Hi friends!
Fiona is a happy little plant-eater! Around 7 1/2-8 months, we moved from purées to more texture and bite-sized pieces. We don’t follow a traditional BLW approach (it wasn’t for us, but nothing wrong with it) and have been easing into this like we did with Willow last time. She has been absolutely delighted by nearly everything we place in front of her. She isn’t a hard baby to please when it comes to meals.
I thought I’d share a little update since last time and give you an idea what she has been eating, how often, what gear we are loving, etc. I hope that it gives you some ideas for your own little vegan or plant-based babe.
I just want to note that this is no way saying this is what your 8-9 month old should be eating like or anything of that nature. I am no doctor, nutritionist, or any type of professional. I am just a mama guided by my own intuition. This is just for inspiration or ideas if you are stuck or in a rut for meals.
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I’ll receive a commission if you purchase from this link. This will not change or increase the cost of your purchase. This extra income provides for my family and keeps The Friendly Fig running strong.
Eating Schedule
Let’s start with what our day looks like.
- 5:30 AM: 6 oz bottle (she’s an early bird)
- 6:30 AM: breakfast
- 10 AM: 5-6 oz bottle
- 11:30 AM: lunch/snack
- 12:30 PM: 5-6 oz bottle
- 3 PM: 6 oz bottle
- 5:30: dinner
- 6:30 PM: 6-7 oz bottle
Foods We Have Introduced
We started slow with introductions (waiting 2-3 days in between to recognize allergies) but since she has done very well since then, we only wait a day or so now. I’ll put an (*) beside the new foods/herbs she has tried since our last update at 6 months.
- Baby oatmeal
- Sweet potato
- Apples
- Peas
- Pears
- Green beans
- Avocado
- Banana
- White potato
- Carrots
- Peaches
- Blueberries
- Quinoa *
- Strawberries *
- Watermelon *
- Cinnamon *
- Peanut butter *
- Lentils *
- Flaxseed *
- Zucchini *
- Raspberries *
- Almond butter *
- Black beans *
- Blackberries *
- Tofu *
- Nutritional yeast *
- Turmeric *
- Onion *
- Rosemary *
- Thyme *
- Plum *
- White beans *
- Red Pepper *
- Red Onion *
- Chickpeas *
- Garlic *
- Cumin *
- Paprika *
- Unsweetened coconut yogurt *
- Cauliflower*
- Broccoli *
- Tahini *
- Pasta *
- Flour *
- Tomato *
- Cashews *
- Basil *
Meals She Loves
Here’s just a sample of what we have been serving lately.
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with nut butter
- Oatmeal with fruit purée
- Oatmeal with coconut yogurt
- Coconut yogurt with fruit purée
- Oat & banana pancake
- Tofu scramble
For the oatmeal, I will make it on the thicker side so that I can serve it in little bits that she can pick up. It’s messy but that is how they learn!
Usually with whatever breakfast she has, I will serve some fruit, too. Lately it has been a lot of berries cut up small, steamed cinnamon apple bits, steamed pear, steamed plum, avocado, or banana.
Lunch/Dinner:
- Pasta with green sauce (usually avocado or puréed zucchini/broccoli & basil)
- Pasta with tomato sauce (I’ll add some basil, rosemary, and lentils/white beans to it for good flavor)
- Pasta with blended cashew cream (I’ll add garlic and nutritional yeast to it)
- Smashed peas and steamed carrots
- Variety of beans cut in half
- Smashed chickpeas with avocado
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Quinoa with mashed avocado
- Lentil fritters
- Baked tofu (minus the salt & broken up into small pieces)
For pasta, I like to use small soup shells. She does well with those or elbows that I cut in half.
Again, I will serve some fruit or vegetables. I use whatever I have on hand.
Gear We Use
I mentioned the below in my last post but including here, as well, in case you missed it or need a refresher.
High chair – We LOVE the Antilop high chair from IKEA. If you have an IKEA near you, highly recommend because it is cheap, easy to clean, and looks great.
Bibs – In the very beginning, I love a silicone catch-all bib. After 1, I really like the Bumkins catch-all bibs because they are not too bulky and don’t distract too much.
Plates – At first, I like these silicone plates so the entire plate doesn’t end up all over the floor. As she gets older, she will use these Re-play plates (we still use these with Willow, too).
Bowls – These suction bowls are great at first, but again, we will move to Re-play as she gets older.
Utensils – There are a few different ones that we like. I started with these for purées, then we move onto Re-play for self-feeding. For my oldest, I love the OXO Tot set.
Clean-up cloth – I have always used our burp cloths to clean-up little hands and faces – a great way to extend their use! These are our favorite. I have used them for both kids.
Ice cube trays – I love these to freeze baby food into small portions. They are great because they have a silicone bottom – easy to pop out. I purée each ingredient separately and then add together for endless combinations. Making your own baby food is kinder on your budget & a healthy option for your baby. You are 100% in charge of what goes into their little bellies!
Sippy cup – She has taken well to the Munchkin sippy cup.
Whew, that was a lot of information. I hope that it was thorough and helpful for you. I’ll try to start sharing more of what she eats here – it is just not as pretty as whatever Willow is eating, lol! But I will work on it. x
