What to Feed 11 Mos Old

When my son was that age he really wanted to eat my food so I asked my doctor about it and he said it was fine for me to give him the same food that I eat. I just cut the food up into little pieces and he never had any problems eating it.

Hi Aleisha,
I feed my son gerber graduates, he is 10 months old ( born sept 06) I also did this with my older daughter who is now 3 years old.
Gerber Graduates are really convienient because they come packaged like baby food but its solid food just cut up really small, like diced peaches, pears, apples, green beans, etc. Other than that I give him what my husband, daughter, and I eat just cut up really small. I do think its too early for hot dogs, grapes, and other food that small children typically choke on. Good luck to you.

I have two extremely picky eaters. I wished that I had started them with the "normal" foods instead of the quickie stuff. Now, I always have to make two dinners--one for them and one for my husband and I. Just for once it would be nice for them to eat the same thing we are! Fruits and veggies are a definite--my kids love blueberries. At first I even cut those up in fourths. At almost one, your son shouldn't need his food processed anymore. As long as you're with him while he tries new foods, you'll start to make a list of things he can and can eat well--and thing s he likes and doesn't like. Good luck!

I'm sorry for repeating things that I just told Julie, but when my son was that age, he ate everything that we did. He was 10 months old at Christmas & had turkey, potato salad, fruit, all the fixins. He did love the microwave meals. I rarely used "toddler meals". Two reasons, 1) he didn't like stage 3, & 2) why make something different for him for lunch or dinner. He ate hot dogs & grapes. I sliced the hot dogs, then cut those slices in half. With the grapes, we quartered them. He didn't eat the skins, he chewed on them very well, but the skins just passed. I think that when we cut up the food, we need to make sure that the pieces are big enough for the children to chew & not just swallow, but not so big that they have a hard time chewing. My son's dr. recommended that at 9 months, we start him on "big people" food. My daughter is 8 months & has already had small bites of food. She loves the fruit puffs. As for the cake, I agree, let him have a normal one. It is lots of fun to watch them eat it.

I feed my 11 month old turkey, frozon whole blueberry pancakes (its harder to choke on and helps with teething), cut up chicken nuggets, I even gave him a whole chicken patty and he ate it like a champ. He must not have a very bad gag reflex because he eats all these foods with ONE TOOTH! Its really funny to see him eat with that one little bottom tooth. If your baby doesn't gag on foods from your plate, don't puree it. I wouldn't bother with all that after the age of 10 months or when he has some teeth. Just cut it up a little and watch him closely. Peas, little carrot pieces, and green beans that have been frozen or canned and then cooked are mushy enough.

By now, he should be able to be off the stage three food. Puree your regular meals for him if you home cook from scratch, which would be the best choice. I would avoid the high sodium and fat meals like hot dogs, nuggets, lunch meat, fries. Baked, broiled or grilled chicken or roast beef, for instance, pureed with potato and mix in some formula/milk so that it smooths it out. Pasta meals would be better for him than the high sodium/fat items you listed. Puree any vegetables and hand mash or puree fruits. Watch for any allergy reactions as you start new foods. As he learns to chew, you can give him more chunks. Fix a regular birthday cake, but don't give him a large amount of the frosting. Honestly, I'd be more concerned about the sodium and fat intake than the sugar, although sugar should be limited. The eating habits you start now, will most likely follow through his whole life. Have fun, be imaginative :) -- L. P.S. I can imagine what your son is like. My grandson was born in Nov. 06 -- what a darling age this is!!

My daughter never ate baby food. She's two and to this day has consisitency issues with creamy foods. We fed her what we ate, within reason. I steam all our vegetables, and I steamed them until they were really soft. I also thinly sliced sweet potatoes and apples and baked them until they were soft. She liked these the best because she could pick them up to eat them.

As to the birthday cake, I gave her carrot cake to eat. It wasn't sugar free or anything, but I figured, she only turns one once!!! =)

We did chocolate cake, I know that they suggest not to sever chocolate at a young age, but he didn't really eat it, just played. He didn't really eat any cake until recently actually.

Food can be cut up into small pieces on his plate. Remember, nothing round such as hotdogs or grapes unless cut small because of choking hazards. If he'll eat regular food go for it! Just make sure he's getting enough.

Lots of good advice here Aleisha! If he's already eating off your plate I'd say he's ready. Like the girls said, cut it up and let him try different foods. Some he'll like, some he won't. I'd say he's ready to be off STage 3 tho. And I'd say you dont' need to puree it.

S.

Anytime is good to take him off of stage three. He is eating big people food, so there is really no sense in the strain on your budget. I kept a few jars around so when we went places I had food my small one could eat.

I never pureed food once there were teeth. If he is eating crackers, he should be able to gum up a piece of chicken.

Birthday cake: If you are concerned about sugar, just don't use frosting. That is where most of the sugar is anyway.

well i have 2 teenagers and i have to tell ya things have changed when my kids were little i had them on regular milk and table food at 6 months old just mashed up anything soft not pureed they did fine they didnt even get teeth till they were about 8 months old but did fine none the less if he is still breastfeeding he is getting lots of nutrients there but anything you eat that is soft he can eat and as far as the birthday cake let him enjoy the surgar alot of the grocery store will do a first birthday cake for free usually a small one so he can play in the whole thing and since his birthday is in august i would put him in a high chair with nothing but a diaper and let him have a ball with it enjoy him while he is small they grow fast

i believe by this time it is ok for him to eat what you eat, just cut into tiny pieces. the only reason toddlers choke on hot dogs is because of the shape, so if you cut them lengthwise as well as across, he should be fine. as far as birthday cake goes, just make it normal. i'm a little weirded out by all the "fake" sugar people give their kids. and don't hold back on icing the cake in fear of sugar, it will make for cute pictures of frosting faces. he doesn't get the chance to eat cake everyday. congratulations on breastfeeding a whole year!

I wonder about this too. I have a little guy that turns 1 in August also. So far, he LOVES eating fruit, and he actually tried mac and cheese today and I think liked it. I definately would like to hear what everyone tells you... I'm wondering too. One thing I bought, to give him protein, is tofu. A friend of nmine slices it and fries it in olive oil. Good luck, and please pass on any good ideas-

I agree with the other moms - if he's eating off your plate and doing ok with that, he's old enough to eat what you eat! No need to puree either, if he has teeth and is good about chewing food, (which he should be if he's been eating stage 3's - lots of chunks) then you should be ok, just cut it up small and watch him.

For my son's 1st birthday, I made a frog cake with cupcakes as the eyes, and just gave him a cupcake to eat - it was a good alternative to a big slice of cake, and he loved to smush it. Don't forget to lay down a trash bag or something similar under the highchair or you'll be scraping cake off the floor! I also put him in an old onesie to eat cake, that way if he got it everywhere, no biggie!

p.s. if you want great cake ideas, try www.familyfun.com - you can also email me and i'll send you a pic of the cake i made if you're interested. ____@____.com good luck!

Hi Aleisha,

My son is 19 months and he started eating "big people" food combined with baby food around his first birthday, if not before. I've always given him the NAS (no added salt) green beans and peas that come in the can versus the baby stuff, as it's pretty much the same thing at a cheaper price.
I do recommend just cutting the food up small, to start. My son eats the nuggets and at first I cut them up into tiny, tiny pieces. They say not to feed the kids hot dogs, as they're choking hazards, but he gets those too, just cut up small. As for the fruit - at first just start with bananas and applesauce (my son gets the natural (no sugar)). I say just keep trying stuff. It all depends on the child and what he'll eat.
We got our son a "normal" cake for his birthday and he did fine. He actually like the cupcakes I had made the day before better than the cake (all with sugar - LOL).
I never pureed anything after baby food - once they get the taste of the "real thing" they tend to shy away from the baby food. I did give him those Gerber Graduates for a while and he seemed to like those - but watch the sodium and such b/c some are high - just an FYI.

Hope that was somewhat helpful - didn't mean to blab too much.

C.

Aleisha,

if your son has teeth you do not to puree it. i would introduce to table food but dont get upset if he dosent like the taste, adult food is more flavorful compared to baby food. just cut the pieces up very small but not to tiny so he can learn to pick them up, now is the time you can give him a baby fork and spoon and let him try to work on that skill.

Remember with hotdogs and grapes cut up small they are the biggest choking hazard known to children 3 and under.

Birthday cakes i let my son have the sugar, my only suggestion is stay a way from blue and red icing it stains clothes and body parts( hands mouth face) very hard to get off.

good luck
M. mother of 2yr old

Hi Aleisha,
It's too soon for hot dogs. At least I think anyway. That is one of the most choked on foods for toddlers. Give him what you think he can eat. Rice is good. Anything noodle works. Don't puree it. Just cut it into small pieces. Waffles are good too. Soft fruit like peaches and pears. Nectarines cut up. Green beans. Give him what you have for dinner just cut up. Mashed potatoes are great too. If you like meatloaf he could probably eat that. Just some ideas. I know I kind of jumped all over the place so I hope that this made sense.

My daughter (also born in August of 06, the 4th to be exact) eats just about everything that we do. Some of her favorites are pastas, potoes, just about any vegtable, and believe it of not meat (I think she'd naw on a steak if I'd let her). So go for it and just let him have fun and enjoy of the new food experiances. Congratulations of making it a year for your breastfeeding!!

As for the cake, if you aren't thrilled with giving your child the processed & refined or artifical sugars there are plenty of alternatives. I just made a few cakes for a friend's son's 1st birthday and they were all a big hit. We sweetened them with either honey or fruit juice and made whipped cream icing which I did sweeten with a touch of podered suger but it was only 2 tbs in enough whipping cream to ice 3 cakes. They were so delicious. If you are interested I could send you some recipies I found or give you links to where I found them. I'm not sure where you are located but depending on when you were planning on having your sons birthday party I might be able to lend a hand or ideas or even make the cakes for you. :-)

As for the icing pictures that others have mentioned, whipped cream icing works just as well (if you want proff I have some adorable pictures I can send you!) and it's so much healthier then the vegtable shortening and powdered suger that normal icings are made of.

What ever you decided to do just have fun and enjoy your son's first birthday, it's such a special moment that you will treasure forever!!

Thanks,
T.