My 9 month old has two teeth that she likes to bite me with! When she’s not chomping down on my arm, she is eating anything and everything I put on her tray. I have plenty of friends starting to introduce solids to their baby so I hope this can serve as a sort of reference page.
My goal now is to provide a balance meal. She refuses to slurp up purees now so I have to get creative with my “meal planning” for Joy. You don’t have to give them a ton of variety at this age. I pick a few meals and rotate them for a few days or a week and am not afraid to repeat. She doesn’t seem to mind!
Breakfast
banana pancakes + 1 scrambled egg
banana pancakes + greek yogurt
TJ’s Steel cut Oatmeal (frozen)+ greek yogurt
TJ’s Steel cut Oatmeal**+ 1 scrambled egg
brown rice + 1 scrambled egg
biscuit + 1 scrambled egg
biscuit + TJ’s Steel Cut Oatmeal
whole wheat toast+ Steel Cut Oatmeal + greek yogurt
*watch the sugar! The Chobani Pouches have 4-5 g or sugar and are a perfect size for Joy. They are great when we are traveling. Plain is also great just DON’T sweeten with honey.
** add banana, berries, or greek yogurt to make things more interesting.
Snacks
cantaloupe pieces
watermelon pieces
mango slices
crunchies/ puffs
Creamies
a pancake
cheddar cheese stick
greek yogurt
applesauce
Lunch/ Dinner
Annie’s mac and cheese + spinach
Annie’s White Cheddar Shells + peas
ground turkey/ beef patty + broccoli + Cheddar Cheese Stick
ground turkey/ beef patty + cauliflower mash
ground turkey/ beef patty + sweet potato
ricotta meatballs + green beans
grilled chicken + broccoli + Annie’s White cheddar shells
red beans + brown rice
pasta (rigatoni is the easiest) + marinara sauce
ground turkey meat sauce + spaghetti squash
Ricotta meatballs + sautéed zucchini
sweet potato + black beans
butternut squash + broccoli
baked potato w/ a little shredded cheese
I hope this gives you a few ideas as you and your babe try new foods. There is no science to this AT ALL. Some days Joy is an amazing eater. Other days, I have to pick my battles and just make her a quick sweet potato. We don’t do a ton of meat. The key for us has been to keep feeding her till she decides she’s full. It can be hard to gauge just how much they are eating when you start solids but you will get the hang of it. For that reason, I didn’t include amounts of anything. It all depends upon the child.
Disclaimer: Make sure when you are trying new foods that you give it to them a few times in a row. You want to make sure they don’t have an allergic reaction. Always consult your pediatrician before introducing new foods/ starting solids.
If you are new to the solids and want to check out how we started on this journey, click here.
You can find my favorite storage products, puree recipes, and some encouraging advice!
For more meal ideas, make sure to follow me on Instagram. I will be using the #whatJoyAte
Marissa A