Have you started feeding your child solid food yet? Check out our recos for the best food to offer for 7 months old baby in the Philippines. Add some of these foods to your menu!
What can you read in this article?
- How often should my 7-month-old baby eat?
- Recommended food for 7 months old baby in the Philippines
- My baby is not swallowing his food. Should I be concerned?
So your child finally hit the 6-month mark and is now in his journey to starting solids. At 7 months, your child is starting to get more acquainted with his food and at times, might even be playing with it.
A month into eating solids, you might notice some things about your child’s eating habits that might cause you to worry. “Is he eating enough? Is he getting enough nutrients? Why isn’t he swallowing his food?
While it’s completely valid for a mom with a baby to be asking these questions, there really is no need to worry. To help you and your child navigate through this new chapter in your life which is introducing solids, here are the answers to some of your pressing concerns and a list of recommended food for your 7 months old baby in the Philippines.
How often should my 7-month old baby eat in a day?
Image taken from Unsplash
According to Thalia Prum, a certified dietitian, nutritionist and the mom behind Family.snack.nutritionist on Instagram, babies from 6 to 8 months are only required to eat one solid meal a day. This is because solid food is not their main source of nutrition yet and this is just an opportunity for them to start exploring food.
From birth up to 12 months, breast milk or formula milk is your child’s main source of nutrients. So if they’re not very keen on eating yet, as long as they’re feeding or taking in milk very well, you don’t have to worry.
Baby’s hunger cues and fullness cues
But it won’t hurt if you’re more attuned to your baby’s needs. You can actually notice when your baby is ready to explore food and when it’s not a good time to do it.
You already know the signs that your baby is ready to eat solid food. As your 7-month-old baby grows, observe his actions and try to decipher if he’s trying to tell you something related to eating.
Hunger cues
According to BLWMeals App on Instagram, If you notice your baby doing the following, it may mean that he’s hungry and you can take it as a good sign to give him some solids:
- Leaning towards the food to reach for it
- Happy, playful mood and is bringing their hands to their mouth
- Reaching for more food
- Watching you eat
Remember, crying is already one of the last signs that your baby is hungry. So when he is crying, it might not be a good idea to give solids as he will be more frustrated if he is unable to swallow them yet. Try to give him his milk first, and try feeding him with food an hour later.
Baby’s fullness cues
Meanwhile, here are some signs that your child is full or he’s done exploring his food, and putting more on his plate might just leave you feeling frustrated:
- Pushing the food away
- Dropping the food on the floor (on purpose after eating)
- Turning their head away, getting distracted
- Playing with the food (after they have eaten)
- Closing their mouth/lips and leaning away from the food
So now that you know these things, you can have a more realistic approach on how to introduce and encourage your baby to eat solid food. Here are some 7-month-old baby food that you can try and the proper way to incorporate them in your baby food menu.
Food for 7 months old baby in the Philippines
While your child’s first few months are really all about the introduction and exploration of food, it won’t hurt if we start offering foods that can help boost a growing child’s nutrition. If you gave him bland foods in the beginning, it’s time to be a little more adventurous and start adding more flavor to the mix.
So without further ado, here are some recommended baby food that you might want to add to your 7-month-old baby’s menu.
Image taken from Freepik
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Banana
No baby food list is complete without this fruit. Rich in potassium, bananas can help keep your child hydrated. It’s also a good source of fiber which helps promote proper digestion especially in babies who are more prone to constipation.
You can feed your 7-month-old baby bananas by serving them in a puree (mixed with water or breastmilk) in tiny sticks for baby-led weaning or simply mash it with a fork.
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Avocado
If you haven’t fed your baby this wonder baby food yet, now is the best time to start. Avocados are on the top list of baby foods in the Philippines because of their high fat content (the healthy kind, don’t worry) and are also rich in other vitamins and minerals that can help nourish your baby. Aside from that, it has a wonderful color and texture that will encourage baby to try it out.
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Carrots
Another bright-colored food that can pique baby’s interest, carrots are a good source of Vitamin A, which is good for baby’s eyes, skin and immune system.
You can serve the carrots either by puree, grated, mashed with a spoon or cut into halves (cooked, never raw) for baby to try to munch on. You can also bake these carrot halves until they’re tender to poke using a fork.
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Apples
While babies age 2 and below are not allowed to have sugar in their diet yet, they can surely benefit from this fruit’s natural sweetness.
Apples are also rich in fiber – a must-have for baby foods for better digestion. Giving your 7-month-old raw, uncooked apples is not a good idea as it may be a choking hazard, so the best way to introduce apples to 6 to 8-month babies is by making it into a puree or making applesauce.
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Papaya
At 6 months, your baby’s iron stores start to deplete so we need to introduce iron-rich foods as they grow. Another thing to remember is that vitamin C helps in the body’s proper absorption of iron, so introducing fruits and veggies packed with Vitamin C is vital to your baby’s nutrition.
Papayas are also considered as one of the top foods for a 7 months old baby in the Philippines as they’re super easy to prepare (just make sure it’s ripe enough to mash with a fork), the texture is ideal for baby-led weaning and they’re easy to find in our country.
Another plus for papaya – they’re great for constipation.
READ MORE:
Picky Eaters Decoded: 8 tips on introducing healthy foods to kids
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Eggs and other foods with allergens
If you haven’t introduced allergenic food to your baby yet, now is the best time to do it. New research shows that early and frequent exposure to highly allergenic foods like fish, dairy products, gluten, wheat, nuts, shellfish, egg, and soy may be protective and reduce the risk for allergies as kids grow. Just remember to gradually introduce these foods one at a time to easily pinpoint the cause of allergy, in case it occurs.
Aside from helping your child build immunity from allergies, eggs are a good source of protein, B vitamins and minerals that can help minimize the risk of stunting in children.
There are different ways to feed eggs – scramble it, boil it and chop it, mix it with potatoes – just as long as you make sure it’s cooked well when you feed it to the baby to avoid the risk of salmonella. Cook or boil it for 8 to 12 minutes to be sure.
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Chicken
Many parents make the mistake of introducing meat and other non-fruit or non-veggie food to their babies late. But babies can actually benefit from having chicken in their diet early, and it won’t be long until it becomes their favorite food for life!
Chicken meat is a good source of protein and other amino acids that can help develop your baby’s brain, muscles, nervous system, heart, skin, and hair.
A good way to start incorporating chicken in your 7-month-old baby’s menu is by serving a cooked drumstick for him to munch on (just make sure you supervise), grinding it in a food processor to make fried chicken patties or balls (you can add other veggies to the mix too) or mixing very tiny strips in baby’s soup or lugaw.
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Tofu
Tofu is made from soy, a common allergen, so introducing it in your baby’s diet early and frequently can be a good idea. It’s also a rich in calcium and iron, which baby needs for good blood flow and oxygen supply in his body.
Just remember to check in with your child’s pediatrician first before introducing another food in his diet to avoid any unwanted complications or accidents.
Why is baby not swallowing his food?
As mentioned earlier, the first few months of the baby’s journey to solid foods is all about him getting to know these foods and getting used to the act of eating.
“The first few months of starting solids is really just getting acquainted with different food,” said Prum. “So whether you’re doing puree or baby-led weaning, your goal is to let them explore the food,” she added.
Remember, the act of putting food in his mouth, chewing, and most especially swallowing solid food is all new to your baby so it would take a lot more time for him to get used to doing it and actually eating.
“These things take a lot of muscle coordination and a lot of practice for a baby who has never done it before,” reminded Prum. “So if they are putting the food into their mouth, they are practicing the feeling, the texture, these are all really great things.”
Instead of getting stressed and forcing baby to finish the food you prepared for him, just sit with your child, eat in front of him so you can model it to him, and make eating a pleasurable experience that your 7-month-old baby will look forward to every day.
You’ll get there, Mommy! Just be patient!
Image taken from Unsplash
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