when should a toddler be off baby jar food

Loredana - posted on 04/28/2012

Elfreda.. O yes! She fights me to feed herself and make big ole' messes!

Loredana - posted on 04/28/2012

at 12 months she was still on the bottle until she got sick with pharyngitis and wouldnt take the bottle. after that she refused any milk. So when she wakes i give about 6-10 ounces of milk with mixed grain rice cereal. after about 230 hours ill make eggs and a breaded item (french toast, biscuits, toast, etc.) and give some cheese. She would eat most of it. But lunch it would be like speghetios and grilled cheese and she would spit it out. I have given those child meals. she would just nickpick. Im having more luck with dinner, she likes chicken, hates mashed potatoes. But ive had a lot of criticism that she is still on jar food. But it gives her the missing nutrients. She is also a snacker! Goldfish, cheesepuffs, etc. So i don't fully see what the big deal is. This is also my first child so of course im going about it slower. But she's eating so im happy. Thank you guys for the advice. I think i will try the homemade slop (lol). and see if this works easier.

Elfrieda - posted on 04/28/2012

You might want to transition to table food that is mushy, just to start her off slowly. Do you still spoonfeed her? Doesn't she fight with you and want to feed herself? If not, it'll probably happen soon. :)

Brittney - posted on 04/28/2012

My daughter refused jar foods at 7 months and would only eat table foods, a friend's daughter was 13 months when she just refused one day...I don't think it really matters when they stop. If you want to make your own, it will cost a lot less and be more nutritious (also helps with the transition)

Michelle - posted on 04/28/2012

What sort of table foods are you giving her? I started off with Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrot and Potato. My oldest one was that slowest one to get the concept of table foods though. The others didn't want to be left out and my now 2yo would throw her plate on the floor if it wasn't exactly what the rest of us had.

I also made my own baby food. Whatever vege's I was cooking up I just pureed for them. It was so much cheaper and I knew exactly what was in it as well.

Louise - posted on 04/28/2012

My daughter was still on jars at this age as she did not get her teeth until 13 months. I did however make my own sloppy foods for her rather than jars all the time. She had mashed potatoe, cheese and baked beans. Minced beef with broccoli and sweet potatoe, chicken and sweetcorn and mash. This helped with the transition to more normal foods and also the nappy situation. Jars seemed to make the nappy loose. Just make your own food quite sloppy at first, so mashed potatoe made sloppier than usual with milk was a good base to start. The problem I had was my daughter does not like rice or pasta and still doesn't even though she is three now.

Some foods are suitable for children up to the age of three as toddler meals but they were bland and always seemed to be tomato based. There is nothing wrong with giving your daughter jars as they contain all the vitamins that she needs. But it is much easier to be away from home if your child will eat a normal diet. Just keep giving her finger foods, like bread sticks, cheese sticks, peppers, cucumber, raisins. She will soon realise that finger foods taste better than the bland slop in a bowl.