Help! My 11 Month Old Will Only Eat Cheerios, Those Puffs and Formula

I hope the poster below me was joking, advising you to give the baby raw carrots and raw nuts. I can barely dignify that with a response, but I hope you DO NOT follow that advice and stay away from those major choking hazards.

What I do with my one-year-old who is similarly picky, try pieces of well-steamed carrots, semi-mushed black beans, scrambled egg, boiled chicken, mashed white and sweet potatoes, canned green beans, pieces of whole-wheat toast, cut up soft penne or elbows... experiment! It can actually be fun to see what they'll eat.

Try giving him things that are hard like raw carrots or raw nuts...maybe he'll like those better than soft foods

As an RD eligible pediatric nutritionist, my suggestions are:

1) do not offer whole milk in replacement of formula under one year of age AND/OR especially if he is not eating other foods that could compensate for the poor nutritional value (relative to formula or breastmilk) of cows milk. Even a 1/2 cup can make a difference.

2) If this behavior is abnormal for him, consider medical issues such as: is he teething? (discomfort in his mouth might make him resistant to any oral stimulation, or the dry foods might feel good on those cutting teeth). Or, was he premature? sometimes premature infants are more sensative to oral stimulation and have more difficulty accepting new foods/ foods.

3) Whatever you do: DO NOT WORRY or POWER STRUGGLE: He will eat when he is hungry and he will take solids when he is ready. Offer his bottle as usual, offer him a variety of foods, over and over again, even if he rejects them (research shows it can take 8-10 exposures to a new food before a child will accept it). However: Be careful not to fill him up on puffs and cereals, so that when you offer him "real food" he is hungry enough to try it. For creative suggestions on appropriate finger foods for toddlers, check your local bookstore. Some suggestions: sweet potato "fries", avocado slices, fruit, cold banana (cut lengthwise, cubed hard boiled egg, whole wheat bread (toasted, if he would prefer), apple "sticks" etc. Remember: he does not have to eat solids right now. As long as he is gaining weight and growing normally, the purpose of food at this point is just to expose him to different flavors and textures so as to increase the likely hood that he will eat and accept these various foods when he is toddler.

Also, research shows that formula fed babies have more difficulty accepting a variety of foods than breast fed babies. (Theory being that breast fed babies get exposure to new flavors that are carried in mothers breastmilk. In know, strange, but true)...All this means is that he is normal and that he just needs more convincing in the form of exposure to various flavors/textures...

IN sum: If he simply refuses to eat certain forms of soilds (or solids in general), MAYBE HE IS JUST NOT READY. Do not worry... keep offering bites of odd things through out the day (without expecting him to necessarily "accept" these new foods and textures until 8-10 repeated exposures). Your job at this stage is to simply lay the foundation for healthy eating patterns later in his toddlerhood...To that end, also: if he cries when you put him in his high chair: don't feed him in his high chair...If necessary, try a different chair in the household, or if it doesn't bother you, let him eat sitting on the floor on top of a blanket or something). If it makes you feel better: my daughter would never eat baby food or finger foods really either. In fact, even though she nursed exclusively until about one year, she didn't start really eating table food until she was about 14 months (after she started walking). She would never take baby food or purees of any kind. I offered various foods three times a day (throwing most of it away) until she was probably about 18-24 months...Now she is 28 months and eats most anything!

Hope this was helpful!

C.

My 2nd son Matt surpised when he was a fincky eater because our first son eats almost anything!
Whatever you do do not let your son eat on your lap and don't let him have a drink instead of eating. I made that mictake and it is really really tough to break.
Matt did not eat baby food either and went right to adult food, what I didn;t try just to get him to eat. Stay with it always try something new and still keep certain baby foods, they change everyday and one day he may want it and the next throw it on the floor. Milk is a great thing but be careful your not giving to much in his sippy that he is filling uo on that I always waiting to give htem their drink until they begun eating. Try the baby yogurt either think or drinkable ( in a sippy with a little milk or warm water to break it up. One other thing I used to do was break it upa little one day bran flakes the next cherrios, the next homemade mini waffles etc. Always put the food in front of him to eat he'll get it sooner than you think.

Hi L.. I have 3 boys,12yr., 41/2 yr. and n almost 3yr. old. With the first and the third I had no problem feeding. With the second one we did and still do. He would only eat baby food and it had to be smooth with NO texture to it. He would pick out the rice in the green beans and rice one. I asked the Dr. and he said to just keep trying foods like bagels, pizza crust and things like thatand he would eventually eat them. Needless to say he didn't. Come to find out that he has some sensory issues and had a speech delay. We are working on both now. Not to say that your son has any of those issues, but when we had him tested through Early Intervention,the speech pathologists said that the Dr. should have picked up on the fact that he would not eat anything but smooth baby food,esp. since he was about 18 months at the time. I wish we would have known then what we do now,we would have started earlier with him and maybe he would eat more now. He eats no protein except for peanut butter and has a limited ampount of foods he will eat or even try. Bottom line is, no matter how much advice you get ,do what you think is right...even if the Dr. says it's normal. If we would have listened to our Dr. we wouldn't have had our son tested when we did for speech. Our thinking is always error on the side of the child. Good luck and let me know if you need any info. on what I said. :-)

I think many kids go through this stage where they don't want baby food anymore, but they're not quite ready for "regular" food. It takes alot of time for them to get used to new textures. My son would gag with everything I gave him. I had to try a number of different foods and very slowly he began to eat them. You may have already tried these, but here are some things to try: baby yogurt, mashed banana, mashed sweet potato, small pieces of pancakes, small pieces of deli turkey, american cheese, avacado, grilled cheese, mini quiches. He may not be ready for some of these. My son probably didn't take them until 12-13 months. (A physical therapist told me to put the food in the side of his mouth, not right on his tongue. This teaches them how to move the food and then to swallow it.) By 11 or close to 12 months the doctor says whole milk is fine in a cup. I've heard to give it to them gradually to make sure they don't have a milk allergy.

Have you tried giving him the spoon to feed himself things like applesauce, yogurt, etc? Sme kids (like my daughter) just want to do it themselves. It might be messy, but it does teach independence.

I went through the same thing with my son who is now thriving and off the growth charts. Try to put the fruit purees in the bottle with the milk like a smoothie to make sure your child is getting fruits. Also don't worry about skipping baby food as long as the Dr. says your baby is healthy. Check with your doctor if there are any signs of acid reflux and you can also have your baby checked to confirm this is not a physical issue (can't swallow properly etc.) by speaking with your dr. Probably just a picky eater like my son.

All you can do is offer different foods along with foods you know he will eat. He makes the decision about what he will eat and how much. If you continue to offer the food, he will eventually try it. They say sometimes you have to offer a new food 10 times before your child will try it.
As for switching to whole milk, you should wait until he is 1. They need the nutrients from breast milk or formula, whole milk doesn't have all of them. How close to 1 is he? Good Luck!

C.
Mommy to Jessie, Katie and Julia
www.timetochangethediapers.com
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My baby also refused any mush foods at 9 months and ate only the puffs for a day. I realized that she was asserting her independence and wanted only finger foods. I started making super soft pastas (cook for 30-40min) and cut them up to small pieces... she likes the macaronis cut up like ringlets. She ate them all up on a plate from the highchair. Now, all she eats are finger foods and sometimes I can sneak in some stage 2 carrots or sweet potatos. Try one of those every now and then to see if they've changed their minds. So now her menu includes soft pasta, bits of chicken and fish, carrot cubes (from the jar), fruit cubes (loves peaches & nectarines) and anything soft enough to gum but hard enough for her to grab and put in her mouth. Since your baby is drinking whole milk, he might be okay to eat finger foods. Too much of the puffs and snacks just get in the way of keeping your baby healthy. I give her those snacks after she's had a good amount of food. But best to ask your pediatrician since s/he has a better sense of your baby's health. Good luck... I'm waiting/mentally preparing for our next phase of changes. :)

Gerber makes Finger Foods in Diced Apples and Diced Peaches (they come in jars by the baby foods), which my daughter loves, after going through the same stage. She also will eat cut up bananas, mashed carrots, that I have cooked with no seasonings or butter. Gerber Finger Foods also make Wagon Wheels in Apple and Carrot that she loves. I also have taught her how to hold her own spoon, which helps because it seems she will eat most things she can feed herself. Hope this helps a little. I will also be checking up on the advice because I need some more tricks!! :) Good luck.

Hello L. -

Congratulations - you are so blessed and lucky to have a dream family - married to the man of your dreams and an incredible beautiful 11 month old son!

There is a solution to a picky eater - Please check my link: http://www.mamasource.com/business/16065541178082197505

Following is what Dr. Tom Kirchhofer(the grandfather)suggests:

"With the babies in the 7 months - to post teething we opened the Juice Plus capsules and added some of the fruits and vegetable powder to their cereal, baby or junior vegetables (which are all processed with sugar added) and to their juice in their bottles or sippy cups.

Our efforts worked very well as we saw normal childhood colds and runny noses disappear, allergies be nonexistent and their growth curves are very normal. Their energy is up but they are easily handled without behavioral problems. However, I am sure credit is due to the parenting skills of their parents here, backed by Grandparents, and the consistency of their daily routines for their behavior.

The amount usually was determined by the consistency and taste of the food in which we included. My only caution is that there is a gram of fiber in the capsule which may constipate the child if they get too much or don't drink enough water as part of their daily diet."

Let me know how I can serve you.

Wishing you good health, blessings, love and joy -

Sally

L., - when my daughter was that age - she didn't fully refuse the baby food, but it certainly was not her first choice. I quickly realized that she wanted what we had from the table. When she was a year old she was eating flank steak (cut up very small), chicken breast, etc, etc. Of course we had to cut it up well for her - but she wanted NOTHING to do with the stage 3 foods and pretty much went right to table foods. The other thing I realized was that she did not want me to feed her on and off and wanted to do it herself which I did not care about (as well as the toys that were 'table time' toys that became an awful mess!!). Oh and as for spice - she ate it all! I never made anything too spicy - but things had a kick and she'd eat it. My theory was don't overdo it with spice and if she wanted to eat it - she would. Luckily - I have a little girl (20 mos old now) who ate and still eats most things so I didn't need to get frazzled too much. Have you tried egg yokes, baby yogurt and things like that? If he can swallow cheerios and puffs - chances are he can swallow - but if you see certain patterns (like the one mom pointed out with her child with sensory issues) have him checked - it's always better to know and get started with help (no matter what the MD says). Good luck - hopefully this is just a phase and just keep experimenting until you see something that he's responding well too and go with it. If he's upset about getting in his chair - either try to not care what he eats for a couple days so he can feel more in control then start tossing in some different food items and let him decide or try a different seating option and see if that helps. If he is overall healthy a couple days without the perfect nutrition won't hurt him. As far as the whole mild - my doc said keep with formula until 12 mos - but if he prefers milk - keep going with the cup and keep formula in a different container. That's something else we did - I kept formula in her bottles - but started giving her a straw cup (once she could do it) at meals with whole milk so the transition wouldn't be so bad once bottles were finished - and her 'sippy' cups always had only water in them. It helped her get used to what happened when without too much argument. Hope this helps and wasn't too rambling!

Talk to your pediatrician about this. They will recommend things but they may not work. For the longest time, my daughter would only eat cold Spaghetti o's, mnacaroni and cheeses, cheese, bologna, and hotdogs and french fries. She is 13 and just started eating other foods a couple years ago. It has been hard. she will eat any kind of pasta, chicken , and meats and fruits but only corn as a vegetable. Being around friends in school helped to see other kids eating. I wish you luck but don't stess over it--it will happen when they are ready!
Daughter's pediatrician agreed.

I wouldn't take him off formula if that's all he's eating. Have you tried one of the mesh feeders? you could put a cuck of apple in one (raw) and he can safely chew on it without fear of chocking. Same for pears and other fruits and veggies.
You can boil raisins and mash them up so the skins are in tiny pieces and see if he'll like those. Don't give himr egular raisins as those are a chocking hazard.
I would also consider food sensitivities (not allergies) - if he has rashes, chronic congestion, etc. they are signs of food sensitivities. Dairy and soy are the biggest causes, and what happens is the baby doesn't feel well and sticks to very few foods.

Our 10 month old eats pretty much whatever we eat. Pasta (ditalini are perfect), rice, small pieces of meat (chicken, pork, meatballs and meat loaf are favorites), peas are great (they always say cut things "pea size", and peas are already "pea size"), Fish, toast, bread, crackers, Also, have you tried pancakes? I make pancakes with all sorts of vegetable purees, he really loves those. Good luck!

Try the toddler raviolis. My son (11 month loves them and he can pick them up himself!

My oldest daughter had a similar eating problem too. She was still refusing food after she turned one. My pediatrician, however, assure me that she would eat when she was ready, and that as long as she has adequate amounts of milk, she'd be fine. She did start eating on her own, and is doing great.

I had the same problem with my son. He never would eat baby food. I started off with easy table food like mashed potatoes, vegetable soup etc. He also liked to feed himself, so I would give him some puffs on his tray when I was trying to spoon feed. Good Luck!

If he's anything like my kids were at that age, what he really wants is what you're eating. Also, if you want him to eat, stop offering the placating foods. Cheerios and puffs are really not that healthy (compared to fresh veggies, fruits, eggs, meat, real whole grains), so give them as a reward for eating the other foods offered. If you nursed, don't stop yet, as this is the best way to be sure that he is getting complete nutrition while learning about all these other foods. I'm not a fan of formula, but if he's not eating other foods, try formula from a sippy cup while the other foods are still a supplement, and not yet a steady diet.

im the mom of a food-loving 3 year old boy. here is my advise: DO NOT FEED HIM ONLY WHAT HE ASKS FOR / WILL ACCEPT. you will end up like many kids ive seen, whose parents cant take them anywhere to eat, or to friends houses, who say "my kids only eat chicken fingers and pizza".

what i would do is any of the following that seem feasible, as many of these ideas as possible:
* have meals as a family. he can sit in a chair, on a lap, or play on the floor while you eat, as long as you make it clear that food is fun, which means YOU make it fun for YOU and your partner/husband, NOT focusing on your baby eating at all. Remember, they are wired to model what we do.
*If you can hang out with adults and older kids, do it. older kis eat. babies watch older kids with great awe, which they are also wired to do.
* have cooking parties with adults & older kids. if food is a thing to play with (as in put your hands on and make edible treats out of) it will have more than one enticing quality.
*he seems to like finger food. you can make him soft (boiled) carrot pieces to dip or cubes to eat, frozen peas if he is teething, room temp ones if not, fruit pieces, cheese pieces, scrabled egg peices - get it? meet him where he is at with the way his food looks and how he uses it. eating is a learning process and he is probably into mastering the process of picking things up for whatever reason, and will want to do so until he feels like he's mastered it. so the more you can give him things that look/feel like what he now eats, the faster this fase will end. for great ideas on what and how to make it, take out of the library or buy the book Super Baby Food.
*let him help you make his food: if you have fruit, veggies, cheese or egss, cool to roomtemp, give him a child knife (plastic or wood with no blade) and allow him to cut pieces. he will be very into the stuff he is making, smell it and lick his fingers while he works, thereby tasting it without you having to get a spoon in his mouth.
*last but most importantly: DO NOT MAKE EATING AN ISSUE!!! it will stick if you do, ie: if you show him you are stressed and/or offer choice after choice. put a plate in front of him and leave it at that. he will not starve, they do eat if they are hungry.

Hi L.,
I have read the below advice and they are good. I have had that problem with my two year old since she was 18 months old. I would try finger foods every day. It is going to get frustrating but offer them. I have been successful with the graduate pick ups. I don't know if your son can eat them now but my daughter started alittle over a year. My daughter seem to love them. I used to put them in her bowl and put them in front of her and just watched her eat on her own with my assistance. I started my daughter on milk when she was 9 months old. At one year old my daughter would cause fussiness in the beginning of the feeding but then would eat. I would hold her head alittle and put the spoon in her mouth and then she would eat. Good luck it is still hard on me...just keep on introducing the foods you want him to eat and it would help...

YOu can def. start changing over to whole milk. Start with half forumla and half milk. Drinking from a cup is great if he does it. Mine isn't taking to well to the cup. At 11 months, though, I would still do a bottle at night and in the a.m.just to make sure that he drinks enough and gets the calories. Make sure you do vitamins. Just keep trying with the eating thing....it changes from week to week. Have you tried yo baby yogurt? That replaces a meal for the most part....and he would love that. Try very cooked soft carrots on his high chair and also peas. My 15 month old loves that. Everyone goes through a cherrieo only eating stage. What about banana cup up real small? They start eating solids more and more after 12 months and he just may not like baby food. Try foods first and don't give cheerios/puffs right away. It will get better. Hang in there and enjoy.