Baby Food

Question: Baby food for baby who doesn't like purees?

(Posted by: elise on 2010-04-24 17:00:12)

My baby is almost 7 months old. I've tried giving him baby cereal, baby food purees (store bought and homemade), and he won't eat them. When he sees the spoon, he clamps his mouth shut and turns his head away. He acts like he is ready for food. He always watches us eat. He can sit up on his own, He puts everything in his mouth (except food). I've tried giving him a cooked broccoli floret and a cooked carrot. He wouldn't put the broccoli in his mouth but he did chew on the carrot a bit. What else can I give him? He doesn't have any teeth yet and he is strictly breastfed (won't take a bottle). When can he have things like cheerios? And when you give babies juice, is it ok to use any 100 % juice or do you have to use the juice specially made for babies? I don't really see a difference. Any help is appreciated.

Posted by: elspdq on 2010-04-24, 18:19:32

Cut up bananas are great. they make a mess but are easy for the bub to mush up and get in their mouth. have you tried cooked sweet potatoes, rice or even pasta? our bub is 10 months old and we still only give her pieces of food about the size of a pea. speaking of which, peas are good too though they may just come out the other end due to their outer coating not getting digested. we started our bub on solids at 4 months (rice cereal) and we have been fortunate that she will eat anything. other good fruits are peaches, pears and even kiwi without the seeds. do a google search for other ideas. there are heaps of websites out there with great recommendations for baby foods. juice...i would hold off on and if you give it, water it down. our bub still doesn't like it but each bub is different. good luck and have fun with food!

Posted by: Ashley on 2010-04-24, 17:08:28

I read about this in a book, sometimes kids just take longer, but don't give him any solids yet. Just be patient and keep trying. One day he'll accept the food.

Posted by: peacebuffalo on 2010-04-24, 17:11:37

100% juice is best. - no more than 4 oz/ day Cheerios, the original one, is okay if soggy. bananas are also good -sliced thin Ask your pedi for the go ahead to start him on cheese and yogurt.

Posted by: iris on 2010-04-24, 17:15:47

Try Gerber puffs. they are tiny little treats that taste good and they melt in your mouth extremly fast my son loved them. as for juice you not really supposed to give them any untill they are 1 but a little every day wont hurt, there is no difference between baby juice and 100%fruit juice, we give my son v8 fusion juice, because it has fruits and veggies in it and still tastes good. but your son is still young and doesnt actually need anything other then breast milk untill hes a year old, so keep trying but dont push it too hard.

Posted by: William on 2010-04-24, 17:19:54

If he is breastfed, he is probably used to the sweetness of breast milk. You should try pears, sweet potatoes, bananas or avocados. Some babies take longer to get into food. Try once a week to see if he gets interested. Babies don't really need food the first year anyway. Babies don't need juice - too much sugar. Just give a little water with solid foods.

Posted by: Striving for Honesty on 2010-04-24, 17:23:54

I don't have kids and my nieces are all older but what I'd do to help introduce the concept of a spoon is put her in a high chair at the table and then put a tiny bit of something (sometimes mashed potatoes or even whipped cream) (a tiny amount) in a bowl and on the very tip of a baby spoon.. then while we ate she'd play with her spoon and sometimes stick it in her mouth... since your child is apparently well nourished i'd try something like that... they have to learn how to eat, and I have to learn how to stop eating.. no fair! I used to give the nieces 100% juice and dilute it - sometimes they're too strong or too sweet for their little taste buds. Will he gnaw on the ginger-root teething cookies? I say he'll eat or take a bottle when he's hungry/ thirsty enough... I don't in any way mean deprive your child but also it may benefit him to have the tools and see if he will try to use them???

Posted by: dusty_puppy on 2010-04-24, 17:24:46

Have you tried avocado? I take 3 avocados and put all the "meat " in the blender. I add some breastmilk as needed to get it to blend (5-6 oz) and blend. It turns into green pudding, and I scoop it into ice cube trays and freeze it. That's what I used as my baby's first food, and I still give him one cube a day mixed with other foods. Its full of good fat for babies! And its very mild tasting. Broccoli has a metallic taste, I'm not surprised a baby doesn't like it. And carrots also can have a lot of flavor for a baby. Other foods may be too sweet. I know my baby doesn't seem to like bananas, unless they are mixed with something else. I think its too sweet for him. Another trick, is to try feeding with your finger. Maybe he's decided that the spoon is bad, and he doesn't trust it! I wouldn't give cheerios or puffs or teething biscuits until you are absolutely sure he can eat soft foods really well.

Posted by: CB on 2010-04-24, 19:12:09

You could try giving him a mesh bag teether with a piece of fruit in it. That way he can chop down and realize there is some flavor to be had!! And there is no way for him to choke on small pieces of food.

Posted by: 2girls1boyI on 2010-04-25, 00:16:46

Hi Elise, Have you tried baby led weaning? My son is 9 months old and eats pretty much the same as the family, things like pasta, cooked/ steamed vegies, whole fruits (he will sit in his highchair and munch on a whole apple), rice cakes, cheese, toast, biscuits/ crackers with cheese, meat, chicken, fish, chips etc no nuts though or he could choke. Started led weaning at 7 months (I started him on solids at 6 months but it was purees and he wasn't overly keen like your son. My son also has breakfast cereals like Rice Bubbles and things like that so your son should be ok to have Cheerios. As for juice, personally I don't think babies/ toddlers need juice