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| Little One at Thanksgiving, 8 months old. |
Fast Forward Two Months:
My son turned his nose up at anything pureed. He started reaching for my food, so determined he actually knocked over my plate trying to get my carrots. I can't blame him. My food looked and smelled a whole lot better than his did. So (being as it was November) He had the dinner we were having. Spices, butter and all. We did of course shred his chicken and pull apart his bread, but Thanksgiving was a good trial run for us. We didn't eat anything we were super concerned about him choking on to begin with that day. So our journey began.
Success with flaw:
With my son now refusing any and all "baby food" I found things for him to eat. One day while in the baby department buying diapers, I stumbled upon Gerber Little Entrees. It was like the skies opened. I no longer needed to worry about too much fat, too much sodium, choking, portioning, or any of the like. I still gave my son the food we were eating on and off, depending on what it was. Most of the time he had his little entrees, and I never gave it a second thought. That was until he started having stomach problems. My son has always been very sensitive to everything. He could only use certain diapers and wipes, only certain laundry detergents, and needed special formula. I didn't give Gerber a second thought. It had no preservatives, and many kids do just fine. We thought he was maybe lactose intolerant, he wasn't. We thought he was gluten sensitive, he wasn't. With no answers from doctors I started on a mission. Ditch all of the packaged food, preservatives or no preservatives. I was on a kick to find toddler meal recipes. They were either incredibly complicated, or incredibly lame (can you say PBJ?). So we returned to him eating what we were, spices and all. As we generally eat very healthy (lean meat, fresh produce, limited sweets and fats, ect) I felt he would do better. He did.
The new normal:
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| Little One today- Broccoli, Pork Chops, and beans for dinner |
My toddler (all 14 months of him) now eats whatever we do. There is no "picky". He eats what we do, when we do (usually more often since he also snacks) and there is no alternative unless we are eating fast food. He will eat fish as easily and happily as he eats macaroni and cheese. He delights in fruit, and devours his vegetables. He eats string cheese and bananas whole without choking. His disliked foods have changed slightly; He is not fond of carrots or green beans anymore, but he devours broccoli, tomatoes, onion, mushroom, and many other vegetables. He always tries what we put in front of him, and after a few bites may or may not leave the rest on his plate. He eats things a lot of toddlers would spit out: Thai curry (which is a complex flavor but not spicy), pico de gallo, peas, tuna fish, eggs, ect. I have a few Gerber snacks and entrees for him, but only for when we are on the go (since fast food is even worse).
Why it works:
Although I am not 100% sure of why this works like it does, I like to think the reason he eats so well is that he weaned on his own terms. I put healthy foods in front of him, and he ate what he liked. He was young enough that the curiosity about new food still overshadowed the hesitance of trying something new. He also seems to have an easier time chewing things. He tries everything on his own, I don't have to force him. Even if he doesn't he will take a few more bites before abandoning it.
How to:
- Vegetables-Overcook vegetables by steaming them until fork tender. If you have to put any effort into getting the fork in, it is still too hard.
- Meat- For pork, chicken and fish, shred the meat once it has cooked fully. Cook steak until it is falling apart and shred. Ground beef and ground turkey should be small pieces (smaller than a pea)
- Shredded cheese is best to start with-shred it yourself to avoid additives. When your child is ready, and you are comfortable, chunks of cheese or cheese sticks may be given.
- Fruit- most fruit is already soft. for apples and pears, cut into large enough pieces that they will not fit in the mouth whole. They are typically too hard for a baby or young toddler to bite through the center. Kiwi, banana, watermelon, melon and peaches are all soft but slippery, cut these up small until your child has learned to hold and bite off small portions.
- Bread, crackers, rice, legumes, pasta. Bread, crackers, and rice are all very managable on their own. To pump up your Little one's flavor palate, these are also easy to add spices or vegetables in (zucchini bread, curried rice, Spanish rice). Legumes need to obviously be soft cooked, but you don't need to do any special preparation. Kidney beans make a great protein for lunch or dinner, and are already finger food friendly. Stay away from peanuts and their butter until Little One is a year old. Make sure pasta is managable, Little One cant twirl spaghetti like you.
- THINGS TO AVOID:
- If your Little One is under 1: Nut butters, egg, honey, cookies, candy, pudding, hot dogs, uncooked baby carrots- these all have associated allergy risks, are too high in sugar, or are a choking risk.
