My son is 10 months old and only has his 2 top and 2 bottom teething. He still takes a few bottles a day and Gerber pureed/level 3 food along with wheels, puffs, stars and cookies. It seems like all he wants to do is feed himself! Any ideas of other self feeding foods besides the above items?
In addition to the foods already mentioned by other people, my daughter at that age started feeding herself blueberries. She still LOVES blueberries!
My son was about the same age when he didn't want help eating anymore! One of his favorites was diced banana! Soft enough for him to mush without the worry of chocking. He also like toast. I would butter whole wheat toast and cut it into very small pieces so he could feed it himself. If I felt he needed extra vitamins or whatnot during the day (because he had days of wanting NOTHING to do with me feeding him!) I would spread some baby food on the toast before slicing it up for him. Sweat potato or various fruits! Doesn't sound extremely appealing, but he loved it and I knew he was getting a little extra more!
Good luck!
We just went through this with our 10 month old. He actually started table foods around 8 1/2 months because he had three teeth and, well, he was refusing baby food and swiping at our plates! Think someone was a little hungry? hah!
You can give him nearly anything as long as you cut it up or rip it into small pieces. Pretty much I would take a little bit of food off my plate and cut or shred it up for him. He got to eat real food and I did a little bit of portion control! Tonight we had pesto pasta with shredded chicken. He got some of the pasta and chicken (none of the pine nuts though) and some diced pears. He loved it!
Breakfast: pancakes, toast, waffles, bananas, oatmeal, cheerios, nearly any fruit that is cut up and soft
Lunch and Dinner: shredded chicken, ground beef or turkey, rice, soft veggies, mashed potatoes, refried beans, salmon
(My 10 month old loves it when we go to Chipotle. I get a burrito bowl and spoon little bits of it on his place mat. He loves the rice, tomatoes, smashed black beans, shredded pork, shredded cheese, and we typically give him some spoonfuls of the guacamole.)
My daughter loved cooked pasta with a little butter (just a tad) and a little garlic or onion powder (not salt). She could eat it with her fingers and it wasn't really, really messy. I would also sprinkle shredded cheese (just a little) on cooked plain pasta. She also decided that she liked raw veggies rather than cooked ones, so I would give her shedded carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce. I think she had more teeth though. Also, hot dogs/smoked sausage as long as they are cut up in tiny bites. Crackers are also a good one. There are mini ones that are easy for them to hold. Gerber also has graduate jars of diced apples that are easy for them to feed themselves.
One thing I used to do and still do is "help" her guide her fork/spoon to her mouth. I would hold onto the end and let her believe she was eating on her own. I would also ask if mama could help her. Sometimes, she would even let me. :-) Good luck.
If he's interested then start doing it all!! Obviously start with very mushy foods or foods that are big enough to gnaw on for a while like pizza crusts or toast. My kids love(d) to feed themselves cooked carrots, peas, sweet potatoes and green beans. Basically anything that you would puree, just cook it and give it to him. Also little bites of cheese are usually a big hit. At 9 months my daughter would not eat anything from a spoon so she literally ate everything we did just cut up really small. My son was a bit later but was into it by 10-11 months. Oh...and my son (now 13 months) LOVES oatmeal!! I make it with just a little bit of water and then break it into bits so he can feed it to himself. He eats it every morning and absolutely devours it. Have fun and good luck!
I also wanted to add that he only has 2 teeth and has been exclusively on table food for months now, so teeth really aren't a necessity when it comes to eating. Their jaws are pretty strong and can break down most everything. Just watch him and it will be okay!
Congratulations!
It's wonderful when a child wants to feed himself.
Little pieces of cheese.
Little pieces of chicken.
Little pieces of vegetables -- cooked yams, squash, carrots.
Little pieces of fruit . . . peeled, pitted.
Blueberries, pieces of banana, pieces of mango.
Little pieces of cooked potato.
Cheerios.
Bon appetit!!
Mashed potatoes, rice, pasta noddles, toast, applesauce, cheerios, soft, cooked diced carrots, squash, sweet potatoes....
It's amazing what they can manage with those 4 little teeth!
Just make sure nothing is a choking hazard.
Keep in mind that teeth have very little to do with chewing the early years. Kids are 2-3 before they start getting their molars for grinding. Though lots of kids are eating nearly any table food by age 18-24m. They grind and chew with their gums surprisingly well!
I want to second some ideas other people have said... Cheerios are a life safer. So much cheaper then the little puffs you pay big money for and kids love them. Kix are also great. My kids LOVED bananas. Cut up grapes. You could even cook and soften some apples.
Near a year we let our kids have a good deal of what we were eating for dinner, just in small portions and cut into finger friendly pieces. Cooked green beans, mashed potatoes, small tender pieces of meat, cooked carrots, etc.
Careful with Oranges - though the kids love them they are very acidic and can be pretty hard on their little digestive tracks.
Good luck!
I have bought those little fruit cups, peaches, pears, oranges. My daughter seems to do well with feeding those to herself. She is 9 months.
He can eat almost everything you eat, just in a slightly different form.
My 10 year old eats a lot of meatballs, pasta, peas, sweet potato, squashes, fruit of all sorts --loves mellon, mango, etc. I also make a lot of stews and chicken noodle soup. Mac and cheese.
They grind up the food with their gums, so as long as it is soft, they can eat it. So basically everything is game. In fact, ideally, they are eating all table food at 12 months, so now is the time to make the transition.
Avocado chunks, diced veggies (steamed or boiled like carrots, potatoes, peas), black beans, banana, diced pieces of chicken...anything you're eating. Check out Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.
I used to stick things on pretzel sticks.
