Help! We're in a baby food rut!

[Abbey]

My ds is 15 months and still LOVES the jarred meats. He will eat 2 a day plus any pureed veggies I offer if I let him.

He will eat typical finger food (chicken nuggets, cheese, cheerios, cut up fruit) but won't touch pasta or anything with that type of texture.

The only veggies we can get him to eat are pureed (baby food consistency) I don't want to wait too long but I really feel like we're in a rut. He would be happy to have baby food for lunch and dinner everyday.
Any suggestions?

By the way, he was 10 lbs 14 oz (no diabetes or anything) when he was born and has always been a good eater. He's a BIG boy- 90th++ in height and weight.
I feel guilty if I hold out and try to make him eat table food because I know he is hungry and needs the calories...
First time mom- can you tell? ha

Thanks
Abbey

[kristenk]

I was hoping someone else would reply to this thread b/c I'm in the same situation as you! DD is 15 months and has a jar of apple/chicken, pear/chicken, sweet potato/turkey, or carrot/beef every night at dinner. We'll also give her little pieces of chicken (which she eats sometimes, but not all that often) and veggies, etc. so that she can try them, but she's not really interested. DH and I were THRILLED when she started liking Annie's Mac & Cheese just because it was more of a "normal" kid food!

I just keep trying to give her new things over and over so she's at least used to the look of them and maybe that'll make them more appealing. Oh, we have also discovered that cottage cheese makes absolutely any fruit or veggie more appetizing - at least in DD's world!

I don't have any advice. I just wanted to let you know you're not alone!

[Abbey]

Thanks for your post Kristen- I keep checking, hoping someone will respond. I guess as long as they are getting a balanced diet, it's okay if there is some baby food in there. I have a friend who is a nurse and she reassured me that's it's okay.
I will have to try the macaroni and cheese. So far, pasta is not a hit though. Have you tried peanut butter and small amounts of fruit jelly on bread? My son ate a whole slice of that for lunch today and still wanted more! Each day is different though- last week, he wanted nothing to do with PBJ. Let me know if you have any other ideas and good luck to you!
Abbey *Ü*

[mudder17]

Kaya wasn't really keen on pasta, but she really enjoyed Annie's shells n cheese, so you'll definitely have to try that. She also loves pieces of cheese, so it could be the flavor that she likes. :) Come to think of it, she likes Pirate's Booty (aged cheddar), so there could be something to it, heh, heh.

I haven't had the problem with pureed foods/jars because she started wanting finger foods more and more at around 11 months. The only food she'll eat from us on a spoon that of pureed consistency these days is yogurt. Otherwise, she prefers pieces of food. She will eat peas on a spoon, though, but it has to be the whole peas.

Let me see...foods that might appeal--you could try pieces of tofu that have been marinated in something flavorful?

Kaya also LOVES sweet potato. I'll slice them up into thick slices, microwave for 2-3 minutes to soften and then grill them on foil 5 min. on each side (or bake or anything similar) and then cut them up into pieces so she can spear them with her fork. She seems to really enjoy that. She also loves scrambled eggs, with or without peas and cheese.

From what my cousin says (she grew up in a daycare--her mom runs a daycare from their home), lots of toddlers love egg, sweet potatoes, bananas, and ... one more that I can't think of. Oh, and Kaya also loves her Zwieback toast. She has a large bowl of yogurt, an egg, and a couple of those pieces of toast for breakfast (over 2 feeding sessions, not all at once). She prefers scrambled eggs, although I've heard of toddlers who want it boiled or not at all.

She loves O's (oatios, Morning O's, etc.), Gerber puffs (banana and yams), Veggie Booty, and Pirates Booty in her snack trap.

She'll eat pieces of chicken (although her enthusiasm for eating it will vary depending on how hungry she is) and has recently discovered a love for duck. :) She had some meatballs at a party and LOVED them, and has been known to pick off pieces of pork, beef, and turkey from our sandwiches. Come to think of it, she had some pork ribs the other day that she really enjoyed, even with the spicy BBQ sauce we put on it. Oh, and she also likes fish from fish sticks (cod or any other white fish).

And yes, I do think that as long as their diet is fairly balanced, it doesn't matter that they're still doing pureed foods. I don't think you need to worry about them going to school eating pureed foods. :)

ETA: I just thought of something. Maybe you could use the jarred meats or veggies that he likes as "dipping sauce". So maybe add reguar peas to your meats or veggies. Or regular carrots (cooked, of course) or things of that nature. A friend of mine has a son who LOVES yogurt, but wasn't that keen on solid veggies and beans. Once she started adding them to his yogurt (yes, I know it sounds gross), he gobbled them right up!

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[proggoddess]

How about mixing up different baby foods together? Like we mix cooked split peas and the toddler carrot dices with mashed potatoes.

DD also likes the waffles I cut up for her. I toast them just enough to defrost them so they're not too hard. Then I cut them along the lines to make french fry-sized sticks. I sometimes dip them in yogurt or applesauce for her to eat.

DD can't get enough of corn kernels and sweet peas. We just nuke them from frozen in a little container and she gobbles them up!