10 months old refused puree

[rachelgz]

My LO is 10 month old and recently has refused puree or even spoon feed.  I tried to give her different finger food, however, what she eats now is only plain rice, pasta and noodles.  She doesn't eat any veg or meat.  I tried to mix the puree into rice or pasta, but she spilled it out completely.

I am concerned that she is not having enough nutrition.  She is still taking milk, 3 times a day plus once/twice at night.  Do you have any suggestions to improve the situation?

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

What about BLW? Just giving her finger foods, no purée or spoons? Would she eat like that?

Try giving her a broccoli floret and see how she goes? Some babies just eat better when they are in control of what's going in there iykwim? x

[rachelgz]

Thanks Kelly.  I have been doing BLW along with puree.  Tried broccoli, cauliflower, green bean, etc.   She is not keen on those at all.   However, she eats rice, bread, pasta, etc when I give to her as finger food, but no luck with veg, meat and fruit.  She sometimes just push all the food on the tray away. 

Today, I managed to get a few spoonful puree into her.

[*Kara*]

I would just refuse to offer the things she will eat for a few days.. sometimes they need a good reason to try something new

[Lindsay27]

Maybe trying to expand on what she does like will help?  If she likes pasta then maybe you could make a tomato meat sauce with some cut up veggies in it (I make this for my DS which he loves!) and mix it with the noddles - I use whole wheat elbow macaroni because it is really soft and easy for him to pick up.  If she's picking up the pasta she's bound to get a piece of meat or veg in there, even if by mistake. 

Will she take anything spread on the bread?  I've done mashed avocado (you can also mix with cottage cheese), hummus, or even just spreading the puree over it?

[rachelgz]

A month later, we are still in the same situation.  She is nearly one year old now.

In the past month, I had some success for feeding LO with pure/lumpy food mixed with rice, noodles, etc.  However, that didn't last long and we are back to square one again.   LO picks up toasts with cream cheese or peanut butter, cheerios, plain rice, noodle & pasta from her tray.  I have offered different kinds of fruits, meat and veggies, she just played with it or doesn't even touch it.   I have tried to make cheese sauce, tomato sause with pasta & veg, she tried a little bit and spilt it out straight away.   

I am a bit stressed about it as it has last for a while and I don't know how long this will continue like this.  I wonder whether I should stop feeding her if she refused to eat, e.g, if she refused lunch, then that's it, she need to wait for dinner.  At the moment, I always offer alternative so that she can at least eat something.

Please help.

[Lemonthyme]

Ok.  Stop stressing.  Some kids literally eat no variety.  What she is eating isn't hugely varied but it's ok.

What I'd do and bear in mind I don't know your child at all so you have to see if this makes sense for you!  I'd plan out meals with a 'safe' breakfast, an experimental lunch and a 'safe' tea.  I'd plan a pudding as well on lunch and tea which is no added sugar or sweeteners or low sugar so you don't feel bad giving it if she has no main.  I'd offer variety in each meal and even in the 'safe' tea (which includes something you know she will eat) I would offer one thing she's not had before or refused.  Like cucumber sticks on the side.

Some kids get really mad about foods touching.  You can get segregated toddler trays specifically for that.  It might be worth a go.  This is the kind of thing I mean:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gruffalo-Melamine-Single-Divided-Plate/dp/B0050BGQCA/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1366438999&sr=1-2&keywords=toddler+plates

I'd also try cutting up the meats and vegetables in a different way.  My son will sometimes refuse green beans but accept them if I slice them into 1cm lengths.  He went through a stage of refusing halved grapes but accepting them sliced!

My other tip is to eat together and eat the same things, especially for your 'new' meal at lunch time.  And yes, for that lunch meal I wouldn't offer an alternative.

Also make sure she gets baby vitamins.  Yes it's not as good as having it from the food source but kids need vitamins anyway nowadays as vitamin D deficiency is really common.

[rachelgz]

Thanks Lemonthyme.  I will definitely give it a go.  I also checked out your blog.  Love the food ideas for babies and toddles.  I have been running out of ideas as to what to feed DD as she is so fussy atm.  I will try to make some finger foods from your blog for my DD.

[Lemonthyme]

Thank you!  If you do like, I've been shortlisted for an award, please vote if you want to!

On this website please click vote for the 2013 Bibs now (I'm in the food category!) http://www.britmums.com/2013/04/bibs-shortlists-are-here/

Or follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B82J3SN

[weaver]

Brilliant advice! 

I would add - have you tried grating things?  My LO2 loves grated cheese, apple etc. And she is crazy about eating whatever I'm having so definitely a good idea to sit with her and eat the same thing.

[Lemonthyme]

Yep, grated worked for my son for carrot for a while, good thinking!

[weaver]

Just voted for your blog! Best of luck!

[*Kara*]

I voted too LT   LOVE your blog!

My LO was much the same as Lemonthyme's... won't eat whole green beans, but smaller ones are fine... I have divided plates - this is huge!

I have also seen ice cube trays used to provide little bits of various things to create interest

[Lemonthyme]

I'd just keep trying different things.  Some kids love variety, for others it's too much and a restricted choice helps.  Sometimes they change. 

(Thanks for the votes btw!)

[*Kara*]

Sometimes they change.

^^  This.