Feeding times have usually been an easy affair with my 17-month old son but after our recent trip to Finland, he's suddenly decided he doesn't want to be spoon-fed anymore, no more mush please! and he wants to feed himself.
I had been slowly introducing him finger foods before the trip and he was doing fine with the eggs, pasta, cheese, bread, cucumber, boiled carrots, brocolli and fruits which I usually served in small portions alongside his mashed up food. Also he had been eating primarily only what I've cooked for him at home till then.
(Sorry for this bit of history but I thought maybe it might give some clues as to how to address this). When we were in Helsinki for four days, I didn't have the possibility to cook or prepare meals so he was suddenly exposed to a wide variety of "outside" food.
Breakfast was easy as he's keen on cheese, bread, cereals and yoghurt. But lunch and dinner I didn't have a clue what to give him and so we ended up buying mashed potatoes, pasta, baked salmon etc. He ate quite a bit of everything we gave him.
However, when we finally got to the in-laws and I had a chance to cook and made him his favourite salmon/sweet potato combo mush he refused to eat that. Since then it has been a lot of trial and error (mostly errors!) and I don't know what to cook for him anymore!
Also, mealtimes have become a real messy affair as the little fella does not want any help to eat and wants to feed himself! He would put in a morsel of food and after chewing a bit, spits it out, smears it around and plays with it. Repeats the process until there's a huge mess....
Questions:
1. Should I only keep giving him what he likes to eat?
- he has some favourites which he will eat with gusto and finish the lot in a jiffy (eggs, bread, cheese, yoghurt, cucumber, bananas, cereal and rice)
2. I suspect he was suddenly exposed to a whole new world of food during the trip and he doesn't want his old bland food anymore. Yet he's not so ready to really eat the "solid" food which I'm now presenting him with.
- Should I add some seasoning like salt, Marmite or soy sauce into his food?
- He seems to like fried stuff like fish fingers or spring rolls! (the once he ate them at a restaurant in Finland). Should I give that to him more often?
3. I've been cooking special meals for him and also making a meal for the family and taking a small portion out for him (minus salt). What's the best way to go? I hate to see the food go to waste!
4. He's having major teething at the moment and is asking to drink lots of water all the time especially during mealtimes. Could that also be a reason for him being off his food? I'm still breastfeeding him btw.
5. Recipes please!
Have been reading up on this but would really appreciate some tips and would be great to hear some of your experiences. The little chappie went to bed after eating 1% of his minced chicken patties, potatoes, carrots and rice noodles. In the end I made him a bowl of warm cereal which he lapped up, yoghurt and Cheerios which he grabbed fistfuls of to stuff in his mouth.
Thank you for your time and be hearing from you!
Feeding time!
Hi Sharon 
I stopped mashing T's food already 2-3 months ago, he doesn't need it anymore. It might apply to D as well.
Concerning recipes - basicly at this age he can just eat the same as you, cut in smaller pieces of course. Salt is also not a problem (at least as long as the food is not extremely salty).
As far as the mess - get used to it, at least for a while. It will get better with time but it is a phase most of them (if not all) go through. T was eating with his hands very early (the only way I could get him to eat solids was to let him touch it with his hands, I even had to put small portions of porridge for a couple of minutes in the oven so he could hold it). In the beginning it was a horrible mess but now it has been quite civilized for quite a while. They just have to get used to it.
This trip might have been a bless in disguise - maybe it is really time he tries new things and makes new culinary discoveries. It is really nice he is open to new tastes and likes many things.
Hope it helped - Take good care (will try to e-mail soon)
Miti.
I stopped mashing T's food already 2-3 months ago, he doesn't need it anymore. It might apply to D as well.
Concerning recipes - basicly at this age he can just eat the same as you, cut in smaller pieces of course. Salt is also not a problem (at least as long as the food is not extremely salty).
As far as the mess - get used to it, at least for a while. It will get better with time but it is a phase most of them (if not all) go through. T was eating with his hands very early (the only way I could get him to eat solids was to let him touch it with his hands, I even had to put small portions of porridge for a couple of minutes in the oven so he could hold it). In the beginning it was a horrible mess but now it has been quite civilized for quite a while. They just have to get used to it.
This trip might have been a bless in disguise - maybe it is really time he tries new things and makes new culinary discoveries. It is really nice he is open to new tastes and likes many things.
Hope it helped - Take good care (will try to e-mail soon)
Miti.
hi
matilda hasnt really wanted to eat anything really mush for a while with the exception of porridge!but for food suggestions i went to a book by annabel karmel,its baby and toddler meal planner.just some nice recipes and things i wouldnt have thought of.what i do i cube things or strip veg etc.igive her a few bits and a spoon so she can practice but she only wants to use her fingers.the high chair with a table top front is very handy for this.but try his portion and you get a few bits into to.sorry to have missed you guys bet d has gotten even cuter!
sarah
matilda hasnt really wanted to eat anything really mush for a while with the exception of porridge!but for food suggestions i went to a book by annabel karmel,its baby and toddler meal planner.just some nice recipes and things i wouldnt have thought of.what i do i cube things or strip veg etc.igive her a few bits and a spoon so she can practice but she only wants to use her fingers.the high chair with a table top front is very handy for this.but try his portion and you get a few bits into to.sorry to have missed you guys bet d has gotten even cuter!
sarah
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carolinemaher
- Posts: 293
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:17 pm
- Location: helsinki
Hi Sharon
Nice to hear from you! Was great to see you last month, I think I may have mentioned that C is doing exactly the same thing, she hasn't wanted any food off a spoon for months now, its just a phase I'm sure but in the meantime try this little lot for food he can pick up himself:
-Baked beans (she picks up 1 at at time, takes forever but she loves them)
-Potato wedges (cut a baking potato into quarters and pop in oven till crisp, you can do the same with his and C's favorite sweet potato too)
-Chicken breasts cut into large strips
-Roll mash potatoes/brocolli/carrots/whatever veg/ into pattie/nugget shapes dip in egg and breadcrumbs then fry/bake
-Pineapple chunks/raisins/fruit salad
-Homemade meatballs
-You said he likes fish fingers, that's great, you can just make your own, roll in breadcrumbs again bake/fry
Teething does put them off their food that's normal and also try giving him his drink towards the end of the meal or they are inclined to fill up on liquid which makes them full.
I've been told this won't last:), so don't worry D sounds like he's still eating a great diet - good luck!!
Take care, Caroline
Nice to hear from you! Was great to see you last month, I think I may have mentioned that C is doing exactly the same thing, she hasn't wanted any food off a spoon for months now, its just a phase I'm sure but in the meantime try this little lot for food he can pick up himself:
-Baked beans (she picks up 1 at at time, takes forever but she loves them)
-Potato wedges (cut a baking potato into quarters and pop in oven till crisp, you can do the same with his and C's favorite sweet potato too)
-Chicken breasts cut into large strips
-Roll mash potatoes/brocolli/carrots/whatever veg/ into pattie/nugget shapes dip in egg and breadcrumbs then fry/bake
-Pineapple chunks/raisins/fruit salad
-Homemade meatballs
-You said he likes fish fingers, that's great, you can just make your own, roll in breadcrumbs again bake/fry
Teething does put them off their food that's normal and also try giving him his drink towards the end of the meal or they are inclined to fill up on liquid which makes them full.
I've been told this won't last:), so don't worry D sounds like he's still eating a great diet - good luck!!
Take care, Caroline
Hi all!
You'd be happy to know that after the last few weeks of picking and pinching little bits, the little boy is now back on track! Thanks so much for all the emails and pms - it was very helpful and encouraging to hear from you all!
I tried a few different things and approaches as suggested which I think really helped me a lot.
1. Watch that he didn't snack too close to his lunch and dinner times.
2. Instead of offering him a whole new meal everyday with many new items all at once, I actually went back to his old favourites and started from there.
- it really seemed to work after the weeks of experimenting and tasting all kinds of new foods, I think he was kind of happy to see something familiar on the plate! He even allowed me to feed him a few mouthfuls before he took over.
3. I feed half the portion of the good stuff and then introduce one new item with other finger foods for the rest of the meal.
- so maybe keeping a balance of his familiar foods and slowly introducing one new food at a time is a better idea than overloading him with a whole culinary range each time.
I still don't seem to have much luck getting him to eat chicken or fish as a finger food though. He seems happy to chew on it for a while but then spits it out. So, I still blend the chicken and fish with his rice.
He loves to practise with his spoon and does quite well with the sticky mush.
Any other tips and recipes, most welcome! Thanks again everyone!
You'd be happy to know that after the last few weeks of picking and pinching little bits, the little boy is now back on track! Thanks so much for all the emails and pms - it was very helpful and encouraging to hear from you all!
I tried a few different things and approaches as suggested which I think really helped me a lot.
1. Watch that he didn't snack too close to his lunch and dinner times.
2. Instead of offering him a whole new meal everyday with many new items all at once, I actually went back to his old favourites and started from there.
- it really seemed to work after the weeks of experimenting and tasting all kinds of new foods, I think he was kind of happy to see something familiar on the plate! He even allowed me to feed him a few mouthfuls before he took over.
3. I feed half the portion of the good stuff and then introduce one new item with other finger foods for the rest of the meal.
- so maybe keeping a balance of his familiar foods and slowly introducing one new food at a time is a better idea than overloading him with a whole culinary range each time.
I still don't seem to have much luck getting him to eat chicken or fish as a finger food though. He seems happy to chew on it for a while but then spits it out. So, I still blend the chicken and fish with his rice.
He loves to practise with his spoon and does quite well with the sticky mush.
Any other tips and recipes, most welcome! Thanks again everyone!