REAL Food?

You really don't have to worry about how many teeth he has. Babies don't really "chew" up their food, but rather "gum" it up. They don't get any molars till they're a year or more anyway, and you wouldn't wait to give him any foods till then!

You can give him anything you're eating (minus the no-no nuts and honey) as long as it is a.) tiny enough or b.) soft enough or c.) will dissolve easily. Cheerios, Ritz crackers, Gerber puffs and such are all good starters. Steamed veggies, ripe soft fruits, pasta, and other "gum-able" things are great. If he's interested in food, then by all means, start introducing!!
Good luck and have fun!

I have a 14 month old (plus 3 older children) and we give her everything we eat. You just need to make sure that you make REALLY small pieces! At 8 months, I didn't even buy baby food for her anymore! We dump peas on her tray...they are small anyway...cheerios are awesome because they melt. There are some great little snacks at Meijer that are dried fruit...apples are especially good. there are no additives, just dried apples. Bannanas are also good...I just break it apart with my fingers. Small plain noodles are easy, too. Shredded cheese is easy for them to pick up. A lot of times for lunch I will do peas, shredded natural cheese and deli turkey pulled into small pieces. They can't really do meat unless you completely grind it up, except for the deli meat. Our little one has been eating off our plates for months, which makes going out to eat a breeze! I would just stay away from anything that can't be mushed up with the tongue and gums! Happy dining!

It actually doesn't matter if he has teeth or not. My daughter had none & she was eating just about everything at 8mos- mainly b/c she saw all of us eating it & wanted to also.
As far as snacks- try the baby goldfish (near the goldfish) and also the gerber veggie-cheese puffs in the baby food aisle. Butter crackers too. As for real food- i cut up spaghetti, gave her whole peas, cut up green beans, i also froze go-gerts(yogurt) as a frozen treat for her to soothe her gums. cut up sliced cheese. Just make sure you cut it up well in mini pieces & stay away from really hard snacks-like teddy grahams for now.

S., My little girl didn't get her first tooth until she was 13 months old. She ate everything she could get her hands on. Of course we stayed away from raw vegetables, popcorn and steak but everything else was fair game. We just cut the pieces really small. Good luck!

Hey there S.,

I think that it's good to start with rice cereal mixed with formula or breast milk first. Then add things in one at a time after he's become accustomed to each. I also say that as soon as they can pick up cheerios and put them in their mouth, they can have them! Be sure to talk to his doctor about it first though. There are just a couple of things you are supposed to avoid in the first year or two. ;)

Good luck to you! Happy food throwing! :)

C.
www.EnhanceYourWayOfLife.com

My girls loved the Gerber Puffs. I think I gave them those even before Cheerios because they almost melt in their mouths, so I wasn't as worried about them choking on them.

At that age my daughter ate anything we would give her!!! And she is still a good eater at 3!! We started with lots of fruits and veggies. First bananas, avacados (which she STILL loves!!), apple sauce, noodles (just make sure they are nice and soft....they don't HAVE to chew them). Then later strawberries and other berries, mashed potatoes, cooked soft (or canned...no salt added kind) veggies. No raw, hard veggies until have more teeth. We didn't really add in any meat until she was a bit older.
Basically if she showed and interest, I let her have some...unless it was a choking hazard. Still to this day, my kid will eat anything you put in front of her. And her fav foods are veggies!! She will take a plate of broccoli or green beans over sweets or hotdogs!!! It is great! I joke around that she is going to be my little vegetarian!!

We also give my daughter Gerber Puffs and she loves them. Also you could try cereal bars cut up into small bites, bits of bannana, avocado ( a huge favorite around here) or any veggies cooked soft. You may also want to try Yo Baby Yogurt (they have one with iron fortified cereal and fruit on the bottom).