What can a a one year old eat?

[jimmy2]

My DD has just turned one. Is there anything that I should avoid giving him to eat? I have been searching the web to find a site that will give me the "rules", but no luck. I know that you can give a small amount of salt, but I try to avoid this anyway.
Does anyone know>? ;)

[NotQuiteCockney]

As long as you have no special allergy concerns, they can eat anything you can eat.

Actually, I pretty much put DS2 on adult food from 6 months.

[jimmy2]

Hi What do you feed him on? Do you stick to very plain food or would you give him a very mild curry for example?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I would give him a mild curry. Actually, DS2 quite likes spicy food, often spicier than I like. He's 17 months now. But he's liked spicy food from when he started eating food.

Why wouldn't you give him a curry?

[Kelly1978]

mine eat currys! for tea theyve got moong curry and potato basmati, they will be a year in a few weeks.

[laundrylover]

Mmmmmm want a curry now!!!
Agree with other posters to give her what you eat (not vindaloo of course - think of that in a nappy!!). Tilly loves left over chick pea curry from the curry house.
We don't add salt to anything except when we use stock for rissotos etc. Mind you we didn't before kids either! Our guests never complain but perhaps they are just too polite.

[NannyL]

once they are one they can anything with a few exceptions (mainly nuts, especially whole nuts)

i also wouldnt give a 12month old raw egg or raw egg products... apart from that whatever you wanna feed them

(and obviously not stuff to high in salt, and remember NO low fat stuff either.... all full fat until at least 2 (if not 5) ((if not forever when you see all the crap they put in low fat / low calorie stuff! ))

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, my DS2 has had raw egg - in home-made semi-freddo. I think he was about 14 months at the time.

But I'm pretty relaxed, and my DS2 has a good immune system, as far as I know.

I'd avoid highly processed food, but a little bit probably won't do any harm.

[jimmy2]

Well curry it is then. Yes I fancy one now!!
I was just confussed as some of the jars go to over a year now & thought that maybe one had to still be careful. I am still quite careful when we go out as I refuse to buy things like nuggets & chips for him ,so he usually ends up with baked pots with cheese. I have ordered lasagne but it is usually much too salty & he does not like it, some pasta seems to be ok though. Obviously dining out can be difficult so trying to get good food for him makes for a better experience! What do you do when you go out?

[Angeliz]

Also don't give whole grapes or hotdogs. This is for choking not the foods. (You can give them cut up)

[NotQuiteCockney]

Um, the jar manufacturers would make jars for 72-year-olds if they knew they could make money that way!

My DS2 has never had a jar, actually. And only barely had purees.

When we go out, he eats what I eat. Ok, it'll be saltier than food at home, but as most of his diet is low salt, I don't really worry. I do try to get food I know he'll like, reasonably often, like pasta.

[hermykne]

JIMMY2 hy not get a book on toddler meals and planning - library / ebay / local bookstore if u want to pay full price. there are lots now on hte market .

[jimmy2]

Yes will do. Have been given an Annabel Karmel book which I plan to try out at the weekend. Just wondered what other people do as general advice is they can eat what you eat...not sure that is right, unless you eat healthy meals. I also wondered what people do when they eat out. When they are younger it is fine to take your own food with you, but at this age it is difficult & typically the food on menus for children when you are out is not good.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, no, I nearly never use food from children's menus. I've maybe done that once? Grownup food is much better, more interesting, healthier and tastier.

[laundrylover]

I agree we always ask for an extra bowl and teaspoon and give Tilly a mix of what we're having. Altho last time we went out we both had veg curry (usual red hot pub type) and so ordered pizza, chips and beans for her - went down a treat!!

[hermykne]

NQC i disagree with u quite crossly , "grown up food is much better in teresting and healthier"
i use alot of the recipes in the books i have for kids for them and me and dh and whoever else might be around - i use alot of cookery books - have over 30 on my shelves regularly used.
and for those of us who had a fussy eater sometimes the ideas to get nourishment into my child was very helpful from such books.
all our food is home cooked i am proud to say , but sometimes what me and dh are having is not to the palate of my 3 and 19mth old but i still want them to have "interesting" food.
they ll sample ours and might like it or not.

plus dd likes the cookery books with little pics of the food she'll try

[NannyL]

I agree.... there are a few annabell Karmell favourites that i make for us adults... I just dont puree them!

i think food is food and should not be distinguished between kids food and adults food personally!

[NotQuiteCockney]

hermykne, I wasn't saying anything against children's cookbooks, I was saying that kid's menus at restaurants suck. Ok, and kid's food from jars etc sucks.

I'm not a huge fan of Karmel et al, but that's largely because they aren't always up-to-date about weaning ages. The food is ok.

[FrannyandZooey]

God yes the children's menus are depressing. Such a poor selection and such crud on them. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy that kids won't eat vegetables, when you can't actually go to a restaurant and order them without paying for an adult size portion.

[Mosschops30]

omg I am the worst mother in the world, I still give ds 14 months jars.

[poppiesinaline]

the main cook book I use in our house is a Annabel Karmel one. Most of our 'grown up' dishes are from that book and are yum yum yum. If we are going out then I tend to take sandwiches and finger foods for DS2 , then I know at least he will eat something if he doesnt like the food we have while out IYSWIM.

[hermykne]

oh nqc, oh ok, got u now.
what do yur kids LOVE ?

[koolkat]

jimmy1 - I avoid salt and sugar like the plague, even though my DS is now 20 months old.

They really do not need it esp. if you have never given it they will not acquire a taste for it until they are much older. To be honest I taste what I cook for him and even without any salt or sugar it tastes absolutely fine. If you put fresh ingredients into food they tend to have loads of flavour without addatives.

"You never miss what you have never had" as the saying goes

If you are concerned about allergies, etc, read kellymom.com. It is primarily a breastfeeding website, but has excellent tips on allergenic foods and what to avoid in the section on solids.

Off the top of my head kellymom says avoid egg white until 18 months, fish, seafood and nuts until 2 years older if not longer.

You may not be that worried about allergies though. We have allegies in the family, so was very cautious.

[NotQuiteCockney]

My kids love anything with pasta, generally. They love dim sum. DS1 likes most food, really. DS2 is a bit more fussy, as you'd expect from a 17-month old. He does like spicy food, though, and will eat lots of stuff you wouldn't expect, like cabbage, at least sometimes.

They also both really love fruit, DS1 is mad for blood oranges at the moment. DS2 loves bananas. Actually, he's a bit of a carb monster, absolutely adores plain pasta if he can get it. And will often ask for a bowl of corn flakes after dinner!