Indian baby food chart along with a list of tried & tested 60 Indian baby food recipes. Thanks to the readers who led me to this post on Indian baby food chart. Before I take you to the details of the food chart and the food recipes, please be informed that this post is based on my experience. I have honestly expressed my views and opinions on easy baby weaning so that it could be helpful to new mothers.
Please read the comments below before posting your queries since similar queries may have been answered.
Well, some of my tips might look like old wives tales since they are based on Ayurveda, but I do trust them in growing healthy and happy babies. However I suggest consulting your elders or pediatrician before you follow any new foods or tip that have been mentioned here.
For the past several years, I have been consistently sharing & updating baby recipes especially for a good weight gain. You can find all the latest recipes or ideas on the baby toddler recipes section.
Readers who have been asking for suggestions on foods to gain weight, please check this detailed post on best foods for weight gain in babies & toddlers.
Is this baby food chart suitable to my Baby?
This Indian baby food chart is a generalized one suitable for most babies. However i suggest you to use your judgement whether to include or not, certain ingredients in your babies diet based on your babies allergies, intolerance, appetite, likes and dislikes.
I have tried to link most Indian baby food recipes that I have posted earlier on this blog. Many were written almost 5 years ago and are updated regularly with new tips based on the readers reviews.
This Indian baby food chart was developed by me based on what i fed my 2 kids, whose birth weight was 3.3 kgs and 3.4 kgs. The ideas were basically drawn from the health and baby weaning booklets that were given to us during our visits to the singapore clinics, hospitals and few from clinics in Bangalore.
This chart is also suitable to babies who were preterm born or were underweight. However I suggest mums with such babies to consult a pediatrician if you are skeptical about these foods.
This post will be updated, to include tips and other information. You can leave a comment here if you want to know anything specific which will be answered. Please feel free to share or discuss your experiences, views, problems that you encounter while weaning your babies in the comment section. It could be helpful to other readers, it’s through sharing we can learn.
When to introduce food to baby – 6 months to 1 year
Here is a brief guide on the right time to introduce foods. But how to introduce them can be found in the recipe posts. Example: Oats or oatmeal – I have mentioned clearly how to choose them and the kind you can use and how to prepare it for a baby.
You can find a a detailed baby food chart for 6 months old baby here along with recipes.
This Indian baby food chart and the baby food recipes have been developed for a good weight gain in babies.
Indian baby food chart for babies above 7 months or from 8 months
| Milk – (skip milk if baby wakes up after 8 am, make a milk based breakfast from breakfast section) |
| One of the following: APPLE RICE CEREAL RICE MILK CEREAL SPROUTS VEGETABLE SOUP MOONG DAL SOUP Egg, (Fully boiled or scrambled in very few drops of oil)(babies above one year) IDLI with rasam or sambar (sambar for babies older than 12 months) SET DOSA ATTA HALWA (WHEAT CEREAL) APPLE OATS PORRIDGE VEGETABLE OATS PORRIDGE(blend it in a blender till smooth) MILK OATS PORRIDGE SAGO CARROT PAYASAM BARLEY KHEER APPLE RAGI HALWA RAGI MALT with badam powder CHICKPEAS SOUP (babies older than 15 months) BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP (blend till smooth) SWEET CORN VEGETABLE SOUP(blend till smooth) CURD OATS MOONG DAL HALWA (NEW) Quick fix breakfast (for 8 to 18 months): Nestum rice (stage 1) with ALMOND MILK Nestum rice with homemade curd (plain yogurt), add water as needed while mixing |
| One of the following: Steamed apple (raw apple for babies older than 12 months) Banana or steamed kerala banana (if baby has cold) Papaya Chikoo (sapota) Avocado Melon Other fruits like watermelon, pears, oranges or 2 tbsp of fresh HOMEMADE PLAIN CURD / YOGURT (3 times a week, avoid when the baby has cold & phlegm, prefer room temperature. As the baby grows you can increase the quantity) |
| Try using whole grains like RAGI OR FINGER MILLET Broken wheat (daliya). Half basmati brown rice with half white rice. Soak them for about 2 to 4 hours in warm water before cooking. Discard the water. Try one of the following DALIA KHICHDI (vegetable broken wheat food) SWEET PONGAL VENN PONGAL(skip pepper, hing) DAL KHICHDI with one of the vegetables: spinach, methi, pumpkin, carrot, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, tomato METHI KHICHDI TOMATO DAL KHICHDI (no veggies) POTATO RICE SWEET POTATO RICE (make the same way as potato rice, you can add a bit of jaggery instead of salt) PLANTAIN RICE RECIPE (raw cooking banana with rice) URAD DAL KHICHDI VEGETABLE OATS KHICHDI CHICKPEA TODDLER MEAL for toddlers not for babies INDIAN BABY FOOD with chickpeas and methi leaves (11 months, only for babies not having colic) Dal & mashed rice with TOMATO RASAM, RASAM made with RASAM POWDER mashed rice with MOONG DAL RASAM or dal ka paani (bassaru) Soft mashed rice withDRUMSTICK SAMBAR or SAMBAR (15 months and above,mash up the veggies along with the rice, try using homemade sambar powder) For a lighter meal, if the baby has colic mashed rice with dal ka paani with a pinch of ajwain(strained dal soup) Soft Mashed rice with milk Mashed rice with yogurt (avoid this frequently) Soft Mashed rice & banana (if needed puree) Mashed rice with TAMARIND / DANIYA RASAM Soft cooked carrot, mashed rice with daniya rasam sabudana porridge with salt and ajwain (vaamu / carom seeds) powder rice porridge with salt and ajwain powder |
| Fruits or steam cooked mashed veggies |
| One of the following: Large serving of Milk whole grain cereal RAGI MALT WITH MILK (almond powder can be included) Millet porridge (will post the recipe shortly) ALMOND MILK with powdered corn flakes or nestum rice (stage 1) CARROT BABY FOOD (can skip almonds) CARROT MILKSHAKE or CARROT JUICE SMOOTHIE (babies above 1 year) |
| Please Note: Feeding late can cause indigestion and the infant may not sleep due to colic. Avoid feeding heavy foods. Dinner should always be light, nutritious, mostly vegetable based. For babies from 10 to 12 months prefer light foods from breakfast section. Avoid egg & nuts. Babies above 12 months : Any foods mentioned in the breakfast and lunch can also be served for dinner. Other options mashed rice with dal ka paani (strained dal soup) Soft mashed rice with milk Mashed rice, carrot with daniya rasam rice porridge with veggies Rice with dal ka pani (bassaru) and light cooked vegetables. Soft Rice with tomato rasam and light steamed or cooked vegetables. |
| Large serving of Milk. Make sure there is a gap of at least 1 hour 30 mins in between the completion of dinner and milk. For babies above 12 months: If the baby is still hungry after the milk, can feed some light crackers. |
Related post: how to make ragi flour for babies or toddlers’ porridge
Tips to increase the appetite in babies
1. Try to serve fruits 1 ½ to 2 hours before a meal. They tend to make the infant feel hungry naturally. Do not serve fruit with a meal.
2. Do not mix fruits with dairy especially milk. It leads to indigestion.
3. Babies need exercise, let them play and crawl or run around. Don’t confine them to a small area. For toddlers / babies who can walk, a small walk in the neighborhood before a meal can make them hungry.
General Tips:
1. If you have a very fussy baby, avoid milk in the early morning and serve milk based breakfast mentioned in the table.
2. Serving bread or any other baked stuff to babies, leads to colic or bloating due to the ingredients like baking soda, powder, yeast etc.
3. Limit crackers or biscuits to only once a day, avoiding is however better.
Indira says
Hi Swasthi,
Hope you are doing good.Thanks a lot for your recipes.I have a 8 months old baby and am following the above food chat.So,can you please help me how to give ridge gourd, bottle gourd,Beetroot and Broccoli etc….I mean to say the way we are giving the pumpkin and other veggies or is there any different way do you have? Can you please explain?
Thanks in advance!
swasthi says
Hello Indira,
Yes doing good. Thank you. I would pressure cook ridge gourd and bottle gourd with dal without spices for the entire family. Take out a portion for the baby and then temper the rest with spices. Blend the baby’s portion and add it to mashed rice. Blending is optional but most babies cannot chew the fibers. You can do the same with methi leaves, spinach, gourds, pumpkin, carrots etc. You can steam potatoes and broccoli. Puree and feed. Hope this helps.
Indira says
Great help! Thank you dear.
Venkat says
Hello mam,my baby turned 1 year, we want to switch to formula milk. Can you pls suggest any brand?
swasthi says
Hi Venkat,
If possible call your local pediatrician and ask. I don’t live in India so I don’t know much about the brands available there. For my babies I used pediasure from 1 year onwards. You can also move to plain cow or buffalo milk. Hope this helps.
Venkat says
Thank you mam
Anshika Jain says
Hi..usually my baby is passing stool once in a day since he started solids but today when I gave him papaya, he passed stool twice and the second motion was little red in colour as if of papaya colour..is it normal?
swasthi says
Hi Anshika
Yes it is normal. Call your pediatrician to confirm that.
Sridevi says
Hi mam, my 16 months old baby is not liking raw apple or steamed one so I started to feed with milk. Now I found this is wrong. how to make her eat in other way? Pls help
swasthi says
Hi Sridevi,
Try using fruits with rice, oats and ragi. You can check these links
Apple Ragi
Apple rice
Apple oats
You can use other fruits instead of apple. Note these are too light for 16 months’ meal. So good to give for a breakfast after 2 hours of milk or for evening snack
Sridevi says
Thank you so much mam
usha says
7 -8 months babies needs 14 hours sleep when shall i make them sleep
swasthi says
Yes they need 14 hours sleep but not at a stretch. A baby wakes up every 2 to 3 hours for a feed
Keerti says
I see 6 meals a day mentioned above. So when do we feed milk? 8 – 9 months old the baby will still need mother’s milk right?
6 meals a day is difficult.
Komal says
Hi Swasthi,
I’m a mom of 23 month old girl. How do I regulate her food schedule? She is not eating enough according to her age she is under weight. She just has no appetite. Whatever I offer her she won’t eat. Can I follow this food chart? The recipes would be suitable for her age? She won’t eat on schedule time so I offer food after sometime and that way her schedule is all messed up. Just met Gastroenterologist doc today and he didn’t find anything wrong.
Please help me putting her in back to good eating schedule and increase her appetite
swasthi says
Hi Komal,
Yes you can follow this food chart till she completes 4 years. I used the same for both my kids. When the kid begins to go to a full day school then it is hard to follow this schedule. The recipes are suitable till 4+. I have mentioned details in most posts. You will need to increase the quantities as she grows. Not sure if you have gone through the posts on the blog.
Firstly focus on early to bed, early to rise. This helps a lot in following the schedule. Eating late in the noon and dinner slows down the digestion so they won’t eat well the next day.
Secondly avoid incompatible combinations like – milk & fruit, dal & yogurt or anything of that sort. This results in low appetite.
Thirdly an evening walk, fruits – 45 mins to 1 hour before a meal is a must.
When she is fussy, just let her the skip the meal and give her steamed veggies or fruits.
If you follow the above schedule properly you will begin to see the results in 3 to 4 weeks.
Hope these help.
🙂
Suma says
Madam i am suma 9 month baby i have. Breast milk completly reduce i am giving moong dal kichdi and ragi malt. Baby not getting a wheight what to do plz tell me madam
swasthi says
Hi Suma,
But have you stopped milk completely? At 9 months baby still needs milk. Which milk are you giving? Are you following the above food chart?
Mimi says
Hi , I have 1 year old daughter and she is under weight, doctor say try giving her formula as she is breast fed baby she refused no matter what I do … I have tried your many recipes. She don’t eat same thing more than two or three days .I am so anxious.please help.
swasthi says
Hello Mimi,
It is very normal for toddlers at this age being too fussy especially when the food is repeated. Some times it is because they have a teething problem, sometimes indigestion and more times for fun or lack of activity. Make sure you don’t repeat the foods with in 3 to 4 days. I know it very difficult to make food that way. Introduce badam milk to her. Since she doesn’t like milk, try giving her milk based solids like powdered poha mixed with badam milk, cooked rice mixed with badam milk, sabudana cooked with badam milk. Give her soaked nuts, dal, kabuli chana,eggs, whole grains, moong dal dosa etc. Hope these help.
zari says
hi,
kindly guide me how can i add seasame in my 2.3 yr old boy diet.is it ok to give him?saesame seed or oil?
swasthi says
Hi Zari,
You can add the toasted sesame seeds in ladoos. You can check these dates sesame ladoos, andhra style sesame ladoo and dry fruits ladoo. Sesame seeds generate heat in the body so start with smaller quantities like 1 tbsp per day. Some kids don’t do well with it and turn lean but become fit & stronger. Check how he does. One of my kids cannot tolerate the heat from jaggery, dates and sesame. So I soak the white unhulled sesame seeds for 6 to 8 hours and blend them along with banana and make a shake. This is one of the easiest ways. You should discard the water in which sesame is soaked. Rinse them and add to a blender with some water make a smooth puree then add banana. Also give him lot of water. Hope this helps.
zari says
thnx alot for info and which time shd i give that shake?
swasthi says
Welcome Zari.
Preferably 3 hours after a meal & 2 hours before a meal. I usually give in the evening 4.30 to 5
zameena zamu says
Hii maam
My 1yr old baby…eats everything what i give..but in between and after each meal..he passes poop. Is this normal??is he has any digestion issues?
swasthi says
Hi Zameena,
Yes this is a common thing with most babies and may stay till they turn 4 to 5 years. But you need to check with your doctor once as this can also happen due to worms in the stomach. Deworming is needed for some babies, every 6 months. It is just a natural thing but you have to follow the deworming process after consulting your pediatrician.
It could be due to indigestion problem as well. Elders in my family say we should not feed babies the food cooked for the family (that is for the grown ups). As our food is made with more oil, salt, spices etc. So we always cook separately for babies at least till they finish 2 yrs.Just check if this is the reason. Hope this helps
Meera siva says
My baby is 2.4year old. She is 12kg.she doesn’t like rice and veggies. So I smash it together and feeds her for lunch. Is it ok for her health. Please give me advice.
swasthi says
Hi Meera,
Yes it is fine to mash the rice and feed. For a good weight gain give her dal regularly along with ragi, soaked nuts, badam milk, boiled eggs & boiled sweet potatoes.
Heer says
Hello,
my baby is 13mnth old .he wakes up at 9.30 i feed him cow milk 11.am i gave hm brkfst like upma,daliya,poha n lunch at 1.30 like khichdi of gren dal sum tyms moong dal khichdi, my baby dnt eat fruit what to do i have tried giving many tym mashd n gvn but not eating .i have statrd cows milk 15 days bck
swasthi says
Hi Heer,
Which fruits did you try? Fruits should be started after 6 months. Since it is easy to get the baby used to the taste of fruits at an early age. Did you try after 6 months? Have you tried flavoring porridge or rice with fruits? You can easily mash the fruits and add to the plain rice or oats, daliya or even to wheat cereal. Upma and poha is not a healthy food for 13 months baby.Please check the fruit flavoured recipes mentioned in the above table.Please cook food separately for the baby. It has to be soft, mashed or slightly coarse and moist – porridge like. At 13 months not all babies can eat food made for the family. Hope this helps.
Forum says
Very innovative and nutritious recipes .Keep it up. Mainly it’s very useful for mothers who want their children to have healthy food habits since childhood. Looking forward for new recipes
swasthi says
Thank you so much Foram.
Yashodha says
Hi madam, very informative website regarding baby’s food..I have a girl baby having 1.5yr old ..whatever food we give she doesn’t eat …always spits madam…so I used to prepare juices along with the fruits like apple, chikoo, pomegranate and vegis like carrot and beetroot… So is this the right way to feed the baby…plz help me…her weight is not improving at all…as of now her wt is 8.5kg…plz help me madam…thank u…
swasthi says
Hi Yashodha,
Sorry for the delay. Please do not mix any fruit with milk or yogurt. Feed them separately. Feeding milk and fruit together results in more colic, stomach problems & lack of appetite. My experience says that this combination is one of the reasons for babies not gaining weight due to digestive problems. Hope this helps.
Trinayani says
Hi mam my baby is 9months old for her up to now only my milk bt milk got reduced now she is not taking bottle… Plz give siggestion food chart so that her tummy get full and get good sleep…thanks in advance
swasthi says
Hi Trinayani,
Please follow the above mentioned food chart till your baby completes 18 to 24 months. Introduce a formula or buffalo milk after consulting your doctor. By 9 months, you should still focus a lot on the milk as it is very important till the baby turns 1 year old.
suganya says
Hi, im suganya from chennai.. im mother of 1yr girl baby she’s premie baby born with weight 948gm now her weight 5kg. Im really worry abt her weight otherthan she’s active but so so lean. Low immunity I tryi many foods for her all very slow weight gain. She had heart problem need one major surgery in that between time I have to gain her weight. Pls mam give me good and healthy food protein chart for her. Really my family worried abt her health. She’s struggling from her side my baby name saayishri. Soon u will give me reply for my msg. Its from one struggli mother words.
Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Suganya
I feel it is good to see a pediatric dietician for a specialized diet chart. This has to be dealt very carefully as this is a special case. Some wrong diet may end up into something new or we may waste time trying things which may not work out. I am sorry that I am unable to help you. But please search online if you can find a good pediatric dietician in chennai. God bless her. My best wishes.
🙂
Kalpita says
hello mam,
my son is now 3 years old. his low sugar issue is not gone yet.now he is very fussy.
I gave him 4 time milk(-late night 1 am , 5 am ,8 am & 5 pm every time 6-7 oz)
10-10:30 breakfast (sooji kheer /rice kanji/ragi satva )
12 – any mashed fruit (chikoo ,apple or juice pomengranet, mosambi )
2- dal rice khichadi with any veggi or russum or dal (which is that day we eat)
5 milk 6-7 oz
7-730 milk biscuit(5-7 ) /any paratha(1/2 -1) with tea
10 dinner as like lunch
I gave him eggs 3 times in week sunday some time fish or chiken
but he is over weight 3 year old /19.5 kg/99 cm
we gave him formula milk but dr say stop to giving formula give normal milk
& they said to loose his weight
I tried to give him rooti but he not eat
he not eat any chocolate or biscuit spicy food like small kids
can you please help how to try loose his weight (15-16)
can I try daliya khichadi
swasthi says
Hi Kalpita,
May god give you the strength and patience to manage this situation. I would suggest you to move the timings 2 hours early – Breakfast at 8.30 am and so on. There is a reason behind following the sun timings. It is said that the digestive fire goes in sync with the sun timings (sun rise to sun set). The digestive fire is at its peak in the noon by 1, which is the right time to eat lunch. Following these timings help to manage the metabolic problems well. Not following the timings will lead to weight gain and obesity. Actually what he is eating is too less for his age except the biscuits. Plan his diet well based on my suggestions below. Make a chart first and show it your doctor or dietitian and get the changes done.
You can try dalia and even this steel cut oats khichdi. They both are great in reducing the weight and strengthening the body. You must give him green gram sprouts and boiled chana regularly.
Find out if you can avoid white rice and move to brown rice. It is great in khichdi and pongal.
Hope these help.
kalpita says
thanks mam for your reply. I am trying it. mam we asked our doctor about food ; he said give what ever he eats but high carb . no need of special diet .maine ek dietitian ko pucha but unhone sprouts ,small size meal portion dene ke liye kaha ( not helping it much).his current weight is 20-21 . I feel very bad for him , but no other option.
Mam normally rice -dal portion mai 2:1 leti ho kya ise 1:1 karu . serving bowl size small karu ?(bowl size 8 oz ka hai utana finish karata hai. some times he eats small paratha. he likes pasta & noodles but its not healthy.
oats & brown rice are low in carb so I am confused
can I make a chart & show to you because your ideas & recipes helping me .
thanks mam
swasthi says
Hi Kalpita,
Actually for kids whether lean or fat we give 1:1 rice:dal. 8 oz is just fine. I think you should try kabuli chana, not sure regarding the carbs part but helps in weight loss, strengthens & tones the body. yes you can send me the chart I can respond on the mail. I feel bad to keep you waiting on the blog as it takes so long for me to reply the comments. My email id is in the about page.
kalpita says
thanks mam ,
thanks for your support,
Satya S says
Hello Swasthi,
Thank you so much for sharing healthy recipes. Your blog has been a boon in my life. I have been trying your recipes for quite sometime now, especially the baby and toddler recipes. I have been able to feed homemade healthy food for my baby since she turned 6 months- all thanks to you. Now she is 16 months. I live in the US and am planning to travel to India in a couple of months. I am worried about planning her food for travel since I do not want to feed her flight/outside food. I would love to know if there are any travel food recipes so that I could plan her meal and carry the homemade food with me on the flight. I appreciate your time.
Thank you,
Satya
swasthi says
Hi Satya,
You are welcome. Glad to know the recipes were useful. Thanks a lot for trying. You can dry roast poha, blanched almonds or cashews until crisp. Powder them and then pass them through a fine flour sieve. 4 to 6 tbsps of this powder makes 1 serving. Just mix it with formula or pediasure or any other milk powder you are currently using. Soaking this for a while gives a very smooth texture.
You can do the same with cornflakes or popped amaranth with some almonds and cashews. These will not be very heavy and may make the little one hungry with in 2 1/2 hours. Both these have been tried and tested for both for my babies and has helped me manage well while travelling for 24 to 36 hours. 1 solid feed then after 2 1/2 hours, 1 formula feed and then after 2 1/2 hours a light snack – This pattern will work out well. If i remember more ideas I will update this comment so you can check back here. Hope this helps.
Satya S says
Thank you Swasthi. Could you help me with the quantities/ratio for making the powders? How much of poha/popped amaranth/ cornflakes, and cashews & almonds are to be used to make the powders? Also I haven’t used formula or milk powder till now. I started feeding her cow’s milk when she turned one. Is there a substitute for formula/milk powder in the recipe? Also I might have to think about what to feed her as a milk substitute when on the flight. I would like to have your suggestions.
Thanks again,
Satya
swasthi says
Hi Satya
I am sorry for the late reply. Regarding the quantities please experiment and check what goes well with your toddler. As a substitute to milk you can use fruit. Just mash up the fruit and add little water and then the powder. I avoid all sorts of fruits during travel as they sometimes cause cold and cough very quickly. I avoid fruits from the time I leave home until I reach the final destination. Fruits come from different places and usually tend to cause cold or cough during journey. But check with your elders if what I think is right? I think it is good you give a try with some formula as this is going to help you through out your stay in India. Introducing new brand of milk after you reach India may create problems. I haven’t fed my kids milk in India until they turned 5 just to be on the safer side. I always used to carry formula. Not sure if you will like my ideas but this has helped me to manage them well without the need to see a doctor in India anytime.
🙂
Satya S says
Thanks Swasthi. That helps and gives me some clarity on what to pack. Also, in one of your posts you have suggested not to feed Tetra pack milk for toddlers. I would like to know the reason. Thanks!
swasthi says
According to my findings, the material from the packing leaches toxins to the milk. To experiment, pour 1 full carton of tetra milk to a large bowl. Leave it undisturbed without covering in a well-lit place (preferably near a window). After 20 to 40 mins, carefully look at the top portion of milk, you can see a very very light silver layer or a partial layer. This is visible only from certain angles. Top angle may not show you this. Try looking for it from all other angles, you can see this. I checked this with many premium brands and recently packed cartons. My sis living in the US had warned me about this 12 years ago. So I checked if it happens the same here. Do experiment with the brand you are planning to use. Technology keeps upgrading, this may or may not be true currently. There may be better packing materials used currently.
Satya S says
Thanks Swasthi! That’s useful information about the tetra pack milk. I’ll see if the current packaging has got the same problem.
Thanks again!
Tina verma says
Thanks for very useful tips n guideline really nice recipes..n pls add d information abt foods vitamins n which food can help in gaining weight early so many babies fussy in eating n cant maintains weight.
swasthi says
Welcome Tina
Thanks for being here. You can check this post on foods for weight gain in babies
Iswarya says
Very Useful blog..u had done a great job….thanks a lot 😊
swasthi says
Welcome Iswarya