Hi ladies,
Here's my problem...my 14 month old daughter will feed herself only one fruit and one vegetable...peas and bananas. I still give her baby food fruit from a jar for some variety. I have tried EVERYTHING from fresh to frozen to canned of both. She will put it to her mouth and then throw it on the ground or put it in her mouth and spit it out.
Yes, agreeing with the previous post. It's the "Rule of Ten (or Twelve): you have to offer something to the child ten times before they'll actually eat it! As long as she puts it in her mouth, she's getting accustomed to a new taste. Be patient and be prepared to clean up a lot! My daughter did the same thing at first, then she was off and running and even liked pesto and sushi when she was 4. Best of luck.
Dear N.,
The reason that your daughter likes bananas is that it is the closest tasting food to breastmilk. Besides being high in potassium, its texture is pleasant to any type of sore gums if the baby is teething. If your baby is teething, she might like a little cereal pieces. My children liked Cheerios, but make sure that it is not Honey-coated.
The peas are high in zinc and are used with vitamin A, so yams and cantelopes are high in beta carotene which she might enjoy.
I usually put my table food in a blender with water/gravy and my child saw me and was pleased that she was eating what my husband and I ate.
I hope that this is helpful.
E.
Definitely keep trying.... the new flavors and consistencies might take some getting used to but if you are persistent and creative I think she will come around. Mashed potatoes are a great dish to sneak other vegetables (cauliflower, spinach, onions, broccoli, etc.) in or even add something like the peas. From there you might be able to try sweet potatoes or even a baked potato with vegetables and cheese. I like to make smoothies and frozen popsicles using 100% fruit juices or the fruit and vegetable juice blends, you can also add yogurt to them. You could also make your own fruit and vegetable juices if you have a juicer and the time :) We try to eat most meals at the table all together so our daughter sees that we are eating healthy fruits and vegetables too. Rice is another dish that has a somewhat mushy consistency and mixes well with lots of vegetables. I would keep trying new things but not forcing anything on her. It sounds like you just have a strong minded little girl who knows what she wants! :) Good luck!!
And another thought... fresh veggies or fruits with a little dip (like yogurt, ranch, hummus, and even peanut-butter when you introduce it) might be fun for her because she can feed herself and use "big girl dips" too.
My oldest went through a similar period when he was around that age, maybe a little older. He only liked oatmeal. I was equally worried, but then realized that as long as he's eating something I didn't have to stress over making sure he had all of the food pyramid covered. (Plus, with oatmeal I could blend in some other foods.) The phase will end. Just keep offering different foods, but don't make a big deal out of getting her to try and eat them. She'll grow out of it.Good luck.
Just keep trying. She is learning right now. She is going to decide what she does and does not like. The best thing you can do is keep offering her a variety of things. Sometimes it takes them many many tries before deciding that they like something. I think the experts says 12 times. At least she eats the banana's and peas! Just keep trying, she and you are doing just fine!
You have to keep trying, but I would guess she's objecting to the texture of the foods. SOme kids are just not as ready to give up the pureed foods as others. She'll grow out of it over time.
Just keep trying! (as frustrating as it is) My 15 month old daughter wouldn't touch broccoli for weeks then all of a sudden one day she started eating it (I about fell out of my chair). Her fav right now is green beans and carrots. Fruit, again keep trying (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, etc.).
