My 7-month-old has been on solids since 5.5 months (breakfast and dinner; we haven’t introduced lunch yet), and I’m struggling with meal ideas. I tend to feed her the same things repeatedly and feel incredibly guilty about it.
For breakfast, she typically has a banana, yogurt, and Cheerios.
Dinner is a bit more varied since she eats what we eat, but my husband and I usually stick to “meat and potatoes” dishes, rotating between chicken, broccoli, and potatoes or rice.
I always hear about the “100 foods before 1” concept, but with grocery prices being what they are, I can’t afford all the special ingredients for extravagant meals.
How do you all introduce a new food every meal? Am I overthinking this? Her meals are always healthy, and she’s still on formula, so I know she’s getting her main nutrients from that.
You’re doing great with your baby’s meals. To mix things up, try adding oatmeal with fruit, scrambled eggs, or avocado toast for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, consider veggie purees, chicken with veggies, pasta, or lentil stew. Snacks like cheese with fruit or rice cakes with nut butter work well too. Introduce new foods slowly and mix them with familiar favorites.
To come up with meal ideas, browse recipe websites, use cooking apps, follow food blogs, or join social media groups. Consider dietary preferences, seasonal ingredients, and meal prepping for variety and efficiency.
I follow several YouTube channels that I enjoy. While I’m not vegan, I love the vegan recipes from CheapLazyVegan and RainbowPlantLife. Their recipes are perfect for me as a post-grad student because they can be made quickly, usually within 20 minutes. I often tweak them to suit my taste and lifestyle, adding extra garlic and spices, and using more frozen vegetables to save time and money since I dislike chopping fresh veggies.