Starting Table Foods

How did you all measure table foods? Right now I'm just judging by sight, and supplementing with baby food.. There must be a more accurate way...? <_<

 

I don't measure it! I just feed them until they're full...

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Mar 6 2008, 07:26 AM) [snapback]655351[/snapback]
I don't measure it! I just feed them until they're full...

Me too!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Mar 6 2008, 12:37 PM) [snapback]655357[/snapback]
Me too!

Wow, sounds easy enough I'm trying to get them to eat with me...any meal suggestions? Ella has 6 teeth and Griffin has only 2....

 

Yeah, I would love to hear meal suggestions. My problem is that my kids won't eat if I just put out finger foods ... they play with them a little bit, bite on their sippy cups and smile, but won't feed themselves nearly as much as when I feed them baby food ... it's making it hard to transition away from baby food and go to full table food. they just don't seem super intersted in eating!!! ugh!

 

We didn't measure, but definitely make less than more.

We had super success with cooked black beans and rice early on. In fact, my DD didn't cut molars until she was 20 months old, so I'm a pro at gum-friendly food.

Meatballs (using the meat of your choice) are a great way to pack in purees. I put broccoli and carrot puree in mine.

Mac and cheese is another winner. I put either cauliflower puree or white bean puree in that one.

 

QUOTE(caba @ Mar 6 2008, 01:42 PM) [snapback]655428[/snapback]
Yeah, I would love to hear meal suggestions. My problem is that my kids won't eat if I just put out finger foods ... they play with them a little bit, bite on their sippy cups and smile, but won't feed themselves nearly as much as when I feed them baby food ... it's making it hard to transition away from baby food and go to full table food. they just don't seem super intersted in eating!!! ugh!


this is our feeding situation too! I've tried diced fruits, noodles, bagels... The only finger foods they'll eat are puffs! Even the TEENY TINY bits of carrots and such in the stage 3 jars get spit out! <_< I have no idea how I'm ever going to get them to eat "real" food.

 

Mine loved frozen waffles and green beans at that age....also mashed potatoes

 

Yesterday they each had:
half a slice of deli ham sliced thin (mommy tore into chunks)
3 club crackers (low sodium)
cut up colby-jack cheese
chunks of fresh pears (cut small slivers)

diluted apple juice in sippy cups

 

QUOTE(caba @ Mar 6 2008, 09:42 AM) [snapback]655428[/snapback]
Yeah, I would love to hear meal suggestions. My problem is that my kids won't eat if I just put out finger foods ... they play with them a little bit, bite on their sippy cups and smile, but won't feed themselves nearly as much as when I feed them baby food ... it's making it hard to transition away from baby food and go to full table food. they just don't seem super intersted in eating!!! ugh!



QUOTE(MrsBQ02 @ Mar 6 2008, 12:01 PM) [snapback]655644[/snapback]
this is our feeding situation too! I've tried diced fruits, noodles, bagels... The only finger foods they'll eat are puffs! Even the TEENY TINY bits of carrots and such in the stage 3 jars get spit out! <_< I have no idea how I'm ever going to get them to eat "real" food.




THANK GOD I'm not the only one. I was starting to think all the babies here on TS were eating on their own by 9 months!
My boys will eat anything I put on a spoon but if I just put it front of them they play. Except for puffs (I think they are baby crack)

 

QUOTE(kristy horner @ Mar 6 2008, 08:30 AM) [snapback]655412[/snapback]
Wow, sounds easy enough I'm trying to get them to eat with me...any meal suggestions? Ella has 6 teeth and Griffin has only 2....


Anything mushy! Meara only has 1 tooth and it just came in last week so its just a nub, but she's been mashing food with her gums for weeks.

Pasta with sauce (messy, but they love it), roast chicken or turkey cut up, toast with cream cheese on it, small bits of cheese, mac & cheese, meat loaf, green beans cut up, stew (carrots and potatoes get soft), diced potatoes or sweet potatoes, etc.

For the last 2 weeks I've been giving them whatever we are eating and they LOVE it. I do supplement with a container of baby food split between them, but thats just because I'm trying to use up the last of the baby food I have in the house. Have fun!

 

They can gum almost anything. The sooner you start a well varied diet the better, as they get older they just get MORE pickier I was giving little peices of steak when mine only had 2-3 teeth. Just make sure its small and they can have almost everything!!! And remember babies/toddlers love consistency/routine so you may have to offer something up to 15 times before they will try it, but just keep offering, one day they may eat it up

Oh, and I never got out the puffs/snacks until the meal was "over" or I knew they wouldn't eat anything if they saw those, lol!

 

Meal suggestions - I just give them mashed up whatever we're having, as long as there are no "forbidden" ingredients. And there are certain things that I save for the end of the meal (Cheerios, etc), like Kristi said - if they see the "good" stuff first, it's all over! And yes, they can mash up just about anything with their gums. Obviously I wouldn't give them something really hard like raw carrot, but everything else they can manage with their gums.

 

I also had the same fear...but i think lots of babies take time. I do think the key is to keep offering - and as others say, keep the 'good stuff' til the end (mine still whine for bottles halfway through a meal)

I've also had great success with mashed potatoes (with CHEESE melted in, of course!)....i also sometimes mash tofu into it as a way of getting protein into them.

if yours eat dairy, you might try making a quesadilla - i use cheese and sometimes veggie refried beans (yup, from a can, i'm too lazy to cook them!)....cut them into strips - they love to gnaw on them. But honestly, it's just literally in the last few days taht they're really started holding and chewing things - they each only have four teeth and they've never had anything reall tough to at. They also don't get meat but you could probably cook chicken or something til it's really soft adn try taht.

oh, and - vegetable soups, they seem to like those. Sometimes i'll just take some of a pot that 've made and puree it.

I LOVE the idea of veggie purees in stuff like mac-n-cheese and meatballs - brilliant!

 

QUOTE(Laurel S @ Mar 6 2008, 04:33 PM) [snapback]655710[/snapback]
THANK GOD I'm not the only one. I was starting to think all the babies here on TS were eating on their own by 9 months!
My boys will eat anything I put on a spoon but if I just put it front of them they play. Except for puffs (I think they are baby crack)



[SIZE=10pt]LOL ~ I'd have to agree on the Puffs. They go crazy for them!!

Mine aren't eating on their own yet either. DS has figured out how to pick up the Puffs and get one out of five in his mouth. DD just plays with them and then gives you her "puppy dog" look...hoping that you'll put one in her mouth for her. LOL
We've just started giving them foods that we're eating. DH gets very nervous if they 'gag' on anything. He thinks that they are WAY to small to be eating regular food. (first time daddy)

Ahhh ~ the joys of them growing up!!

April [/SIZE]