Please help me feed my baby

mommy3b2c

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 9:47 am

I am going to the pediatrician for his one year visit and I have a feeling he didn't gain too much weight.

Up until a few weeks ago, I didnt officially feed him solids but I let him eat whatever he wanted off my plate.

Two weeks ago I stared to try three meals a day. The problem is he doesn't really want to eat anything! He is extremely suspicious of anything I put in front of him and throws most of it on the floor. If I do get him to eat something, then the next day he'll change his mind. What is an appropriate menu for a 1 year old? How to get him interested in different foods?

So far I've tried the following:

Oatmeal with rice dream- eats a few bites
Chicken- likes it
Yogurt-loves it
Cottage cheese-spits it out
Cream cheese/whole wheat bread-spits it out
Peanut butter/ww bread- loved it once, now spits it out
Pizza-loves it!!!!
Cantaloupe-loves it
Broccoli, peas, green beans, and different mixtures of vegetables-will eat a few bites here and there
Tomatoes- likes it

If you can write a daily menu or give me other ideas to try I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

lfab

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 10:09 am

Other things you can try:
Avocado
fish-tilapia, salmon, etc.
rice/couscous
eggs-scrambled, hard boiled, etc.
Other softish fruits-watermelon, bananas, peaches, plums, etc. (at this age I would still skip the hard fruits like apples and pears).
cheese
mashed potatoes
chopped meat dishes-meatballs, meatloaf, hamburgers

Basically, by 1 years old I mostly feed my kids whatever I cook for everyone else, minus a few things that may be a choking hazard/too difficult for them to chew and swallow. Some kids are just pickier eaters and/or need to be introduced to new foods more times than others before they are willing to try and eat them.

mommy3b2c

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 10:33 am

lfab wrote:

Thanks for the ideas!

I definitely am feeding him with the rest of the family for dinner, he just spits everything out. Meatballs he liked, burgers he spit out. Chicken he liked, schnitzel he loved. I'm more wondering what to give when he won't eat whatever I'm serving.

Also, ideas for a daily menu.

NovelConcept

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 11:16 am

I had one child that had a rare allergy disease in which he would vomit from most foods.

Because of this, he was determined NOT TO EAT. Was terrified of foods.

The one thing that I found worked was giving him a cookie. No, not the most healthy, but it had a completely different appearance from anything plated or on a spoon, and he was willing to try it.

After that, he started being more open to trying food. Even after outgrowing the condition, he still has texture aversions and is reluctant to try new things... But that cookie changed the world for us!

dancingqueen

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 11:28 am

I start with baby food well before a year since I think it gets them used to eating. You can try that now just to get him nutrition- there's lots of fruits and veggies in them. You can do this in addition to bites of real food as youve been doing. Also those puffs for babys are great and really easy to eat.

mommy3b2c

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 11:33 am

dancingqueen wrote:

I've been doing baby jars here and there. Mostly peas and green beans. (I don't want to do fruit because then he'll get used to the sweet and refuse the veggies) he is okay with them, but he will only take a few bites. He loves the puffs and Cheerios! But those aren't meals. I want him to get used to eating real, healthy foods. I have one hold who is an extremely picky eater, and I don't want it to happen again.

lfab

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 11:42 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

Not sure you can always avoid having a picky eater. One of my kids is also extremely picky and eats very few foods. However, I didn't do anything different in terms of introducing her to foods, etc. than I did with my other kids. It's just the way she is.
In terms of what to do when he won't eat what you cooked there are 2 main options (at least that I can think of though I'm sure there are more).
1. Don't stress it. At 1 years old they still get the bulk of their nutrition from milk/formula. If he didn't eat that day just give a few extra ounces of milk. They don't need 3 full meals a day at such a young age.
2. If there are certain foods that you know he always likes (ie. chicken, meatballs, etc) make a little extra and keep in the fridge for later in the week when he refuses to eat some other foods. Or just give him yogurt, fruit, etc that you have around anyway. There are plenty of nights when my now 2 year old ends up eating a banana and some yogurt for supper since she refuses to eat the food I made.

RachaelLeah

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 12:00 pm

My babies also spit out food. What I realized was a) They were trying things out, experimenting, it goes in, then it comes out... Do I want it in, what if I want it out... All good practice for actual eating. It takes time, but the food in/spit out stage is an important - although frustrating - step to real eating, and B) They were getting calories from the little mush that was left in their mouths. And c) It was important for me to be happy and upbeat with whatever went in or out, as creating positive connections/associations with food is most important at this age. That they feel it's enjoyable and pleasant, and they'll look forward to it. and d) If he's hungry, he'll eat, if he's not, he won't. And that's as it should be.
Hatzlacha!

mommy3b2c

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 12:18 pm

lfab wrote:

I am still nursing at least six times a day. Is he still getting a lot of nutrition from the breast milk? I guess he's probably not that hungry.

Last edited by mommy3b2c on Thu, Sep 15 2016, 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

mommy3b2c

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 12:21 pm

RachaelLeah wrote:

Right. That's what I keep telling myself. If he's hungry, he'll eat. I'm just a little nervous because he keeps dropping percentiles in weight.

cinnabuns

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 12:40 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Right. That's what I keep telling myself. If he's hungry, he'll eat. I'm just a little nervous because he keeps dropping percentiles in weight.

Is the dr concerned? Some babies lose some weight just bc they are more active than they used to be..

cinnabuns

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 1:00 pm

Also, sometimes it takes presenting the food at least 7 times before they decided to try/like it... Keep offering food, keep offering food, keep offering food. And as many veggies as you can now, so they can get used to it before they decide they don't like it.

lfab

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 1:13 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

I am still nursing at least six times a day. Is he still getting a lot of nutrition from the breast milk? I guess he's probably not that hungry.

Obviously I have no way of knowing the quality of your breastmilk. However, I would think that if he was doing fine/growing on it before than the quality is fine and he is getting adequate nutrition from that. All I know is that the pediatrician I use is a big believer in infants/toddlers this age getting the bulk of their nutrition from milk/formula/breastmilk. He always says not to cut down on the number of feeds/ounces being given. He feels that giving table foods at this age is really more just "practice" and to get them used to the idea of eating, not necessarily for nutrition and calorie intake. If you are worried the best thing to do is to speak to you pediatrician as obviously he knows the pattern of your baby's growth, if baby is meeting milestones, and your family history (ie. did you other children follow the same growth pattern).

Miri7

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 1:26 pm

Cinnabuns is right - keep offering everything that's safe for him to eat. Don't decide that he doesn't like something just because he didn't eat it the 2, 3, 4 times you offered it before.

If he doesn't like anything a given meal, have some of his favorite food in hand - yogurt, cantaloupe. It will fill his belly and give him calories.

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 2:01 pm

IMHO, stressing about food is the best way to create a picky eater.

Just let him eat what he wants and not eat what he don't wants. Don't take it personally! Don't force, bribe, beg, or otherwise with food. (I say this a super picky eater with no picky children B"H)

If he is truly dropping weight and the doctor is concerned, get a prescription for a fortified formula. Don't make food into a power struggle.

Iymnok

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 2:35 pm

My baby is 9.5 months old.
I feed her normal foods and add small whole vegetables to the cholent and soup.
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Rice cakes
Meatballs
Veggies from soup, carrots, celery, zucchini, onions, parsnip, potatoes.
Cholent
Rice
Bulgur
Soft variety of apples, peeled and cut into sticks.
Chicken, both from a soup and regular
Meat from the cholent
Leftover challah
My kids give her the yolks. Of their hard boiled eggs
Plain pasta

I put her in the high chair and put the food on her tray. She plays or eats it. A lot ends up between her leg or on the seat next to her. I return that to the tray.

Can a 9.5 mo have dairy? Like cottage cheese etc?

water_bear88

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 2:44 pm

Iymnok wrote:

My doctor says yes on dairy, no on drinking enough milk that they might fill up on it. Cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal cooked with milk are all fine.

farm

Thu, Sep 15 2016, 3:16 pm

If your aim is to keep him from slipping lower on the charts, he will actually have a better chance of gaining by having more breast milk or formula, not by cutting back and giving more real food. If your aim is to get him used to food and eating with the family, you have plenty to work with- yogurt for breakfast, shnitzel or pizza or burgers for supper, experiment with lunch when bigger ones are in school and you can give him more time and attention. It really doesn't sound like you should be worrying.