Only eating finger foods?

For the past few weeks, one of my girls has been refusing to eat anything but finger foods. Every time I try to feed Kara with a spoon she shoves it away. I'm running out of inventive finger foods to give her. I feel like I give her the same foods over & over, and I worry she's not getting as balanced of a diet as her sister. I can't give her infant cereal anymore or yogurt or other things I've pureed. And I can't sneak stuff into her food anymore like ground flaxseed, etc. (However I am proud of her for being able to eat chunks of food so well!)

I'm wondering if this is a phase she's get over. I sure hope so. I basically have to make two different meals for each girl, because Avery is not a big fan of finger foods. She prefers mashed up food. This is getting time-consuming & frustrating. Anyone else's babies like this?

 

My friend's baby did this at around the age of yours! It was such a pita for her-- she ended up doing a lot of scrambled eggs because she could mix things into it. That might have been when he got a little bit older though. He wanted to feed himself all the time! I'll try to remember to ask her what food she did with him.

 

You can make yummy muffins out of baby food, just add the puree to the mixing bowl and then your getting some into them.
Historically the last few generations are the only ones that have even used "babyfood" so maybe your child is a bit "old fashioned" She can eat the same things you eat just much smaller portions and of course in bites she can handle. Babies really do love flavor. There may be more flavor and neat texture to the finger foods that the "baby mush" that is presented. My daughter has always called it baby mush when I feed it to my day care kiddos. I have one now that refused baby foods and that is ok. You can also use the cereal and fruits to make nutritious pancakes that they will love!
Good luck!

 

That's a great idea. Thanks! I bet Kara would love muffins or pancakes

 

Mine did! They still will eat yogurt from me, but that is it!! My DS will sometimes take soup from a spoon, but the rest is finger food. I love it! I did not like feeding (fighting) with them to eat.

 

You may need to let her try a spoon, as scary and as messy as it will be. She will need to learn sometime, let her start now! And stock up on cleaning supplies!

 

QUOTE(Appymomma @ Oct 9 2007, 10:36 AM) [snapback]442400[/snapback]
You may need to let her try a spoon, as scary and as messy as it will be. She will need to learn sometime, let her start now! And stock up on cleaning supplies!


:lol: I've tried giving her the spoon. She purposely flicks the food off it onto the floor...or unfortunately onto her sister one time. She used to take the spoon & feed herself occasionally, but not anymore!

 

i have one that WANTS to feed himself, but stinks at it, plus has problesm with textures. anytime i start wtih something solid (cubed peaches, tofu cube, avocado) he just pushes it out. if i use the spoon from a baby bowl he freaks out too. funnything i figured out though, if i just hold the gerber plastic tub (stage 2) and spoon from there (or just pretend to), he is perfectly happy to open wide. i guess he thinks that's theh only good stuff! so i have learned to wash them out when i am done and put some of his other food (cereal, homemade veggis) in that bowl. man, these kids are so funny as their personalities develop and their particulars start to emerge! hilarious!
as for the finger foods, we try waffles or whole grain pancakes for breakfast with some soft fruit and soft veggies, toast, pasta for finger foods. when they don't eat cereal, i try cereal bars. i don't think they're quite as healthy, but they aren't bad. i too am hoping these are phases, but i'm sure they aren't after watching nieces/nephews!
luckily DD is a bottomless pit and eats anything. i don't know what i'd do with 2 little wierdos!

 

QUOTE(AandKtwins @ Oct 9 2007, 02:22 PM) [snapback]442729[/snapback]
:lol: I've tried giving her the spoon. She purposely flicks the food off it onto the floor...or unfortunately onto her sister one time. She used to take the spoon & feed herself occasionally, but not anymore!


My niece became like this. My sister said what she found she can do is let her daughter play with her cereal while she feeds her with the spoon. This means my niece's hands are in the cereal, then in her hair, and flinging it everywhere but at least she's happy and that way is letting my sister feed her the cereal. Other than cereal, my sister gives her all finger foods. She just felt like she needed to get the cereal in her for the iron. She was refusing cereal for a while but then my sister switched to a toddler cereal which is a lot chunkier so she likes it now. You might try a toddler cereal for the chunkier consistency as it seems your daughter is also not into the mush of the infant cereal.

good luck!

 

Hi, My twins are doing exactly the same at the moment...they HATE cereal!!! Only like Sweet potato, Squash & fruits! Even that after 2 spoons they've had it...want to feed themselves...so I give them some finger food & I try to feed them at the same time...this sometimes works well. I am running out of ideas on what to give them everyday! I know we have to get them to sue the spoon but dreading the mess it creats (
Good luck

 

Does anyone have a good muffin recipe for babies that I could sneak some cereal or pureed food into?

 

Mine both started to refuse mush starting at 9.5 months with complete refusal to be spoon fed at 10 months. I went ahead and turned over the reigns and they seemed THRILLED with being allowed to feed themselves. I got a lot of criticism from the older generation for this but they were nursing quite a bit and so I wasn't worried about them not getting enough to eat. They ate pancakes that I made with whole wheat flour and fruits and veggies in them (sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, carrot, banana, blueberries, /.b;,, chunks of fruits and soft-cooked veggies, bits of tender meats, shredded cheese, assorted adult cereals, breads and crackers... They were pretty good at self-feeding with their hands but mealtimes were much longer for a while.

 

deleted for duplicate post -- thanks Trevor!