What Should A Nine Month Old Be Eating & Drinking?

When your baby hits the nine month mark, you have likely already introduced solid food to his diet. By nine months, you typically progress from jarred vegetables and fruit to cut-up pieces of table food. Meals are still frequent and small, since babies cannot hold down large amounts of food. Speak to your pediatrician about any special dietary considerations to keep in mind when feeding your 9-month-old baby.

Size

Although babies at nine months old can eat solid food, do not give them large meals. According to the Ask Dr. Sears website, each serving of solid food is approximately one to two tablespoons large. If the baby wants more than the given amount, increase her servings gradually. For dairy products, give a nine month old about ¼ to 1/3 cup each day, according to Babycenter. Serve about ¼ to 1/3 cup of cereals with iron, ¼ to ½ cup of fruit, ¼ to ½ cup veggies and 1/8 to ¼ cup of proteins.

Types

Solid foods that the baby can enjoy include fruits and vegetables minced or pureed. Soften the veggies first by steaming or sautéing them in a pan with butter. Fruit can be served in yogurt or mixed in with a small amount of rice cereal or oatmeal. Pasta and rice can be served plain or with a small amount of butter. Thin slices of bread, soft cubes of cheese, dry cereal and eggs are other food options for a 9-month-old baby.

Considerations

Avoid serving fruit juice to a 9-month-old baby. The baby should still consume most of his liquids as infant formula or breast milk. Since solid foods are beginning to meet many of his nutritional needs, he may decrease the amount and frequency of nursing sessions. At nine months old, he can begin experimenting with the use of a sippy cup for self-feeding. Your pediatrician may recommend only giving water on very hot days.

Warning

Avoid giving your 9-month-old baby foods that are considered choking hazards, such as hard candy, popcorn, grapes, nuts and chopped pieces of food. Before one year of age, most foods given are minced or pureed before being served to the baby. Certain foods also must be avoided due to the risk of intolerance or allergies. Babies should not be given spicy foods, salt, honey, shellfish, nuts, peanut butter, cow's milk and products with added sugar.