Suggestions on What to Feed a 7 Month Old

Stage 1 and stage 2 are the same with 2 exceptions, 1) the jars are bigger and 2) there are a few choices that are mixed instead of single-food. Actually, babies don't need stage one or two unless you start too early at 4 or 5 months. After that, mashed table foods, homemade baby food, and stage threes are all easy options that save a lot of money.
I think by 9 months you are supposed to have 3 meals, but you don't have to start before that if you don't want to. I don't know anything about bottle schedules, but I assume that as long as he is getting the recommended amount, it doesn't matter if it's 2 bottles or 6.

Keep in mind that until their first birthday, breast milk or formula needs to be the baby's main source of nutrition. I didn't even feed any of my four children solids until they were around seven months old- the first few months of solids is meant to introduce new flavors and textures with some additional calories. Try finding some of the new baby food books out there- some people find it fun to introduce things like smashed, organic avacado, organic yogurt, etc. If you can, try to find natural, unprocessed, organic food for your baby. Their little systems are much more sensitive to any chemicals and pesticides/herbicides the farmers used in the crops and animal feed. Think clean and natural for their food!

In general baby's know when they are hungry and their appetites will change as they grow. So when they've had enough, they will let you know - so I wouldn't worry about over feeding as long as your not forcing food on him after he's done.

I have a 10 month old - and we increased his food after his 6 month appointment.

7:30 He gets up and has 4-8 oz. of milk
9:30 Another bottle (I usually give 8 oz and he'll drink what he needs) And takes nap
He may or may not want another bottle in the morning depending on whether his nap is 9:30 or 10:30 and what time he got up between 6-8am.
(He was allergic to the rice cereal, so we never offered it for breakfast, although now I may offer Cherios or bannana sometimes)

12 - Lunch - he eats 2 stage 2, usually one vegetable and one fruit
2-3pm - bottle and nap
5-6pm - Dinner, again he eats 2 stage two's. He doesn't really like the 'meats' and we've now tried stage 3 chunky - he doesn't like those either. I usaully give a little meat (1/4 container), a green vegetable (1/2) and a yellow vegetable (1/2). To try to equal about a 4oz. container and give more variety at dinner. And then end with a fruit.
8 - Another bottle
9:30 - Final bottle and bed

We've also now started introducing some table food. And will offer when we're eating or after the baby food. He eats Cherio's, bread, bananas, small pieces of other fruit: watermellon, mellon, pinapple - anything we can get in a small mushy piece that he will be able to mash with his gums, small pieces of meat ... We started introducing cherios at 9mo. and at first he mostly played with them, but his interest in what we were eating kept increasing. Now at almost 11 months, he's pretty interested and there is usually something on our plate that is appropriate to share with him.

The goal is to eventually work to 3 meals a day w/ a couple snacks - more like you're schedule. You're already on a schedule, so just take cues from your little one as you try new foods and increase volume.

I too had concerns with what my son was eating - I thought that he was eating WAY too much. My pediatrician said that as long as he stayed within his curve - not to worry. Just a sample of what we did:

Wake-up - nurse about an hour to 2 hours after that a bowl of oatmeal with a jar of stage 2 fruit. Play, nap, nurse - 1/2 Jar or stage 2 meal (meat with veggie) and 1/2 jar stage 2 veggie and some finger foods (banana poofs were his favorite). Play, nap, nurse- the rest of the two jars. Play cereal with fruit, nurse - bed. At this point we were starting to wean and I was worried about his fluids - so I always had a sippy cup of water for him if he wanted it. He really liked it with ice.

My son actually was pretty good about letting me know when he was done - he would turn his head or refuse to open his mouth. The tricky part was when he had a new food. If he didn't like it he would do the same cues. Times like this I would go souley on the established volume. I also tried to rotate yellow, green and orange for the veggies, fuits and "meals" to ensure he was getting all that he needed. Everytime I went to the store I lined them up and then stacked them in the cabinet in the order they were to be eaten so I didn't have to think.

Also, advice that was given to me that helps a lot - especially as they get older, look at what they have eaten over the week (not just the day)to ensure he has had a balanced diet. Hope that helps and happy eating!
-L.

Hi, I'm caring for a 8 month old baby girl full time and this is what she's eating at this point:

At home she gets formula upon waking (unsure how much) and breakfast at home is cereal and stage 2 fruit. Here she gets a 6 oz bottle of formula about 9:30 am, lunch of cereal and a full jar of stage 2 veggies at 12:30 pm, and a 6 oz bottle of formula about 2:30 pm. She leaves around 4 and then has dinner at home (not sure what) and I'm sure another bottle before her 8 pm bedtime. She just turned 8 months and was only taking about 1/2 jar of stage 2 fruits and veggies up until about a week ago.

But babies are all so different, so I wouldn't worry so much about portions at this point.

I have three children and all were different eaters. My last child didn't even eat solids until she was 11mo. She just wouldn't eat it. So, she breastfed almost exclusively, which was fine for her. I think from looking at your schedule, you need more fluids. Good luck!

He should still be getting most of his nutrition from formula or breast milk at this point. I don't think he's getting enough fluid in his diet. If I remember correctly (and this was about 2 years ago, so I COULD be wrong;P) my dd was still taking three or four bottles at 7 months, in addition to the food. I know we were also giving her water in a sippy cup at each meal time. It's summer and very very HOT, your little guy needs to have fluids to stay hydrated. I can't imagine not drinking anything at all during the day.

I have four kids and they all eat differently. I just always tried to follow their cues, if they seemed full (were losing interest) I would end the meal. Some days they would be hungrier than others and I had to learn that that was okay, as I too am hungrier on some days than others. One thing I do recommend is putting only half a jar of food in a dish and feeding him from there, then if he gets full you don't have to waste the other half of the jar of food and if he is still hungry you just feed him the rest of it. It is difficult to know what is best for someone who can not tell you, but you just have to learn their habits. I am sure you have already learned that you can tell what he needs much of the time anyway, trust yourself that you DO know what he needs :)
Good luck!