S/O Packing baby's lunch - finger food amounts?

[claras_mom]

So I've been sending breastmilk to daycare with dd2 (nine months), along with cereal and some commercial baby food, usually a fruit or vegetable and one of those meat ones. The amounts have been fine. But especially over the winter vacation, it's become clear to me that what dd really really likes is to self-feed. She likes meat, rice, most vegetables, fruits, cheerios. I'd probably keep applesauce or pureed pears in the rotation, because she likes them a lot. A small amount of hard cheese a month or so ago led to spitting up quite a lot, so I'm holding off on trying that (or yogurt) again.

So if I were to start sending finger foods instead of purees, what quantities? What kinds of finger foods do you send with your infants?

I did go through this with dd1, but she wasn't as enthused about solids, in general. Didn't show the same eagerness to self-feed, so I didn't feel the need to mix things up. So it's a different paradigm.

[Skippy918]

My DS is a self feeder. I send bananas (whole, he holds it and bites it), avocado, defrosted frozen fruit (already bite size so it doesn't need to be cut), cooked frozen veggies, chicken, macaroni and sauce or cheese and whatever other leftovers I have in the house. He always gets avocado, yogurt, fruit and a banana daily. I rotate the main course. When he was 9-12 months old, I sent 2 Gerber bowls (half full)plus his bottles. Now at 16 months he gets 2-3 full bowls, plus a yogurt and banana and eats all of it for lunch. He is quite an eater.

[claras_mom]

Thank you! this helps a lot.

[justKate]

Not sure about quantities, but DD (11 mos) LOVES cut green beans. She also loves those Gerber puffs.

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by Skippy918

I sent 2 Gerber bowls

These seem to be the preferred bowl at our daycare. Most of our parents use them to send food in, when they do (at 12 months our babies move to a 1 year old room where they are fed the same thing as the rest of the daycare kids, so at about 10 months we start working with them on eating those foods- with the parents permission, of course- so our parents don't send in finger food for too long, unless baby is on a special diet).

It all depends on the baby, but I would send maybe 1 or 2 half full bowls each day. Or 1 half full bowl plus a banana or cereal or whatever.

If you're looking for finger foods that you can send in that will store at the daycare (each baby at our daycare has a bin where their baby food is labeled and put, parents usually put 1-2 weeks worth of food in there)- gerber has jars of diced carrots and green beans (I think). I think walmart has little plastic "bowls" (for lack of a better term) of peas and corn. And mandarin oranges, of course.

[claras_mom]

I'll have to check out the gerber bowls, I think.

I'm trying to remember the exact timing...but at 12 months or so, I think I can switch dd2 over to just eating what the DCP prepares for all the kids, maybe with minimal extra foods. What I remember from dd1 is that with my permission dcp gradually transitioned her to eating the food the other kids ate--and let me tell you, we're talking really good, home-cooked, healthy meals!--before we pulled the plug on bringing in all food and started paying the monthly fee for meals/snacks.

[Skippy918]

Our daycare just provides snacks and drinks, so I have to send lunch. They do have a lunch direct program but I think it's more for the older kids. The Gerber bowls are nice because they have lids. I'm sure any small tupperware container will suffice. I pack everything in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.

[justKate]

Are the Gerber bowls definitely microwave safe? Because the Munchkin brand are NOT. I like to think that daycare is heating DD's food in the glass jar, but just in case they aren't, she needs new bowls....

[nextcommercial]

Try sending in a little extra, because only about 1/2 of it actually makes it into her mouth. The rest goes her high chair seat.

My daycare kids like those frozen raviolis cut into peices with a little sauce. Even if it's cold, they like it anyway.