I am looking for suggestions on food items for a 9 month old who only will feed herself. We have tried the typical stuff waffles, pancakes, sweet potato, cereal but she is getting bored with these

Mary - posted on 04/09/2009

I have given my 8 month old alot of things....like plain rice, chicken cut up very small, meatballs cut up small, potatoes, canned veggies and fruit, lightly buttered toast, spaghetti and plain ragu spaghetti sauce, hard boiled egg yolks,  yogurt........I have pretty much tried everything except peanutbutter and egg whites, lol.

Jennifer - posted on 04/09/2009

WARNING!!! Be really careful giving your babies the Gerber Wagon Wheels finger foods. My daughter does really good with finger foods, but when we gave her these she choked and turned blue!!! My husband and to grab her out of the highchair and hit her back to get it out. It was super scary!!!

[deleted account]

Quoting Amanda-Lynn:

I find it interesting that you point out others feeding processed foods, yet the first list of foods for your son is also processed. Personally I think if you have to "shovel" food into a baby they are to young to be eatting soilds. Feedings should be enjoyable learning time for any child under the age of one, which in turn will make good eatting older children.

For the first mom, my 9 month old eats anything we eat, she will not be tricked by baby food. She wants the good stuff, we just make sure it is not to spicey for her and is cut into smaller peices for her. Also like your child she wants to feed herself, which can make for some pretty messy dinners, but we let her at it. When we notice its become more about making a mess then eatting, its bath time! :0)

Processed, but barely...since we do all natural all organic, even his "processed" food has maybe 5-6 ingredients at most. My son's food has to be shoveled in because he is too active and is not gaining enough weight. I also have to force him to sit long enough to drink a bottle. Sometime you have to force your child do something when it's for their own good. If I let my son decide when to eat and drink and how much, he would be constantly underfed. Most babies remind their parents when they need food or drink, my son rarely does this. He's too concerned about being in motion to worry about silly things like eating and drinking.

Amanda - posted on 04/07/2009

I find it interesting that you point out others feeding processed foods, yet the first list of foods for your son is also processed. Personally I think if you have to "shovel" food into a baby they are to young to be eatting soilds. Feedings should be enjoyable learning time for any child under the age of one, which in turn will make good eatting older children.

For the first mom, my 9 month old eats anything we eat, she will not be tricked by baby food. She wants the good stuff, we just make sure it is not to spicey for her and is cut into smaller peices for her. Also like your child she wants to feed herself, which can make for some pretty messy dinners, but we let her at it. When we notice its become more about making a mess then eatting, its bath time! :0)

[deleted account]

WOW! I'm surprised so many of you are doing what I consider older foods and so much processed food! We do all organic, and thus far, our son gets puffs, Cheerio-type cereal, and teething biscuits. Otherwise, I just make him mashed food. Our son is a very frustrated eater. We've found that distracting him with toys allows us to be able to shovel the food in. If we don't he would rarely eat.

Tara - posted on 04/05/2009

My son loves french toast sticks (there in the freezer section) the cinnamon ones are his favorite. it is something different for breakfast. Also he loves the Big Rice Krispy cereal. Bananas, fruit cups, Canned veggies (but rinse in water.) Chicken, Ground meat, crackers, soft cheeses. I gave him a plan cheese burger (cut into small pieces of course) and cut up french fries the other day and he loved them. He too is in love with the yogurt puffs, Gerber crackers (veggie & Cheese) crunchies and cereal bars. Good Luck! I'm in the same situation.

Summer - posted on 04/05/2009

At this age just about anything u eat they can to. Just make sure it is cut small enough where they don't choke on it. Also make sure it is cooked very well and some what soft. Gail eats every thing we do. Including tacos, and chilli. Very mild of course. She also love rasins.

Kieran - posted on 04/04/2009

my little girl has a lot of teeth so people keep telling me... 8 and she is not 9 months yet.

But I was told rissoles made from rice (or meat if you are feeding them meat) and veges are a huge self feeder hit and apparently a lamb cutlet because they have a natural handle.

We still have not introduced meat but the brown rice and vege rissoles seem to work well.

Angela - posted on 04/04/2009

sandwiches, pieces of fruit or soft veges, mini muffins i normally cut in half again, pieces of sandwich meat we call it lucheon here in new zealand i haven't tried this yet but planning to, oh i got this sheet of my plunket nurse um cucumber, mini meatballs, plain biscuits, rice crackers, they say they can have cheese now haven't intriduced this yet, raisins/dried apricots, fish fingers thats just a few things on my list have fun with it ....

Bethany - posted on 03/30/2009

yogurt, cheese and animal crackers are big favorites here...we've also done the grilled cheese and he seemed to like it...

Bridget - posted on 03/29/2009

steamed carrotsticks, bits of steak cut into sticks, heads of brocolli, white bread with avocado as a spread on it,

Lauri - posted on 03/28/2009

banana and brown rice

Bridget - posted on 03/28/2009

vegetable fritters

Kara - posted on 03/28/2009

also over cooked pasta noodles, lil peices of watever your having for diner, steak, chicken, you can start makin lil sanwiches with sanwich meat in them, I tried bologna the other day, he loved it, egg yolk omlettes

Kara - posted on 03/28/2009

little peices of cheese, little crackers, cucumber, any soft veggie or fruit. I give my son toast with his fruit spread over top!. Tried a grilled cheese the other day...

Dawn - posted on 03/28/2009

My son is nearly 9 months old and he too only feeds himself. Avacado is a great one, canned peaches and pears (because they are so soft), canned peas and carrots (again, soft but able to be picked up), he loves those yogurt puff things by Gerber. Hmmmm....I kow there are more. I'll get back to this when I can think of more.