11 Healthy Foods for a 7-Month-Old Baby’s Weaning Diet

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Starting solids is a crucial stage in a baby’s development. However, many parents struggle with creating appropriate meal plans, especially for picky eaters. AVAKids is here to help!

Important Considerations for Starting Solids at 7 Months

  • Breast milk remains the most important source of nutrients for babies under one year old. Don’t stop breastfeeding entirely. Continue to feed your baby 600-800ml of breast milk daily.
  • While there are many options for a 7-month-old’s meal plan, limit eggs, meat, and fish to avoid overloading the baby’s liver and kidneys.
  • Preserve the natural flavors of foods. Avoid adding seasonings.
  • This allows your baby to fully experience the taste of food, develop their palate, and establish healthy eating habits.
  • The ideal ratio for cooking porridge is 70ml of water to 10g of rice.
  • Incorporate healthy fats (both plant-based and animal-based) into your baby’s meal plan, but avoid overusing them.
7-Month-Old Baby Meal Plan: Don't stop breastfeeding completely

7-Month-Old Baby Meal Plan: Don’t stop breastfeeding completely

  • Ensure a diverse menu that includes all four main food groups:

+ Carbohydrates for energy and metabolism support.

+ Protein for muscle development and immunity.

+ Fats for vitamin absorption (A, D, K, E) and energy storage.

+ Fiber, vitamins, and minerals for nutrient metabolism and healthy development.

Food Group Examples
Vegetables Cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, spinach, asparagus, cabbage, green beans, avocado, kale, and vegetable soups.
Fruits Strawberries, peaches, applesauce, melon, etc.
Starches Cornmeal, sweet potato cakes, bread, oatmeal, potatoes, bread porridge, rice, etc.
Protein Eggs, chicken soup, pork porridge, mackerel porridge, tofu, chicken and bean porridge, etc.
Dairy Full-fat, pasteurized yogurt without honey or artificial sweeteners.
  • Adjust food portions according to your baby’s weight. Don’t overfeed or force your baby to eat too much, which can lead to food aversion.
  • According to the WHO, in addition to 700-800ml of breast milk/formula, maintain 2-3 main meals per day. Regularly introduce new foods (following allergy testing guidelines) to stimulate your baby’s appetite.
  • After 7 PM, give your baby milk to prevent nighttime hunger and sleep disruptions.
  • Occasionally, add soft-boiled or steamed foods to the meal plan to help your baby get used to different textures and practice grasping and self-feeding.

Meal Plan for 7-Month-Old Babies with Slow Weight Gain

1. Puréed Amaranth and Pork Porridge

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of rice flour
  • A small amount of amaranth
  • 20 grams of lean pork
  • Cooking oil for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Wash the amaranth, purée it, and then strain the juice.
  • Wash the pork and mince it.
  • Mix the amaranth juice with the rice flour, add the minced pork, and stir constantly until the porridge is cooked.
  • Pour the porridge into the baby’s bowl and add a little cooking oil.

With the remaining pork, you can use it to cook pork porridge for your baby or mince it to cook minced pork porridge for your baby’s meal plan.

Meal plan for 7-month-old babies includes amaranth powder cooked with pork

Meal plan for 7-month-old babies includes amaranth powder cooked with pork

2. Shrimp and Mustard Greens Porridge

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of rice flour
  • 20 grams of shrimp
  • 20 grams of mustard greens
  • Cooking oil specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Wash the shrimp, peel, devein, steam, and then mince.
  • Take the leaves of the mustard greens, wash them with water, and drain.
  • Purée the greens and strain the juice.
  • Mix the mustard green juice with the rice flour, stir constantly, and when the mixture thickens, add the shrimp. Continue stirring until cooked.
  • Pour the porridge into the baby’s bowl and add a little cooking oil.

Besides shrimp porridge, you can also use these ingredients to make other shrimp-based baby food dishes like shrimp patties or shrimp cakes, etc., to add to your baby’s menu.

3. Pork and Moringa Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • 20 grams of lean pork
  • 20 grams of moringa leaves
  • Baby cooking oil

Instructions

  • Pick the moringa leaves, wash, and purée them.
  • Chop the pork, mince it, and sauté it with a little cooking oil.
  • Mix water and rice flour and cook over medium heat.
  • After about 1 minute of boiling, add the prepared moringa and pork, stirring constantly until the porridge thickens.

Besides moringa, pork can also be cooked with other vegetable porridges such as white radish porridge, lotus root porridge, or beetroot porridge for babies.

You might be interested in: How to cook the best pig heart porridge for babies

4. Pigeon and Sweet Corn Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of pigeon meat
  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • Sweet corn

Instructions

  • Wash the pigeon meat, boil it until cooked, and then mince it. Sauté it with 10g of minced sweet corn and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.
  • Mix 20 grams of rice flour with the pigeon broth, cook over medium heat, and stir constantly.
  • After 5 minutes, add the corn and pigeon meat mixture, continue stirring until the porridge is cooked.

With corn as an ingredient, corn porridge for baby food is also a popular dish that many mothers cook for their babies!

5. Carrot and Chicken Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of chicken meat
  • 10 grams of carrots
  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • Cooking oil specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Wash and mince the chicken.
  • Chop the carrots, purée them, and strain the juice.
  • Sauté the chicken with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.
  • Mix the carrot juice with the rice flour, cook over medium heat, add the prepared chicken, and stir constantly until the porridge is cooked.

With the remaining chicken, you can also use it to cook chicken soup for your baby’s breakfast.

Chicken powder cooked with carrots is a dish that should be included in the 7-month-old baby's meal plan

Chicken powder cooked with carrots is a dish that should be included in the 7-month-old baby’s meal plan

6. Amaranth and Pork Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • 20 grams of minced pork
  • Cooking oil specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Mince the pork and sauté with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
  • Wash the amaranth, purée it, and strain the juice.
  • Mix the rice flour with the amaranth juice, stir until the mixture thickens, add the pork, and continue cooking until the porridge is cooked.

Besides amaranth, you can also make baby food from various other vegetables such as spinach porridge, vegetable candy, vegetable cakes, or cabbage porridge for your baby.

7. Egg Yolk and Tofu Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of tofu
  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Cooking oil specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Boil 20 grams of tofu, drain, and mash with a spoon.
  • Mix the rice flour with an appropriate amount of water.
  • Put the egg yolk and tofu in a small bowl and mix well.
  • Cook the prepared mixture with the dissolved rice flour over low heat.
  • Add cooking oil.
  • Turn off the heat when the porridge boils again.

You can also make some egg-based baby food dishes like egg cakes to supplement your baby’s BLW snacks!

You might be interested in: What is BLW baby-led weaning?

8. Taro and Shrimp Porridge

Ingredients

  • 20 grams of rice flour
  • 5 shrimps
  • 20 grams of taro
  • Cooking oil specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Peel and devein the shrimp, then mince them.
  • Wash the taro thoroughly to remove any sap, steam it until cooked, then purée it.
  • Mix the rice flour with water and cook over medium heat.
  • Add the shrimp and taro, stirring constantly until the porridge is cooked.
  • Pour the porridge into the baby’s bowl and add a little cooking oil.

9. Beef and Bell Pepper Porridge

Ingredients

  • 30 grams of beef
  • Plain porridge
  • Straw mushrooms
  • Bell pepper, baby corn
  • Cooking oil and cheese specifically for babies under 1 year old

Instructions

  • Wash the beef and thinly slice it.
  • Wash the straw mushrooms, baby corn, and bell pepper, and dice them.
  • Sauté the beef with a little cooking oil, then add the vegetables in the following order: baby corn, straw mushrooms, bell pepper, and cook until tender.
  • Add the plain porridge, cheese, and stir well.
  • Pour the porridge into the baby’s bowl and add a little cooking oil.

Besides beef porridge, you can also supplement your baby’s protein intake with other beef-based baby food dishes like beef soup, etc.

Beef porridge with bell pepper, straw mushrooms, and corn: A nutritious meal in the 7-month-old baby's meal plan

Beef porridge with bell pepper, straw mushrooms, and corn: A nutritious meal in the 7-month-old baby’s meal plan

You might be interested in: Best cheeses for babies under 1 year old

10. Snakehead Fish Porridge

Ingredients

  • 1 bowl of plain porridge
  • 10 grams of deboned snakehead fish
  • 1 tablespoon of minced greens

Instructions

  • Mince the snakehead fish and sauté it with cooking oil.
  • Heat the porridge, add the greens, after 2 minutes add the fish, and stir constantly until the porridge is cooked.

11. Mashed Avocado

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • Breast milk/formula

Instructions

  • Scoop out the avocado flesh.
  • Add the prepared milk.
  • Blend into a smooth mixture and let your baby enjoy.

Suggested Weekly Meal Plans for 7-Month-Old Babies

Week 1 Meal Plan

Day 7:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM
Day 1 Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Carp porridge with amaranth

Watermelon juice

Breastfeeding Rice flour with potato Breastfeeding
Day 2 Pig brain porridge

Avocado smoothie

Beef and mushroom soup
Day 3 Shrimp and amaranth porridge

Strawberry smoothie

Barramundi and winter melon porridge
Day 4 Eel and carrot porridge

Grape juice

Potato and shrimp soup
Day 5 Salmon and broccoli porridge

Mashed banana

Egg and corn porridge
Day 6 Millet and minced meat porridge

Mango smoothie

Chayote and chicken breast porridge
Day 7 Pork soup

Mashed red dragon fruit

Tuna and mustard greens porridge

Week 2 Meal Plan

Day 7:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM
Day 1 Breastfeeding Breastfeeding White Radish Porridge with Beef

Applesauce

Breastfeeding Snakehead Fish Porridge with Bok Choy Breastfeeding
Day 2 Brown Rice Porridge with Minced Meat

Pineapple Juice

Black Bean Porridge with Spare Ribs
Day 3 Taro Porridge with Shrimp

Mashed Avocado with Milk

Silver Pomfret Porridge with Seaweed
Day 4 Salmon Soup with Spinach

Pear Juice

Perilla Porridge with Minced Meat
Day 5 Chicken Porridge with Amaranth

Yogurt with Fruit

Tilapia Fish Porridge with Tomato
Day 6 Corn Porridge with Cheese

Guava Smoothie

Striped Catfish Porridge with Sponge Gourd
Day 7 Macadamia Nut Porridge with Beef

Sapodilla Smoothie

Malabar Spinach Porridge with Shrimp

Week 3 Meal Plan

Day 7:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM
Day 1 Breast milk Breast milk Carrot puree with minced meat

Guava juice

Breast milk Sweet potato soup Breast milk
Day 2 Asparagus porridge with crab

Steamed pear with red dates

Mushroom porridge with lotus seeds
Day 3 Squid porridge with spinach

Kiwi smoothie

Mung bean porridge with chicken breast
Day 4 Green bean porridge with sweet potato

Dragon fruit with milk

Pork liver porridge with pumpkin
Day 5 Bok choy porridge with eel

Papaya smoothie

Amaranth porridge with snakehead fish
Day 6 Shrimp soup with baby corn

Yogurt with strawberries

Japanese-style tomato porridge
Day 7 Silken tofu porridge with pumpkin

Banana smoothie

Striped catfish porridge with white gourd

Week 4 Meal Plan

Day 7:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM
Day 1 Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Crab Soup

Pear Smoothie

Breastfeeding Taro Porridge with Chicken Breastfeeding
Day 2 Red Bean Porridge with Minced Meat

Mango Juice

Mackerel Porridge with Broccoli
Day 3 Corn Soup with Shrimp

Pureed Carrot Smoothie

Potato Porridge with Beef
Day 4 Loach Porridge with Pumpkin

Blueberry Smoothie

Egg Soup with Green Peas
Day 5 Eel Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

Pomegranate Juice

Cobia Porridge with Green Vegetables
Day 6 Mudskipper Porridge with Carrots

Kiwi Juice

Pumpkin Soup with Cheese
Day 7 Pigeon Soup with Green Vegetables

Mango Pudding

Basa Fish Porridge with Jute Leaves

What are the common mistakes parents make when cooking porridge for their babies?

Always adding mashed carrots and potatoes to porridge

Carrots and potatoes contain only carbohydrates; the vitamin content in these two foods is zero. Therefore, to ensure that children receive a full complement of necessary nutrients, parents need to frequently change the 7-month-old baby’s weaning menu, especially with green vegetables.

Giving children porridge with cereals

Although cereals are rich in nutrients, they are not suitable for a baby’s weak digestive system. Therefore, parents should absolutely not give children porridge with cereals, to avoid indigestion.

Overusing a blender

In a 7-month-old baby’s weaning menu, the baby will eat thin porridge, then gradually thicker porridge, pureed food, thick porridge, whole grain porridge, etc.

When transitioning between diets, the baby may vomit at first, but then they will gradually get used to the food. Therefore, parents should gradually change the food to help the baby adapt and limit the use of a blender to increase the baby’s ability to handle solid food.

Bone broth does not contain nutrients, parents should not include it in the 7-month-old baby's weaning menu

Bone broth does not contain nutrients, parents should not include it in the 7-month-old baby’s weaning menu

Cooking porridge with bone broth

Bone broth only adds aroma and sweetness, it does not contain any nutrients. Besides, the fat in bone broth can make it difficult for children to absorb nutrients. Therefore, mothers should mince lean meat to cook porridge for their children to ensure their best development.

Not adding cooking oil to the baby’s menu

Cooking oil (including vegetable oil and fish oil) can help children absorb nutrients, provide a large amount of energy, and help them form adipose tissue for thermoregulation. Therefore, when preparing dishes in a 7-month-old baby’s weaning menu, parents should add 1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil specifically for babies.

Cooking one pot of porridge for the baby to eat all day

At room temperature, porridge starts to spoil within 2 hours. Refrigerating can only partially limit bacterial growth. Therefore, before feeding the baby, parents need to reheat the porridge thoroughly.

If you are too busy with work, cook a pot of plain porridge. Each time you feed your baby, take a portion of the prepared porridge and cook it with different foods to ensure that the nutrients are not lost, and to help the baby eat better.

Hopefully, with the above 7-month-old baby’s weaning menu from AVAKids, parents can prepare dishes that are both delicious and nutritious for their babies. To ensure your baby’s healthy development, don’t forget to supplement a variety of nutrients with different foods. Parents can also refer to baby porridge products to provide a variety of nutrients for their babies.