At 9 months old, your baby is likely adept at handling pureed foods and infant cereals, but she doesn't exactly have the set of chompers to eat a chicken nugget. Still, you can help your baby take in all the nutrients she needs to grow properly as long as you're ready to get creative when planning her snacks and meals. However, you should get individualized dietary advice from her pediatrician before you start diversifying your baby's diet.
Important Foods
Your 9-month-old needs the same nutrients you do but in smaller doses. You should continue feeding him breast milk or formula, but he also should be eating soft solids at this point. He needs between ¼ and 1/3 cup of dairy per day from sources such as cheese and yogurt, but hold off on giving him cow's milk until he is at least 1 year old. He also should be eating between ¼ and ½ cup of iron-fortified infant cereal. He needs between ¼ and ½ cup of fruits as well as the same amount of vegetables, so offer him plenty of mashed varieties of soft or softened plant foods such as avocados, bananas, cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. He also should take in about 1/8 to ¼ cup of protein-rich foods such as boneless fish, tofu, mashed beans and pureed meats.
Finger Foods
Your 9-month-old should be ready to eat some finger foods if she is able to pick up objects using her forefinger and thumb, if she can transfer objects between her hands, if she can move her jaw in a chewing motion and if she tends to put everything in her mouth. Some nutritious finger foods that should be easy for her to eat are teething crackers, well-cooked macaroni, O-shaped cereal that is low in sugar, small slices of ripened banana and small wedges of avocado.
Safety Considerations
Gradually introduce your baby to new foods, giving him at least three days between new ones to ensure that he doesn't have a food allergy. Doctors once believed that you should wait at least a year to introduce highly allergenic foods such as eggs and peanut products as a way to reduce babies' risk of developing an allergy. Though this may not actually be the case, your pediatrician will likely recommend that you wait to introduce your baby to such foods, particularly if you have a family history of food allergies. Also keep your baby from foods that could cause him to choke. Risky foods include white bread, popcorn, hard fruits and vegetables, whole grapes, and pieces of hot dog.
Establishing Healthy Habits
If your baby is picky about new flavors or textures, try mixing in new foods with foods you know she already likes. For example, mix small bits of a soft peach into her favorite yogurt, or mash some peas and stir it into bites of small, well-cooked noodles. However, don't force her to eat if she isn't interested. Mere tablespoons of food may fill her stomach because she's so small, so look for cues of fullness such as turning away and spitting out food. As long as she is still interested, encourage self-feeding practice by letting her hold a spoon or finger feed while you feed her.
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