Advancing Tastes & Textures, 9 Months

9

months

advancing

TASTES & TEXTURES Congratulations, your 9 month old has a few months of eating solid foods under her belt! You may have found that your baby is becoming increasingly interested in the foods you and the rest of the family are eating. You may have already begun introducing more textured foods, but if you haven’t, now would be a good time to start. Research shows that waiting beyond nine months (for most babies) to progress to lumpier foods may lead to selective eating and even difficulty accepting different textured foods.

This tip is from our Happy Mama Mentor Angela RD, CBS and mom to Parker, Hadley & Emma Also available to chat at: happyfamilyorganics.com/chat

EXPLORE

Start letting your baby explore soft bite-sized pieces of foods such as bits of banana, shredded cheese, or soft, fork mashed fish.

PER DAY

KS

1-2

S N AC

S

3

M E AL

A typical meal...

pattern for this age is 3 meals and 1-2 planned snacks per day – quality over quantity is key!

Snacks should continue to be high-quality foods. Think about including everything you would at a meal like whole grains, veggies, and meats.

Just like you, your baby may be very hungry one day and less hungry the next. By being mindful of your baby’s hunger and fullness cues, you’ll both learn together.

Look for these signs of fullness to know your baby is done or not ready to eat: tightly closed mouth, moving away from food or an offered spoon, disinterest or avoidance of the meal, distraction while food is presented, or actively spitting out food.

What About Water?

Continue to encourage drinking from a cup or sippy cup!

While babies do not typically need the extra fluids, learning to drink from a cup can help them develop these fine motor skills. Extra water drank per day should be kept to an ounce or two, unless her pediatrician has recommended otherwise.