Mealtime with Your Eight-Month-Old

Mealtimes are still messy for you
and your eight-month-old. She
continues to need your special
attention at meal times.

Your baby is probably able to pick up
food with her fingers. By now, she is
learning to drink from a cup. When
she chews, she can move the food to
the sides of her mouth.

You can now offer her thicker and lumpier foods. Here are some foods that
she should be able to eat now:

• Soft, small pieces of meat.
• Mashed beans or peas.
• Bite-size pieces of bread.
• Cooked, mashed fruits and vegetables.
• Noodles.

Your baby is not yet ready for some foods. Here are some foods that you
should not give her yet:

• Cow’s milk.
• Egg whites.
• More than 4 ounces of juice per day.
• Honey or Karo syrup.
• Wheat cereal.

Instead of drinking cow’s milk, your baby should continue to be
breastfed or to get formula with iron. Egg whites and milk can make a
young baby sick. If your baby drinks too much juice, she may lose her
appetite. Then she might not eat the foods she needs. Honey may have
bacteria. This can make your baby very sick. Wheat cereal can be hard
for your baby to digest.

Remember, your baby knows how much food to eat. Give her a choice of
foods that will help her grow. Do not force your baby to eat her food. She
knows how much food she needs.

Meals should be offered at regular times each day. Meal times should be
pleasant and as quiet as possible. Turn the TV off. Don’t have a lot of other
activity going on. Enjoy your meals together.

This content has been provided freely by CMC. Click Healthy Start, Grow Smart—Your-Eight-Month-Old for your free download. Click GreatDad Free Ebook to download the entire Health Start, Grow Smart series.

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