6 Month Old Feeding Schedule: Baby Solids, Formula & Solid Foods Plan

The growth and development of the baby take an exciting turn during this month as they reach 6 months, especially in terms of solid foods and providing essential nutrients for healthy baby feeding.

The journey of introducing solids alongside breastfeeding or formula feeding is a crucial phase in your baby’s early years, setting the foundation for a positive baby feeding journey with a variety of foods.

After completing 6 months, your baby starts to get ready for solid foods in their diet. This solid foods plan can include many foods like mashed potatoes, bananas, and boiled vegetables (carrot, broccoli).

But many parents know what foods to feed and when to feed, yet they lack clear guidance on the timing of feeding.

Keeping this challenge in mind, we brought you an old feeding schedule for a 6-month-old feeding schedule. This solids baby plan will support your baby’s health and provide the right nutrients and quantities for their meals.

Introduction of Solids and Solid Foods

You cannot start solid foods abruptly. For solids, you need to confirm certain signs of readiness. If you are sure your baby is showing these signs of readiness for solid foods, then you can introduce solid foods. The signs of readiness are:

• They have good control over their head
• See if your baby is interested and leans forward when you are feeding them
• They can sit straight with no or little assistance
• They no longer have the habit of thrusting the tongue to push food out, which is also called tongue thrust. This happens because babies are not ready for solids yet.
• They have the power to hold their heads for a longer period
• If your baby seems hungry even after nursing or bottle feeding, then that means they require more nutrients.

After you see these signs, that means your baby is ready for solids. Start with a very small amount, like 1-2 tablespoons, and increase the quantity gradually over time.

If the baby starts enjoying these solids, you can increase the foods quantity little by little over time. But remember that breast milk remains important to provide all the nutrients; solids are just an addition to their diet.

If you are confused about which solid foods to start, a good approach is 1-2 tablespoons of iron-rich cereal or a fruit or vegetable puree at each feeding.

What to Feed a 6-Month-Old with Solids Baby Diet?

Start by introducing cereal to your baby, but stick to one feeding for at least two weeks; after that, you can increase to two feedings and add some new varieties to their meals. You can even add finger foods for texture, but later include finger foods that are soft, cooked, and small in size.

Most babies go for orange or yellow-colored fruits and vegetables, but you can also include bananas or cooked avocados. Make sure to cool down the foods a little bit before feeding.

Take a proper consultation with a pediatrician to learn about any allergies your baby may have to the foods listed below.

1. Fruits or Vegetables and Other Solid Foods

There are certain limits to fruits and vegetables that you can feed your child as part of the solid foods, and ensure a balance of iron-rich foods.

• Bananas
• Avocados
• Berries
• Watermelon (remove all the seeds)
• Oranges
• Tofu or Sautéed Cottage Cheese
• Boiled Beans
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Mashed Pumpkin

2. Non-Vegetarian and Other Protein Sources

If you want your baby to have some non-vegetarian foods, there is nothing wrong with it. Animal foods are great sources of iron, protein, amino acids, and other nutrients. The animal foods you can include in your baby’s diet include eggs (scrambled).

3. Other Food Items and Snacks

The foods you can include in your baby’s diet include:

• Sugar-free, Lactose-free yogurt
• Plant-based cheese
• Muffins
• Plant-based butter
• Vegetable or animal broth, or lentil soup

4. Breast Milk, Formula, and Infant Formula

• Even after the introduction of solid foods, breast milk or formula-based foods remains an important aspect of their diet. On one hand, the breast milk can be said to be the powerhouse of all the essential nutrients for a baby. It has many benefits, like antibodies that boost your baby’s immune system and help them fight many diseases and infections. The composition of breast milk changes with time to suit your baby’s growing needs. Also, it is easy to digest, which makes it an ideal source of nutrition.
• On the other hand, formula feeding can be suitable if there is no one to feed breast milk. Infant formula is designed to provide all the essential nutrients found in breast milk, ensuring your baby receives the vitamins, minerals, and calories they need.
• Make sure that the amount you are giving to your baby is sufficient and not overly dose. Before you introduce solid foods to your baby, ensure they are fed properly with breast milk and formula. This will help satisfy their primary nutritional needs and will ensure that they are not hungry when you introduce new foods to them. When you add solids, increase the dose gradually. Also, even after introducing solid foods, continue with the breast milk or formula for the required nutrients.

Tips and Things to Consider for Solids, Feeding and Schedule

If you are feeding your baby, these solid foods tips will help with baby feeding and schedule, and should be followed in the feeding process. So, let’s dive in!

1. When you start feeding your baby, begin slowly with solids. Because babies love to explore and play with foods, this approach helps them learn. You can start with boiled or mashed fruits and vegetables. A decent amount to begin with is 1-2 tablespoons daily.
2. Confirm that your baby is ready for the introduction of new foods. Notice the signs of readiness closely and start feeding the new foods when you see them ready. Some signs of readiness are an interest in food, proper control of the neck and head, and sitting properly with no or little assistance.
3. Take some consultation from a pediatrician and get to know about any allergies your baby may have. This will help you understand what you have to include in the list of ingredients or what you have to avoid.
4. Even after introducing some solid foods to your baby, make sure to feed them the liquids they were getting before. The quantity may decrease compared to the earlier dose but do not stop providing them. Even after eating various foods, breast milk or formula is still their main source of nutrients.
5. Be patient with the feeding process, as some of the foods can be liked by them, and some may not.

Foods to Avoid While Introducing Solids

Most parents are unsure about which foods to feed and which to avoid. Certain solid foods should be avoided as part of a healthy baby feeding plan. The foods to avoid are:

• Solid foods with big chunks such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower can pose a choking risk for solids baby.
• The other food item is raw milk, which contains lactose, and the baby’s digestive system has not developed enough to digest milk proteins.
• Fruit juices as they do not contain any fiber and have concentrated sugar.
• Honey contains spores or microorganisms, which are difficult to digest for the baby.

Sample Baby Schedule Suitable for 6 Months and Solids

Now, if you are confused about how you can plan a feeding schedule for your baby, then below is a sample that will help you with the feeding.

6-Month-Old Feeding Schedule for Breastfeeding Baby

• 7 AM – Nursing the baby for 20 minutes after they wake; include a small solids meal shortly after
• 8:30 AM – An oatmeal meal with a portion of fresh fruit and a tiny solids portion
• 12:30 PM – Breast feeding
• 3 PM – Boiled vegetables for solids
• 5:30 PM – Breast feeding
• 8:15 PM – Mix 2 ounces of breast milk with cereal; also include 2 ounces of pureed veggies and other solids

6-Month Feeding Schedule for Formula-Fed Babies

• 7 PM- 6 ounces of infant formula (formula feeding)
• 10 AM- Fresh mashed fruits or fortified cereals and a small solid foods portion
• 2 PM- a bottle of formula and fruits and vegetables
• 5:30 PM- 2-3 servings of fruits or vegetables with a solid foods component
• 7 PM- formula feeding

How to Handle Breast Feeding After Introducing Solids

As mentioned above, breast milk feeding is still an important source of nutrients for babies. So, even if you are providing them with other foods, breast milk must continue through the early years of life.

Not only essential nutrients but breast milk also fulfills a baby’s hunger and hydration needs. So, after you introduce your baby to solid foods, the routine for feeding them may shift. Breast milk remains vital, and you can gradually increase the frequency of solid meals in your baby’s diet.

Start with a small portion of one meal a day, and after some days and weeks, you can increase the portion. This can be 2-3 meals a day as a baby has now accepted the foods.

Mainly focus on the nutrient-rich options that offer essential vitamins and minerals when babies start eating solid foods. This will confirm that even though solid meals are becoming a part of their diet, your baby’s nutrition will meet the requirements.

In this diet, you can include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein sources, which will promote the healthy growth of your child.

Conclusion

Lastly, remember that babies are very sensitive and need much care and nutrients. Make sure you are providing them with the necessary nutrients they need. Craft a proper schedule and balanced schedule that provides the necessary nutrients.

Do not forget that even if your baby starts eating solid foods, to fulfill their nutrient satisfaction, they need breast milk or formula. Take a proper consultation and confirm any allergies your baby can have from the solid foods so that you can avoid feeding your baby.

Have you made a 6-month-old feeding schedule for your baby? Tell us in the comments the most interesting part of your journey as a parent in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Times a Day Should I Feed Solids to My 6-Month-Old?

Till 6-8 months of birth, feed your baby almost half a cup of soft foods at least two to three times a day. Most of the babies start growing teeth after the age of one, due to which giving them soft foods is the only option. But make sure not to give them honey until they grow 12 months old.

What Foods Can I Give to My 6-Month-Old?

You can try blended, mashed, or soft-cooked foods like broccoli, banana, potato, sweet potato, apple, carrot, or pear. You can also try some fusion, like rice with milk. But do not forget to cool it down before feeding it to the baby.

How Much Does a 6-Month-Old Weigh?

When babies are born, they weigh 5 pounds and 8 ounces (2500 grams). This weight grows by each pound every month for the first six months. It is about 16 pounds 2 ounces (7300g) for girls and 17 pounds 8 ounces (7900g) for boys.

Which Milk is Best for Babies After 6 Months?

If it is possible, then try to feed your baby only breast for at least the first six months. The first 6-12 months are very crucial, so make sure to provide or feed them with breast milk or iron-fortified formula. But if you want to add solids, then you can start it after 6 months.