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.
Fatima says
Hi dear,
This article of yours is great! I just need a few recipes with chicken, fish and mutton to add into the food chart.
Regards
swasthi says
Hi Fatima
Thank you.Yes I will try to share them.
Javier Senay says
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already ?? Cheers!
SUNITHA VIJAYAN says
Hi swasti,
Your tips and recipes were of immense hlp in bringing up my baby…now he s 1 year old and my doubt is can u now include potato, dal etc in his dinner menu…or should I avoid to check colic issues….Pls share ur suggestions…
swasthi says
Hi Sunitha
Glad to know the recipes were helpful. It actually depends on the baby’s tummy condition. Many babies still suffer with a lot of colic until 15 to 18 months. You can try giving a early dinner by 7.30 with potatoes or dal included. Avoid greens included with them. You can find out in 4 to 5 days time whether he is doing well or not. Usually symptoms like colic, frequent wake up in the nights, Irritability in the mornings or indigestion are some of the symptoms if the food has caused any trouble. Hope this helps
SUNITHA VIJAYAN says
Thnks fr ur well detailed reply….just like to have ur word on including salt in babies diet…as family food is suggested for babies once they are 1 year old can v feed them the same salt level family use or a reduced level…
swasthi says
Sunitha,
I feel cooking separately for toddlers at least till they complete 2 years has many benefits. The reason is family food is usually high in oil, spice, tamarind and salt. Many times they end up eating less veggies or dal due to this. So I always use to cook the rice, dal and veggies like khichdi separately for the todd. Then pour little sambar, curry, rasam, etc. This way it doesn’t turn too oily or spicy. It will also be less in salt. The kid will slowly get used to our foods. Hope this helps.
SUNITHA VIJAYAN says
Thnk u so much fr taking time to giv detailed rplys…
I shal surely follow ur suggestions….
Ashwini says
Dearest ma’am, I can’t thank you enough for this list. Iv added the link to my home screen. Time n again i was being advised to offer varied foods to my 9 m old baby to prevent monotony and fuss. But I was at loss about what all to give her as I was not sure if all that we elders eat everyday could be given to her or not. This list from a food blogger and an experienced mom of young kids has come as a boon. Thank you very much.
swasthi says
Welcome Ashwini,
very glad to know this post is useful. Thanks a lot.
🙂
nikhitha says
Nice information tq so much mam
Aishah Khalid says
Hello.
I must, but however, cannot thank you enough for these life saving recipes. I’ve been too worried about my baby’s diet and this has given me hope. Thank you, my dear.
humera says
hi mam my ealder son is 7 yrars old he lost his wieght he was so fat befor 2 years nd now i wnt to increase his weight sonplzz give me some suggestions thnking u
Shalini Arora says
Very useful information mam. I learned so many recipes for my 10 mnth old daughter. She loves trying new food. I hope she will enjoy when i will offer her diffrent recipes daily. Thanks a ton.
Jabir says
My 7 month old baby do not eat anything without breast feeding. Can u suggest something for my bay
swasthi says
Hi Jabir
It’s time for you to feed solids to your baby slowly. You can follow this post on 6th months baby chart for details
Keerthi says
Hello,
Do you have a sarrakku powder recipe for mothers after delivery?
Thank you
swasthi says
No Keerthi I do not have. We usually make a powder of cumin, dry ginger and ajwain in equal quantities. 1 tsp twice a day eaten with first bite of rice
Saranya says
Hi, u have got very useful information. I just started reading your blog today. I have a baby who is 11 months old who doesn’t drink water at all. Can you please share any possible substitutes for water or ways to make him drink water.
swasthi says
Thanks Saranya. There is no substitute to water. You will have to keep trying.
halima says
how much should given? sorry 4 more questions,
swasthi says
No problem Halima, You can start with 1 walnut per day and slowly increase to 2 after 1 year. Don’t give too many nuts it can cause indigestion
halima says
now I feed him almond milk. can I feed him WALNUT?
swasthi says
Halima
Walnuts are hard to digest. start after your baby turns 1 year old. Best way is to soak the walnut for 5 to 6 hours. Make a fine paste of it using a hand pestle.You can also make a fine powder of it and add to the porridge or other soupy foods.
kalpita says
hello mam,
how r u ? My son is now 2 years old. he is start walking now but not speak yet.. his sugar problem is not gone.he not chewing his food yet we give him mashed food. we started speech therapy for him. dr. says his jaw muscles are weak. his weight is 11-5 kg
I gave him 7 – milk ,9:30 -milk based breakfast(kheer, ragi malt ,rice poriadge) ,12- any fruit or milkshake,,1:30-2 –lunch(dal rice ,khichadi) 4:30-5 –milk,, (he sleeps that time),7- paratha or milk biscuit,9:45-10 dinner, 12:15–formula milk,3:30-4–formula milk
last month we stop formula milk for 15 days & give only buffelow milk.but we saw that he was getting tired .so we started formula again.we gave him milk from last 1 year.I tried most of ur recipe but he is fussy eater & not eat properly ,can u please suggest something because he is not well frequently .can I add any health drink powder to his milk like bournvita horliks or pediasure. I think he has lack of energy.can we give him curd.
swasthi says
Hi Kalpita,
I am good. Thanks for asking. Are you giving him almond milk and eggs? Are you a vegetarian? If not try to give him bone soup or more of chicken atleast 4 to 5 servings in a week. The rest of the days egg.
If you are a vegetarian then include more of dals/ lentils.
I personally feel pediasure is good for fussy kids, Do try two to three times a day. My kids have grown up on pediasure i see a lot of difference with vs without pediasure. Once he improves, then you can reduce to two servings. But do not substitute pediasure. for solids. You will have to give 2 meals, 1 breakfast, 2 to 3 servings of milk and 2 servings of fruit. If you are making fruit based milkshakes, stop that. Serve fruit separately. Hope these help. Sorry for the delay in replying I was on a blog break for a while and missed the order while replying.
My good wishes to the little one.
kalpita says
mam thanks a lot for reply.I will give fruits separately.& start with soups.
thanks again for relpy
kalpita says
hi mam,
maine pediasure laya hai lekin kaise feed kare
with milk or without milk?
he drinks only 4-5 oz milk at a time
& which is the best time to give pediasure
I also started with eggs &veg soups
he not eat full but half egg or half bowl of soup
swasthi says
Hi Kalpita
That’s good to hear about egg and soups. Slowly he should be able to eat full egg. Pediasure has to be given in the proportion mentioned on the tin or pack mixed with water and not milk. Mixing it with milk often results in indigestion as it becomes too heavy. Follow the same timings you were giving him milk, like 7 am & 4.30 pm or at bed time. If you are giving almond milk, continue to give that at bed time. Slowly try to increase the milk to at least 200 ml.
halima says
hi mam, hope u & ur kids r very well by the grace of ALLAH. now my baby boy hamzah who’s age 11 mnts. I feed him carrot but still now he can’t digest well. should I stop giving him carrot? when can I feed him carrot?
swasthi says
Hi Halima
We are all good. Thanks for asking. Hope all is well at your end. Are you giving raw or cooked carrots? Actually carrots are very easily digestible by babies after 6 months. If he is not able to digest, just stop for a week and then try again. You can try using young carrots in khichdi or other porridges. Hope this helps
Neha Tayal says
Hi dear,
My baby is 10.5months old. His born weight was 3.5kg but then he dint gain weight as he should. Till date he is on BF as he doesnt take bottle. I tried many times but he dint. Please suggest something.
Also you have suggested urad dal for babies. Doesn’t it create gastric troubles or pain something as I have heard that this dal is heavy. M giving only moong daal.
He doesn’t eat sweet food only salted foods. What should I give him.
Aishah Khalid says
Hello..
Really? I’ve been giving my 9 month old baby urad dal since a couple of months and yes I did notice in his diaper that the dal pieces look quite not digested.. or maybe that’s just a thought.
swasthi says
Hi No I dont think so.
If urad dal is soaked well it doesn’t cause. When you cook urad dal, it has to be completely cooked and mashed. If you have seen dal bits in his diaper it means the dal hasn’t been cooked well. In south india idli is given to babies from 6th month. It has never been a issue. It is a great source of calcium and protein for babies.
Pallavi says
Hi I am pallavi.my baby is 22 month old but he is too weak….I give him milk or milk wheat daliya after two I give him egg or banana….in lunch dal rice roti Sabji….in Evening I use to give him milk… Then dinner but he is not gaining weight….what should I do mam
swasthi says
Hi Pallavi
Try to include cashews, almonds, dates,sesame seeds, ragi porridge, whole grains, paneer, sprouts and more of urad dal foods. You can powder the nuts and make small ladoos with jaggery and give them regularly. Hope these help
priya says
Hi swathi,
I have questioned u previously but didn’t answer by u.
My son 1.6 month old.can I give complain to him?can I add this with formula milk? Or I should always give him cow milk.
I m following ur mentiond schedule from his 10 month..how many time now I can give him milk..
Thank u
Waiting for reply
swasthi says
Hi Priya, You are welcome
In 2017 I have received only 1 comment from you for which I have answered, this is the second one. No other powders should be added to formula milk. Formula milk is balanced and high in nutrition adding complan or any other powders is not a good idea. You can add complan to other milk powders or cow’s or buffalos milk but not to formula milk. You can give him milk twice in a day, try to include protein rich solids in his diet. Milk before bed time is good at this age. Hope these help. Pls make sure you use your correct email ids to receive my reply otherwise your comments may end up in spam folder.
priya says
Thank u.I will definitely check it.
Actually my Baby is not milk loving.but I will definitely try.in one of ur comment I read u gave pediasure to ur babies..when will I add this to his diet..
And how will I add egg to his diet..he always refuses when I gave..
swasthi says
Hi Priya
After one year i began to give pediasure to both my kids but only 2 servings till 2 yrs. After that 1 serving. You can give inplace of regular milk. You can try boiled egg or omelette along with rice rasam or any soup foods.
Parvathi says
Hi swathi garu,
Thank u for sharing valuable ideas and foods for babies. I am mother of one year boy.he dont want to drink milk and curd even banana also. When he saw it on cup he runs away. How can give him milk and curd ?
swasthi says
Hi Parvathi
You are welcome.
Just stop giving him milk & curd for 7 to 10 days. Then try again with a new look probably like almond milk or cardamom powder milk etc. It should help. You can actually give him paneer regularly. I suggest using homemade paneer as it has no additives. If you do not know how to make paneer, pls use the search tab above after the post title to find the method. Hope these help
Nahida says
I’m Nahida from Bangladesh.My baby is 7 month old.if I follow your food time chart how many times I should feed milk my baby.
swasthi says
Hi Nahida
Baby needs milk every 3 hours. Milk is still the major food for baby, solids are only for making them get used to it.
Rachana says
Hello, I am mother of 4 mths and 10days old baby girl. Want to introduce new food to her. Based on advise we planning to give her rice water to start with. Is it OK to give her basmati rice water?
swasthi says
Hi Rachana
I do not suggest solids for 4 mths old baby