As your little one grows from a tiny newborn to an adventurous eater, navigating the baby food world can be exciting and daunting. At 9-12 months, babies are ready to explore new tastes and textures, making mealtime an adventure for both of you.
Here, I’ll provide you with a comprehensive guide to baby food recipes 9-12 months. From simple purees to more complex combinations, these recipes will not only nourish your little ones but also help in their development and exploration of different flavors. So get ready to whip up some delicious and nutritious meals for your growing baby!
How Much Should A 9-12 Months Old Eat?
While babies may be unable to swallow everything adults eat, introducing new foods and tastes can please their taste buds. It can be frightening and challenging for most new parents to figure out what to offer and how much to give their child, but remember that there is no golden rule by which you must operate. Refrain from overstressing the meal; remember to keep it as nutritious and natural as possible.
Because the experience is novel for your baby, they will nibble on the food and spit it out if the taste is not appealing. Remember that a baby’s tummy is about the size of a fist, and it doesn’t take much to fill it. Furthermore, because their taste senses are still maturing, they may only enjoy some of your diverse foods. Others will like vegetables, others fruits, and others will even choose the texture of their cuisine. It can be pureed, mashed, or cut into tiny parts. Trial and error are essential at this period in determining your baby’s preferences.
Don’t forget that your kid receives all the nutrients essential for formula or breast milk. Make sure your baby eats three meals every day in addition to milk.
How Many Calories Does a 9 -12 Month Baby Need Per Day?
A 9-month-old baby may require approximately 750-900 calories per day. Breast milk and formula feeding account for around 400-500. Even if you know how many calories babies require, their food should not be limited to that number. Your kid will eat as he needs, therefore you should be flexible about calorie consumption on a daily basis.
Your baby should stop eating when he shows you that he is full, which may be indicated by his turning his head or pushing the food away.
Best Foods for a 9-12 Months Old Baby
When you introduce new foods to your baby, they will either become adventurous or finicky eaters, so choose the best and most delicious-tasting foods for them.
You can begin feeding your 9-month-old Indian infant with the following foods:
Fruits
Cut berries into quarters and offer your child berries like blueberries, melons, cranberries, dates, figs, cherries, and citrus fruits. Make sure things are well cooked, pureed, or mashed before giving them to your baby.
Vegetables
Broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, onions and parsnips are all nutritious and excellent meal choices for your infant.
Meat and Egg
Your kid should eat eggs, chicken, and fish that have been well washed and cooked. Don’t give raw meat, fish, or runny eggs.
Water and Juices
Your baby’s stomach is still growing, so make sure he or she drinks a lot of water. Instead of giving your kid manufactured juice, try producing natural juices at home (no sugar added).
Cheese and Other Dairy Products
cottage cheese, Cream cheese, cottage cheese or paneer, dahi or yogurt, ghee, and butter can all be given to your infant in modest amounts.
Cereals
Cooked millet, quinoa, whole wheat pasta (softened), rice and muesli are delicious options to feed your baby.
Grains
Toast, little pieces of chapatti or flatbread, and crackers provide your infant with an adequate grain intake.
Legumes
Mashed lentils, beans, and legume-based soups are excellent ways to provide your infant with flavorful yet nutritional food.
Spices
As your child’s taste buds grow, you might want to cook for them with smaller amounts of asafoetida, coriander,cloves, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves,nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, turmeric, and garlic.
Protein-Packs
Tofu is a food that is high in protein and can be given to babies.
Best Baby Food Recipes 9-12 Months
Effortless Apples and Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup boneless chicken or turkey,
- 1/4 cup soft cooked apple
- Handful of diced carrots (optional)
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Place the chicken and cooked apple in a food processor or blender.
- Add cinnamon.
- Puree or mash to a baby-friendly consistency, thin with water if needed.
Peachy Keen Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 ripe peaches
- Water
- Pinch of cinnamon or ginger
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- Put the sweet potato and peaches in a small baking dish. Just cover the food with water. Add a little cinnamon or ginger to the dish and mix it around. Wrap in foil.
- Bake it about 20 minutes, or until the peaches and sweet potatoes are fork-tender; check the water level frequently.
- After baking, set aside any residual water and transfer the sweet potatoes and peaches to a bowl to cool.
- Puree or mash as needed to suit baby’s textural preferences.
Lentil, Sweet Potato and Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 large apple
- 2 cups water or broth for the lentils
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup yellow lentils
- 2 Tbl. olive oil
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Cardamom
Directions
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes after peeling them.
- First, peel and core the apples. Then, cut them into small pieces.
- In one pot, bring 2 cups of water or broth to a boil. Then, add the lentils.
- Return the lentils to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer the lentils on low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
- For the second pot, add one cup of water and put in a steamer basket.
- Steam the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes, or until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
- The lentils, sweet potatoes, and apples are done cooking. Take them off the heat and drain any extra liquid from each saucepot.
- Allow foods to cool until they are warm.
- Once the ingredients have cooled, put them in a big bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add the seasonings and mix thoroughly.
Parsnip, Apple and Carrot Mash
Ingredients
- 4 parsnips
- 4 carrots
- 2 apples
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 Tbl. olive oil
Directions
- Peel and dice the carrots, parsnips, and apples, then put them in a bowl with olive oil and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir to blend.
- Put what’s in the bowl on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased. Bake for about twenty-five minutes at 400° F, or until everything is fork-tender.
- Allow to cool before pureeing, adding water to thin if necessary.
Sweet Potato Scramble
Ingredients:
- Butter or olive oil
- Pinch of pepper
- 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
- 2 egg yolks
Directions
- In a sauspan, heat the olive oil or butter.
- Use a whisk to mix the sweet potato and eggs together in a bowl.
- When the sauspan is hot, add the mixture and beat it with a wooden spoon until it’s all done.
- Puree or mash as needed to meet the baby’s texture preferences.
Baked Apples
Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 large apples
- Butter (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
- Brown sugar and raisins
Directions
- Core the apples, but keep the peel on.
- If preferred, wipe the insides of each apple with butter and/or add a few drops of water, then sprinkle with cinnamon.
- If desired, add raisins and a small amount of brown sugar to the insides of each apple.
- Put the apples in a baking pan so that they are lined up upright. Cover the pan with foil and add two inches of water.
- Bake at 400° for about 40 minutes, or until the fruit begins to burst and the skin becomes firm.
- After baking, let the apples cool in the baking pan before transferring them to a large mixing dish.
Creamy Peachy Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup peach puree
- Pinch of cinnamon
Directions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot.
- Bring the items to a slow simmer and continue to cook on low until creamy and well combined.
Yogurt Meals
Ingredients:
- 1 large tub plain, whole milk yogurt
- Assorted fruits and vegetables, pureed or mashed
Directions
- Combine yoghurt with a range of your baby’s favorite fruits and vegetables, divide into pieces, and freeze or refrigerate.
Easy Pumpkin and Apples
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin
- 2 cups apples
- 1 cup water
- Pinch of cinnamon
Directions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot.
- Bring the items to a slow simmer and cook on low until soft and fork tender.
- Allow to cool, then mash or puree as needed.
Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub sweet potatoes thoroughly before peeling them; if your infant can tolerate the skin, leave it on.
- chop sweet potatoes into strips or different shapes, which you can then chop down once baked.
- In a large bowl, combine roughly 1/4 cup olive oil and pinches of your preferred spices.
- Toss the cut-up sweet potatoes into the bowl and swirl to coat with the olive oil mixture.
- After placing the sweet potatoes on a baking pan, cover them with the leftover olive oil.
- Before placing the potatoes in the oven, stir and swirl them on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
9-12 Months Baby Food Chart
The infant meal chart for 9 months recommends the amount of food from each food group for a 9-month-old baby.
This does not imply that all of the food groups must be consumed in the precise proportions specified. Of course, the proportions will fluctuate, and an entire food group may not be covered in the daily diet, which is great.
Dora Babic-Cikos, Phd, our resident nutritionist, prepared the baby food chart, which is based on the FAO Requirements for an average 9-month-old weighing 20.1 lbs (9.1 kg).
9-12 Months Baby Food Chart
Food Group | Recommendations |
breastmilk/Formula | 720ml |
Grains | 60g |
Fruits | 1 medium size |
Vegetables | 1 medium size or ½ cup uncooked weight |
Protein Foods | 60-75 g |
Fats | 2 tsp |
Water | 1-2 oz per meal |
Foods to Avoid for 9 -12Months Old Baby
It is critical to feed your kid clean, fresh meals. Be aware of the texture of your baby’s food preferences so that you can include more of it in the following meal. While your child can now joyfully join you for family dinners, a few foods should always be avoided.
Honey
It contains germs that can cause significant disease in your child’s intestines, resulting in a rare syndrome known as baby botulism. It can also be harmful to a baby’s developing teeth.
Some Types of Fish
Sharks, swordfish, and marlin contain significant amounts of mercury, which can harm a baby’s nervous system. Shellfish should also be avoided to prevent food poisoning.
Whole Nuts
To prevent choking, do not offer your child whole nuts until they turn five.
Sugar
Sugary foods, such as, biscuits, ice cream and sweets, are terrible for your children’s developing teeth.
Salt
The kidneys cannot handle with salt, so do not add it to your baby’s meals. Avoid salty foods like nankeens and chips completely. Babies should consume less than 1 gram of salt every day.
Citrus or Acidic Fruits
Some infants may experience acidity as a result of eating citrus fruits. Purees, on the other hand, can contain a dash of lemon.
Peanuts/Tree Nuts
This is a sensitive meal that could trigger allergic responses in your kid. It is usually introduced after the first year.
Whole Milk
This can cause digestive problems and should never be supplemented with breast milk. It can also inhibit iron absorption, critical to an infant’s growth.
Raw, Half-cooked, and Unpasteurised Food Items
Food items that are raw, partially cooked, or unpasteurized should not be fed to babies since they might cause serious injury. For example, half-cooked meat, runny eggs, unpasteurized milk or fruit juice, etc.
How Much Milk Formula Should a 9-12 Months Old Drink?
Aside from solid food, formula milk lasts several months for a 9-month-old baby. A 9-month-old kid should get approximately 720 ml or 24 ounces of formula milk divided into 3-5 daily feedings.
How Much Water For 9-12 Months Old Baby?
Give your youngster approximately 3-4 oz (90-120ml) of water daily.
Try offering 1-2 oz (30-60ml) every solid meal per day, but only be concerned if they finish it all. Just keep offering, and they will eventually get there.
We propose that you start teaching babies to drink from an open cup immediately (they can do it!) You may learn how to help them here. Staring Solids: Drinking from an open cup.
How Much Milk Should 9 Months Old Drink?
A nine-month-old baby should only be fed breastmilk or formula, not cow’s or goat’s milk (unless it is needed for cooking).
If using bottled breastmilk, give around 24 ounces or 720 mL of formula divided across 3-5 daily feedings.
If you are breastfeeding, proceed as you were. The baby understands when it is packed and when it needs more. The amount and duration of breastfeeding will be determined by the schedule you and your baby have established. However, because it is getting more calories from solid food, the infant may stop feeding as much, which is fine.
Final Words
As your little one transitions into the 9-12 months age range, introducing them to new flavors and textures is an exciting journey. These baby food recipes 9-12 Months explicitly catered for this stage are nutritious and delicious, offering various tastes to help develop your baby’s palate. From fruity purees to hearty vegetable blends, these recipes are designed to support your baby’s growth and development. So, prepare to delight your little foodie with these homemade creations that make mealtime a joyous and nutritious experience!