At 9 months old, your babys main source of nutrition should still come from either breast milk or formula, and any additional foods can be considered complementary until your baby turns 1. However, you can start introducing solid foods to your babys diet. Some parents choose to begin with pureed foods when first starting solids, while others may opt for a baby-led weaning approach, which involves offering foods in their solid form with an emphasis on allowing babies to feed themselves. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends beginning to offer foods with varying textures and some more solid foods that help a baby learn how to chew around 8 months of age. Some great foods to offer your 9-month-old baby include:
- Fruits: bananas, soft pears, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries
- Vegetables: soft-cooked broccoli, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes
You can also expand your babys diet to include soft foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. At this age, your baby needs between 750 and 900 calories each day, of which about 400 to 500 should come from breast milk or formula. Its important to offer a wide variety of different foods to ensure they get enough energy and nutrients such as iron. Remember, it may take 10 tries or even more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavors, and textures. When offering 9-month-old babies food (especially finger food), size is important. Pieces should be large enough to pick up, but small enough that your baby won’t choke. Try to aim for cubes about a third of an inch in size.
