My 10 Month Old Won't Eat

My son gave up baby food at 10 months, he didn't want to be fed. I gave him anything we ate in small pieces. He'll let you know what he likes and doesn't like. I responded to a request recently about a lady asking what to feed her one year old. There was some good ideas on there from everyone. Aside from too much salt or sugar I never worried about seasonings. Its just my opinion but I don't think its necessary to make him special food. Good luck

Super Baby Food is a great book . Also Deceptively Delishous by Jessica Seinfeild. The second book is for older kids but I bet it will come in handy! Good luck.

I started my kids with finger foods (the first HATED baby food, and since I start mine on solids at 7+ months, they don't need baby food). I gave diced avocados, bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans. Really, anything that is soft enough. He may not like the pureed texture, and want something more to "chew". Their little gums are very strong, so he doesn't need a mouthful of teeth to eat some well-cooked green beans!

Introduce soft finger foods. Only one new food every 4-6 days as that gives you time to determine any allergic side effects. Test hot food on the inside of your arm so as not to burn the fingers. Cherrios and green peas are great starters.

Most herbs aer okay for babies but you just got to be careful with the spices and what they can handle. Your story sounds just like mine with my daughter. She had always been such a great eater with bottles but then we started her on food and she was doing really well. Then a couple of months later (about 9 months old) she started turing her nose up at all the jarred baby food. Once I sat her in her chair and gave her a spoon-full of peas (just like we were eating) just couldn't eat them fast enough... two-fisted in fact. She ended up eating what we were eating for dinner that night and was so happy. I hadn't seen her that squeely in a long time. By this point, she was down to only a bottle or two a day. You may have to try a cup with him... we tried everything and not much worked when it came to getting her to drink her formula. I would suggest vitamins in yogurt (yes he can have it) or juice or something and that will give you peace of mind as to whether or not he is getting the right things.

With the spice thing... I know my sister and I would cook up the meal, sans spice, pull out a helping for little one to chop up in processor and then finish cooking it and add the spice at that time. You could also just leave it out as well.... whichever way your family wants to try it. Good luck, trust me, this food thing is a bunch of trial and error and you just don't be afraid of the error part... we all make the good and bad choices for our kids. Don't be afraid of making a mistake, as long as it doesn't put you child in danger (and we all know what that is) then you are doing a great job! Good luck!

Hi T.,
Both my babies began to prefer food that they could pick up off the tray themselves at around this age. I'd put Cheerios, baked sweet potatoes (cooled off and cut into small squares), small pieces of toast,slices of banana,etc. on the tray. They both loved to pick up their own food and did not want to be fed by me. They also liked yogurt (on a spoon, of course! :-)

I would hold off on any spices...taste buds develop over time...that could take years!

Good Luck!
D.

You might take a look at the Supper Foods for babies and children cook book. I just got it so I could make baby food for my daughter. My oldest daughter isn't the best eater so I am trying to fix a wider variety for my 6 month old. Good luck!
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Superfoods-for-Babies-an...

If he doesn't want bottles and processed food then try a cup and unprocessed food... just keep the pieces small and soft.

None of my 7 would eat baby food. I took a little bit out for them before I seasoned our food and ran it thru the food processor. Also, when I'd buy a lot of fresh veges, I'd cook for the baby and freeze it in ice cube trays. When frozen, turn them out and freeze in zip lock bags or tupperware. Then when it istimeto feed baby, you can just take a few different items out, defrost and you're ready to feed. There are a lot more nutrients in what you cook and I am sure your baby will like it better. I just add a little salt when Iserve it. I cook apples, pears, green beans, carrots, greens, brocolli, asparagus, cauliflour, anything I can fine. All my kids will eat their veges first and do not eat sweets. Good luck.

Hello T.,

I am Mary, and I live in Texas. I also have a 9...close to 10 months baby (girl), but she loves to eat...(baby food or even food that I cook). I love spicy food, but I the only spicy I add to my food is pepper....not much though!....The last time that I took my baby to the pedietrician, he suggested to start giving my baby my food...ahd she loves it!....I know that a lot babies can become alergic to spices and other ingredients, but because they are too young you would not find soon, and might have to introduce him to new foods. Ask your pedietrician, and I am sure he/she will tell you that is time for the baby be introduced to soups and other new flavors...Ggood luck!

Hi T.-

I have a 7 mos. old son that has never eaten commercially made baby food--I make all of his. Before he started eating solids, I checked out a bunch of baby cookbooks from the library to see which ones would work best. I ended up buying this one- The Le Petit Appetit Cookbook by Lisa Barnes. The recipes are super easy and smell and taste just like the regular foods would (my older child ate Gerbers foods and those just didn't smell or taste as fresh to me). If you end up buying it, go on Amazon and you can new a new copy for like $5 (or probably $10 total once you include shipping); that's what I did.

Good luck. Hope that helps some. It really is easy (people are always surprised when they hear I make my baby's food but with it being so easy, I wonder why more people don't!).

~L.

Hi T.,
I'm an owner of Bloom Maternity here in San Antonio and we carry a really cool product called The Baby Bistro Box. We also have the Toddler Bistro Box. Basically they are "cookbooks" for babies and toddlers. Really helpful, easy some organic. They were written by a nutritionist. www.bloommaternity.net is our website.
Good luck!
C.

We adopted our daughter at 10 months and she also hated baby food. We just gave her our food (chopped up fine, of course). If something was too spicy for her (but most things weren't), we gave her some chopped up cheese, lunchmeat, fruit, etc., that was already in the fridge so I didn't actually have to prepare anything else. You might want to check with your pediatrician to see if there are any foods you should wait on. (we didn't have to worry about that, because she had all of those foods already in China) Other than those foods (I think strawberries, corn, and nut products were among them), you can probably feed you child about anything!

Hi T.
the main thing you need to watch for is adding to many differnt items to his diet at once ,,so you can watch for allergries other than that he should be fine 1 week at a time add new things ,,,,or go to amazon.com and check out baby food cookbooks
good luck L.

It sounds like he may want to feed himself. I have a 9 month old that will only eat if she gets to feed herself. She rarely accepts a spoon.
Try offering cut up grapes, sliced blueberries, small pieces of banana, any ripe fruit cut up is safe. You may want to hold off on strawberries, because of the high allergy problem. Pinch up pancakes, waffles, toast or tortillas, any veggie that is cooked or steamed can be cut up of him as well. Put 4-5 piece on his tray at a time and let him figure it out. Then offer more.
Oh cooked pasta is perfect. Everytime we make spaghetti, I toss a hand full of whole wheat rotini in as well, then I scoop out the curly noodles for my baby. She loves it. Any type of cooked beans are good too. You can always cook your meal, scoop out a spoonful or too for the baby, then add the spices to yours.
Most herbs and spices are okay if they are not too strong, but you definately don't want to load your babies food with salt and pepper. But like garlic, onion, herbs, etc... they are really fine.

And you may also want to check out www.kellymom.com or www.askdrsears.com for other finger food options for the baby.

Good luck.
Mother of 3 beautiful girls.

We did a modified baby led weaning and our girl absolutely refused purees by 9 months. You need to realize that babies LIKE flavor. Have you tasted breastmilk or formula? Really tasty stuff. Not bland at all. The only changes we have made to our cooking is to limit the salt and spicy heat we cook with (just add it at the table for our portions). Otherwise, everything is fair game and the girl loves it. She also hates to eat alone, so we always eat together now.

The key we found was to offer water after every bite or two. Moist foods are easier for them to deal with. We held off on more advanced proteins like chicken and beef until she was really good at the chew and swallow, and we use a knife and fork to cut things into little pieces. Cubes are tough, so make the food small but irregular. Good transitional foods are avocado, chunky mashed potatoes, fish, well-cooked ravioli or other pasta with sauce, little bits of bread that have been dipped in sauce or soup, and soft fresh fruits. Anything that is more solid/dry we let her pick up and feed herself.

Our girl just turned 10 months and she has had tex-mex, Indian food, BBQ, Italian food. Truly, whatever we eat, she eats and she grunts and exclaims for "MORE"!

Hi T., your little one is probably ready for some real food. My son who is 16 months old is a picky eater and I'm also trying to figure out what to feed him. I'm thinking about getting the book from Jerry Seinfield's wife. Good luck.

Like others have said it's time to move to finger foods and slide the baby food aside. My little one did the same thing.

If you are concerned with calories, you can add the pediatric drinks to his diet. My 17 month old has decided to be extremely picky about eating lately and the pediatrician told us to feed the drinks to him because they had all the necessary vitamins and minerals he needs even if he is picky with food.

Try a variety of foods and then talk to your pediatrician. I think it's just moving onto finger foods though.

Good luck, I know how unnerving it can be.

You absolutely have to get the SUPER BABY FOOD BOOK. It was featured on Good Morning America and some other things. I used it with my daughter and it was great!
I would make steamed veggies every now and then and would process them and freeze them and then pull them out. My daughter loved it. ***ICE CUBE TRAYS AND BAGGIES*** Freeze just until solid and then throw them into a baggie.

T., just give him table food. Don't worry about the spices, my daughter's first favorite table food was chili! There are only a few foods not to give your son and most are for allergy reasons. No on strawberries, peanuts or peanut butter, no honey (because of botchalism) until he is a year old. Other than that, raisins can be a choking hazzard and cut grapes into four and hot dogs down the middle and into small pieces. With these things in mind, enjoy broadening your son's cullinary world!

Sometimes we have to modify our eating habits until baby can tolerate the heat in foods we enjoy.

L.

My son was also a picky eater and still is. We gave him oatmeal that we eat. The kind that comes in packets that you can microwave. The food in baby jars he never liked but he would he fresh food that I cooked.

Hola T., your little man has a wise internal system and he could be cleansing by not eating. That is good, do try fruit for him to suck the juice from them that will refresh his system easy fruits like pears,apples,big slices of watermellon, look for a book Eat Right 4 Your Type, by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo and he also has a book on blood type for children. should you want to contact me email at (____@____.com)
I know this will help. in health A. hoffer

T.,

Talk to your doctor, but the little guy sounds like he is ready for finger foods...cooked diced carrots, green peas, cut up chicken, banana (small chunks, not round)etc. The pediatrician can answer the spice question.

Good luck!
C.