My son, who is now 8 months old, is very interested in table foods. He does very well with baby foods, but will refuse them a lot when he sees "real food." He loves bananas, wheat toast, crackers, and some steamed veggies, but it's not enough variety for a meal. I'm looking for some food ideas to feed him. Suggestions for any meal, B/L/D are greatly appreciated!
Both my kids really liked baked tofu from Trader Joe's. It comes in two flavors. You can cut it into whatever size cube is age-appropriate and babies can mash it easily in their mouths.
My daughter also really likes canned beans and corn. You can slightly mash the beans or cut them in half if need be.
Hi J.!
My oldest went straight from formula to table food...no baby food inbetween. Here's what we fed our toothless wonder: chicken, pasta (careful of long strands of spaghetti), ground beef for tacos, ground beef with marinara sauce, avacados, mashed potatoes, fruits of all kinds, corn, basically anything remotely mushy or that could be gummed, cut into very small bites. Oh! We even did deli meat of ham and turkey, sliced thin. (This list is not comprehensive, by the way, just what I can remember after nearly 15 years! <g>)
The only restriction our pediatrician gave us was to limit new foods to 1-2 per week (because of allergies) and that if we fed him steak that it should be of the highest quality. Since we couldn't afford that, he didn't get steak until he was much older.
Today, he's one of the most adventurous eaters I know. He'll try anything and usually likes it.
Interestingly, my youngest was a baby food kid and switching him to table food was a nightmare. He's the pickiest eater around. The day he started kindergarten, I stopped making him separate meals and he had to suck up what the family was eating or go hungry. Getting him to try new foods is like watching an Academy Award winning dramatic performance. On the positive side, my youngest will only snack on vegetables...his favorite since baby food days. Go figure.
Good luck!
Honestly, it sounds like your son enjoys a variety of foods. Whole wheat mini bagels? Homemade teething cookies? Yogurt with fresh fruit purees?-www.weelicious.com
When my son was ready for table food...around 9 months old I think he was...I just pretty much gave him whatever I made for myself. Only I would dish his out before I seasoned it if I was making something spicy. Then I got out my pampered chef chopper, chopped it up and put it in a bowl for him. I always gave him a spoon too, but he usually used his fingers. Anyhow, as long as he hasn't had any allergic reactions to any baby food you should be good. You could also ask your ped. for advice to make sure what is ok and what is not.
oh my gosh, google baby food recipes and you'll be forever grateful, there are thousands!!!
Hi there,
I think I wrote this same post a couple of months ago! My little one (now 10 months) likes to eat avocado, cheese cubes, cut blueberries, cut raspberries, unsalted beans (such as pinto or red beans), quartered red grapes, watermelon, tiny chunks of firm tofu, whole wheat elbow macaroni, salmon (which we limit of course), cooked pear, cut up strawberries and the yo-baby yogurt. So like at breakfast I give her a handful of cherrios, some blueberries cut in half and tiny cheese cubes. Another meal would be a handful of red beans, watermelon and some pasta or pieces of wheat bread. She has bottles in between meals. I know that some of the things we have fed her we introduced early according to the "books" but she seems to do fine with them and we do not have any history of allergies in the family. I would have never thought to let my other two babies eat some of the things that she eats when they were this age (like salmon) but I am hoping to broaden her taste buds a little as my other two only like everything very plain and are resistant to new food/tastes (even now at ages 4 and 5). Good luck!!
My son never really liked the liquid spoon fed foods. I made my own and that helped, alot healthier too. He loved to feed himself: any type of canned no salt bean, peas, whole wheat noodels, tofu cubbed, cheese or plain yogurt if you want to start dairy, egg yolks mixed w/spinach, yams,chicken cubbed if you are starting meats, tuna mixed w/potato, plain yogurt, peas...be creative and have fun.
Hello, I would keep up the good work on what you are feeding him. Also, until he is ready for more variety, I would feed him his meals before the rest of you are ready to sit down and eat. That way, he gets his nutrition and is also able to have the table foods which he can eat.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.
J. P
I know you have gotten some good and bad tips from other moms, it is something you might want to try. Your son is a very healthy eater. My grandson was like that and he wanted more than just finger food. Try pureeing the food, put it in a blender and see if he will eat that with his finger food. You can put any kind of meat in a blender and puree it with some seasoning and give him that. My grandson loved it, he is also a very good eater. I hope this helps.
Okay everyone forgets you can roast vegetables. Roasting is more locked in than steamed. You chop your vegetables in pieces anykind for the most part like broccoli or bell peppers and tomatoes even cherry tomatoes can be roasted. YOu put oven 350 degrees. Roasting brings sugars out and it's condensed instead of boiling things out and leaving them in water. YOu do not cover the vegetables or what ever you are roasting/ you put salt pepper and or herbs like rosemary or thyme. YOu might not even have to put the salt and it's more controlled when having flavors. I like stuff drizzled with olive oil. Even sweet potatoes can be roasted and taste so good. Just enough to give them bite. Roasting is a high temp cooking in the oven with out water and yes you can cover with aluminium foil or just stick it in. you would enjoy it. They do it on food shows how they take vegetables out of the oven it's roasted for the most part. Most of the vegetables are on sheet pans.
