Need Advice on Introducing Finger Foods

Hi L.

My name is B. and I have a 10 month old. He is very picky also. What worked for me is persistance. I know it can get frustrating but offer the same thing a couple days in a row, he will eventually try it and maybe like it. I give my son things that I am eating because I find if he sees me eating it, he will want to eat it also. Hang in there.

My daughter was the same way and she actually stayed on the baby food vegetables and fruit until she was almost 3 because she just wouldn't eat the table food.

Just keep trying every couple of days or once a week, when they are ready they will switch over. Don't push it, or they could just grow to hate it all together. My daughter eats all kinds of table fruit and vegtables now with no trouble.

I really think it was a texture thing for her.

Your spn will adapt to the food..... It could be a texture thing..... My son ate just about anything that we would feed him including the things that my husband and I hate..... My son however hated peaches as a child and would make a pile of them on the floor when my mom would give them to him..... My son now 2 to this day will not each peaches, but think it's really weird how others kids will eat breads and my son won't have anything to do with it..... Go to McDonalds and get a hamburger and the bun comes off and is left while the meat is eaten....... Weird....... However my husbands says that's me..... When I was prgnant and sometimes now I was told by the Dr. to get rid of the bottom bun on things and so I did and still do that today...... So relax your kid will pick it up eventually.......
V. K.

Have you tried changing the brand or making veggies on your own? My son wa like that at first. I tried Gerber brand in the jar and he liked those but I was more successful with my own veggies. I bought them from the freezer department boiled them until they were very soft added a tiny bit of butter and very little salt. He loved these so much he is four and I have no problem getting him to eat a salad now!!

Something to try -- my son will eat any fruit or vegetable if I serve it with something to dip it in. He's 18 mos and has been a dip fanatic since 12 mos. I don't know if it's just him or if most kids like to dip. There is the messiness factor that makes it appealing for him, but sometimes a lot of clean up work for me. Some dips I do:
1 avocado mashed up and mixed with 1/2 C cream cheese
1 tomato chopped up and mixed with cheddar cheese (You can puree them together, too)
ranch dressing
1000 Island dressing
equal parts marshmallow fluff mixed with cream cheese (good with fruits, but sugary so use sparingly)
I also "hide" veggies in red sauce by pureeing them together or add things like grated carrots to hamburgers or meat loaf. Most of the time he's very good about trying new things, but sometimes he gets on a kick where he'll only eat 1 thing (like cheese or crackers) and I have to be creative to get him to try stuff. I also serve him foods with "vegetable faces" like if he's on a cracker kick, I'll cut up red pepper or carrots and use them to make "faces" on the crackers. Then I make a big fuss about him each time he eats a piece like "Oh, no, you ate the kitty's eyes! Poor kitty!" It becomes a such a fun game for him that he'll sometimes ask for more face features.

He'll be fine, just don't worry too much (it's hard I know).

My son, now 12 months, would only eat bread & cheese for weeks on end and I quickly ran out of different variations (bread with cubes of various types of cheese, grilled cheese, bagel & cream cheese etc). He LOVES blueberries and will eat peas too (the tiny ones).

He hates smooth things with lumps, like cottage cheese & rice pudding. I still sometimes puree fruit for him - I figure, if that's what he'll eat then I'm happy to do it.

Pasta is a great finger food too - I always cook mine with peas for the baby and he loves to play with it, especially spaghetti. I am reluctant to teach him that it's ok to play with his food but at the same time, I want him to enjoy meal times and eat something. Other good finger foods in our house are:

Strawberries, grapes (halved/ quartered and I used to peel them)
Tomatoes - tinned or fresh
Sweet potato chunks (cooked in a little oil with thyme)
Tuna or sardines (bone & skin-less)
Corn
Mashed potatoes
Pears (tinned or fresh)
Olives

Other things he ate quite young:
Apple sauce (unsweetened)
Yogurt (the whole milk baby variety - some come with fruit & cereal in them)

I read that it can take babies up to 20 attempts before they accept a new food - I would just let your son decide what he wants to eat for now - I'm sure he will eventually try some of the things you want him to eat and may even enjoy them. He is still quite young...

Good Luck,

R.

I found with both my kids that if I gave them the same veggie or fruit for a week straight they would at least try it (and sometimes like it). We even tried the more exotic like avacado and kiwi (they both loved them). Just keep giving your little guy fruit and vegitable regularly, he'll eventually find some he likes. And keep giving him the ones he doesn't seem so found of now, because kids tastes change. My little guy wouldn't touch carrots or peas a few months ago and now they are his favorites.

Good Luck

JUST RELAX!! He'll be fine!! :) My son is 10.5 months old and has also always been picky with texture especially. He didn't eat ANY table food until he was 9 months. He'd gag on anything I gave him including stage 3 baby food. Everything had to be complete puree. Then one day he did fine with it and could eat almost anything mushy or in tiny pieces. Now at 10.5 months, he LOVES meat and any bread/grains. He still eats fruits and vegetables only in baby food form, but his pickiness on what KIND of baby food lessened a lot. Just keep offering him what you eat and all different kinds of food and he'll come around. My first boy was not at all picky and was like your friend's kids eating table food as soon as he had the chance. My second boy has been extremely picky, but is even now getting a whole lot better with the variety he eats. Just keep doing the fruits and veggies in baby food if that's the only form he'll take it in. He can enjoy the taste even if he doesn't yet enjoy the texture of fresh fruits and veggies. Best wishes to you! Try to limit the worrying and just enjoy him being a baby!! It goes by SOOO FAST!!!!! :)

I read somewhere recently it takes an average of thirteen times of introducing the same food before a small s=child will try it. I also know my pediatrician told me that when they are that little they are still getting plenty of nutrients from formula or breast milk and not to worry about it too much, just kee trying...It took my son until he was three to really eat vegtables LOL...now he loves them. He liked fruit once he was about 1 or so...I figured that was better than nothing. It is probably just the consistency he doe not like right now...my son hated the consitancy of hamburger until this year, he is almost 4 now. Also, your baby may be starting to assert his independence a bit...maybe he is not eating them because he has decided that he can. I used to sometimes sneak fruit in veggies in with things he liked like chicken or couscous, mashed potatoes, etc. Also, if he like the baby food veggies why not give it to him, or better yet maybe let him try to feed himself with the spoon...he might like the independence of it...like he is one of the "big people" I am truly amazed at how much little ones want to be like us. Good luck, and don't worry.