16mo wouldn't touch wet fruit! What do i do?

[Paula30CWR]

DS (16mo) eats well three times a day but he wouldn't grab slices of apple, banana, pear, strawberries or veg that appear to be slightly wet despite i try to dry them with a tissue (yeah, ridiculous!).

I put the banana, apples and pears in a bowl and cut them a bit for him to eat them but I have to feed them! But I end up mashing them (he only has 4 teeth - 2 top 2 bottom)

Am I not encouraging him enough to grab them? It's such a waste of food! i don't mind the mess but I want him to have the vitamins of fruits and veg. He has them very happily if I feed him with a spoon but I would like to take carrot sticks, apples, broccoli florets to the park, for example, as a snack and he will go for the BREAD because it's dry! He is not fussy, I think he doesn't like the texture but he needs it. Oh dear!

Any advice?

Thanks

Will he eat them with a spoon or fork?

only spoon but if i give thme to him...

Have you tried putting them on the spoon or fork for him and then handing it to him?

Or putting them on the spoon or fork and putting it down on his plate to pick up?

Ah, that's a good idea. He likes (and I think he's starting) taking the spoon to his mouth, whether with food or not. So, if i put a fork, he might think it's fun and might try! Thanksssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!

Let me know how you get on :) Fork is easier because the food doesn't fall off like it can with a spoon. But try both and see how you get on :)

It doesn't really matter if he won't touch them with his hands or fingers as long as he will eat them.

When going out to the park or wherever then put the fruit/veg snacks in a tupperware container and take along a fork and spoon.

"When going out to the park or wherever then put the fruit/veg snacks in a tupperware container and take along a fork and spoon." I wish I could do that.

We tried it. I put the pieces of pear on the fork. He took the pears, threw them away and played with the fork... Right!

Did you hand him the fork or put it down for him to pick up iyswim?

iyswim? - sorry, what does that mean?

I put it there... Then, a tiny piece fell so i picked it up and gave it to him and he looked as if he was chewing a beetle...

If you see what I mean.

Put it where? In his mouth?

Sorry...in my on world. I put the bowl with pieces of fruit and the fork. NOthing. He then took the fork, which already had a piece, took the piece of pear, put it away and continued playing wiht the fork.

I then found a very tiny piece of pear in the bowl and while he was playing, i made the mistake of putting it in his mouth to see if he liked it. He looked horrified! Bless him and silly me!

I would try putting a piece on the fork and handing him the fork and see what happens then.

And try the same with a spoon.

I'm pretty sure babies know what they need so as long as you are offering it he will eat it in his own time. Do you eat with him? This is a good way to show him how its done but also means you can eat it if he doesn't and it won't feel like so much of a waste.

FWIW (for what it's worth) DS 17 months has only just started eating things like pear/cucumber since some side/back teeth broke through... There's lots of foods that he has rejected that he seems to need these teeth to chew. I know they're under the gums before they come through but sometimes food needs 'breaking' with a sharp tooth. He's only had front teeth before this so has not been interested in stuff like melon/apple although he eats mango, banana and oranges (I peel all the pith and inner skin away) etc with gusto.

Try not to be disheartened. There are always going to be things your child doesn't like but there is plenty of time to try new things and often children develop a taste for things they weren't interested in before, I'm sure it's down to what they need and can manage at the time. Trust your baby to know what he does/doesn't want!

My son was always poor at eating cold wet things as a baby. So for ages he didn't eat fruit or salad type stuff (I mean no grapes, apples, bananas, cucumbers, carrot sticks any of that stuff. He ate cooked food well however and his appetite for 'proper dinners' was always very good. He would eat fruit purees well and dried fruit.

Things didn't really change until he was well over 3. I think he started to eat bananas and then progressed to apples. He'll eat cucumber and carrot sticks now. However he still doesn't like strawberries, melon, blueberries or grapes, peaches etc!

My youngest child stuffs all these things down on the other hand. She has done since she could get her hands on it.

I think my son just prefers warm food to be honest. I'm the same I realise, as I don't like ice in my drinks and drink hot water rather than cold etc. In winter particularly I never want to eat wet fruit.