What to feed a 14 month old.

Jennifer - posted on 09/28/2010

I have the same issue! I've been feeding my daughter alot of chicken...I just have to kind of shred it so she can pick it up. Also meatloaf and hamburgers. Mac & cheese is a good one too, just takes her forever to pick up the tiny noodles!

Samantha - posted on 09/28/2010

My daughter pretty much eats whatever we eat. She loves small pieces of chicken, peas, bananas, blueberries, and watermelon. We love Indian foods and she even eats curries and naan. When I am feeding her something that needs to be spoon fed, like yogurt, I give her a spoon to use and let her try to feed herself. We sort of end up taking turns were I feed her a bite and then she tries to feed herself a bite.

Tammy - posted on 09/28/2010

our 15 month old twins love grilled cheese with broccoli stuffed in it. Another favorite is avocado. we dice it up and cover it in cheerio crumbs so it holds its form instead of getting mushy in their little hands. Some other favorites are cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash with some cinnamon on it. Also I mix up ground turkey with organic bread crumbs, spices, egg, minced onion, green pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, and whatever color pepper you like and grill them. Then you can break them up into little pieces and feed them just the turkey burger or break it into pasta or brown rice and they can eat everything themself. We make big batches and freeze them. Someone else listed pancakes we do the same big batches and then mush up bananas or blueberries and toss those in. Quick easy breakfast and they love them. Good luck!

Kathy - posted on 09/25/2010

same with us. Seth eats everything we eat, just in smaller pieces unless its too spicy.

Brenynn - posted on 09/24/2010

my 15 month old is the same way, likes to feed herself. shes almost got the utensils down but has trouble keeping the food on the spoon. i would give yours the spoon so she can keep practicing. also, when shes not willing to let me feed her, she gets upselt. i wait until she stops and keep trying until she finally lets me feed her. she eats pretty much whatever we eat, i just chop it up. i dont give her a lot of salt or anything and she doesnt like a lot of bread. cereals are good like honey nut cheerios, also frosted mini wheats. ravioli, green beans, chicken nuggets, tator tots, crackers, pineapple bits. even if they make a mess its part of the learning process, and you can always put them in the bath. even if they dont eat a lot, juices and milk are good too.sometimes mine wont eat a lot because her gums hurt, so, if your worried then ask a doc and good luck!

Rachael - posted on 09/21/2010

Everything! My son eats anything I give him (and he doesn't use utesils yet, either); I just cut everything up and put it on his high chair tray. I can't just give him anything without cutting it up, either, because he'll just shove the whole thing in his mouth and choke. You can turn all meals with all food groups into finger foods.

Erica - posted on 09/20/2010

Cheese broken into pieces, chicken patties cut up small, blueberries, bananas cut into 4's, grapes cut into 4's, elbow macaroni mixed with frozen veggies & a slice of cheese melted, to add some different taste... hope those are some helpful options :)

Jessica - posted on 09/20/2010

My 15 month old eats what we eat, I just chunk it up small. (Of course she is also my second baby so I think I'm a little more comfortable with that). A great site is www.wholesomebabyfood.com. She eats cut up fruits and veggies, meats, breads, cereal, basically everything. The only thing she doesn't like is mashed foods (she prefers them in chunks). Also, at this age, babies can have yogurt, cheese, and other foods as well. That site I recommended has a great chart on what foods are ok to introduce when, but over a year old, the restrictions are much less.

Mpolokeng Engelinah - posted on 09/19/2010

My son only eats soft food he does not want to chew, if its something he has to chew he spit it out

Becky - posted on 09/19/2010

Breakfast:
Waffles
Pancakes
Cereal
Yogurt
Fruit
Eggs (scrambled, omelet, hard boiled)

Lunch:
Deli meat (no or low salt)
Cheese
Leftovers from earlier in the week
Pickles
Fruit
Veggies (green beans, carrots, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)

Dinner:
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Ham
Pork
Veggies
Baked potato
Sweet Potato
Squash
Pasta


All of this should be cut into bite sized pieces of course! My daughter also loves grilled cheese! We use a half a piece of bread and half a slice of cheese for her so she does not get too much. I make sure that each meal has either a fruit or vegetable for her. For her snacks she loves puffs, Cheerios, Sesame Street Organic cookies, crackers, applesauce. Keep trying with the spoon/fork and allow your daughter to try to feed herself. She'll get the hang out it eventually! In the meantime, it's not all that bad if she wants to feed herself with her fingers!

Heidi - posted on 09/19/2010

i cut everything up to bite size i also give him whole fruits b/c he does well and never chokes obviously im right there w/ him and never let him run around w/ a whole apple banana ect. if we have chicken or steak or porkchops i just make bite size finger food pieces if we have applause i help him use a spoon i think forks are still a little tricky at this age! i feed him whatever we eat unless its not going to be made until really late or if it has shellfish in it! he has had fish and usually really loves it! hopefully this has helped you some good luck!

Tiffany - posted on 09/18/2010

My son is almost 15 months and loves the morning star original veggie burgers, any fruit, mac n cheese, noodles. Just keep trying different things and even if she doesn't like it the first time keep trying to introduce it. Eventually she will learn to like it.

Kisa - posted on 09/18/2010

Yes I have the same problem but i fix her grill cheese sandwiches, pb&J sandwiches, I buy lunchables, chiccken nuggets, pan cakes bananas, watermelon,melon grapes cut up. But I don't know if she getting full.

Tami - posted on 09/18/2010

I started scooping with two spoons and giving them to him to feed himself, started with yogurt since it sticks to the spoon well. I would scoop some on one spoon, hand it to him and say "Cole does it" - he would take the spoon and feed himself. While he had the first spoon, I'd be scooping with the second one, and just trade him and say 'Cole does it' again. He got really, really messy - but he learned quickly and got to maintain his independence. He is now feeding himself with his spoons - it took about a week. Now he wants our forks, our spoons, and whatever we are eating. Once we got him started he is just taking leaps and bounds now. Good luck! Oh, and be prepared to wash the high chair every night - we have to!! But it is fun, fun, fun.....
To answer your question about what he eats, he loves mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, for breakfast he just started liking eggs, I make him belgian waffles on the weekend and then toast them on monday and tuesday in the toaster... he likes pancakes and sausage too. Surprisingly he wanted to taste our jalapeno and cheese smoked sausage last week and he loved it - I was shocked. Maybe we've been making his food too bland! ??
Experiment - you may be surprised like we were!

Jenny - posted on 09/17/2010

My daughter loves cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, melon, peas, corn, brocoli, pears, pasta, popsicles, pretzels, crackers, muffins, and apples. These are just some ideas. Hope it helps.

Kristen - posted on 09/17/2010

My son will usually start with his utentils then end up eating with his fingers while still holding the fork or spoon. My son has always been a huge eater and eats everything. He will eat tuna, hot dogs, fish, loves meatballs, beans of any kind, all fruit favorite cantaloupe, grapes. Rice, noodles, soup, he really likes grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese, all veggies. I found some great ideas for food on the beechnut website also when we were learning what to feed him. He also eats pretty much anything we eat. I found that he loves my cream of wheat with vanilla yogurt in it. He also love our cherry tomatos from the garden. I hope that helps a little, he eats most of it himself, and makes a huge mess but I just let him.

Cara - posted on 09/17/2010

I have found some good suggestions on the websites http://weelicious.com/ http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/
My daughter is so picky, she will not eat most of this stuff, but I will keep trying different foods at every meal

Shannon - posted on 09/16/2010

make sure you keep giving her utensils to use, even if shes not very good at it yet. my daughter uses a fork and spoon at the beginning of the meal and usually ends up using her fingers after a few bites. but they have to learn right? she eats everything we eat, at the same time i eat. she has all her front teeth and 4 of her molars though. she only needs her back molars and her eye teeth now.

Robin - posted on 09/16/2010

My daughter loves her finger foods, though she'll let me feed her some things too. However, the other night I was feeding her a rice/sauce/meat mixture, and let her dunk her spoon and hands right in. The JOY on her face!! She's clearly ready to explore more foods and textures and loved it that I was letting her create a big delicious mess. Plop it on the tray, give her a spoon, and let her enjoy the wonder of food!

Janessa - posted on 09/16/2010

You know when they get like that I give them a spoon and let them have at it. It makes a very big mess, but they eventually learn. I've been giving my 15 month old things we eat since he started solids, I grind the things he can't chew because he only has 4 teeth, but other than that he eats what we eat. Although I have to say, he does let me feed him, and that makes it easier, but my other 2 didn't, and sometimes it is easier for me just to let him feed himself while I make things for my other 2. He's good with either one. He actually picked an apple off of our apple tree the other day and ate it down to the core. I was so surprised, I guess 4 teeth can do alot. I guess I take kind of a laid back approach, which works for some,and for others it might cause more stress. So only take this advice if it will work for you.

Jennifer - posted on 09/16/2010

I'm with felicia. My son eats a lot of what I eat. For breakfast, I make pancakes, french toast strips (frozen ones have added vitamins), or toaster pastries, and, a fresh fruit or fruit cup. For lunch, I will make him a roast beef, cheese, and baby spinach sandwich, toasted peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, or chicken and cheese quesadilla. Dinner is usually what I have plus some canned or frozen veggies, velvetta mac n cheese (it has real cheese in it), or all beef (angus, no fillers or byproducts) hotdogs, cut up into bite sized pieces, if I am eating something that can't be cut up into peices. I started giving him a spoon to hold while eating. He sees how I am using my fork and is trying to start using the spoon. He's not ready to use it but he is getting the idea that it used for eating. He will eat all types of softened veggies (he loves the aspragus I gave him last night), bananas are good, avacados, sweet potato fries, edamame, baked beans, you can put just about anything in a quesedilla, canned sliced carrots, green beans, corn, etc. I give him cherrios for a snack because boxed cereal has added vitamins. Hard scrambled eggs are good in the morning also. He drinks water and juicy juice (100% juice) during the day. Sorry if it sounds like I am rambling but I wanted to list all the things I could think of to give you some ideas. Hope this helps. I know it is hard to make sure they eat right. Especially if you know you don't. For the sitter I keep a couple of the toddler meals around so she doesn't have to cook for him.

Danielle - posted on 09/15/2010

Grapes, Nilla Wafers, cantaloupe and watermelon!

Kathleen - posted on 09/15/2010

I too had this dilemma but found a couple resources that helped immensely. There is a fabulous cookbook called "Deceptively Delicious," by Jessica Seinfeld and it is an ideal resource for giving you recipes that incorporate veggies into their meals without them ever even knowing (if they object to the taste). I also found some great recipes/ideas on this website: http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/ which is a GREAT resource. They have sample weekly menus, recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; snack ideas, etc. My son especially loves the sweet potato pancakes, which are easy for him to eat with his fingers. I now never make anything for him (or us) without incorporating some kind of pureed vegee into the recipe. It's good for him and us! Hope that helps!

Oh, and I make big batches and freeze a lot of the recipes so I can just defrost for lunches and breakfast.

Anita - posted on 09/14/2010

My daughter is also 14 months old and I let her feed herself with the foods she can manage, but when we have things like 2 minute noodles or stews or saucy things I feed her myself.

Tiana - posted on 09/14/2010

i feed my 15 month old son pizza pockets bananas anything that can be put into small pieces... cuz my son is the same way refuses to be feed

Clarisse - posted on 09/14/2010

please be aware that hot dogs are a potential choking hazard. my little one is 15 months and can sort of use a spoon but i give her whatever i eat, she does fine as long as the pieces are very small or too big to fit in her mouth (she gnaws at it then)

Lindsey - posted on 09/13/2010

i basically give my little guy some of whatever we're eating and make sure theres lots of fruits and veggies too. i find he really likes french toast and meats like chicken and ground beef.

Jennifer - posted on 09/13/2010

My son looooooooves spaghetti. He has the sauce and everything,

Fiona - posted on 09/13/2010

my son is 14 months and he does the same thing he eats spud beans etc he loves food so do not worry they will use utensils when they are ready its like crawling or walkin

Carmen - posted on 09/13/2010

i did have a problem like this.....Sicelly wouldn't use the folk, but i managed to get her to hold it during meals and she eats anything so yes it did get messy at times lol she uses it most times now but like i said it did take a while!!!! lucky now she copies her big brother and i have just got her to eat a youghat with a spoon which is great progrss. keep going it will happen x

Raisa - posted on 09/12/2010

i am also experiencing the same situation with my 14 months.copied below a peditrician advice,

David Geller, pediatrician
You may have to throw in the proverbial towel on this one. Children are messy, especially when they're learning how to eat on their own, even in the neatest of homes.

Right now, your child sees eating as an experiment. The more you allow her to explore, the more fun she'll have as she learns how to use her mouth and hands to eat. She'll enjoy how food feels between her fingers, in her mouth, on her face, and all over her body. She's also brimming with curiosity over what happens when she flings food on the floor or feeds it to the family pet.

Try to go with the flow and have fun watching her gleefully learn what food is all about. It may help to have a plastic, washable mat underneath her highchair to protect your floor or carpet (an old shower curtain works just fine). Outfit her with a large bib, one with a little pocket at the bottom to catch falling food if possible.

And for safety reasons, use unbreakable dishes, cups, and glasses. If she starts throwing utensils across the room, discourage the behavior with a firm reprimand. Give her smaller portions so she won't have too much material to play with. Otherwise, be prepared for lots of baths, laundry, and laughs.

Melissa - posted on 09/09/2010

Ohhh yes I am experiencing the same thing with my daughter! I feed her bread, cheese, veggies, fruit cups, bananas, muffins, baked apples(softer than fresh), chicken nuggets, cheerios, pancakes, fish sticks, mac & cheese, ravioli, and graduate meat sticks. We also give her what we eat for dinner, especially anything with pasta, and we just cut up the meat small enough so she can handle it. If I am eating a sandwich I take plugs out of it and hand that to her. One thing I started doing was taking yogurt or applesauce and allowing her to try and feed herself bc she is so independent. It is quite messy but she is very happy with herself when she does it! Just try to make it fun for her and hopefully she will at least try and after a few times, she will get it (probably all over her face lol) and be excited and continue to learn. Also, I try to give her a few options at a time so she doesn't get too burnt out with it in one sitting.

Natalie - posted on 09/09/2010

chicken nuggets cut up small wit fries made at home or grilled cheese sandwhiches cut grapes n carrots n apples

Bridget - posted on 09/09/2010

My bub is also a very independent feeder so always has finger foods for every meal. We have the following throughout the day:
Breakfast: usually toast with spread (vegemite or cheese) - placed on the coffee table he eats and runs around as he doesn't want to sit still in the morning
Lunch: blueberries, strawberries, cheese sandwich, cheese, capsicum slices, banana, orange, vege dogs (healthy alternative to hotdogs), tuna chunks, kidney beans, baked beans (good for regularity so be warned!!!), mini muffins (cheesy ones with veges or some bacon).
Dinner: same as for lunch but usually add small chunks of the meat we are eating, veges of course, pasta bake (or I use rice instead and he loves it more than pasta), mashed potato (certain potatoes are sticky enough you can make little balls or you can add cheese), rice balls (with cheese), zucchini bake.
My little man used to only have his front top and bottom teeth (8) and could manage okay with all the above foods but since his molars have started to come in he is eating everything really well.
I hope I have given you a few ideas I know how difficult it can be coming up with different and healthy finger foods for an independent bub!! Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 09/08/2010

My son also eats just about everything accept for hard raw veggies and fruit, since he does not have his molars yet. I haven't really come across to much he doesn't like. I was really surprised to see that he likes fish!

Felica - posted on 09/08/2010

My son eats pretty much everything we eat. I just have to cut it into bite size pieces and he feeds himself.