My daughter has been transitioning from baby food to regular food for several months. The reason why I keep feeding her baby food as well is because sometimes that's all she will eat. She likes her veggies so I give her peas and green beans often. I gave her organic chicken nuggets once and she loved them but then never wanted them again. Any real food I give her she just picks at and doesn't eat very much. I'm worried she isn't eating enough. She loves her milk and will always eat yogurt but she can't live on dairy alone! Any advice on good food for a baby her age? I'm running out of options - she's had organic fish sticks, pasta, hummus, scrambled eggs, meatballs, etc and will be interested at first then push them away and never want them again. She will also always eat her oatmeal but I can't keep feeding her the same things over and over. Any tips?? Thanks!!
You have to keep trying the same thing over & over again. I read once that you should expect it to take 20 times before a new food is accepted.
Feed her what she will eat. It seem like they are getting so much of one thing, but stick with the same thing and introduce something new bit by bit. They go thru appetite moments or growth spurts when they will eat a lot and then pick the next...make sure she has liquids and make shakes if you have to from it. She seem to be getting enough.
Keep offering the foods, even if she pushes them away. She may not try it 9 times, then on the 10th time she'll want seconds.
Banana, avacado, hard boiled egg, apple, tuna, crackers, chicken, tofu, asparagus, peaches, sweet potato fries, rice... basically anything not to difficult to chew that you eat.
Also lessen the amount of milk, especially before a meal. Dairy is notorious for filling up kids bellies so they aren't hungry for anything else.
Our daughter is 17 months and eats exactly what we eat. Whatever we are having for meals we just cut up smaller for her. There are some things that she has shown some aversion to, for example pancakes, but if I make them in the mornings I keep giving them to her and sometimes she eats them, sometimes she doesn't. I always make sure there is more than one item to choose from (ex: pancakes with berries, yesterday's lunch was tomato pasta shells with corn and some pineapple, tonight is chicken with grean beans and rice) so that even if she doesn't like what we have made, she will eat something.
My son's 18 months old and pretty much will get a plate of whatever we're eating. Some times he devours it, other time so not interested. If he's not interested in a meal afterwards I may offer a fruit or bowl of oatmeal or whatever he likes just so he's not hungry and waking at night. But for the most part just let them pick at it.
I so just want to reiterate what other's have already mentioned-- just keep offering it. I was so shocked that tonight my little guy had 3 servings of broccoli. He has NEVER liked it, until tonight apparently. He'd always try it and then do this scrunchy face thing and spit it out. I was so disappointed because I love broccoli, and up until this point, no one else in my family does (even my hubby).
Some other ideas that both my boys (3 & 18 months) love are fish sticks, salmon patties and meat loaf. I was shocked how much they LOVE salmon patties. I don't like fish at all, so I am thoroughly pleased when there's never enough for me :)
Good Luck
He eats everything we do.
How much milk does she drink? too often, children fill themselves up on fluids. I would encourage you NOT to give her any milk, until she's eaten a meal. At meal time, it's water only.
We always fed our babies pretty regular food, just smaller and softer than ours. Roasted chicken made very soft is good, chopped up really small of course. Soft steak, also cut real small, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, tunafish, avocado, cheese, burgers, bananas etc.All of this type of food, I always let them feed themselves, they will be messy but at home we usually let them eat in just a diaper and hose down after LOL! I have heard it helps your kids be better eaters if you let them feed themselves alot. Also we made tons of soups - I have some great recipes, like a garden chowder, beef barley soup, lentil soup, chicken noodle. Of course they could not feed themselves soup early on, but a helpful way they did feed themselves soup early on was to serve it with small crackers like oyster crackers in it, and not too much broth and then they could do it, of course messily...
Now my girls at 3 and 4 are very good eaters, we go to lots of multi-cultural places and they will try alot. Good luck!
My Grandson eats an omelet with cheese, fresh blueberries, banana, strawberries, rasberries, pumpernickle bread with cream cheese, or tiny panckes or waffles for breakfast-everything is cut into tiny pieces. He loves veggies and sweet potato-cut small-and now he loves tomatoes and avocado-like insane over tomatoes, he will also eat ground beef and lamb, beans and peas, salmon, mashed potatoes-yogurt-applesauce-and he will drink milk with a tiny bit of juice added-like a smoothie!
Don't stress about it.
Just feed her what she will eat.
My son is super picky and has been since he began solids at 6 months old. He is now 4 years old.
I never battle about food or eating.
He naturally, on his own, has expanded his palate.
He even if picky, is super healthy and has always been above the 97th percentiles in growth. He is a tall lean solid boy. Taller than other kids his age. He grows like a weed and only eats per his body's cues for hunger or fullness. That to me, is more important than just eating to please someone. He is also a 'grazer.' Eat a bit at a time throughout the day.
Versus, my daughter eats all and heartily, per meal.
I don't have a problem feeding my son the 'same' things everyday. He eats. And I don't feed junk anyway. So I don't have to worry about that part and him eating junk.
