Developing a picky eater

[mcmulyn]

Hi guys,

I am doing baby led weaning with my nine month old boy.  He does not seem to have much interest in whole foods,  We have been doing carrots cooked and sliced into large pieces,  banana pieces covered in crushed cereal,  sweet potatoes,  bluberries cut in quarters, etc,  but the only thing he shows interest in is cherrios and gerber rice puffs (which I know are not ideal).  I would like to see him eat some solids.  His weight is dropping a little bit,  which I know can be normal when they start to cruise and crawl,  but a little more than I would hope.  Any suggestions,  or am I worrying too much.  I know breast milk provides much more nutrients than any whole foods.  He seems to have so much fun when he is eating the puffs and cherrios though;)

Thanks

[newbie_mary]

My DS was just like this...didn't really start eating solids in any quantity until 12 mo.  He's a picky eater to this day.  :(

[Lazurii]

I wonder if you could try freeze dried fruits and veggies to get the texture of the rice puffs.

[mcmulyn]

Yes,  I started looking into at least some organic puffs,  so not as junky,  but wondering maybe if I should just put the whole food in front of him and he will eat it when he is ready.  My older boy used to have so much fun eating everything with his hands, very messy but so much fun to see them having so much fun eating.  Such a difference between the two boys.

[pek64]

More solid food may be his preference. It's easier to grab. There are organic puffs in rice, various wheats, and corn all available. 9 months is young to be concerned. Some kids don't really get interested in solid food until later.

[mama2soren]

My approach has always been to feed my kids what I want them to grow up eating.  I don't want to make multiple meals in the future, so I need my kids to be accustomed to eating what my husband and I eat.  If they are interested and hungry enough, they will eventually eat those foods (major sensory issues aside).  

My son was not interested in eating many solids at 9 months.  We offered healthy choices like you are (bananas, carrots, avocado, berries, legumes, etc), and sometimes he'd eat a little, and sometimes he wouldn't.  He breastfed often enough that he was getting adequate nutrition.  Sometime around 12 months, he got more interested in solids, and is a great eater to this day.  My daughter totally wanted solids from an earlier age, so we fed her what we were eating.  Sometimes we'd have to cook the veggies softer for her, but other than that we made few changes.  At 17 months, she's a super eater!  She loves lentils, curry, etc.

We used organic puffs on occasion, usually at restaurants to buy us some time when the babes were getting restless.  To me, they're snack food, not the junkiest, but not nutritious.  I'd encourage you to keep focusing on offering nutrient dense options.  Another portable, easy to eat option (though messier!) is dried nori.  It's a little crunchy, melts in baby's mouth, and it is nutritious.  My kids go crazy for the stuff.  

[jgallagher66]

Food before 1 is just for fun. Is he actually losing weight or just not gaining as fast? If he is losing, you should focus on your nursing relationship. It is normal for them not to gain as fast but losing weight could be a sign that he needs longer or more fr equent nursing sessions. That is where he should still be getting the majority of his calories and nutrition at 9 mos. The switch to solid food is gradual and 9 months is too young to be labeled a picky eater. My 8 year old who is picky was a very adventurous eater as a baby. My 5 year old who will try everything was more cautious at that age. It's too soon to tell how they'll turn out. Just keep offering lots of healthy variety and lots of different textures. Make sure you offer enough nutrient dense foods as they get older and take it from there. But definately make sure he is getting enough breastmilk. Sometimes they start to get distracted when nursing at this age and your supply can drop a bit. A few days of minimizing distractions and long frequent nursing sessions can get you back on track if this is the case.

[phathui5]

The foods like puffs and cereal are less calorie dense than both breastmilk or other foods like egg yolk or avocados. I would stick to offering foods that offer him nutrition and some calories.

Our children have always been slow/no gainers between nine months and a year. They nursed a lot but didn't eat a ton of food. Our most recent baby is a more enthusiastic eater than the older kids were, so I'm curious to see what his growth curve looks like.

[mcmulyn]

I think I can only handle cooking one meal for the five of us lately anyway LOL.  I will try to cook stuff we all can eat and not stress about it and add the puffs as an occasional treat.  Our first boy was the same,  breastfed well,  but had not much interest in solids,  then again,  at that time I was spoon feeding so a little different.  With our second child, he ate with his hands and ate lots,  however,  you know what,  all three are following the same growth curve.  Kind of interesting,  I think it is a pretty good indicator that breastmilk is mostly what they need at this time.  Thank you for clarifying this for me and all of your help:)