9 month old won't eat his tea!

[Jojay]

My ds has always had a good appetite, but in the last week or so is refusing to eat his tea.

He's generally not fussy at all, and will eat a wide variety of foods, and has graduated to lumpier food well. His weight gain is good, consistently on or just above the 50th centile.

He has 20 oz of milk a day - 8oz morning and night, and 4 oz at about 3 pm. He has solids at 8 am, 12 noon and 5.30 ish. In theory. The last week or so he's turned his nose up at the 5.30 pm offering, and made it very clear he doesn't want it.

I'm taking the view that this isn't a problem that he's effectively on 2 meals a day at his age, not 3.

He takes more than the recommended 20 oz milk ( including cereal, yoghurts etc), and eats a good variety and quantity at breakfast and lunch.

I probably could make him eat his tea by dropping the afternoon milk, and bringing tea forward a bit, but I think he's too young to cut back on the milk to this degree, as it will put him below the 20 oz he needs.

Would anyone out there do anything different to what I'm doing? Do you think I'm doing the right thing?? Hoping for a bit of reassurance here!

Another point, a bit seperate from this, is that yesterday he wolfed his tea down. I'd been out during the day, and had given him a jar instead of his usual home made food. He ate loads, probably more than be would do at home, but was still ravenous for his tea.

I've thought for a while that jars are not as nutrient dense, more watery and generally less filling than home cooked food, and I feel that this has proved the point!

Tonight after home made lasagne for lunch he didn't want his tea. I read the ingredient list on the jar - it was Cottage Pie, yet only contained 8% meat - that's really bad!!

[frazzledbutcalm]

I'd say just go with the flow. Babies are like us, sometimes they're more hungry than others. I home made everything for ds2 as he had many allergies and i agree its much more nutritious than jars. however, ds1 dd1 and dd2 were all brought up on jars and they're all healthy so im not knocking them!! I dont think 8 per cent meat is bad, baby food very regulated and prob contained more veg which is very nutritious also. I also wouldnt worry too much about his milk intake, babies aren't text book. Sounds like you're doing everything fine, just relax and let him guide you. You cant do much wrong unless you dont feed him at all!!

[Jojay]

Thanks. I don't mean the jars are 'bad' as such , I was just surprised that the meat content was so low - if I made a cottage pie it would be a lot more than 8% meat!

As you say, the bulk of the rest was veg, but obviously this contains less protein and fewer calories than meat, hence his hunger I suppose.

I'm glad you think we're doing ok - i think so too, but it's nice to get a second opinion - pfb and all that!!

[tracyk]

Maybe any more meat percentage than that would have been too hard for babies to digest?
Have a look at the Baby Organics range and see what their percentages are - maybe on their web site?
Maybe he's teething?Milk is their main source of food till a year anyway - food is just for experimenting. So don't worry about it.

[frazzledbutcalm]

pfb???

[Jojay]

Precious first baby!!

[frazzledbutcalm]

I see!!! That's so long ago for me!!

[Jojay]

Will have a look at the Baby Organics range - thanks

[Wilkie]

Jojay - having exactly the same issue here ATM with my DS (8 months) and he is teething. He is living on a diet of custard pots, yogurt pots and fruit pots because that is ALL he will eat and he refuses to drink milk.

You will find that it picks up again in a bit so just go with it for the time being and try not to worry.

Also, try some finger foods such as rusk/bread and butter etc as he may want to 'chew' if teething.

I also use sugar free ice pops for him to suck and chew which he loves as it is cool on his gums (or use the empty packets filled with water if you don't want to give him colourings)

HTH!

[Jojay]

Thnaks Wilkie, might try the ice pops and see if he likes that. He may be teething as he's been really grouchy today!!

[gillhowe]

Mine went off breakfast at about 9 months, he went from eating 1.5 weetabix to about 5 cheerios and a couple of sultanas! About four weeks later he has started to eat more, they just seem to have fads.

Good luck