Nearly 11 month old refusing cooked meals!

[Jodierin25]

My nearly 11 month old daughter has begun to completely refuse cooked lunches/dinners - regardless of it being puréed, chopped, mashed or as normal.

Is this normal for her stage of development?

Her first tooth has also just cut through, so could this be why? However I do feel like her refusal of actual meals started before her tooth coming through.

Im just beginning to worry that I’m setting her up for bad eating habits as she’ll happily munch on a melty puff of biscotti biscuit etc. I do both baby led weaning and pouches but she’s refusing both. Should I offer something else instead of her dinner or just up the oz’s of milk at bedtime?

Any help would be greatly appreciated x

They tend to go off things and then back on (often alongside teething). Refusing things that they once ate is very typical as they move towards the toddler stage. Keep offering a range of foods, always have something safe to eat but don't cook separate meals. Eventually she should expand the food she eats again. I've had some success with separating out food and offering a little at a time rather than all at once.

Thank you so much!

I just feel like such a failure. I cook for a living and was so looking forward to the whole weaning/cooking her meals stage, but so far I’ve not had much luck :(

Teething can play a part of not eating also texture can put them off.give her what she likes let her play with her food give her a spoon and hopefully she will start eating and try and not fret.

Does she like to eat off your plate and eat what you're easting ?
(I weaned the lazy way, cooked w/o salt and let them help themselves off my plate while sat on my lap)

She does show an interest in my plate, so I offer her a few things and she’ll stare/hold them but rarely eats any (unless it’s toast).

I just find it difficult to grasp what she wants for example: finely chopped, mashed or left whole. I’ve never been one to fret about mess so I’m happy for her to explore and completely cover herself which she does, she just rarely eats any.

I’m the main cook at a nursery which she also attends, and I just feel so defeated when I see her sitting around the table with other children who eat bowlfuls. Again, she’ll happily play with it, but always turns her head away etc.

At this stage it doesn't really matter the quantity of food she is taking in, its about trying new textures and flavours and getting used to the new way of feeding. Not every baby loves the weaning stage and it's nothing to do with your parenting, don't hold any guilt about it, she will eventually eat.

I'd take all the pressure off her and you. Just serve her a little amount of what you are cooking for yourself and if she doesn't eat it then so be it. If she spends the entire meal sticking her hands in it then that's a step towards getting it in her mouth! You could try putting a couple of melty puffs on her plate along with her meal as her 'safe food' but don't worry about giving her them to supplement her calories because there is so little calories in them and no flavour.

My 2 liked little corn on the cobs, sweetcorn fritters, scrambled eggs and they love a little bit of baked potato where they got to choose what to put on the top!

Mine are adults so we started with purees then solids I think at 11 months you can do both give her what you are having or finger food at lunch time and some dinner things she can hold while you feed her might be best honestly at that age a few spoonfuls do she doesn't need to be eating big meals.

It is sadly typical of baby introduced to baby junk food to refuse real food. Brands are very good at masking the junk with a carrot or banana on the package but an extruded snack is junk (think Cheetos, cheese curls) even if called melty puff and a biscotti has often fruit juice concentrate as its main ingredient.
Real food can't compete with highly engineered ultra processed foods . The only way is to not buy them.
The book Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food...and Why Can’t We Stop? is a great read for anyone with young children.

Persevere for a few days without giving any of the wrong stuff, have her next to you whilst you cook, chop and sizzle and she will eat again. Offer small amount , often, so that she changes her food preferences.

Hi @Jodierin25 i'm going through the same thing with my 9 month old. I wouldn't worry, just go with what baby wants x

@Cormoran what are you talking about the op makes no mention of "baby junk food" do you have any evidence that sizzling and chopping entices babies to eat?

My 17mo goes through these stages still, she'll have weeks where she will eat everything and anything and then days where I feel like all I do is cook at day and it's a miracle if I get half a slice of toast down her 🤦🏼‍♀️. The best thing I've found when she's like that is to just feed her off my plate. I can give her the exact same meal on her plate and she has no interest but will demolish what's on mine but only if I put it in her mouth. Nursery say she eats everything but home is another matter. It is stressful and I often wonder what I'm doing wrong but then the next day she's back to eating again. When I started weaning I use to feed her and sometimes think that's the issue as sometimes she'll only eat if fed but when she's having a good few weeks she'll feed herself so who knows 😂. I wouldn't worry too much though, I ask doc before because she wouldn't eating anything but yoghurts a few months back and she said look as long as she's eating that's fine just give her what she'll have- I know it's not ideal but it does take a little pressure off. X

I don't understand why you are giving her snack like 'melty puffs' if she isn't eating her meals? Keep offering her meals but no snack bits, eventually she will be hungry and eat the meals. If you keep giving her 'melty puffs' she won't be hungry so will refuse her meals. You need to nip this is the bud or you will end up with a child who just wants snacks all the time.

My DS went through phases of refusing things, and it so frustrating. Just keep offering a variety of things and she’ll start eating them eventually.

Try not to let it stress you out, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Does she get an alternative if she doesn't eat?

I work full time and solely care for my daughter. I wish I had all the time in the world to make her homemade gourmet meals and snacks, but it just isn’t realistic for the lifestyle we have.

Regarding the mention of the ‘melty puffs’ or ‘biscotti’ I sometimes offer those along side her lunches. I do not always offer cooked meals at lunch, sometimes she may have a picky plate of veggie sticks, cheese, avocado etc which she also will eat. I am referring to COOKED meals.

Im not going to reference every little thing about my OP but the mom shaming or negative vibes in a few of these posts are so disappointing to see. As mums we do the best we can and we all live different lives. Some parents are lucky enough to stay home and cook their children 5* gourmet meals, and others aren’t.

Whether you meant anything by the not ‘understanding’ or not, I just don’t think that comment was needed. I am a first time mum and just wanted a little friendly advice.