Helping a 10 Month Old Get off Baby Food

Hi L.!

I can understand your concern. My son went through the same thing. Your son is doing great and moving a along very well. Meats are a tricky one and the texture can take some time getting used to. My son is 14 months and I still give him some jarred food simply because some foods are hard to make "chewable" for him. Keep introducing him to new foods and eventually he'll get used to the textures. For now, it's good to have the jarred food handy. At least you know he is getting all the food groups in. If you want to add some meat, I ground chicken with breadcrumbs,onion and apples and make into balls and bake--he loves them!

I hope this helps!

D.

Sounds like you are already giving him lots of table food. Have you tried giving him meatloaf? I make mine with turkey, put lots of chopped veggies (carrots, mushrooms, peppers) and use oats instead of breadcrumbs to make it more nutritious. It's moist and much softer than other meats and my son loves it. Spaghetti and meatballs is another (similar) alternative. Scrambled eggs (I gave my son eggs by 10 months but food allergies aren't common in my family). Oatmeal for breakfast. Also try frozen veggies (squash, broccoli, corn, etc.) and beans. And if he seems to struggle with it initially, try again in a few days. My son's eating habits seemed to change from one day to the next.

don't go to fast. My first one was off baby food by 12 months old.. because my husband felt he should be. He wasn't a great eater after I took him off. he hated veggies and wouldn't eat them.. but baby food he would eat. He also isn't a big salad eater or fruit eater.. just potatoes and meat mostly. My 2nd.. i kept her on baby food with real food until she was 18 months old. I made sure she tried everything... like salad, tomatoes, cucumber, all veggies all types of meats.. and when I knew she liked all things and would try all food including fish.. i took her off baby food. So don't rush.. baby food is great for them with vitamins... no salt or sugar!! and they get veggies, fruits and meats. We never really tried 3rd stage.. stayed with 2nd stage... also gave them the noodles and veggies in campbells soups... and rolled up cheese. good luck.

Why the hurry to get him off baby food? If your child is somewhat of a picky eater then the jarred stuff (mixed with some baby cereal) is more nutritiously balanced than a regular meal. Plus at that age, they rarely stay still long enough for a balanced meal. I find that lots of people equate "eating what we eat" with some sort of advanced intelligence or ability. When my son is teething, the soft baby food feels so much better for him than things that might irritate his already tender gums. You are doing the right thing by slowly introducing food. Formula or mother's milk should be his main form of nutrition anyway up to 1 year. P.S. My son is 15 months and still eats jarred oatmeal in the morning (mixed with extra cereal and milk) and eats a stage 3 at the babysitters once a week. He loves it.