My son is 14 months old and still would rather eat baby food than table food. He'll eat anything off our plates, but will refuse to eat anything we put on his highchair tray(except baby food). I've tried soups, pot pies, bread, chicken... Any other food ideas or advice I can try?
Anthony has been eating in a booster chair for quite a while, but I started joining him when he eats. When he eats lunch, I eat lunch so he can see that I'm participating. This helps somedays. I think he must be going through a phase, because now he'll half chew everything than spit it out. We'll just hang in there and hope it passes. Thanks for all your helpful tips!
While these are all great ideas, but I would also add that you may want to be careful about making a big deal or issue over it. As long as he is eating well and getting the nutrition he needs from the baby food, it's probably not worth fighting or worrying to much over. If he doesn't think he can manipulate you by refusing to eat, he will eventually want to eat whatever it is you're eating.
Maybe he's ready to get out of the high chair and join you at the dinner table. I suggest you buy a booster seat and just start making a plate of your dinner for him. Then if he doesn't eat or doesn't eat much, offer him some baby food when you are done eating. Sounds like he'd do well with that since he's already eating table foods (just not off his tray). My kids seemed a lot happier once they joined us at the table.
As for foods, just offer whatever your eating. My kids eat what most consider strange because it's not just PB&J and bland, boring food, but it's just whatever we're eating. It's great!
Let us know how things work out!
My son is the same way. We have fought him on eating for months. I found out that my son liked the softer foods first.
Do you eat at the same time he does?
As long as we are eating with him and the bites are small enough, he will chomp down what is in front of him.
Another addition to eating at the same time, is to try and give him what you are eating as well as the baby food.
Try taking him out of the highchair and putting him in a booster seat at the table with you. (I agree with that.)
I don't think that he should get into the habit of eating off of your plate. It might cause problems later down the line.
I am interested to see what works. :)
Try finger foods, anything he can hold in his hand. Rice cakes, they come in many flavors and dissolve in the mouth easily. Cheese slices, banana, cherios, crackers, graham crackers, veggies (peas and carrots, green beans, corn, canned or frozen), cut any meat into little pieces, just put on the tray and let him play. Let him make a mess on the tray it will wash up, he'll wash up. Try apple sauce and yogourt, let him try the spoon. Spagetti O's are another thing he can try with a spoon. In the summer give him pop cycle and let him get sticky outside. In other words let him try to feed himself. Give a vitamin if you get worried about that, as long as the doctor said he is gaining enough weight he'll be fine.
After the first year their growth slows a lot, so he his not going to eat like he use to, if he is not interested then don't force it, as my dad use to say "he'll eat when he hungery.
Our son is picky at times and cottage cheese and fruit seem to be great things he is always willing to try. In fact, any sort of cheese does the trick for us! Also, his most recent like is Ravioli. Good Luck!
If he'll eat off your plates out of the highchair, then take him out of the highchair and put an extra helping on your plate for him!
Congrats on your new edition, coming soon. Our daughter enjoyed these foods, when she was first eating table food (and still does--she's 22 months): bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, regular cubed cheese--colby jack & mozzerella blends...also, those little fruit cups, with diced fruit like pears or peaches and apple sauce work well, b/c they feel like they get to do it themselves and hold the cut themselves. Whenever she won't try something or finish something, I put it on her spoon or fork for her and then say, "You do it, b/c you're a big girl!" Good luck...and keep in mind if they eat a lot of dairy, then a little prune juice would be good, or they get constipated.
my daughter is almost 11mo and she loves french fries,cheetos cheese puffs,chicken nuggets, oreos, carrots, crackers such as ritz, oh and her favorite from taco bell cheese quasadillas did i spell that right? lol anyways, as long as i take a bite first then she'll take it from me and eat the rest...hope this helps
