8 Month Old Baby Food Chart, Recipes, Food Ideas and Schedule

If you haven't already, at this age you will most likely be transitioning from purees to more textured foods or even small bite-sized pieces if your baby is starting to get a hang of pincer grasp (but this often develops from 9 months old onwards).

How much should 8 month old be eating?

Between 750 - 900 calories where about 400-500 calories still come from breastmilk/formula.

In the below 8 month baby food chart you will see how much of each food group you should serve.

8 month baby food chart

The 8 month baby food chart shows the recommendations in servings for all the food groups.

At this age, the assumption is that the baby has already tasted a fair share of different foods and is ready to start eating some more complex meals. It is not of crucial importance that the food chart is exactly followed in terms of amounts.

It is however advisable that you can include as much as possible of different food groups within those 2 solid meals per day and in the approximate amounts as mentioned.

The sample menu below is based on the FAO/WHO/UNU Energy Requirements for an average 8-month-old who weighs 19.6 lbs (8.9 kg).

If your baby is bigger or smaller than this that is ok. Every baby is different and this is just an average.

This is not a personalized plan, so please bear this disclaimer in mind.

What to feed 8 month old?

The following foods should be cooked and served appropriately (soft enough to easily mash between the forefinger and thumb).

• Fruits - apples, strawberries, bananas, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mango, pineapples, oranges
• Vegetables - cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, kale, parsnips, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, butternut squash, potatoes, sweet potato, asparagus, beetroot, avocado
• Protein - beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu
• Grains - oats, millet, wholewheat products (bread, tortillas, pittas, pasta, couscous), quinoa, barley, bulgur, rye products (bread, tortillas, pittas), rice (once a week due to high arsenic content)
• Dairy (pasteurized, no added sugar or salt) - cheese, full-fat yogurt, kefir
• Fats - nut butters, seed butters, olive oil, avocado

Foods to avoid

• Cow’s milk – digestive system not yet adapted
• Low-fat milk and dairy products – cause excessive intake of protein and low intake of essential fats
• Honey – can cause botulism
• Salt – kidneys not sufficiently developed
• Fruit juices – high sugar content
• Unpasteurized products – can contain dangerous bacteria
• Smoked & cured meats / processed food – excessive salt intake
• High mercury fish (shark, fresh tuna, halibut, grouper) – excessive intake of mercury
• Chocolate, especially dark – high caffeine content

How much milk should 8 month old drink?

An eight month old baby should not have any cow's or goat's milk (unless used for cooking) but only breastmilk or formula.

If giving bottled breastmilk then roughly 24 ounces or 720 ml spread between 3-5 feedings per day.

If breastfeeding, continue as you were. The baby knows when they are full and when they need more.

How much formula should an 8 month old drink?

An eight month old baby should have roughly 24 ounces or 720 ml of formula spread between 3-5 feedings per day.

How much water for eight month old baby?

Ideally, you would also give your child ~3-4 oz (90-120 ml) of water during the day in addition to the below food as well.

Note that different kinds of food also contain different amounts of water so that will vary with a different menu.

Try offering 1-2 oz (30-60 ml) per solid meal per day but if they don't drink it all then don't worry.

The priority is to establish healthy eating (and drinking) habits at this stage.

For more info about water intake during the first 3 years of life, click here.

Sample 8 month old feeding schedule

Following the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association and World Health Organization we suggest you introduce solid foods one by one and for at least a day at a time.

That means introducing each of the foods in the meal plan one by one before following the menu below.

Each recipe can be made as a puree, baby-led weaning option or mashed food (if you are transitioning away from purees).

Because of physical differences, growth spurts, or teething, your child may need/want more or less food than what’s proposed. This is completely normal as every child is unique.

The idea is to offer the proposed average amount of food needed and to go from there.

Breakfast

• 8 oz breastmilk or formula

Lunch – Strawberry Oats (click here for recipe)

• 1.5 tablespoon uncooked oats
• 3 tablespoons water to cook the oats
• ½ cup strawberries

Snack

• 8 oz breastmilk or formula

Dinner – Chicken Broccoli Millet (click here for recipe)

• 1.8 oz chicken, whole, dark and white meat, without skin or bone
• ½ cup broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon uncooked millet
• 2 tablespoons water to cook millet
• ½ teaspoon olive oil

Before bedtime

• 8 oz breastmilk or formula

Eight month old feeding tips

• offer foods one by one to control for allergies
• start moving from purees to textured/mashed food (or continue with BLW)
• always be present when baby is eating
• avoid salt and sugar
• no honey before 1 year oold
• no cow's milk or goat's milk unless cooking
• don't worry about how much they are eating - breastmilk/formula is still the main source of nutrition and they are exploring new foods
• offer mashed foods on a preloaded spoon (have a few spoons on hand)
• have a great bib to minimize cleaning
• serve food in a suction bowl so baby can scoop food out themselves
• teach them to drink little sips from an open cup from the beginning
• notice when baby is full because they will start turning their head away, clamp lips, throw food on the floor, spit food out, push food away

Meal Planner for eight month old

Download, print, and stick to your fridge this easy-to-use meal planner for your baby. Click here to download the PDF Meal Planner for Baby.

Wean with Confidence eBOOK

• over 100 recipes, meal plans, shopping lists and more for the first 7 months of weaning