Food Chart for a Baby

This chart is done by me based on My Dr.'s advise. This is what I have given to her for one year. I'm satisfied with this food chart as my daughter is falling under correct height & weight chart and my baby never had any allergic for anything. And I can proudly say that she has taken antibiotic only once for her 10months. That too, it was due to travel that we had taken in 2nd class sitting in the day train.

This is what I have followed:

From 1st to 5th month: Only mothers milk.

Nurse your baby every 2 hours once in the day time and at least 3 hours once in the night, this will surely help you to increase your milk supply.

Foods that are helpful for increasing milk supply, which I have followed, which was easy for me to have, which was easily available and easy to prepare. Below list is whatever I have eaten / drank!

1) Add garlic and cumin seeds in your food daily as much as possible

2) Fish (at least twice in a week)

3) Ponnanganni Keerai(Tamil keerai name) - two days once

4) Milk at least twice a day
5) Eat Quaker Oats with milk.
6) Mothers Horlicks

From 6th Month: Fruit Juices and Cooked Fruits along with Mothers milk

Juice in the morning at 11:30 and Cooked fruits evening around 4:00pm. Started with Musambi / Orange juice with water prepared in the following way:

First 2 days    : 1:3 (Juice : Water)

Second 2days : 2:2

Third 2days    : 3:1 

After this, complete juice without water. Diluting the juice for first week helps you to know that your baby have any allergic for the juice.

In the next week start with half Apple / Pear/ Banana at 4 O' clock in the evening. Apple and Pear must be pressure cooked in steam. 

How to pressure cook:

1) Clean the apple / pear and cut in to small pieces.

2) Put them in a small vessel and cover it.

3) Take a pressure cooker and pour little water as the above apple cup will not sink under the water.

4) Keep the apple cup in the water.

5) Cook in simmer for 3 to 4 whistle.

6) Once pressure gone, open it and smash the fruit with help of spoon.

7)Make it cool and feed to baby.

From 7th Month: Raagi Kanji (Finger Millet Porridge) in the morning around 8:00am and follow above chart for rest of the day.

How to prepare:

1) Take a small cup of dry Raagi and soak in the water in the previous day night.

2) In the morning, clean the water and grind in the mixer by adding water. Grind well.

3) Once done, filter the mixer content and take the milk out.

4) Pour the Raagi milk in a bowl and keep on the stove.

5) Make sure the stove on Sim, then stir well. (Even if you loose it for a minute, the porridge will be thick and clotted.)

6) Stir well and cook for 5mintues until it becomes thick. 

7) Make it cool and feed to baby by using spoon.

From 8th Month: Vegetables, Rice and Dal for lunch and Cerelac wheat for dinner. Solid food starts from this month.
1) Introduce one by one vegetables like Carrot, Beans, Peas and Potato; And each vegetable for 2days and next week onwards all mixed.

2) Cook little amount of Dal then mix it with smashed rice and feed to baby. You can add ghee too.

Later include all vegetables like beetroot, cauliflower, ladies finger and other kootu vegetables like peerkangai, poosanikai, keerai.

So from 8th month, baby would be having complete menu for her food. Below one was I maintained for her and as a chart it is as given below.

Breakfast at 7:30 to 8:00 - Raagi Porridge

@ 10:00                         - Mothers milk

@ 11:30                         - Orange / Musambi or any other Juice based on the season

@ 12:30 - 1:30                - Lunch (Veges, rice and dal)

@ 2:30 - 3:00                 - Mothers milk

@ 4:30                          - Cooked fruits / Banana.

@ 6:30 - 7:00                 - Mothers Milk

@ 8:00                          - Cerelac Wheat. 

@ 9:00                          - Bed time. Nurse her whenever she woke up in the night.

PS: I have never added sugar / salt for any of her food items until for her one year. Hence she never stuck to any of the food taste, she likes to taste all items whatever I give her. I have not yet started giving cow's milk to her. I will be starting after her first birthday.