Food texture

Amanda - posted on 10/02/2010

My son is 8 months old and has 7 teeth already. Having more teeth maked it so much easier for them to be able to chew and accept more textures. Ifyour child doesnt have many teeth, it is still ok to give your baby more textured foods. GIve your baby Gerber Puffs to start out. I used them as snacks with my son and they were a great transition. They desolve in their pretty quickly but yet they still get the chance to get the feel of the new texture. you can just experiment with differnet food textures and see what your baby likes and doesnt and if your baby can handle certain new textures. If your really worried about trying new textures, you can just feed your baby stage 2 fruit, veggies, grains, and meals. you also want differnet colors in your babys diet as well.

Paula - posted on 10/02/2010

I do a bit of both for my 8 almost 9 month old. Anything soft enough he can chew I let him. I give him toast with vegemite for breakfast each day which he LOVES. I've given him roasted veges; potato, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin which he's LOVED!! He seems to love chewing on things even though he still has no teeth! Rice bikkies are also great! Banana, avacado, pears are easily tolerated too I've found.Have fun!

Ruby - posted on 10/01/2010

My son is 8 1/2 month old and is eating really chunky food. I cut up soft cooked baby carrots, broccoli , sweet potatoes, fruits and give lumps of rice and bread for him to eat. He eats cheerios with no problem and gets mad if I don't put food on the high chair table for him to feed himself. He gags occasionally but that is why I watch him closely and the dietitian said it is normal. I fed him broccoli bits for dinner tonight and found out there were still one piece kept in his mouth like one hour after dinner. I thought that was funny. Oh, I also started him on sippy cup by 6 months.

Julie - posted on 09/28/2010

My daughter is 9 months next week. She has feeding issues (We saw and OT at children's for a while). She has been eating wheat puffs, cheerios, mums for about a month. I started to mash bananas and potatos and shedid okay. I moves to grated cheese at 8 months, and I make my own food so not sure about what stage it would be. I know that I have to seperate my thicker puree foods and my chunky foods (I can't put cottage cheese with pureed fruit). If I keep it seperate...no problem. She has started to take chunks of cooked fish (loves to finger feed) and really cooked peaa, cottage cheese, and small chunks of cork screw pasta. Most moms I know could mix chunks in with the food, but my daughter can't seperate that in her mouth yet...maybe i'll try again to see how she does! She choked a lot as we introduced more texture - it's okay, it happens to us all!

Caralee - posted on 09/15/2010

my son (6 wk early preemie) is no longer interested in his purees... he wants what we are eating.. He has no teeth and loves to gum waffles (I do toast them) anything with bread.. loves the banana gerber puffs...and mashed bananas.. I am putting chunks of fruit in his baby oatmeal and he likes that as well. I was terrified of the choking as well, and since he was a preemie he has had some delays.. but eating does not seem to be an issue... now if we can just get him to gain weight we will be good. (He was born Jan 8th and is 13 pounds 15oz)

Emily - posted on 09/14/2010

I love Ashleigh's guide! Thanks!
My son is the youngest of this group, and he has been gumming on foods for awhile (he has no teeth at 7.5 months). I just take it slow and make sure I am keeping a close eye on him. I like the puffs because they dissolve quickly, so I'm not as afraid that he will choke. Give your baby a little try of some lumpier food and see how it goes!

Ashleigh - posted on 09/07/2010

In australia, our child health nurses give us guidelines on introducing textured food, myself and alot of other new mums I no follow this,
6months- pureed or mashed, 7 months- coarse mash, 8 months-grated, 9 months-minced, 10 months-finally chopped, and then by 12 months they should mostly be eating the same as you. As long as your introducing the changes gradually and dont offer too much in one go, you would lessen any choking risk, They also suggest soft finger foods baby can hold for 8 months on, like rusks and soft fruit/veg. to encourage them to start eating on there own. :)

Em - posted on 09/07/2010

hey interesting question, my boy has only juuuuuuuust started even trying chunky foods. Hes refused until tonight. Just take it slow and be patient, use flavours they know (ie things they have had previously pureed, leave a lil bit chunky).

Erin - posted on 09/06/2010

Mine is now eating Cherios and chewing soft fruit. I started with lumpier bananas and now am introducing all his food much lumpier. He also loves Mum-Mums because he can feed them to himself. We have had no issues. Good luck with it.

Crystal Lynn - posted on 09/04/2010

mine is on 2nd foods and we'll be moving to 3rd foods in a few weeks

Danielle - posted on 09/04/2010

Olivia is now 7months and 1wk and is now on stage 2 foods, when i buy the jar foods i buy them for ages 7 months plus, she has been on these for bout 3wks now and is doing really well

Catherine - posted on 09/03/2010

If they're starting to chew food and not just swallow they should be ready for more texture. My daughter (8 months) has been eating more solid baby foods a little over a month now. But she's also not one to pass ANYTHING up that looks like it could be edible:) Oh and if you start with really small pieces, gerber puffs(I think that's what they're called) or gerber wagon wheels it might help with practicing the chewing. The snacks that I just mentioned disolve easily when put in the babies mouth so it lessens the chance of choking.Hope this helps.