7.5 old hating savoury foods - please help!

[Sam's mum]

Hi I'm wondering if anyone can help me with some ideas!!

My dd is 7.5 months old and really does not like savoury foods.  To the point where she now has started keeping her mouth closed and crying whenever we start to eat!  She loves fruit and I'm thinking of mixing a portion of fruit with the savoury stuff as well as maybe just giving her fruit for the next day or two so that she stops associating meal times with gagging and not enjoying what's put in front of her.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever faced this - just wondered if anyone had any other tips or other things that have worked for other people.

Thanks

[yaya]

Hi! we havent had this prob as DS loves savoury food but I think your idea of mixing fruit with savoury is brill, start with a tiny bit and then increase. MAybe try potato as quite bland. Courgettes cam also be quite sweet in taste sometimes and you could always mix some butternut squash or sweet potato in with savoury foods as they are both quite sweet. I think you prob need to be  a bit patient and do it gradually to allow LO to get used to the flavour.

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

Yes definetly mix the sweet and savoury, this is what I did with dd to get her to eat protein as we were a bit late moving onto it due to reflux, Mix fruit and veg definetly and try everything. Also try sweet veg, sweet potato, peas, carrots , butternut squash, pumpkin,
Think,
Chicken with apple, mango, apricot,
Carrot and orange,
There are so many weird combinations out there so try them,have a look at annablekarmel.com
With dd I found she wouldn't eat my pureed chicken and veg stew but would eat a jar one which had apricot in it, so I tried my own and added apricot, she still wouldn't eat it so in desperation I added a spoon of plain yogurt one day, she ate it ,next day a bit  less next day less, then chicken stew with apricot and then plain chicken stew.

[*Natasha*]

Great idea have you tried sweet potato or sweet corn as these have a very sweet taste but are vegetables?

[Sam's mum]

Thanks for those

I've tried all the sweet veg like butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, peas, courgette, sweet corn.  Sometimes she would take it and other times not.  At first we were able to put a bit of fruit on the end of the spoon with the veg at the back but she got wise to that and then would only open her mouth a tiny bit to get the fruit and not the veg.  I'm just running out of ideas and hate the thought that mealtimes might become a battle (which I don't want) and that she is getting so upset by it she's crying.  Actually her dinner taste nicer than ours sometimes as I've been using some of the AK meals from her top 100 book. 

I'm going to try the fruit thing today and will let you know.

[yaya]

Hang in there! some babies take a while longer than other to used to it! Will she have finger food? Maybe cheese and stuff in worth a try , or breadsticks. DS will eat past with his hands, its quite bland when no sauce on it so not exactly savoury

[Noni]

Have you tried mixing the savourys with baby rice cereal?  I know you don't want to do this forever, but better that they have a positive experience at the table and enjoy the food.  She has to gain confidence now if mealtimes are not going well.  Then you can dilute it for a week or so and then start adding less and less.  I would never have done this with my first baby, but I tell you, I am much more open to things the second time round.  Last week my daughter who is 7 mths wouldn't open up for veggies.  So I only gave her things she liked for a few days.  Now the last couple days she is eating anything I give her.

Also, someone once gave me good advice on this site that I often use.  Take two things with you when you sit down to feed her.  One that you know she likes and one that is new or something she may not like.  This is a lot less frustrating because at least they eat one of the dishes.  I know you can't do this all the time, but at this age it is easy too.

Good luck. 
Stephanie

[Sam's mum]

I'm pretty much willing to try anything at this point.  This afternoon she wouldn't eat anything willingly.  I had a chicken thing that I mixed with apricot that she fussed over.  She eventually made it through it but wasn't happy about it.  She will take the savoury finger foods like cold carrots and potato and pasta and cheese.  This pm she just had pear but fussed over that - wasn't really opening up until I changed the spoon to a big one like we use.  I'm not sure what's going on but again am willing to try anything and will try the baby rice thing.  I'm thinking I'll do what you suggested Stephanie and just give her what she likes for the next couple of days just to make sitting in her booster seat a positive experience for a bit.