Texture of food and finger food for 12/13 month old?

[Andys mum]

Hi everyone, just after some advice and suggestions! 

Andy is still eating pureed/well mashed food! He does have some texture but it is really soft bits (eg flaked salmon, egg yolk) if I try and add say small pasta bits or mince he spits them out or gags.  I've tried a range of commercial foods to (I got sick of cooking things that got spat out!) and have had no luck here either. 

Finger food is another challenge.  He happily eats rusks and the odd biscuit or hot chip, but if it is anything he can squish in his hand (bread, avocado, banana, stewed peaches etc...) thats exactly what he does!  I've tried cheese too to no avail.  He is quite cute really he picks up the finger food and puts it down the side of the high chair if he doesn't want to eat it!  Recently he ate a bit of rice cake and dried apple and sultanas (thats another question I posted as I was told these are choking risks).

So I guess my questions are...is it OK that he is still eating pureed/mashed food and that I am feeding him his meals as he is showing little/no interest in feeding himself.  He has a big appetite and is still breast fed too.  Any comments welcome.

Thanks Andy's mum.

[Katet]

I have a friend who's lo only started eating food that wasnt' mashed/pureed at about 15months & at 18 month is now just shoing interest in self feeding. I'd keep offering it as part of one meal & eventually he will get the hang of it... I started mixing rice in with puree as a good step to more textured food.

BTW I would have said the rice cakes & dried apple were more of a choking risk than saltanas, as they can break off in bigger size.

My 1yo LOVES rice cakes (as does my ds#1) & I offered them at every meal as finger food for a while.

[vmcdonald28]

My lo is 14 months, and he was eating well mashed food until about 12 months. i persevered with solid food, eg pasta, and one day he was able to eat it, even tho he had gagged on it the day before.

He has only, in the past few weeks, started holding his own cup and bottle. Again, he just started doing it one day, even tho we had tried to encourage him to do it for months! And he NEVER puts food in his mouth. We have tried everything, and I are just working on the assumption that he will be able to do it one day, as he did with the bottle.

I really wouldnt worry too much. i spent weeks worrying about Adam being "slow" at doing things with his eating, but after just 2 weeks, he is an expert at holding and using his cup. I'm sure Andy will suddenly just do all the things he can't quite master yet.


x

[Andys mum]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful!  I guess as long as he is getting enough food that is the main thing.  I will continue offering him the food, but only at one meal...maybe it is a bit overwhelming for him at the moment.  Like everything else...I'm sure he will get the hang of it soon.

Thanks again,
Andy's Mum

[Andys mum]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would give you a quick up date.  It has been about 4 weeks since I wrote this post and over the last few days Andy finally got finger food....he is so proud of himself.  I spent loads of time on this website searching for ideas and trying differnet things.  I still supplement his eating with mushed vege/fruit and yogurt.  Below are his favourites!

cheerios
sultanas
toast with vegemite (marmite)
toast with homous
hot chips
chicken nuggets (I found some organic ones that are mostly chicken!!)
fish fingers
dried apple
biscuits (Again I found some great organic ones with orange oil that he loves)
sandwiches (cream cheese/cream cheese and avocado) - I squish the bread down so he doesn't play with them as much
Heinz muslie bars and fruit bars

Not a bad start now he has the hang of it.  I am going to make a roast tonight and see if he likes some of that.  Eggy bread is next of my list of things to try too.

Thanks again for your support!
Andy's mum.