Make an interesting diet chart for your 11-months-old baby     

Your baby is now just one month away from his/her first birthday. You must have started giving a solid food diet to your baby when he/she turned 6 months old. You can now feel a bit relaxed because your baby can eat the same food that the rest of the family members are eating. Your baby can easily chew, swallow, and digest all the foods that you are offering him/her in puree form or into small pieces. Although your baby can now hold the cutlery still you must always keep an eye on your baby so that he/she does not choke. On average, an 11-months-old baby can eat three meals plus two healthy snacks on daily basis. For your baby’s perfect growth and development of the body and its organs, it is very essential to give your baby healthy nutritious foods. The appetite of each baby is different because it depends on their involvement in physical activities. Below mentioned is the approximately estimated food quantity for your 11-months-old baby:

• Up to half a cup of boiled/steamed assorted vegetables

• Up to half a cup of freshly cooked cereals

• Up to half a cup of seasonal fresh fruits

• Up to three tablespoons of dairy products

• Up to four tablespoons of meat, chicken, or fish especially not overcooked or undercooked

• Up to half a cup of mixed cereals

Your child must have healthy eating habits and that’s only possible if you’ve put in efforts right from the beginning. You must be looking out for allergies and infections since the first day you introduced solid foods to your little one. You must also include breastmilk or formula feeds along with the diet chart. Don't force your child to eat more because kids take a bit longer to understand the flavors and textures of certain foods. Your baby’s diet should include:

• Fresh fruits

• Cheese

• Poultry and fish

• Dairy products

• Pulses and grains

• Vegetables

• Green leafy vegetables

• Eggs

You can begin the day by offering formula milk or breastfeed to your 11 months old baby. For the breakfast, you can offer sweet potato and poha (flat rice). By mid-morning, you can offer any stewed fruit like peach or apple to your baby. For the lunch, you can prepare pulao with colorful vegetables. By the evening before dinner, you must again offer formula milk or breastfeed to your child. For dinner, you can offer porridge, roti, or a pancake. You can try various recipes by learning them from the internet. Some homemade recipes that your baby would love to relish are as follows:

• Semolina (Suji) Halwa

• Basil, spinach, and cottage cheese pasta

• Sweet corn, carrot and beans rice

• Apple chicken nuggets

• Kidney beans (rajma) soup or curry

Some feeding tips you must always keep in mind before feeding your 11 months, old baby:

• You must wash your hands and your baby’s hands before offering any meal to him/her.

• Make sure the fruits and vegetables are seasonal, fresh, and washed properly.

• Make sure the utensils are properly washed in which you are cooking and serving food to your baby.

• Give a gap of at least 3-5 days before introducing new foods so that you can check for allergies and infections.

• Try to avoid putting salt, sugar, and oil in too much quantity.

• Keep discussing your child’s meal plan with the pediatrician.