Feeding 10 Month Old Table Foods

I have a pediatric dietician in the family. She said that babies eat so little at 10 months, it's not like they are going to OD on salt from what you give them. In her opinion, feeding them what you eat helps them get used to tastes.

Most of the salt that Americans get is from eating way too much processed food, not from the small amount most people add when actually cooking. So if you are eating lots of processed foods (loaded with salt, fat and lots of bad things) then it is unhealthy for you and your baby. If you are cooking real vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, then a little salt won't hurt anyone. And no, you do NOT want to feed bland food to babies. You want them to learn new tastes (you are already a bit past the best window for this at 4-7 months) - so give him LOTS of herbs, spices and variety.

By 10 months old I gave both our kids little bits of soft foods from most things we were eating. It is fine. Don't add any extra salt to any of the foods...you are right in that your baby does not need that. But it's great for your little guy to get used to all different tastes and textures. It will help him to not be picky as he gets older. As one poster said...make sure it's nothing he can choke on.

Salt, spices, herbs, etc. are fine for a baby. I fed my oldest commercial baby/toddler foods and he has a pretty limited palate (even at 17 years old). My youngest, now 9, went straight from exclusive breastfeeding to eating "real" food and is the best eater of my kids by far. I wish I had done the same with all of my kids - obviously if I made something super-spicy I would take out the baby's portion before seasoning the rest but generally, he was eating what we were eating.

ETA

I have a lot of years in child care and have a great pet peeve. Food size and portions. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE google choke hazards for kids under 3/infants/toddlers.

Marshmallows, grapes, gummies, nuts, all foods that aren't processed where they are at that child's level of eating ability can choke them to death.

I have a friend who posted a blog story. It was from a friend of hers that she'd babysat as her first job. This new mom has a son and he was very very ill at birth, in NICU for a long time, prayers, anointing with oil, great doctors, and more got him through that first year.

Then she let him eat fruit gummies as a toddler and he choked to death.

I have help way too many kids upside down thumping them on the back to get food out of their throats to not say anything. When you feed table food you might need a blender or food processor. You might need a mixer to blend it all up.

YOU have to take a knife and cut stuff up where it's smaller than a quarter of an inch in bite sizes. YOU have to take the food away and teach your child to take small bites. They can't choke if you sit with them at every food event, whether it's snack time, meal time, or any time they have food in front of them.

Choking is a huge hazard. Google it and make a list if needed. Put it up where you and hubby can see it. That way you'll both be on the same page as to size and amounts of food kiddo has access to.

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Baby food is flavored goo that has lost almost all it's nutritional value by the time it hits your grocery store shelves. By the time it is purchased by you then put on the table in front of your child it is little more than flavored goo. Your child loves it and eats it up, then wants more and more and more of it because they're not getting any nutrition and starving.

So yes, table food that you are eating is more nutrition for your little one. I made normal food and then used my Pampered Chef table top food chopper to chop it up small enough for the kids to eat it without gagging and choking.

Please go to your local library and check out a couple of books.

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Toddler-Meals-For-Dummies/dp/0...

http://www.amazon.com/Idiots-Guides-Homemade-Baby-Toddler...

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Feeding-Toddl...

Too much salt is not good for anyone, so if you are putting too much salt in your food for baby you are putting too much for you. If there is too much salt then the food is unhealthy and it sets baby up to preferring salty food over healthier low salt foods. If food is too spicy baby likely won't like it, but if there are some spices then baby will get used to eating regular food. If baby only eats foods with no salt or seasoning then he won't want to eat what the rest of the family is eating. So, what I am saying is feed your baby what the rest of the family is eating, but try and keep it reasonably healthy.

I don't add salt to food while cooking - it's healthier for everyone. So, make your food that way, and people that want salt can use the salt shaker on the table, and of course you wouldn't add any to the baby's food.

When my kids were little I made their food.

Every other Friday night I could be found in the kitchen with frozen veggies - cooking, blending, straining them and putting them into the glass jars for fruits and freezing. I would buy chicken livers, and beef kidneys and cook them down with onions and celery for extra flavor and blend and make a pate with extra liquid to thin them out.

My son loved his chicken vegetable soup again real chicken and veggies. He also loved whole what pancakes with a little syrup.

It might take a bit but you know what your child is eating and not the extra processed sugars and salts.

Google how to make baby food. It will be an adventure that you both can enjoy and eat things together.

Good luck to you.

the other S.

I fed my kid what I ate, spices, seasonings, and all.

Reasonable amounts of pretty much everything are fine. I think there's still a 1-year mark for honey though. Like adults, kids should not be eating tons of processed foods. The main thing is to watch that they can manage the textures and chewing - hot dogs, grapes, etc. are problems (not that hot dogs are good for anyone), and super chewy foods are out. Anything that is soft but which can get softer and clog the throat is a no-no - marshmallows are huge problems for older kids who play that lethal stuff-the-mouth game. Stick to small pieces and make sure things get swallowed before more stuff gets put in the mouth!

Here's a helpful link. http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20100222/group-aims-to...

well, you're not going to sit down and feed your infant a big ol' helping of nachos and grilled steak, right?
you're correct that you don't want to feed your baby spicy and highly seasoned foods. your pediatrician probably just made that assumption but could have been clearer.
but a little chicken and green beans and mashed potatoes and rice and broccoli with cheese sauce and oatmeal and grilled cheese sandwich will be fine.
common sense.
khairete
S.

You don't want to start them on salted/sweetened/seasoned purees, or they get used to those added flavor enhancements (plus babies don't need the extra). By the time a baby is big enough to eat table foods (food off of your plate), the regular seasoning in food is ok. At 10.5 months, my daughter was eating off my plate in an Indian restaurant. :-)
I'd still avoid super-salty things, like knock most of the salt off of a pretzel, but regular seasoning in meals is fine.

When my kids were just starting table food I would cook it, take some out for the baby, and then season it for us. Sometimes, depending on the food, I would very lightly season baby's food. But I don't think I ever used salt.

Most salt that most families in America buy is bleached, cooked and refined. Any salt that is pure white is most likely refined. Sea salt is no better than table salt if it's cooked and stripped of all minerals. The salts that you should be using are unrefined: Redmond RealSalt, Himalayan salt, Celtic grey salt, etc. Redmond is a great choice and readily available. These salts contain vital minerals. Read great and helpful info on the Redmond website for the history of the salt that is sold in most grocery stores today.

That being said, the value of feeding babies and toddlers unsalted foods is so that they can taste the food. Let them enjoy properly pureed sweet potatoes, or when they're able and old enough, some soft cooked peas and diced carrots. They don't need all the seasonings, but herbs and spices used in moderation can enhance the food without disguising it. Don't serve your baby zucchini, for example, only in muffins. Don't serve him bananas only in smoothies or bread. Don't hide everything in pancakes or in toy shapes. And set a good example by enjoying pure foods yourself!

Avoid feeding babies under 13 months of age anything with honey. And they shouldn't be eating anything with artificial sweeteners, Stevia or other highly processed sweeteners.

If you're cooking something for supper, just remove some of the pure ingredients and puree or dice them for your baby before you add hot sauce or spicy ingredients. Making a chicken pot pie? Puree some of the chicken before it's seasoned and before it goes into the sauce. Serve it to your baby with the soft cooked vegetables. Don't be afraid of seasonings, just keep them very mild so that your baby actually tastes the food. Some kids grow up never knowing that broccoli can be served without cheese sauce, or never having tasted a green bean that wasn't in cream of mushroom soup from a can! My son had a friend when they were both seniors in high school. On one occasion there was a group of kids over and I made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (homemade broth and everything). This friend asked, in all seriousness, "how many cans of soup did you have to open to make all this?" and I replied "zero". She proceeded to ask where it was delivered from. I told her I made it. She asked "made it from what?". She was very serious and sincere and had never seen soup made from homemade stock with roasted chicken and fresh vegetables and noodles.