What We Feed Our 7 Month Old in a Week (Simple, Real Food Meal Plan)
BABY LED WEANING • NUTRIENT DENSITY • SIMPLE MEALS
What We Feed Our 7 Month Old in a Week (Simple, Real Food Meal Plan)
Exactly how we introduced solids at 6 months (starting with homemade chicken stock), why we did one food at a time at first, and what a typical week looks like now that Greylan is eating 1–2 simple meals per day — with real food combinations you can use as a reference.
Author
Craig McCloskey
Board-Certified Nutritionist
When Greylan turned six months old, we didn’t rush out to buy baby cereal. We didn’t download a feeding chart or print out a color-coded spreadsheet. We simply slowed down and asked one question:
What would make the most sense if this were our first time introducing real food to a tiny human?
For us, that answer was simple. Start slow. Start nutrient-dense. Start with intention.
His primary nutrition was still breastmilk, and we were in no hurry to replace that. Solids weren’t about calories. They were about exposure, development, and laying a foundation. So instead of jumping straight into “meals,” we began with something far more basic.
We started with homemade chicken stock.
Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s ancestral for the sake of being ancestral. But because it’s gentle, rich in minerals and collagen, and incredibly easy to digest. It felt like the most natural bridge between milk and food.
If you want to see exactly how we made it and why we started there, you can find our full article on that process here.
That first week wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t Instagram-worthy. It was slow spoonfuls of warm stock and a lot of observation. Watching his cues. Watching his face (he loved it, btw). Watching his body language.
And that pace defined the entire first month.
How We Introduced Foods at 6 Months
For the first several weeks, we gave one food at a time. Not because we were anxious, but because we wanted clarity. If he reacted to something, we wanted to know what it was. If he loved something, we wanted to notice that too.
We started with foods we already eat as a family.
Grassfed Greek yogurt from our local farm — the same yogurt Bethany and I eat.
Mashed sweet potatoes, and we added some breastmilk in his.
Soft mashed carrots
Finally, a whole cooked medium-rare steak. We just let him hold it and gum all the juices out of it. It has been, by far, his favorite food yet.
Each new food got its own moment (and each food got its own video for future home videos, by yours truly).
There were no complicated combinations. No elaborate baby recipes. No pureed fruit blends with six ingredients. Just simple, single foods prepared in a way he could safely manage.
When we introduced peanut butter, we did it intentionally and in a small amount, watching closely. The same went for other common allergens (such as eggs). Slow, steady, one at a time. We weren’t in a race to check boxes. We were building familiarity.
For those first few weeks, it didn’t look like meals. It looked like tasting and learning.
Some days he barely ate anything at all. Some days more food made it in his bib, than his mouth. Other days, he surprised us.
We reminded ourselves often that this stage wasn’t about volume. It was about exploration.
And through it all, breastmilk remained the anchor.
The Order We Introduced Foods (First Month)
A simple timeline of what we offered first.
The Shift at 7 Months
Around the seven-month mark, something shifted.
He had now been exposed to a wide range of whole foods. We had a sense of what he tolerated well. His coordination improved. His curiosity increased. He started reaching for food more confidently and chewing with more intention.
That’s when meals started to feel like meals.
We didn’t dramatically change the philosophy. We simply began combining foods he had already tried and tolerated. Instead of offering a single mashed vegetable or a spoonful of yogurt alone, we started building small plates that looked more like miniature versions of what we eat.
At this stage, he eats one to two solid meals per day. Some days it’s one. Some days it’s two. We let his appetite and schedule guide that rhythm. Breastmilk is still primary nutrition, and we protect that.
But here’s what a typical week looks like for us now.
What a Week of Meals Looks Like at 7 Months
Meal Plan
This is a loose template — one to two meals per day. Swap in your own foods any time.
Monday might start with hard-boiled pasture-raised egg yolks gently mashed, served alongside soft mashed berries. Later in the day, he may have a splash of bone broth paired with roasted squash that’s been mashed to the right texture.
Tuesday could be full-fat Greek yogurt from our farm with mashed banana stirred in, followed by sweet potato in the evening. We don’t add spices or salt yet. We don’t complicate it. We let the flavor of the food speak for itself.
Wednesday we might do squash and serve it alongside soft-cooked carrots. Some days we sprinkle a small amount of desiccated beef liver into a meal. Not a lot — just enough to add nutrient density without overwhelming the taste.
Thursday often looks like leftovers from the night before. If we had steak for dinner, we give it to him baby-led weaning style (more to come on that) and mix it broth or yogurt for him. If we roasted root vegetables, he gets a portion mashed to the right consistency. There’s something grounding about feeding him the same food we’re eating.
A few times per week, especially if we’re on the go or if the day feels busier than usual, we’ll include a Serenity Kids pouch as part of a meal. We like them because they’re focused on high-quality meats and simple ingredients, which aligns with how we eat at home. It’s not a replacement for real food in our kitchen, but it’s a helpful addition when we need convenience without compromise.
If you’re interested in trying them, they offer 15% off with code CRAIG.
Friday & Saturday might include avocado mashed carefully and mixed with venison puree. Or mashed hard boiled eggs with soft zucchini on the side. Saturday often includes whatever we’re cooking as a family — adjusted for texture and size.
And Sunday? Sometimes it’s simple yogurt and fruit. Sometimes it’s steak and sweet potato. Sometimes it’s just one small meal because he’s more interested in learning to crawl than eating.
We don’t rigidly plan each day. We rotate through foods we know he’s tolerated and focus on variety across the week rather than perfection within a single meal.
Why We Focus on These Foods
If you zoom out, you’ll notice a pattern.
We prioritize animal-based proteins and fats. Not because vegetables don’t matter, but because the nutrient density of foods like egg yolks, red meat, liver, and full-fat dairy is hard to match. Iron, zinc, choline, fat-soluble vitamins — these are foundational nutrients for growth and development.
Red meat provides highly bioavailable iron and zinc. Egg yolks offer choline and fat-soluble vitamins. Bone marrow and butter (something we will introduce shortly) supply healthy fats that support brain development. Yogurt provides probiotics and additional fats and protein.
We’re not trying to engineer the perfect plate. We’re simply choosing foods that have nourished humans for generations and preparing them in a way that fits a seven-month-old.
Vegetables are part of the picture. So are fruits. But they support the foundation rather than replace it.
Keeping It Safe and Developmentally Appropriate
Before we introduced solids, we made sure he showed the signs of readiness: good head control, the ability to sit upright with support, interest in food, and a diminished tongue thrust reflex. We always supervise him closely during meals. Texture matters. Size matters. Attention matters.
Every child develops differently, so none of this is medical advice. It’s simply what has worked for us.
If he seems tired, we don’t force it. If he’s not interested, we stop. If he wants to explore and make a mess, we let him (although it’s harder for me to let him lol). There’s learning happening in that mess.
What We’ve Learned So Far
The biggest lesson has been this: simplicity works.
We didn’t need complicated baby recipes. We didn’t need fortified cereals or specialty snacks. We needed patience. We needed good ingredients. We needed to move slowly enough to pay attention.
There’s something deeply grounding about watching your child eat the same foods you eat. It feels less like managing a separate “baby menu” and more like welcoming him into the rhythm of our family.
At seven months, we’re not trying to create a perfect eater. Far from it. We’re introducing flavors. We’re building nutrient stores. We’re modeling what real food looks like. And we’re doing it without anxiety.
Some weeks are smoother than others. Some meals end up mostly on the floor (thanks, Koda and Kya for being the cleanup crew). But over time, those small exposures add up.
And that’s really the point.
If you’re in the early stages of introducing solids, take a breath. You don’t need to do everything at once. Start simple. Observe. Adjust. Trust the process.
And if you’re a few weeks in and wondering when it starts to feel like actual meals — it comes naturally. One day you look down at the high chair tray and realize it looks a lot like your dinner plate, just smaller.
That’s when you know you’re not just feeding a baby anymore.
You’re feeding a growing little human who’s learning how to eat like your family eats.
And for us, that’s exactly where we wanted to end up.
