Baby is already 6 months old! It’s now or never to introduce diversity into your diet! How to gently familiarize him with new flavors? Discover the advice of Christine Zalejski, expert in infant nutrition between 0 and 6 years old.
At 6 months, your child begins to eat semi-liquid or solid foods and this is the perfect time to introduce him to various fruits and vegetables, but also meat, fish or starches in appropriate quantities. How to make him accept this important stage of his development and organize family meals? Here is the advice of Christine Zalejski (Dr, PhD), expert in infant nutrition between 0 and 6 years old and author of the mixed diversification guide with Céline De Sousa (Ed. Larousse).
How much milk at 6 months?
“You can let him drink whatever he wants, either 650 ml of milk approximately per day“, explains Dr. Christine Zalejski. At 6 months, baby is still taking 3 or 4 bottles of milk per day. At 6 months, baby often takes 4 bottles of milk a day. “With the beginning of food diversification, it is good to switch to 2nd age milk“, advises Christine Zalejski.
“With the start of food diversification, it is good to switch to second age milk”.
How much for a 6-month-old breastfed baby?
There are no rules in this area: you have to respect the baby’s needs!
What to give for a snack for a 6 month old baby?
A snack is not necessary, as the milk is enough, but, if you wish, you can offer fruit compote baby according to Dr. Zalejski.
What meal to give in the evening to the 6th month of baby?
Generally at 6 months, baby does not need an evening meal because the bottle or the feeding is enough. “However, you can give him an evening soup made up of vegetables with or without starches“, emphasizes Dr. Zalejski.
Baby food chart at 6 months
| Infant milk | 650 ml of milk per day |
| Breastmilk | On demand |
| Vegetables | 160 grams per day in the form of a smooth puree |
| Fruits | 130 grams per day in the form of compote or mixed fruit |
| Meat or fish | 5 grams per day |
| dairy products | 60 grams per day either 1/2 yogurt or 12 grams of cheese |
| Starches/cereals | 70 to 80 grams per day |
You may have started food diversification for your baby from last month, but if not yet, 6 months is perfect too! The main principle is to do everything gradually. Prepare a small smooth vegetable purée your baby and offer a spoon or two for the first day with a feed or bottle. The following day, increase the quantity offered, taking care that the quantity of milk or the time of breastfeeding is not changed. Know that there is no need to add salt to the preparation
What fruits to introduce in the sixth month of baby?
At 6 months, you can therefore continue to offer him (non-exhaustive list):
- Apples
- Pears
- Bananas
- Plums
- Apricots
- nectarines
- Peaches
- Melon
- Watermelon
Discover it typical menu for a 6 month old baby.
Morning
1 feeding or 180 ml of 2nd age milk + infant cereals (optional).
Noon
A puree with: 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetables, 1 tablespoon of starch/cereals, 2 teaspoons of meat or fish or 1/4 of an egg, 1 teaspoon of rapeseed oil
A feeding, 180 ml of 2nd age milk or ½ dairy product,
A portion of fruit compote
To taste
A feeding or 180 ml of 2nd age milk + a portion of fruit compote
Evening
A feeding or 180 ml of 2nd age milk + 1 portion of vegetable purée + infant cereals (optional).
Thanks to Dr Christine Zalejski, expert in infant nutrition 0-6 years old, author of the mixed diversification guide with Céline De Sousa (Ed. Larousse) and founder of the website www.cubesetpetitspois.fr.