an iron fortified formula or with an iron fortified baby cereal. If he refuses to be fed the cereal, allow him to help feed himself, even if it means him getting his hands in it! Babies at that age do not eat much food. One tablespoon of a fruit or a vegetable, for example, is a normal serving size."
"Babies and toddlers go through stages when they eat. They are adept at adjusting the amount they eat to their needs. During periods of rapid growth (kids seem to grow in spurts rather than on a steady continuum) they eat more, and then between those spurts it often seems as if they eat nothing at all. Allow your baby to stay in touch with his hunger cues by not forcing or bribing and this will serve him well for a lifetime." http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,3w1m,00.html
" To help you get a better sense of your child's nutritional needs, check out these daily requirements. On average, a one-year-old needs the following:
? 6 servings of grains (one serving = 1/4 slice bread, 1/4 muffin, 2 crackers, 1/4 cup dry cereal, 1/4 cup hot cereal) ? 1 serving of a vitamin-C-rich fruit or veggie (one serving = 1/3 cup juice, 1/4 cup chopped fruit or veggie) ? 1 serving green or orange fruit or veggie for vitamin A (one serving = 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice, 1/4 cup chopped fruit/veggie) ? 3 or more servings of other fruits or vegetables, including potatoes (1 serving = 1/4 of a whole fruit/veggie, 1/4 cup chopped, raw or cooked) ? 3 servings of milk, yogurt or cheese (one serving = 1/2 cup milk/yogurt, 1/2 ounce cheese) ? 2 servings of protein (one serving = 1+ tablespoon chopped meat, fish or poultry, 1 egg)" http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpnutrition/0,,p8vn,00.html
Calculate your son's BMI using this chart
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/bmi_charts.html
"How Much Should My Baby Eat?
Some babies' appetites slow down around this age. This is normal - they are not growing as rapidly, and there seem to be so many more interesting things to do than eat. As long as your baby is still getting in some good breast-feeding or bottle-feeding each day (about 24 ounces is average) and is showing some curiosity about familiar foods and tasting new ones, don't be alarmed. Feed her right before family mealtimes, then give her some fun finger foods to play with while you eat. If you notice a significant weight change (gain or loss) or if your baby seems sluggish or listless, call your child's doctor.
Does My Baby Weigh Too Much or Too Little?
There is a wide range of normal sizes for infants, babies, and toddlers. Your child's doctor will plot your baby's growth on a chart and compare it with the average. Even if your baby's weight falls at the top or bottom of the charts, chances are she is still healthy and normal. If your baby seems lethargic or listless, if she doesn't seem to be developing well in other areas, or if you have concerns about her gaining weight too quickly or too slowly, talk to your child's doctor." http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/feed812m_prt.htm
"In fact, you might not expect her to cut back until she is 8-9 months old, or maybe not until you switch her to whole cow's milk when she is 12 months old. As for how much solid food to give her, there are no definite guidelines. Instead, watch your baby for signs that she is still hungry or not satisfied, and then begin to offer more. If she gobbles down that tablespoon of carrots and seems eager to eat more, then maybe give another tablespoon or two. If after a tablespoon she has already lost interest and turns away from the baby spoon, then she likely isn't ready for more.
Once you get up to 3-4 tablespoons of cereal and a fruit and vegetable at one meal, then it is usually time to introduce another meal during the day, with the goal of 3 regular meals by the time your baby is about 7-8 months old." http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/04_fdng_gidlns.htm
Some simple guidelines from Mohave County, AZ
http://www.co.mohave.az.us/WIC/New_Folder/hyperlinks/infant8.htm
Also from Mohave County for an 8month old:
"Breast milk or iron-fortified formula; iron-fortified cereal. Begin trying junior foods (half jar) or mashed and chopped table foods (4 tablespoons or more per day), such as meat, poultry, potato, and well-cooked pieces of vegetable. Chopped canned fruit may replace strained fruit. Offer 1 to 2 small servings of bread, crackers or toast." http://www.co.mohave.az.us/WIC/InfantFeedingMyths.htm
"At about 6 months old, when she has a little more experience with solid foods, she may eat three or four tablespoons at a meal. Even then, the majority of her nutrition will come from breast milk or infant formula.
As babies transition to solid foods, it can be tough to ensure they're getting the nutrition they really need. Research has shown that about half of babies between the ages of 1 and 2 years are not getting the Recommended Dietary Allowance of iron and calcium. Every baby is different. You'll be able to tell if your baby is regularly getting enough, too little or too much to eat by his weight at check-ups. Your doctor can tell you if your baby's weight gain is in an acceptable range.
Now is the time to teach good eating habits that will carry into later life. Your baby will tell you when he's had enough. Do not encourage him to eat more than he wants to." http://www.welcomeaddition.com/display.cfm?id=91&sub=99#c
"Dairy should be introduced in small amounts as part of a solid food, such as yogurt and fruit, or macaroni and cheese. He is not ready to be switching from formula or breast milk to cow's milk. That is because the protein content is different, and Nick's kidneys still need to develop a little more before he can handle it. Also, he still needs the nutrients supplied by formula and breast milk.
However, dairy products as part of his solids diet provide a great source of protein and calcium as well as vitamin D. Also, the later you introduce cow's milk, the less apt he is to be allergic to it. About one year of age is a great time to begin the transition to cow's milk in a cup.
Meats are fine to be introducing now, but only if they are finely ground and easy to gum. Meats tend to be tough, and so often are one of the last solids to introduce. The meat in baby food has been broken down enough that Nick will do fine with it. In a couple of months you may want to serve fine flaked fish. That is much easier to chew than meat. Also, at that time, you can begin to serve small pieces of ground meat. Try gumming it yourself first just to be sure.
"When you begin, offer smooth foods without lumps, and gradually make the texture coarser until baby can manage lumps by about 8-9 months. Around this time he will start to pick up food and try to feed himself - messy, but a very important part of learning to eat." http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,3w2d,00.html
By about twelve months there should be lots of variety, with baby eating most foods the family eats. Commercial baby foods can be used with family food as part of a balanced diet. There should be cereals, bread, fruits and vegetables, and legumes along with milk, meat and fish. Breast milk or formula should be used until at least 12 months. A range of whole foods including wholegrain cereals and fruits and vegetables will provide all the fibre needed without the need for fibre supplements. Extra fibre is very filling and takes away appetite for other foods. It can also prevent absorption of some minerals.
Babies generally know how much they need to eat, and at this age appetites are generally well-adjusted to need. Responding to baby?s appetite by giving more when baby is hungry, and by not pushing extra on the days when appetite is a little less, encourages appetite to work properly. Parents need to be aware of how much food is enough and set limits. Being active goes with healthy eating to set the background for a healthy weight." http://www.rch.org.au/nutrition/health-info.cfm?doc_id=2899
"Six to nine months -- chunkier chews: If starting solids now, begin slowly, offering pureed foods first (see above). If he has been eating solids, he is ready for, and needs, thicker, chunkier foods. Soft mashed, but not strained, food should be offered to him. When you offer finger foods, the shape of the food is important. Teething biscuits, toast, bagels and crackers are easiest for him to hold. (Do not offer if your baby is sensitive to wheat). By the end of this stage his grasp will be more digital and he'll be able to better manipulate little things like Cheerios and green peas.Once your baby seems to be getting more and more of his nutrition from solids and less from breastmilk or formula, it becomes important to replace the nutrients they are no longer receiving from those liquids. Food to introduce now should offer some protein and calcium." http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,40p9-3,00.html
" Six to nine months
* Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 24 - 32 oz. formula)
* Iron-fortified baby cereal, 1/2 cup a day
* Soft mashed, ripe or soft-cooked fruits or veggies
* Strained meats and combination dinners, tofu (if not sensitive to soy) Ten to twelve months * Breastmilk or formula (breastmilk on demand; 16 - 24 oz. formula)
* In addition to cereal, add toast, bagels, crackers, dry cereal, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, cooked grains, muffins (if not sensitive to wheat) * Fresh, peeled ripe, soft-cooked fruits and veggies
* Add egg yolk, yogurt and soft-cooked beans"
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,40p9-5,00.html
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,40p9,00.html
How Much Food Does a Baby Need?
"Children need ever-changing amounts of food, influenced by their activity level and developmental phase, the air temperature and relative humidity, and perhaps by a virus they might have.
How is a parent supposed to decide how much to feed?
Thankfully, babies are born with a sophisticated internal mechanism for determining just how much they need to thrive. Healthy babies given the right selection of healthy foods will tend to eat just the right amount.
Our role as parents is to learn to recognize their signals and not to short-circuit our babies' own sense of how much they need.
Independent toddlers might make it easy for us by saying "all done" or using hand signals to indicate, "I'm finished!" Before they have those skills, babies will use their whole bodies to get the message across, fidgeting in the high chair, or even standing up.
The signals of younger babies are quieter. A newborn may push the nipple out of the mouth, or just fall asleep. A baby who has entered the delightful stage of first solids will lean forward or open the mouth when hungry, and clench the mouth shut, turn aside, or lean back when satisfied. When babies get better at using their hands, they might push the spoon away.
When we override these signals and attempt to force a baby to keep eating, or even to coax them to eat more, they lose trust in their bodies' own signals. Too much food creates a bloated feeling. Too little leaves craving. But just right - the baby feels deeply satisfied. What joy to be able to give this pleasure to our babies and to watch them grow! After all, growth is what childhood is all about." http://health.yahoo.com/centers/parenting/00013844.html
"You may be surprised at how little food you should give your baby at her first meal--no more than a teaspoon or two. The amount that she will eat at any meal depends on her age and weight, and how much liquid she is drinking. The chapter How Much Should My Baby Eat? gives more information on the amount of food you should feed your baby. The next section, Baby's Very First Meal, gives explicit directions on how to begin feeding your baby." http://www.superbabyfood.com/chapsoli.htm
"7 to 9 Months
By about seven months, most babies are ready to increase their variety of fruits and vegetables as well as their texture. Strained meat or poultry and food mixtures also may be introduced.
Home prepared foods should be steamed, then mashed with a fork. Never add honey or corn syrup as these sweeteners may contain botulism spores, which can be harmful to infants.
At this time, many babies are ready to begin finger foods. Infants should be able to sit up straight in a high chair, be able to grasp food with their hands or finger tips, and move the food from their hands to their mouths. Chopped pieces of ripe banana or dry unsweetened cereal are good choices." http://www.babybag.com/articles/ificstrt.htm
"We owe it to our children to keep them from being over-fat. The risk of just about every disease increases in proportion to the extra fat the body has to lug around, especially the big three killers: cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The plain fact is: lean people are healthier and live longer. You will notice that we prefer to use the terms "fat control" and "over-fat" rather than "weight control" or "overweight." Fat is the real issue. Many healthy, large-boned, muscular people are "overweight" according to charts and scales, yet they are lean. Muscle and bone weigh more than fat, but being overfat is what harms your health. We don't want you and your family to have the goal of being thin, but rather we want you to be lean.
Scales and charts do not paint a true picture of health, which is why we don't stress the concept of weight control, especially in growing children who naturally must get heavier."
"A fat calorie is heavier than a protein or carb calorie. It's a myth that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Calories from fat are more fattening than calories from proteins or carbohydrates. Our bodies tend to store excess calories from fat as fat more readily than they do excess calories from carbohydrates or proteins. Not only does the body store fat calories more easily, it also burns them less readily. The body, plotting to protect itself from starvation, will use up carbohydrate stores for energy before dipping into the fat reserves. And the body must use more energy (or calories) to metabolize carbohydrates and proteins than it uses to burn fats. Fatty foods tend to pack more calories into a smaller volume than do carbohydrate and protein foods. Because the stomach takes its cues for fullness based upon food volume rather than calories, gram for gram fat is less satisfying." http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T043700.asp
It's really quite easy to feed an 8 month old. Babies this age love to feed themselves, and will usually stop eating when full! "Although healthy infants can vary considerably from one another in their caloric intake, appetite is likely to be the most efficient way to determine what an infant needs. Most infants instinctively know how much food they need and will not undereat or overeat unless pressured. Babies should be fed when hungry but should not be forced to finish the last few ounces of formula or food. The baby's physician can check whether growth and development are progressing normally."
To avoid excessive calories and fat, buy low fat yogurts, but whole milk and cheese. Don't feed sugared and processed foods. Give your son nofat-lowfat snacks, such as banana slices, cooked carrot slices, yogurt. If he likes ice cream, buy frozen yogurt instead.Use whole grain breads. As he gets older he'll like to feed himself grapes, and berries. Most pediatricians now believe that children under two need some fat, and should be given whole milk to drink. I am suggesting low-fat snacks if you feel you are overfeeding your son.
"Although low-fat and low-cholesterol diets are widely recommended for adults, they are not appropriate for children under the age of two. Nutritional requirements are higher during infancy than during any other period. At the same time, stomach capacity is limited, so food sources must provide sufficient calories and nutrients in a small volume. Infants require fat in their diet for normal growth and development." http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/dgi.html
"Between six months and one year, baby's mother-provided iron stores may run out. For this reason, your doctor may check your infant's hemoglobin levels around the nine and twelve month checkup, especially if your doctor suspects anemia by baby's dietary history or if baby appears pale." http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T043100.asp
Juice
"All juices are not created equal ? some are nutritional gems while others are sugar water. Consider these tips as you make juice part of your child?s diet.
* Be label savvy. Buy juice labeled ?100 percent fruit juice."
o Beware of words like ?drink,? ?punch,? ?cocktail,? ?beverage? and ?ade.? These are not 100 percent juice ? they?re junk fruit beverages.
o Many ?junk fruit beverages? are nutrient-void beverages, commonly masked as fruit ?juice,? ?drinks? or ?cocktails.? Most contain 10 percent or less of pure fruit juice, and lots of water, sugar and additives. Junk fruit beverages have little or no nutritional value.
o Avoid junk fruit beverages that are disguised as juice ?blends? that contain small amounts of various fruits like grape, apple and pear. Ounce for ounce, these juices don?t have the natural levels of vital nutrients that 100 percent pure juices like orange juice provide. Plus, they usually contain added sugars. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T043200.asp
Feeding the 7 to 9 month old
"Babies' food preferences and feeding skills go through stages, just like other developmental skills, and other areas of development influence how babies attack their food. First came the introducing solids stage where parents' main goal is to get baby through the transition from liquids to solids and from sucking to mouthing and chewing. In this stage, baby gets used to mouthing and swallowing different tastes and textures. Most beginning eaters only dabble in solid foods, taking only a couple spoonfuls of a few, select solids. An important principle of feeding is both the food and the method of feeding should match. From seven to nine months, babies develop several developmental skills that make mealtimes more interesting:
* They begin to pick up objects with the thumb and forefinger.
* They develop a fascination with tiny objects, such as morsels of food.
* They want to "do it myself." "
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030600.asp
"Schedules are very Darwinian: they tend to evolve over time, and then change and adapt as the baby grows. During the first few months, babies should be allowed to eat on demand -- that is, when they are hungry. As they get older and begin eating solid foods you can help ease them into a schedule.
Because eating schedules tend to evolve, they shouldn't be strict. In fact, babies and children often hit growth spurts that appear to make them hungry all the time. In those cases, you may have to let the schedule fall by the wayside, and then return to it as soon as you can. Schedules serve a couple of purposes. For one thing, they are convenient. It makes life easier for caregivers so they can plan meal preparation. Also, meals will ultimately be nutritionally superior: It has been shown that kids who eat at set meal and snack times are slimmer and do better nutritionally than those who don't. "Grazing," eating small amounts of food all day long, is also a nutritionally superior way to go, but only if the person pays careful attention to it as soon as you can" http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,43jg,00.html?iv_arrivalSA=1&iv_cobrandRef=0&iv_arrival_freq=1&pba=adid=16378930
How Much Milk?
http://www.drgreene.com/21_857.html
" During the first few weeks, formula-fed babies need to drink between two and a half to three ounces of formula per pound daily. For example, a 10 pound baby will need to drink about 25 to 30 ounces of formula per day. In addition, during this time, your baby will need to drink quite frequently; during the first week, your baby may have 6 to 10 feeds per 24 hour period, 6 to 8 per day by one month, 5 to 6 per day by 3 months, 4 to 5 per day between 3 to 7 months, and 3 per day after 8 months of age." http://www.drpaul.com/nutrition/formulas.html
Grandma Crabcakes Says:
As a grandmother who helped raise my grandchildren, I was concerend with nutrition a great deal. These are nutrition tips I learned and practiced:
1) No soda pop for kids
2) Get your child accustomed to drinking water
3) Water down natural juice, at least one part water to one part juice. Most kids drink too much juice. 4) Low-fat cheese sticks make great snacks
5) Don't feed sugared foods or drinks
6) Don't feed child processed foods like Pop Tarts, Cheetos or chips
7) Some days babies will eat like they have never done so before, and other days the same baby may not eat much at all. This is OK! 8) Babies and toddlers get cranky when hungry!
Here is a sample menu of how I fed "my babies" at your son's age:
Breakfast: Old fashioned cooked oatmeal, with a very light sprinkling of brown sugar and milk, banana slices, or part of a boiled egg and some fruit. Maybe a few bites of toast. Watered down juice.
Before nap: Several spoons of yogurt, or piece of cheese. Dannon makes drinkable yogurt (Half a bottle would do as a snack for an 8 month old)
Lunch: I would often put a small amount of left over chicken from our dinner into the blender, making dry crumbly chicken "crumbs", and mix them with mashed cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, or white potatoes, small noodles. Small pieces of well cooked broccoli florets, and/or soft fruits. Or some small curd cottage cheese and fruit.
Afternoon snack: Dry Cheerios and applesauce (the unsweetened kind). I would microwave a piece of apple and scoop out the soft apple flesh for baby to eat. Melba toast spread with strained fruit.
Dinner: My babies loved the Gerber meat sticks they could hold themselves. 2-3 meatsticks, some cooked carrot slices, some mashed potatoes, small slightly mashed pieces of watermelon.
Before bed or dessert: I would offer homemade puddings with lowfat milk and less sugar than the recipe called for, or some fruit or yogurt.
I also followed the "Ice Cube" Method, found on this link:
"What to Do with the Leftovers
If leftover food has come in contact with your baby's saliva, because the spoon from your baby's mouth has been dipped into it, throw the food away. The enzymes in your baby's saliva will continue digesting the food in the bowl, breaking down the vital nutrients and causing it to begin to spoil. Please read more about handling baby's food and leftovers on page 153.
WARNING: Do not keep baby food, either opened commercial jars or homemade, in the refrigerator for more than 2 days. Baby food can be spoiled without necessarily smelling bad.
If you are using avocado or banana as baby's first food, you will have plenty of leftovers. You can always eat the rest of the banana yourself, but even an adult has trouble finishing a whole avocado minus one teaspoon!
One method that will help prevent leftovers and food waste is the Frozen Food Cube Method. The method is explained in detail in Part II of this book, but very briefly you would: puree or fork-mash a very ripe avocado, spoon portions into the cubes of an ice cube tray, cover with aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and nutrient loss, freeze until solid, and transfer the frozen food cubes into a plastic freezer bag. When mealtime comes, thaw a food cube or two in the microwave (following the precautions in Part II) and feed it to your baby. The Food Cube Method can be used for cooked pureed sweet potatoes and almost all other Super Baby Foods http://www.thefunplace.com/guild/superbaby1.html#time
Additional Information:
=======================
This Calorie Calulator won't help you now, as it starts at age 2, but it can give you an idea, or be used in another 16 months! http://pediatrics.about.com/library/bl_calorie_calc.htm
Food Pyramid for two year olds
http://www.babycenter.com/general/toddler/toddlerfeeding/9296.html
See Page 4
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/ch2.pdf
http://www.parents.com/articles/health/5587.jsp
http://www.momcentral.com/chat/forum.asp?id=1490
http://www.eatright.org/Public/NutritionInformation/92_11797.cfm
Feeding the 9-12 month old
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030700.asp
Feeding Toddlers
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp#T031200
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T043700.asp
I hope this helps you determine how to feed your son. Again, if you are concerned your child is overeating, discuss his size with the pediatrician. Happy Dining!
If any part of my answer is unclear, please request an Answer Clarification, before rating. This will allow me to assist you further, if possible.
Regards, Crabcakes
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