Need ideas for an orange baby...

[stephanne2]

LO is 8 months and is turning orange. And I know what causes it and I know how to fix it per se, but we've got some issues and questions...

She won't eat greens.  We continue to offer them by themselves, repeatedly, knowing/thinking she'll eventually get used to them. No go. The only way we can get her to eat greens (peas, green beans, spinach)--is to mix them with... *drum roll*... ORANGES (squash, sweet potatoes or carrots!)

LO also struggles with constipation. Cereals are definitely out--they're the biggest offenders for constipation in her case. We prevent/regulate constipation with a dose of Miralax every other day, but we're still only able to slowly introduce non-orange, "BRAT" diet fruits like bananas and apples. Unfortunately, LO does not tolerate pears (texture is too gritty maybe?)

When you're trying to reverse the effects of eating too many "oranges" or even beta-carotene rich foods which in some cases even includes the darker greens... do you have to stop offering them completely, cut it down to just 1x per day or maybe 1 every other day or so?  Or is it just... trial and error. (Isn't everything in parenting trial and error? lol)

Right now we do solids 2x per day (morning and evening) and I'm just trying to figure out what to offer that will a) please her palette and b) cut down on some of the "oranges"  before her cute little "peachy cheeks" take on any more naturally unnatural color!!

If you had/have this "problem"... what has worked or is working for you?

[Buntybear]

Bumping for you really as no helpful advice. My only thought really is maybe you could 'dilute' the orange foods with things like pears or apples? Lessen the impact of the beta carotene?

[C&B&E]

I was also wondering whether she as eating anything else apart from veggies?  Any protein/meat/cereals?  If not, then adding those things in would help to 'dilute' down the amount of orange foods she is eating, and also give her more of the nutrients her body can be getting from solids now 

[koe2moe]

Have you tried mixing like cauliflower in with orange ones?  Or zucchini, without skin, into orange.  A bit of banana, or pear.  It is ok to mix it.  It would help with the introduction of new tastes.  Or potato, or rice.  Best of luck

[stephanne2]

Thanks! 

Right now she eats the following:

Veggies:  Squash, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes (plus Green Beans & Peas if/when mixed w/ orange).  No other veggies--I haven't experimented much--not knowing all that much about veggies other than these! How to pick them, etc, etc. These are mainly the veggies we eat so that's what we started with.  I haven't tried cauliflower or broccoli, unsure of the gassy factor that comes along with those--is that still a "worry" at this age?  I was also thinking about adding in white or red potatoes to help dilute some... we have those a-plenty as well. 

Fruits: Peaches/Nectarines, Plums, Prunes, and Apples in Moderation. We did try some blueberries mixed in and I got some mango to try as well. She's not a big fan of pears and bananas are a no-go for us b/c of the constipation.

I'm terrified/grossed out about pureeing meats, but we do some of the pre-packaged "meals" occasionally and we've got some hummus on the menu for later this week.  Cereals are out b/c of constipation.

[ZacsMumme]

At this age why not give her a hunk of meat to chew on. Blw style. Just make sure your watching and the chunks are like big chip size. Will she eat crispbreads? Homemade mini muffins? My first loved homemade piklets and pancakes to at this age. Meat patties?

[deb]

I had some success with mixing pureed greens - spinach, kale, chard - into cottage cheese. The cottage cheese is already a bit salty and the flavors seemed to make J happy enough. Maybe making a dip for raw veg? Will she eat peas in the pod, like sugar peas? Those also go well with a yogurt or ranch dip.

There can be a gassy factor with broccoli and related veg - cabbage, for example - so if/when you do try them, try just a little bit and see. Spinach isn't related, so that might be the way to get started; we mixed spinach and kale for a while, too, to lessen the impact.

[okinawamama]

I'm not sure where you're located,so I'd check first of course, but our pediatrician said the recommendation in the US (for those that don't have a history of severe food allergies) is  almost all foods are a go at 6 months. So, we avoided shelf fish and honey, but other than that, I introduced my little guys to tons of food by 8 months. Avocados are nice and easy and super healthy and they add a nice creamy texture to any of the gritty foods. Have you tried yogurt ( or cheese in small amounts since your LO has constipation issues) or cottage cheese mixed with small pieces of fruit? Apple sauce is nice and easy! Melons were a hit in the summer! We also cooked pieces of pasta, not only was it yummy it was a great fine motor activity.  We also just handed our little guys a piece of meat like Sara did. If you don't want to do meat, my little guys enjoyed tofu cut up into pieces and then rolled in cheerios or another cereal to add a little texture, taste and make easier for gripping. I thought it sounded completely gross and a little weird, but my little guys liked it and it was an easy source of protein. We also gave scrambled eggs at that age mixed with cottage cheese. I'd continue to offer the gritty and more unfamiliar textures to challenge her in hopes that she'll get used to the texture.

[Buntybear]

Oh yes, if there are no allergies then I would really be going for it at 9 months old. Plenty of tastes and textures. Get some finger foods in there too.

Potatos are OK but I found them to make purees really gloopy so steered clear of them. You could just them or mash them up though of course.

[Erin M]

If you puree meat and veggies at the same time, you'll never know you're pureeing meat!  I cook a chicken until it was super tender then throw it and some sweet potatoes in the food processor.

[Buntybear]

Here is an idea of what she could be eating   

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/food-parenting/meal-planners/9-12-mnths-meal-planner