When to Start Table Food?

If your son can eat the Gerber dinners he will do fine with any table food as long as it is soft enough and small enough. It may take him awhile to enjoy certain foods, so just keep offering him whatever you are eating. As for cake, all three of mine had it for their birthdays. I did carrot cake for my first, banana cake for my second and my third (who just turned one two weeks ago) had applesauce spice cake, which I must say was AWESOME. He was the first baby I have ever seen actually eat & enjoy his cake. Here is the recipe if you were interested. I did not put the walnuts or pecans in and I pureed one banana which measures about 1/2 cup and then a cup of applesauce. I just put powdered sugar on top, no frosting. It makes two nine inch round cake pans, so your little man can have his very own cake. It is also very good for breakfast.

Applesauce spice cake
INGREDIENTS
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Sift flour, white sugar, soda, salt, baking powder, and spices into a large mixing bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup butter or margarine, buttermilk, and applesauce. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in eggs. Fold in 3/4 cup chopped nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
2.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes.
3.Mix confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, and add 1 cup chopped pecans. Keep stirring until browned. Stir cooled pecans into cream cheese mixture. Frost the cooled cake.

I think Gerber has brainwashed moms to think the food in the handy jars is something other than "table food". Food is food, some is home made, some is packaged, some is frozen, some seasoned.....I bought tons of little jars when my tot was an infant, but with my 9 mo old I realized I didn't like its taste and that the carrots I stuck in the food processor were the same ones, only fresher! I think you can relax and safely feed him what you are eating, only smaller and after checking for allergies and avoiding possibly dangerous ones, like nuts. I, like your MIL, am into health food, aka healthy food. My family thought I was wierd (still do I guess, lol) but realized I eat normal food, just avoid artificials, boxed, packaged, sugared... and white flour has got to be the worst food in the world! I do cheat though and let my kids have birthday cake. I figure if it's the exception, not the norm, they'll be fine. I plan to bake the future ones so at least I know what's in it though, and it HAS to have frosting, lol!

My twins were slow to accept table food. I had to introduce a new thing every week. As for birthday cake I would skip it just let him play with it. The frosting got to my son and he threw up:( New textures are hard to adjust to so take it slow . At first we did alot (and still do)of yogurt.Mandarin oranges,pasta(orzo or smaller). My kids didn't take to mashed potatoes or cottage cheese and some kids love them so try everything. Good luck!

Our pediatrician told us that we could start introducing table food at 9 months old, when their stomachs are stronger and don't need such refined foods. This is also when you can switch to generic formula, like Wal-mart's "Parents Choice" brand. Consumer Reports rated it highly, by the way.

We skipped 3rd foods and Gerber Graduates altogether, which in my opinion is such a big rip off!

Anyhow, I am Filipino and my daughter's first "big girl" food was chicken adobo and rice--she loved it! We have given her a wide variety of foods since 9 months old, so she is now not at all a picky eater (20 months old). The thing to be aware of is that there are certain things your child cannot have--shellfish, nuts, peanut butter... basically, anything that is common for food allergies, especially if you have a family history of food allergies. For example, my husband is deathly allergic to nuts. For this reason, the pediatrician said no nuts until 2YO. Also be careful of anything too hard, like uncooked veggies (choking hazard).

As far as what to feed your son... From 9 months old, our daughter was pretty much eating off our plates--whatever we were having, she had too. Hot dogs (buy NITRATE FREE, which you can find at Trader Joe's), spaghetti (or any kind of pasta), fruits, steamed veggies (kids love to pick up peas and feed themselves), yogurt (but not fat free--read the label and make sure it doesn't say skim milk--it's okay if it's low fat milk), 2% milk (no earlier than 12 mos old), cheese, mini Eggo waffles, Eggo mini muffin tops (they're new!)... your son has enough teeth that he should be able to chew all these things just fine, but make sure to still cut up into small pieces. Basically, whatever they give you in those Gerber Graduates meals, you can feed him the "real" version of it. It's cheaper, and fresher!

As far as cake... everyone I know has given their child a mini cake (I gave a cupcake) on the 1st birthday. That's part of the fun--seeing them dive into it and get totally messy! They don't really eat that much of it anyway... it's fine for this one special occasion!

Hi K.,

Just feed him a little of what you eat! It's the easiest way to begin. Maybe some small bits of chicken, mashed potatoes, tiny bits of beef, lots of veggies. I particularly liked the frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, and beans) they are the perfect size for finger food and independent eating. Ohh, soybeans! I almost forgot. You can buy edamame (soybeans) and steam them, then open the pods and let him eat. I'd cut the beans at first and see how well he does. Also, some noodles/pasta. Mashed avacado is perfect too.

Oh and the cake--let him have a ball! He won't eat more than a few bites anyhow since it's such a unusual food to small kids. A little cake never hurt anyone ;)

Good luck!

Hello there K. I wanted first start off by saying sorry to hear about the lost of your mom. I know mom are the best to get advise from when there are children involve. I do all the time.
If your son can chew good with Gerber dinner and all the 3rd stage food without choking he will do fine with table food then. You want to start off by feeding him soft table food like mashed potatoes, bananas, etc.
The first birthday are the best because that is when they dig into their first cake and get all messy. It will be a kodak momment so make sure have a camera in your hand at all times. Your son will do the most memoriable stuff on his 1st birthday.

There are a couple of things 1 year olds can't have at all like chocolate, shrimp, tuna, shellfish, nuts, peanut butter, nut butter, raw hard vegetables, etc... (not a complete list)
Are you introducing new food ingredients one at a time so that you can identify possible food allergies? That's where you give him a little bit of a new food every day for 3-5 days and watch for reactions. We let our son self feed small pieces of table food as long as we have already introduced all of their ingredients to make sure he's not allergic to them. We try not to give him anything that's salted.
He loves to pick up little pieces of chicken, green beans, cooked broccoli, baked beans, toast, and just about anything he sees us eating.
For his first birthday, his grandma made him a chocolate cake. He ate a piece and was fine. But as a general rule, chocolate isn't recommended due to the caffeine.
Best of luck Momma, it sounds like he's doing great!

I am a mom of two boys, 3, and 18 mo. They were so different when it came to eating... My first son was like your son no table food until he was about a year. my second son was trying to eat our food from 6 months on.. Have you tried crackers like goldfish and butter crackers yet? Pasta is great or the gerber graduates things. I started with those, toast, and then began with overcooked soup so everything practically melted in his mouth. Just watch canned soup if you do not make your own go for low sodium. Other ideas is to cut up cheese and lunch meat (since it is thin and falls apart easily) to get him used to those flavors. Good luck! Oh and let him go for the cake... but if you want to go healthy ...there are recipes out there for no egg yolk (allergies) cake made with applesauce if you are worried about the sugar and stuff. I think you can search first birthday cake recipes or something and find it.