What to feed her...

Emily - posted on 01/20/2010

Hi everyone! Buy the Super Baby Food book by Ruth Yaron. It's about $14 through Amazon.com. I have been using it since my daughter started on solids at about 4 months (she is now 13 months). It has been AWESOME as far as figuring out what healthy foods to feed her. At this point we are doing a mix of finger foods and feeding her - she eats like a horse but is still tiny (18 lbs 10 oz as of yesterday!). She finger foods mostly everything except the porridge we make for her (and then mix all the stuff she doesn't really like but needs, like broccoli, flaxseed meal, and her multivitamin). If you mix in a little maple syrup it's super yummy for them. She also loves Yobaby yogurt, which we feed to her. Otherwise she loves cubed cooked sweet potato and butternut squash, cheerios, all sorts of fruit, tuna, cheese, whole grain bread pieces, chicken and ham. What she doesn't like, she just won't eat (like carrots and cantaloupe), but this book gives you tons of other options so you don't have to worry -- plus it tells you how to cook everything, gives you tons of nutritional information (in the back so if you don't care you just don't have to read it) AND gives great ideas for homemade/recycled toys and games. This book allows you to feed your child healthily without being overburdened by it all. I HIGHLY recommend it! Good luck!

Sama - posted on 01/20/2010

My son is picky too. I started giving him Farley's biscuits with warm milk (mixed together) and he seems to love it. He also likes plain pancakes (no jam or syrup), fruit bars and cheese sticks (kraft). Pastas are yummy too. Just keep in mind that as long as their weight is ok, then the baby is fine. If they are hungry, they will eat what you give them (that's what the Doctors say). Good Luck.

Kaye - posted on 01/19/2010

My daughter seems similar to a lot of what people have posted. I guess it's very normal for this age. One day she won't eat anything off the spoon, the next day she won't eat anything by hand. I give fruit smoothies and add oat bran to them. Of course, you can also put pureed veggies into this. She loves pasta and I give her whole grain noodles and bread. She doesn't seem to like meat or vegetables at all usually. I just keep trying it and offering it (as recommended by my dr). Eventually she may pick something up and like it and start eating it. Both of my kids like tofu also! They think it's cheese. You can make them "chicken nugget" style, breaded and baked or just chop it up, hot or cold.

Shauntel - posted on 01/18/2010

I feel I am in the same boat at the moment. My daughter is 13 months, and I am big on the healthy food, as I have been a junk food girl in the past, and am determined not to let her fall into the same trap. She is picky, and doesn't eat much at all, which surprises me as my husband and I are big eaters!! Kyara loves fruit, and will eat anything, strawberries, cherries, kiwi fruit, orange etc etc. I try and get vegies into her for tea, which sometimes go down and other times she just shakes her head. She's big on Cheese sticks (cheesy pops) and yogurt. Also I give her small quantities of dried fruit like prunes, apricots & Sultanas which she loves. I find she enjoys fish, I buy the frozen fillets with a sauce, and she will eat a whole fillet, but I can't wear it out, if I give it more than twice in a row she won't eat it again!!! She will also eat tuna in a sandwich, and I have also made vegie patties, like fish patties (mash potato), but with a heap of grated vegies. I find she enjoys this because she can eat it hot with a spoon or fork, or cold as a finger food (if you want to do this make sure you make them well formed so they don't just fall apart). That's about all I have got for you, as I am struggling myself. I personally am not too worried anymore, I was about 3 months ago, but she is such a happy girl, and is in perfect proportion, growing well, doing everything she is meant to be other than eating heaps. She is the healthiest kid I know, so I am happy now as long as she is happy, but if you find anyone giving you any ideas that your little one loves I would be REALLY interested to know.

Natasha - posted on 01/18/2010

well I guess I'm lucky that my daughter Mya will prob. eat almost anything...as for sugary foods she hasn't had any. My only problem is, she will only eat some foods with her fingers and the rest we feed her. any suggestions?

Danielle - posted on 01/18/2010

My 13 month old daughter is the same, she can go months only eating 1 type of meal!! But she is always interested in whatever I am eating, so if I want her to try something, I just make a bit extra, put it on an adult plate and sit down near her and start eating as if it is my meal. It guarantees she will at least taste it, and she will usually eat a few mouthfuls if I keep eating it as well. Also, if your daughter will eat vegies, I give my daughter beef and veg stew (any veg she likes with finely diced beef cooked up in a tin of tomatoes), or salmon and veg fritatta (grated carrot, zucchini, broccoli etc combined with beaten eggs and a small tin of salmon then baked). The fritatta can be sliced into fingers that she can feed herself. Also just as a reassurance to you, my dr has told me (many times!) that she has never heard of a child that starves themselves. Good luck!

April - posted on 01/17/2010

sounds like your doing great to me! i'm sure she is getting enough to eat, otherwise she would let you know, but besides that, have you considered starting her on a children's multivitamin? atleast that way you know she's getting all the vitamins she needs to supplement all the great foods you're giving her, although, i must warn you that after i started my daughter on them she cut out her morning naps. i'm not sure if it was actually related or not, but it started around the same time.

Naomi - posted on 01/17/2010

how about fruit/vegetable smoothies (carrot & pumpkin are quite sweet) you can also get some carbs in there if you soak the cerial first and make it soft. You can put yoghurt in there also. How about dried fruit cut up? My little one will eat a bigger meal if I reduce the snaks or hold her out an hour or two (or three) between sittings....

Jessica - posted on 01/17/2010

Our son doesnt eat any veggies!! He hates them!! All he eats is dairy and fruit, so we go through alot of yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese. He likes whole wheat mac n cheese that I make and has started eating toast with apple butter or peanut butter. And of course any fruit suits him just fine. Good luck!!

Amie - posted on 01/17/2010

Rhianna: She is fully self feeding. She refuses to use a spoon to eat (she will fling it around and play with it instead) and refuses to allow me to feed her. But that is only when she is in her booster seat. When I have a snack or my own food, she will come running and climb all over me and let me feed her.

I try to feed her meals, but she eats NOTHING I try to feed her. She hates mac and cheese, hates chicken, hates pasta. I bought a frozen dinner for myself for work one day, and decided to eat one when I came home for my lunch break and she wanted a bite. So I gave her one and she loved it so I bought her some. But they are adult meals that I don't think are very good for her. It was chicken nuggets and fries. That's the only chicken she seems to eat. She loves veggies and fruit, but that's really about it. I don't know what else to feed to her. Its not about her not letting me feed her, it's about her not liking ANYTHING on earth!!

Debbi - posted on 01/15/2010

I noticed since I posted my response that my son does what Rhianna was describing. He's gotten to where he will eat more if we spoon feed him, but sometimes he wants to do it himself. And it seems to be different every time.

Rhianna - posted on 01/14/2010

are you feeding her, or is she fully self feeding? I babysit a little boy that sounds just like this! we have found that if you sit down and feed him some of the meal, like the mac and cheese, he will eat 10x more of it! and then let him self feed the veggie or fruit, or some more mac n cheese he is still at the point where self feeding is more of a fun game than anything, so we help him out and make sure he gets a substantial about in his belly before, and still eats the same amount self-feeding as he did before, so he is eating a lot more! hope this helps!

Debbi - posted on 01/13/2010

I can understand about wondering if they eat enough. At my son's 1 year checkup, his doctor mentioned pastas and breads among the meats and fruits and veggies. He loves whole wheat bagels! He'll gobble down like 1/4 of the entire bagel, along with whatever else we give him. I also give cheese and cottage cheese. I cut up peeled apple and microwave it for like 20 seconds to soften it and he likes those. Macaroni and cheese. I'm with you on the sweets! I'm a sugar addict, but I don't want him to be. Fruits and juices are the sweetest things he's eaten. Well, he's had the baby whole grain animal crackers from Gerber and biter biscuits.



If my son's not excited about something, he'll just pick at it or eat it very slowly. If I don't think he's full, I just add something else to his try and see if that appetizes him.



If she's still hungry I'm sure she'll let you know then or just want to eat sooner than normal.

Katie - posted on 01/13/2010

I don't give my son any crap food either. Doesn't it shock you when you hear about some of the stuff that some people feed their little ones?! Anyways, that's a whole different ball of wax!
It sounds to me like your little miss isn't much of a picky eater at all. I would say she seems to eat a pretty good variety of foods. Maybe she's just not a big eater but that's OK. As long as she regularly has the opportunity to eat, she will be fine. I think it sounds like you're doing great. And high five for giving her such a healthy start with solids.
I have a couple food suggestions for you. Have you tried chicken or maybe turkey or pork in ground form? Maybe she likes the texture of hamburger so she might be interested in eating other meats if presented the same way. My son has a hollow leg and he eats pretty much everything and I try my best to include all the food groups everyday. For snacks he often has fruits or grains and for grains he looooves puffed kamut or puffed wheat. I have one of those little snack trap cups (http://www.snacktrap.com/Categories.bok?...) and so he can have a snack anywhere without making a big mess. What is your biggest concern as far as vitamin and mineral intake goes? Is it protein that you want her to get more of? Has she tried cottage cheese? That's something else my son really loves.
Anyways, I hope that was somewhat helpful. Message me if you want to talk food:)

Sarah - posted on 01/13/2010

some children just are picky but it sounds like your daughter is just a healthy eater and its a great thing she loves her veggies. maybe cut a snack out and see how it goes at meal time.how is her weight?

if her weight gain is good and normal then don't worry. you have your preferences and so does she. and another thing about little ones is that they may not like something one day and love it the next