Idea's for 'spoon' foods

[SallyDom]

Hi everyone,

Just wondered if anyone could give me some ideas for meals that Dom can feed himself. He is 16 months old now and had changed from a baby that would only eat finger foods, to a baby that wants to feed himself with a fork or spoon and won't much finger food now. Dinner isn't too bad as he often has what we have and I try to cook us 'wet' stuff but I feel a bit stuck in a rut with lunches he seems to eat too many beans (tinned, in tomato sauce), tin spaghetti, or soup. I do quite often cook him mashed potato or pasta and mix in cheese or vegetable sauce but I feel really repetetive and worry he'll end up not eating too much cos he's bored.

Any suggestions would be fab
Sal
x

[jennyh]

soup with bread,rice and veg in a sauce,rice pudding,meat stew..............

[SallyDom]

Rice is a good idea thanks, it's not something I tend to give him but aren't really sure why!

[gena]

Hmm, I give my lo whom sounds similar to yours cereal.  I put yogart with the ceral instead of milk.  Pudding is also a food that will stay on a wabbly spoon.  Hmm, what else cottage cheese, chunky applesauce.  I cant think of anything else.  I will keep track tomorrow and post more.  Sliced banans are good for when he uses a fork.  I showed my guy how to stab it with a fork and he can most of the time.  He can do the same with cheese sometimes as well.  I hope this helps.

[gena]

thick oatmeal works well too.

[SallyDom]

Thank you Gena, I hadn't thought of cottage cheese, or of showing him how to 'stab' finger foods.

x

[KathrynK]

hey Sal
I still give Sophie finger foods for lunch and give her a fork to eat them with- works a treat.
Also I buy pasta salad from the salad bar in Sainsbury's which she loves- a small tub lasts 2 days- and I give her chopped up tomato, cucumber and beetroot with it too
hope this helps
K

[gena]

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  If you cut grapes in half they get pretty good at stabbing them as well.  Grilled cheese with some turkey in it works good to.  Good luck.

[SallyDom]

I really don't eat much salad so unfortunately neither does Dom (we tend to eat hot meals with veg rather than salad) but I was at a bbq last week and had some coleslaw and Dom loved it. I was so suprised when he tried it, I expected him to spit it straight out.
I'll try the pasta salads thanks Kathryn, he really loves pasta, I've been a bit of a greenfingers this year as well and have various things growing in my garden - including tomatoes - so I'll feel very supermum ish if he eats pasta salad with my homegrown tomatoes in!

Grilled cheese with some turkey in it works good to.

Gena what exactly is grilled cheese? That may sound like a stupid question but I have visions of the cheese just melting and falling through the grill pan. What sort or cheese do you use?

x

[gena]

not a stupid question at all.  Hmmm.. I generally make it on the stove in a pan.  I put butter on one side of two different slices of bread.  I then cut cheese into slices, i genrally use chedder.  Put the butter side down in the pan cheese on top and then the other piece of bread on top of the cheese with the butter side up.  I cook it in the pan until both sides are lightly browned and the cheese is melted.  i sometimes put some turkey in it for a new flavor.  I let it cook a bit and cut it into small squares for him to stab or pick up whichever he feels like.  Does that make sense on how to make?  If not let me know and I will do a better job at explaining.  You rock

[skatty]

My DD has started to like feeding herself with a spoon so I make her pudding rice with stewed apples or pears, no sugar! She loves it and because it tastes so good she stays focused on eating and not playing, then again maybe you don't have that problem as your LO is a bit older 

[SallyDom]

Awww skatty I love that picture!

Thanks gena, I would probably it call grilled a 'cheese toastie'! I think he would really like that, especially if he can stab it himself.
 

[gena]

yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  I like your name for it better.  happy cooking.

[Colin Macs Mom]

LOL - I always wondered what was meant by "cheese toastie!"

[SallyDom]

I love the way one little Atlantic can make us call things by different names!

[gena]

i think it is awesome and I love it.  I just wonder what else we have in common but call it something different.  i am going to call it a toastie from now on.  i am quite excited.  hope all is well with everyone. 

[SallyDom]

Well Dom's teething I think so he's not too great but I'm good thanks! Actually I don't know if he is teething, he's a bit dribbley but not of the other signs other than sleep disturbed a bit and he's quite frustrated and cranky with himself. Maybe's he's just got himself overtired and needs a few early nights?

x

[BabyBsMommy]

Lol at grilled cheese/cheese toastie - DS LOVES them!  He is 20.5 months old and does pretty good with a spoon, starting to get handy with a fork.  We taught him how to "stab" with his fork, too and grilled cheeses were one of the first things that worked.  We also found that giving him something to dip in encouraged his use of a fork.  Ie. we would put a little squeeze of ketchup on his plate with the grilled cheese and tell him to "poke" a piece of sandwich, "dip" and "eat."  He loves that!  Other things that worked will to poke up with his fork were squares of toast, waffle, pancake and small dices of chicken.
As for the spoon, here are some no fails around here - weatabix cereal warmed and mushed up with milk, cheerios with an oz or two of milk in the bowl (messy but works), small cups of applesauce (no sugar), small cups of yogurt, macaroni pasta (we make one with white cheddar macaroni mix and then stir in browned ground turkey with mushrooms, onions and green and red pepper cooked in with the meat.  DS goes nuts for this!
HTH!

[SallyDom]

Mmmm the macaroni pasta sounds lovely. Might try it myself!

We've been dipping too, whenever we put the ketchup or whatever on his plate we all shout 'dip dip' really loud. It's funny now but I can imagine it'll be quite embarrassing when we're sat in a restaurant and Dom starts shrieking 'dip dip' constantly...

[BabyBsMommy]

lol at "dip dip!"  At our house it's "poke, dip, bite, poke, dip, bite"  ikwym about hearing it in a restaurant one day!