List of Foods 9 Month Olds Can Eat

As infants reach the final three months of their first yea,r they will pass many developmental milestones. These include increased mobility, improved coordination and a long list of foods they can not only eat but also enjoy. According to Dr. Sears at AskDrSears.com, by your baby's first birthday, half of what he eats will be solid food. Breast milk or formula are still his primary source of nutrition but he may require more solid foods to stay satisfied longer. SuperBabyFood.com reminds parents to offer your baby a new food in a small quantity and wait three to four days before offering another new food. This allows time for parents to monitor their child for food allergies or sensitivities.

By Spoon

Foods fed to a baby by spoon should continue to be strained or pureed unless she has been eating this type of food since her six-month birthday. Gradually increase the thickness by decreasing the liquid added to the food, mashing with a fork for a coarser texture, or by purchasing stage two or stage three commercial baby foods.

SuperBabyFood.com suggests spoon-feeding your baby cottage cheese; barley, oat and rice cereals; asparagus; peas; green beans; and pasteurized mild fruit juices like peach and pear. Children with known lactose sensitivity or family prevalence of lactose intolerance may be advised by the pediatrician to wait until their first birthday for any dairy products. Dilute juices with equal parts water and juice to keep your baby from developing a taste for sweet liquids instead of plain water.

Finger Foods

If you started introducing pureed or strained foods to your baby at his six-month birthday, he may be interested in other textures at nine months. Offering finger foods is a great idea at this age as it will not only progress his food repertoire but also help him build hand-eye-coordination. SuperBabyFood.com suggests dicing bits of tofu; hard cooked egg yolk; well-cooked carrots, summer squash, or white potatoes; and ripened fruits like peaches and bananas. Tofu and eggs may need to be approved by your pediatrician as they are high up on the allergenic list. Other finger foods include toasted bread, crackers, oat circle cereals, cheese cubes, cooked pasta, and rice, says Ed.gov. Any foods that your baby has already been eating may be diced for your baby to feed to himself.

Things to Avoid

Avoid any food that must be chewed before swallowed. Bite-sized food is more likely to be a choking hazard and requires close parental supervision. Peas are not a safe choice for finger foods at this time as they are small enough to be inhaled into the windpipe. Ed.gov warns against feeding your baby hot dogs, hard candy, any nuts, grapes, cookies, meat chunks, raw carrots, peanut butter, apple chunks and popcorn. Citrus fruits may still be too harsh on your baby's stomach. Nuts should be avoided until at least three years of age, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is to reduce the risk of allergy development as tree nuts have a high rate of allergic response.