Starting a bad habit?

[mrs_kat]

My 6 month old has decided that she likes veggies so much that she won't eat cereal anymore.  My ped thinks it's important for her to have that source of iron since I breastfeed her.  I found that she'll eat cereal if I mix some carrots in.  My question is, am I teaching her to be a picky eater by giving in and flavoring her cereal?  I know it's not good to try to force her to eat something she doesn't like, so this seems to be my only option.  Any opinions or experiences to share?

[Colin Macs Mom]

I think that mixing in carrots sounds like a good compromise. That way she's still getting the iron but you aren't having WWIII every feeding. At this point she should be getting most of her nutrition from BF anyway, so I wouldn't force the issue. That's my 2 cents!

[JennŠ]

Mine likes her food with oatmeal too.  Not sure how much is taste, how much is texture.

[tylersmommy]

As your LO gets older, food preferences will change constantly. It's hard to keep up! I really believe that the key to maintaining your sanity is to stay one step ahead. Combining foods to give them a different taste is one of the easiest ways to do this. I gag at the thought of some things Tyler ate...when he refused plain baby cereal, I mixed in fruit juice. When that got old, I added some jarred mixed veggies. It looked nasty but he loved it and ate that combo for months.

IMHO, you aren't creating a picky eater. It's possible to encourage pickiness in older babies and toddlers, but not so much at that age.

[mrs_kat]

Thanks for all your input - I needed that reassurance.  I just hope Kenzi doesn't turn orange in the process!