The Baby Food/Eating Thread

[amc80]

There have been a lot of posts/questions lately regarding babies and their eating habits. I thought I would start a thread so that we could keep the discussion in one place.

I would love advice from the moms with older babies/toddlers. B is 11 months old and going through a really fun eating phase (no). UP until a couple of weeks ago he was doing fine- he was drinking around 30oz of formula a day and having 3 meals, which were either 1 or 2 4oz tubs of purees. He would also eat snacks (puffs, those Gerber cheeto things, veggie sticks, etc.). I started introducing table food to him a few months ago and gradually he's started trying and eating more and more. He would eat bread, lunch meat, cheese, spaghetti noodles, cut up grapes, and a few other things. As of a few weeks ago, ee basically decided that he doesn't want to eat anything except the snacks. If we try to feed him purees with a spoon he hits my hand out of the way and closes his mouth and shakes his head. If I hold his arms down and sort of force the spoon in his mouth it's like he realizes it is yummy and then will have a few bites....but then it's back to the resisting. I offer him all sorts of table food and he usually just throws it on the floor. But if I give him a snack food he will eat it up. I know the obvious solution is to stop giving him snacks...but that's easier said then done. Last night he refused to eat anything except snacks so we didn't let him have much, and as a result he basically didn't eat dinner...which meant he woke up THREE times last night for bottles.

Any suggestions??

 

[NewShiny]

My advice is to keep offering what you want him to eat. I know, I know, it seems like such a waste, but I did baby led weaning (although I didn't know it had a name at the time) and my son is now 3 and will eat just about anything. It might be a texture thing since the snacks you mentioned seem to be crunchy and I LOVE crunchy so I get it, but just keep offering the 'real food' at meal time. You might consider giving up on the purees altogether. I didn't do them at all after I was convinced that A knew how to eat & knew that he didn't have any allergies, he just ate whatever we were eating (within reason minus the choking hazard foods) cut up into TINY pieces. For foods like applesauce and eventually other soft foods like soups, I gave him a baby spoon and held the container and let him figure it out. Its messy and wasteful in the beginning, which is why I think a lot of people shy away from it. But, it worked for us and it really didn't take a lot of time before he was eating 100% on his own with his hands and then utensils. Hope this helps - I'm kind of passionate about baby/toddler food and love to talk about it. I really don't understand why people give their kids "kid" food or really anything different than you yourself are eating. The only exception I have to this is any food that can be considered a choking hazard (raw apples, raw carrots, peanuts, etc).

Also - do you eat any meals together as family? Having dinner together all of you (basically) eating the same thing is a motivator as well.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I don't know how much great advice I can provide, but maybe some questions to start. I think he's probably done with the purees? How does he eat at daycare? Does he eat table food there? How much time passes between a bottle and dinner time? Have you tried banana? Baked sweet potato?

Kids are all so different with food! I think it's a great idea to have a separate topic for it.

ETA: I also agree with NewShiny's post entirely, except I would also add that I do think some kids are more difficult with food, regardless of what efforts are made at home! I think she might be lucky with a relatively easy-going kiddo food-wise! I do too, well at least I thought I did. She's a little more picky these days, and she will.not.eat apples! Will take any advice anyone has on that one.

 

[NewShiny]

I don't know how much great advice I can provide, but maybe some questions to start. I think he's probably done with the purees? How does he eat at daycare? Does he eat table food there? How much time passes between a bottle and dinner time? Have you tried banana? Baked sweet potato?

Kids are all so different with food! I think it's a great idea to have a separate topic for it.

ETA: I also agree with NewShiny's post entirely, except I would also add that I do think some kids are more difficult with food, regardless of what efforts are made at home! I think she might be lucky with a relatively easy-going kiddo food-wise! I do too, well at least I thought I did. She's a little more picky these days, and she will.not.eat apples! Will take any advice anyone has on that one.

LV, I agree I did get lucky with a good eater and that's part of it too. Now if you want to talk about his nap habits since birth . . . .well, it's always something, right?!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I agree that it sounds like he's done with purees. But it sounds like he's doing great with table foods, so why not make the transition? If you give him the lunch meat, some cut up grapes, maybe pieces of steamed carrot and some puffs, then boom, you've got a meal instead of snacks!

The thing is, I think kids do usually eat less when they switch to table foods. And B waking up multiple times wanting a bottle at night is no good. The only advice I have is to keep trying it in hopes that he starts eating more at dinnertime so he won't wake up hungry, but I feel like I can't give good advice because even though K did eat less when we made the switch, she wasn't waking up hungry. At least not in the middle of the night (she does wake up hungry first thing in the morning).

Since this is an eating thread, when is it normal for kids to start using utensils? Effectively.

 

[monkeyprincess]

amc, great idea. I have a question too. My son is nine months old and still only eats purees. He was slow to take to them but gobbles them up now, so I think he is probably finally ready to try other things. I'm terrified of him choking and my DH is even worse, so we have been putting it off. What are the best things to start giving him after mashed up bananas/sweet potatoes/avocado? Should I try puffs? Or move on to real food? Thanks for any tips!

 

[amc80]

Wow, great replies!

Also - do you eat any meals together as family? Having dinner together all of you (basically) eating the same thing is a motivator as well

Thank you for what you said, great advice there. We haven't been eating together (we feed B and then will eat once he goes to sleep) but maybe we should try that. We definitely want to sit together as a family for dinner and maybe it is time to start. My initial plan for him was baby lead weaning, but that sort of went out the window when the pediatrician found out how much formula he was drinking a day (50+oz at 4-5 months) and wanted us to give B anything he'd eat just to lower the formula quantity.

I think he's probably done with the purees? How does he eat at daycare? Does he eat table food there? How much time passes between a bottle and dinner time? Have you tried banana? Baked sweet potato?

He's been fighting it at day care as well. They sort of do the same thing where they have to force the first bite or so, then after that he will eat. I don't think he's ever eaten any table food they have tried to give him, maybe a bite or two, but then he throws it on the ground. It's usually about 2 hours between bottle and food. We have tried banana and sweet potato. You know, now that you mention it....I do think he's eaten more when we are all at the table. I've tried giving him banana many times and he won't eat it, but one time we were out to breakfast and I gave him some and he ate it. Same goes for a few other occasions....hmmm...

If you give him the lunch meat, some cut up grapes, maybe pieces of steamed carrot and some puffs, then boom, you've got a meal instead of snacks!

That's basically what I've done...I think the night before last I had 4 different foods cut up for him and he didn't eat any of them. But if you put in puffs or whatever he will eat those and throw the other stuff on the floor.

I'm terrified of him choking and my DH is even worse, so we have been putting it off. What are the best things to start giving him after mashed up bananas/sweet potatoes/avocado? Should I try puffs? Or move on to real food? Thanks for any tips!

My DH is the same way. I had to explain to him several times that choking is different than gagging.

 

[lliang_chi]

AMC, maybe you can have a little snack with B instead of him eating by himself. I definitely found Ethan to eat more when he has company than when he's eating by himself. Also, are you giving him food FIRST or bottle first? Try giving him food before his bottle so he's HUNGRY and will eat food rather than filling up on a bottle then "grazing/snacking". The throwing food/bottles/etc on the floor will happen. He'll grow out of it eventually. I think you have dogs, maybe let them "clean up" so you have a little less to worry about.

MP, I'd try whatever soft food you're eating to give Ev for table food. Cut up small. He'll eventually get used to chewing and swallowing. But you WILL have some coughing gagging episodes. Just prepare yourself and your DH for it. I think Ethan started with spaetzle on vacation in Switzerland. And small pieces of soft fruit like bananas, avocado and baked apples/pears. The inside/crust-less part of bread, soft pasta, rice. Any of that stuff will work as introduction to food.

NEL, Ethan is quite adept at using spoons and pretty good at a fork now. He always gets it with his meal. It helps that the older kids at daycare are using it too, so he's getting lots of practice. Most of the time, he still eats lunch & dinner with his hands, but he can eat cereal and yogurt with a spoon.

 

[amc80]

AMC, maybe you can have a little snack with B instead of him eating by himself. I definitely found Ethan to eat more when he has company than when he's eating by himself. Also, are you giving him food FIRST or bottle first? Try giving him food before his bottle so he's HUNGRY and will eat food rather than filling up on a bottle then "grazing/snacking". The throwing food/bottles/etc on the floor will happen. He'll grow out of it eventually. I think you have dogs, maybe let them "clean up" so you have a little less to worry about.

He doesn't get food and a bottle at the same time, so no worries there. But good suggestion on eating with him, I think I will try that tonight. And yes, we have a dog who loves the "throwing food on the floor" phase!

 

[megumic]

Amc, C is so there too. He will accept the spoon of puree and then spit it out and dribble it down his chin. We have taken his lead as he is done with purees. Only in a pinch when we are out of baby-friendly table food will we resort to purees, but it sounds like B is doing the same and ready to move on. Here's a list of our go-tos:

cheese
cut up fruit
avocado slices
lunch meat
puffs
rice cake type things
pasta
chicken
dr praegers veggie bites
bananas
yogurt
cheerios
bread
eggs scrambled

Pretty much everything. We try to always have fruit on hand that we can cut up or serve easily like blue berries, mango, avocado, etc. We eat dinner as a family every night during the week and breakfast and dinner on weekends. I think it helps them realize that we're all eating the same thing at the same time together and we all sit and this is what we do.

 

[amc80]

Meg- I was hoping you'd chime in since our kids are the same age. Thanks for the input, I will definitely try some of those.

Okay so I think B read this thread. At daycare he was fighting the purées again so they took a break for a few minutes and then he was fine. This was after refusing the school lunch. And then dinner came and he was a different kid. I took a chance and gave him some chicken that was part of a pasta salad from Costco. He loved it! So I gradually pulled out other pieces of the salad and he liked most of it- pasta, feta, even artichoke hearts. The olives and tomatoes were a no-go. He ended up eating a ton of chicken. After he ate a decent amount I offered him snacks. I'm hoping he will learn that eating real food first means he can earn some of the good stuff. This is his first meal where he ate all table food and no purées. Yay!

 

[dani13]

Meg, we've pretty much tried everything you have. l is not a huge fan of smooth purees, so whenever I can make him him own food I just smash it with a fork and leave it a little chunky...he just seems to like that better.

MP, L loves sweet potato....I bake a couple and then scoop it out of its shell, mash it with a fork, and keep it in the fridge for a few days. He LOVES American cheese....ped said we can start giving him that a few wks ago. When his top teeth come down a little more, we will start giving him meats. He also likes yogurt ( we give him the plain, full fat kind...try Yo Baby).

I had a really scary episode with Cheerios the other day. He loves them, so I gave him one, and all of a sudden he started choking. I mean, full-fledge choking- not gagging.....he was just not transferring air. I made the split decision to flip him over on my knee and deliver a few back blows. On the second blow, the Cheerio came flying out, along with the rest of the meal he'd just eaten. Ugh, so scary (and I don't lose my cool easily)! So if you are going to give Cheerios, split them in half and/or wet them a little with water before feeding.

Ped basically said to start giving L what we're eating ( except no whole milk and peanuts). So I made lasagna the other night and we gave him some of that! He loved it! I'm hoping that he is a good eater...it was rough in the beginning because he is just not a fan of purees, so I think we just had to figure out the consistency that he likes!

 

[NewShiny]

Meg- I was hoping you'd chime in since our kids are the same age. Thanks for the input, I will definitely try some of those.

Okay so I think B read this thread. At daycare he was fighting the purées again so they took a break for a few minutes and then he was fine. This was after refusing the school lunch. And then dinner came and he was a different kid. I took a chance and gave him some chicken that was part of a pasta salad from Costco. He loved it! So I gradually pulled out other pieces of the salad and he liked most of it- pasta, feta, even artichoke hearts. The olives and tomatoes were a no-go. He ended up eating a ton of chicken. After he ate a decent amount I offered him snacks. I'm hoping he will learn that eating real food first means he can earn some of the good stuff. This is his first meal where he ate all table food and no purées. Yay!

Yay! Good news and way to go B!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Dani, see that is the nightmare I keep envisioning in my head. So glad you were able to get it out! Ev has an appointment next week, so I guess it will be good for DH to hear from the doctor that Ev can start trying table foods.

I gave him small pieces of nectarine last night, and he was horrified. Same with the mashed up banana. DH had the camera out, and he already sent me a picture with the caption, "Everett's first taste of Mommy's cooking." Nice.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

amc, so encouraging that he had table foods for dinner last night! How did he sleep?

LC, how nice that E can use a spoon! I'm admittedly bad about having K practice. We're in a real rut with food right now--she's basically been eating finger foods for 4+ months. I did have her try to spoon feed herself some creamy rice last week and she gets the concept of the utensil, but can't do the scooping motion. Time to step up my game.

 

[amc80]

amc, so encouraging that he had table foods for dinner last night! How did he sleep?

Pretty crappy! Up twice during the night to eat and up for good at 6am. ::yawn::

 

[lliang_chi]

Dani, we had a choking incident with Ethan @ 8 months, also. His was with spaetzle on vacation. I did the same thing, a few back blows and he was fine. It's definitely scarier for mama (or in our case, Daddy) than it is for baby. L will eventually realize he needs to eat slower. Ethan still gags when he's shoveling noodles in his mouth. I always have to tell him to eat slower. Until then, give him what you're comfortable, and he'll get things when he's ready. Also another reminder that you must sit with baby when he's eating. Especially when they're still new to the table foods bit.

AMC, hooray that B ate so well for you! Hoping this is the start of a trend. We do the same thing with real food first, fun food after. Ethan's fun food is fruit. The boy can house 2 whole peaches (peeled).

NEL, I'd just keep giving K a spoon or fork at all meals. It's going to be REALLY MESSY, but she'll get it. I just give Ethan a utensil with all his meals. Whether he uses it or not is another story. And the spooning motion, she'll get it. Ethan used to "spoon" upside down and lick the yogurt off it. Eventually he got the right side up spoon motion. Now he still doesn't know how to raise the spoon so he gets all the food (like yogurt) off it, but he's getting there.

 

[amc80]

I'm not sure what happened but as of this past weekend B is totally fine with table food. He started walking (but still prefers to crawl) a ton on Friday, so I wonder if that had something to do with it...almost like "walking, check...now I'll will focus on eating." He's been eating the school lunch all week and has at least tried everything I've given him for dinner. Last night he ate banana, chicken, and pasta. I'm so happy he's finally figured it out, I was beginning to think I'd be sending my 5 year old to school with baby food.

Question- do you feed your kids graham crackers? School does, and I did too, and then I realized they contain honey...so I'm not sure if that's a no-no or if it doesn't matter because they are baked?