From 6 to 24 months, breast milk is still your baby’s main source of nutrition. Even as they start trying new foods, breast milk continues to help them grow and stay healthy. During this stage, it is important to gently introduce foods and drinks for 6 to 24 months old into their diet.
Your baby’s stomach is very small, so they can only eat a little at a time. That’s why babies need soft, healthy foods offered in small amounts several times throughout the day. Babies from 6 to 24 months need nutritious food every day so they can grow well, stay strong, and develop their brains. Along with breastfeeding, foods and drinks for 6 to 24 months old should include a variety of nutrient-rich options such as eggs, fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Because your baby is just learning to chew, offer small amounts of foods and drinks for 6 to 24 months old throughout the day. When your baby starts eating solid foods, you need to be extra careful so they don’t get sick. Babies crawl on the ground and touch many things, so germs can easily get on their hands and into their mouths. To protect them, always wash your hands and your baby’s hands with soap before preparing food and before every feeding.
Your baby’s first foods should be very soft so they are easy to swallow. Good options include well-cooked, mashed fruits and vegetables. Start by giving your baby only 2–3 small spoonful’s of soft food twice a day. Their stomach is still small, so they can only eat a little at each meal. The taste of a new food may surprise your baby, so give them time to get used to new foods and flavours. Be patient and don’t force your baby to eat. Watch for signs that they are full and stop feeding them when they show these signals.
Introducing the right foods and drinks for 6 to 24 months old helps your baby grow healthy, strong, and smart.
Some examples of Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old baby:
• Start with liquid foods first, such as dal water and rice water. These are gentle Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old and easy for your baby to digest.
• Boil vegetables and fruits like carrot, peas, beetroot, banana, and apple. Grind them into a smooth paste. These soft paste are ideal Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old.
• When your baby turns 7 months old, you can start with steamed carrot purée and apple purée once a day. These simple purees are nutritious Foods for 6 to 24 months old baby.
• Next, you can add another meal made of oats, ragi, or rava mixed with homemade ghee and milk. You can also add crushed almonds, dates, and walnuts. These provide variety and are healthy Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old. Avoid honey before 12 months.
• At around 9 months, you can prepare vegetable soup and add mild spices like jeera, hing, turmeric, or ajwain. Soups are excellent Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old, especially for improving digestion.
• By the time your baby turns 12 months, you can start offering small pieces of chapatti. This helps promote self-feeding and improves hand–mouth coordination. Soft finger foods like chapatti pieces are useful Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old baby.
• After 12 months, you can also offer steamed foods like idli and dosa. At this age, you can give cut fruits and nuts such as almonds, dates, and walnuts.
• Always make sure the baby’s food is homemade. Fresh, simple home-cooked meals are the safest and most nutritious Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old baby.
Foods and drinks for 6-8 months old:
Breastfeeding should continue whenever your baby is hungry, as breast milk remains an important part of baby. It provides essential nutrients and comfort while your baby learns to eat more solid foods. Here, foods and drinks for 6 to 8 months old sample is given below:
Breakfast:
- 2 to 4 table spoon cereal, or 1 mashed or scrambled egg
- 2 to 4 table spoon mashed or diced fruit
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Snack:
- 2 to 4 table spoon or cooked pureed or boiled vegetables
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Lunch:
- 2 to 4 table spoon yogurt
- 2 to 4 table spoon cooked chapatti or well cooked vegetables or vegetables soup
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Evening Snack:
- 1 whole grain cracker or teething biscuit
- 2 to 4 table spoon yogurt or mashed soft fruit or ragi
- Give some pure water
- 2 to 4 table spoon water
Dinner:
- 2 to 4 table spoon well cooked meat or tofu or
- 2 to 4 table spoon cooked green vegetables or
- 2 to 4 table spoon of dal water or rice water or
- 2 to 4 table spoon cooked khichadi or
- 2 to 4 table spoon mashed fruit
- Breast milk
Before bedtime:
Breast milk or water
Foods and Drinks for 9 to 12 months old:
From 9 to 12 months, your baby can eat about half a cup of food four to five times a day. During this stage, you can start offering foods in small pieces along with soft fruits such as banana, apple, chikoo, watermelon, papaya, and dragon fruit. These are all healthy Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old that support growth and development. Offering a mix of soft fruits, small pieces of cooked foods, and breast milk ensures your baby receives balanced Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old during this stage.
BREAKFAST:
- Half cup of cereal, ragi, rava or 1 cooked egg
- Half cup of milk
- any fruits sliced like banana, Dragon fruits, papaya, chickoo, strawberries, etc
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Snack:
- 1 slice toast or whole-wheat chapatti, paratha with 1–2 tablespoons cream cheese or peanut butter, or half cup yogurt
- Water or milk with pinch of saffron
- Breast milk
Lunch:
- Half boiled egg
- Half cup of well-cooked green vegetables with chapatti, any of rice and Dal like tuver dal, chana dal, masur dal, moong dal
- Salad and half cup of buttermilk
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Evening Snack:
- Some fruits, wheat biscuits, some healthy snacks, vegetables spring roll, ragi pancake, vegetables cutlet, oats rava dhosa with yogurt,
- Half cup of Water or milk
- Breast milk
Dinner:
- Well cooked meat, chicken or fish
- Half cup cooked vegetables with khichdi
- Half cup of milk and Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Before bed:
Breast milk or water
Foods and Drinks for 13 to 24 months old:
If you’re not breastfeeding, your baby will need to eat more often. They will also need other foods, including milk products, to get all the nutrition their body needs.
Breakfast:
- Half cup non-fat or low-fat milk
- Half cup whole-grain chapatti, low-sugar cereal or 1 slice whole-grain toast
- Half cup fruit for example, banana, dragon fruits, apples, watermelon, strawberries
- 1 boiled egg
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Snack:
- Some healthy foods like idli, dhosa, patra, cutlate, etc
- Half cup of milk with pinch of saffron
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Lunch:
- Half cup of buttermilk
- Half sandwich: 1 slice whole-grain bread, 1 pieces well cooked meat or fish, Dal and rice, some vegetables sabji like paneer mutter, alloo mutter, cabbage, brinjal, bottle guard, etc
- 2 – 3 carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, beetroot sticks salad
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Snack:
- Half cup milk with pinch of turmeric or half cup of yogurt with methi thepla or paratha
- Apple, grapes, orange, strawberry, etc
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Dinner:
- cup milk or yogurt
- Half cup whole-grain pasta, khichdi and sabji
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Before bed:
- Give some fruits
- Half cup of milk with pinch of turmeric
- Give some pure water
- Breast milk
Avoid foods and drinks for 6 to 24 months old:
- Salt: Do not add salt to your baby’s food.
- Sugar: Avoid sugar to help prevent tooth decay.
- Saturated Fat: Do not give your child too many foods high in saturated fat, such as wafers, biscuits, and cakes. These foods are not healthy.
- Raw or lightly cooked foods: Avoid giving raw or lightly cooked foods because they can upset your baby’s stomach.
- Unpasteurized milk or dairy product: Avoid giving sweets, ice cream, jelly, jam, desserts, etc can trouble for your baby.
- Some other foods and drinks: candy, chocolate, tea, coffee, cake, cookies, soft drinks, etc foods are not give your baby.
- Oily and spicy foods: Avoid giving your baby oily or spicy foods, as they can upset their sensitive stomach and are also not recommended in Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 months old.