Speaking of feeding...
I am having some trouble figuring out things to feed Zach (11 months). He is in this weird limbo between wanting to be in control and feed himself but not being entirely ready for it.
The only thing I can consistently get him to eat a good amount of is level two baby food (especially for vegitables). He WON'T eat level three baby food with chunks of food in it (and I can't really blame him for that one- I'm pretty sensitive to the consistency of food too). He will grab and eat chicken like it is going out of style so we give him a good amount of chicken. Otherwise, he has stopped grabbing and eating pretty much any vegitable or fruit. He will grab and eat bread. He will grab and eat puffs and cheerios but those don't really have too much nutrition to them.
Last night, we started off trying to feed him a jar of baby food- he WOULD NOT take a bit of it (other nights he will eat a whole jar without even thinking about it). He cried. So I tried giving him some of those toddler raviolis. He put one in his mouth and then spit it out. We took a break. Then I gave him a puff. He ate that just fine. So I gave him another ravioli- he ate a few. I tried the baby food again- NO. Tried some more ravioli, NO. So I gave him a couple more puffs- ate those. Tried ravioli again- ate a couple more and then stopped. Finally, I gave up and made him take a nap.
Suggestions of foods (convinience is important to me)? Suggestions of methods?
Info given from some insightful (and brilliant) buds on Facebook!...
ReplyDelete-->I know at work, one of the go-to foods at that age is yogurt. They all LOVE yogurt and when one has it they all want it. I've also seen parents dice up bananas and grapes pretty small, and most of the kids love that. If you want something he can grab for, i would definitely suggest fruit, diced very finely. I have noticed a lot of parents start with the bananas amd then gradually start mixing in other fruits with it (blueberries, grapes, strawberries for the older ones).
--> I always recommend Super Baby Foods (Ruth Yarmon). It is a great resource for pediatric nutrition and recipes. Some ideas: Yogurt with a mix-in (peanut butter, apple sauce, purree'd veggie...then thicken it up with whole grain baby oatmeal); steamed diced sweet potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches in tiny pieces, speghetti O's (Annies Organics is good, just drain off the sauce), mac n cheese (again, Annies), sausage links (Apple Farms, in tiny pieces), soft avocado pieces, rice (sticky sushi rice is a great finger food b/c it clumps), quinoa, chicken noodle soup (drain off the broth and rinse well)...I could go all day!
-->We usually just give K stuff we're eating and then some extra fruit or veggies. Roasted veggies like zucchini is a big hit. Manderin oranges will be eaten when nothing else will. Always.
-->Emily Strittmatter Have you tried the baby food pouches...pears, peas, green beans combo for example. Or try apple sauce, green beans, and rice cereal/oatmeal. Or something like this in milk: http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Kids-Superfood-powder/dp/B000OP3QLG (we add this to milk shakes/smoothies)
-->All you can do is offer a little at a time, each meal. Maybe a little flavor enhancer like salt, butter, or mrs dash. When he gets hungry enough, he'll eat. Carrot bread, corn bread.
-->Jen, it is so much easier when they just drink milk, right? :) Sweet potatoes cut in 1.5 in cubes, toss in a little olive oil, then coat with a little baby cereal (so they don't stick together...also adds a little iron), place on a single layer on a baking sheet at 400 for about 15-20 min. They are a little sweet, but are considered a "super food"...Riley LOVED these. They freeze well and you can just use them as you need to and heat in the micro. Does her eat brown rice? I have a recipe for rice with black beans, sweet red pepper (he may be a little young). Also have a recipe for macoroni and cheese with pumpkin in it that Riley still eats at least once a week. Check out: wholesomebaby.com and naturebaby.com...both awesome resouces with recipes, ideas for meal planning, and appropriate quantities...I still look at these for ideas (toddler version too when he gets a bit older.)