My 12 month old is still eating babyfood...and it's getting expensive! He eats some finger foods(cheese, cheerios, goldfish, peaches, chicken). How do I get him to eat regular food all of the time? Also, how do I know if he's getting enough food?
My son is doing so much better than I thought he would. Thank you for all of your suggestions. I guess I was just a little apprehensive about giving him regular food. Maybe it was the fact that I don't want him to grow up so fast. This year flew by too quickly! He loves chicken now and the transition to whole milk has been great! Thanks so much for everyone's ideas.
Hi K.. When I started my little girl on solids, I started out with things that were easy to eat because of teeth and what not. Eva loved mashed potatoes. When you make food for yourselves leave a little out so that it isn't so seasoned. Anyway, Cut things really small so that they can eat it. You can also try to blend it. that makes a transition to regular food easier. I hope that this hepls some. Good luck!!
M.
K. - my son was a year Dec 26th. I started feeding him only solids at dinner. I just cut everything in small pieces and let him go. He eats cheerios and fruit for breakfast and now eats turkey and cheese and crackers or something like that for lunch. He eats at the table with the rest of the family (twin sisters (3), mom, and dad) which makes him want to eat what everybody else is eating. It's working out great and saving money and TIME, too! Hope this helps - H.
I agree with the other mom, you need to keep things small and keep reintroducing the same foods. But don't overwhelm your baby all at once. You still want to keep an eye out for food allergies. As for calories, your baby will know what to do. Babies are hard wired to know when they need more and when they have had enough. So you shouldn't worry to much about calories unless your son starts losing weight. But as long as he is eating, he's fine! Best of luck!
Hi K.,
My son is right at the same stage as yours. He's 11 1/2 months and we are trying to phase out the babyfood too. As some people have already said, I started by putting whatever we were having for dinner in the blender, but keeping it chunky still. It also seemed that some meals were easier to try new food at - like lunch time he's more patient and willing to try new food than at dinner. So I only serve him what I know he'll eat at dinner and I keep trying to introduce new foods at lunchtime. Keep taking ideas from other moms as far as what new foods to try. Sometimes I feel like I just kind of forget what else is out there besides cheerios! Also try to serve it different ways - like canned green beans vs. steamed fresh ones. Some babies prefer one over the other The fingerfoods my son likes the best are soy hotdogs, avacado, grapes, cantaloupe, sweet potato, edemame, animal crackers, whole wheat goldfish, steamed baby carrots, zucchini, chopped up meatball, & ravioli. The no-fail food that he'll always eat if he throws everything else on the floor is yogurt and applesauce. And as another mom mentioned, as long as he's gaining weight he's eating enough. If you're concerned about his iron count, the pediatrician can do a quick blood test the next time you're there.
Hope that helps!
K.
Just go for it! My 13-month old little girl eats all kinds of regular food b/c she is exposed to it all the time. Not to say I don't give her Gerber Graduate meals, puffs, crackers and freeze-dried fruit b/c I do! But she also eats all fruits and veggies like avocado, brocoli, mushrooms, edamame and meats, even things like shrimp and lamb. The key is making the pieces small and easy enough for them to get used to and then to keep re-introducing things over and over until he understands that this is dinner (or lunch or breakfast). Scrambled egg is easy and quick for breakfast and so are the frozen mini, whole wheat pancakes that Eggo makes. Does he eat yogurt... most kids love that at this age. Stoneybrook Farms has a great organic yogurt in the dairy section called Yo-Baby. Just introduce a few new things and I'm sure he'll catch right on! Let him eat off his tray too, so he feels in control of what he's having for a meal... my daughter gets mad if the whole meal is coming at her on a spoon. She loves to pick up nuggets of whatever and feed herself. We are also working on her using a spoon, which takes time, but she thinks it's fun! Good luck!
As a mom (some time ago) I rememeber just giving my kids what we ate - mashed potatoes, sweet potato, yogurt is good (NOT Stonyfield I read that their sources of organic milk may not be up to par)mashed bananas. I hated feeding baby food. I just cut up things small as others have said and put them on thier tray and let them go to town! Variety is important let them try all kinds of things, even if you don't like it!!
Try to stay away from all the sweet junk food available for kids and stick to basics - fruits, veggis meat etc.
Your bebe should know when he's full, or when he's still hungry. Your Dr. can also give you an estimate weight/height/growth that he should near. Rest easy. Something you can do to encourage him to eat "more grown up food" is blend the foods that you eat. Just in a blender. Serve them warm or cold, whichever. But it will help bridge the gap between what he's used to and what you'd like him to start on. Also, you can let him feed himself... finger foods. Soft crackers, bananas, whatever's safe for his age. Something he can do himself might be "cool".
Have fun!
usually once they eat regular food they will not eat baby food,baby food is very blan. what ever you eat give your boy some,I started sharing my plate with mine and befoe I knew it they were eating everything...they say that the baby fist is the size of their stomic...not always will they eat alot, especially when they are teething..always have finger food availible...chicken nuggets, hot dogs,mac& cheese,spag O,waffles, PB&J, crackers and cheese/peanutbutter, fruits & veggies and your child will let you know when they are full..my youngest only has 4 teeth on top and working on 4 on bottom and cuttin in all 4 !st molers and he will eat everything!
