Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Transition to Solid Foods

My son has been eating baby food jars since he was six months old. I only feed him organic baby food because I feel that it has the purest ingredients for his little body. His favorite brand is Earth's Best Organic Baby Food



However, he is having a really hard time transitioning from pureed baby foods to solid foods at a year of age.

He likes certain solid foods a lot. But his issue with solid food is mainly the texture. He finds the texture of many solid foods unpleasant. I offer them to him and he spits them out instantly.

So far he has rejected:

--avocado - which everyone insists is a winner. He says - not so much.
--peas - I put a pea in his mouth, he sticks his tongue out and the pea shoots back out onto the high chair tray.
--salad - He doesn't know what to make of it, so he throws it on the floor.
--boiled carrots - same tongue action as the peas
--broccoli- It's so weird looking, it must be a toy
--black beans - he makes a strange face, sticks his tongue out and the beans fall to the floor
--most vegetables in general - he hates the texture and the taste



So far he likes:
--breaded baked chicken breast - I cut it into little pieces and he eats it all up. Loves it!
--steak- I marinate it it olive oil and soy sauce and also cut it into tiny pieces. Loves it
--bananas- Who doesn't love bananas?
--spinach - but only if it is sauteed in garlic and olive oil and hidden in a piece of steak
--oatmeal - I wish I could explain this one. It's so bland. But he loves it.
--yogurt- creamy delicious yogurt. He loves it.
--scrambled eggs- soft and easy to eat. But only eats them if there is salt and pepper on them and if they are made with olive oil
--bread- soft and chewy, it is his new pacifier when I am out at a restaurant
--Cherrios - bite sized, he can feed himself ten at a time now. He is totally addicted





He is quite a fussy eater. I've asked his pediatrician about the transition from baby food purees to solid foods. She says that it takes time, and that I shouldn't give up. Just keep offering him different choices of foods. She also says that kid's tastes change. He may not like avocado now, but I should try it again at some point.

I don't know...so far he's rejected avocado on three distinct occasions.

I wrote to Earth's Best to see if they had any suggestions with regard to the solid food transition. Hopefully they will have some advice to offer.

4 comments:

  1. for the peas, carrots, and black beans, have you tried mashing them up? he might not like them whole but if they were mashed or pureed, he's probably more likely to eat them.

    ps. i didn't eat black beans until i was in college and i still hated them. i didn't like them until like 5 years ago. you might want to try refried pinto beans?

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  2. I have tried mashing them when he was younger and he wasn't into it. But I can try again now.

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  3. They baby's taste buds are very sharp. So I would guess bland foods would be the easiest for them. But who knows. Everyone is different and has different tastes. Certainly an interesting topic for all to consider. I know chomping on pretzels and bagels is lots of fun. Too bad there are no vegetable bagels.

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  4. Just wanted to let you know that Earth's Best replied to my query:

    Dear Ms. Fader,

    Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding our Earth's Best Baby Food. We strive to maintain the highest quality products and appreciate your patronage.

    It generally just takes time for babies to start eating more solids, and the time will vary from child to child. We recommend that you take your cues from your baby, and keep offering and experimenting with different types of foods and textures. Eventually he will enjoy foods other than those that are crunchy or pureed.

    Thank you for your continued support. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday through Friday from 7AM - 5PM Mountain Time.

    Sincerely,

    Lynda
    Consumer Relations Representative

    Ref # 1872477

    ReplyDelete

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