DD only wants 'tomatoey' savouries

[Mirage]

Any advice anyone?
My 8 month old DD has always eaten everything offered to her until the past month.She hasn't had much tinned/jarred food at all & has been eating pretty much what we have & until a month ago was a fantastic eater.Ever since she reached 7 months,she has started getting picky about her savouries & it has gotten to the stage where if she is offered meat/veg/potato ect,she will eat at most 6 babyspoonfuls & refuse the rest.

However,offer her anything with tomatoes in,& she will eat up to 9 tablespoons & cry because I am not feeding her fast enough.I am not too concerned as I suppose it is quite a healthy mediterranean type diet,but the difference between the 2 quantities she will eat is astounding.She will eat chili,curry,any pasta & rice dishes as long as the tomatoes are included & doesn't object to any other veg or meat 'hidden' in there.

My questions are; Do you think it is a phase that she will grow out of? Could it be an age thing?

What am I best to do-offer her food that I know she will eat at every meal & make life easier for myself,or persist in trying to get her to eat other food too? She is very strongwilled & has the mind of a 2 year old trapped in an 8month old body.I can envision a future where we can only eat as a family at Italian restaurants at the rate we are going.

Anyone had a similar problem?

Fab! Let her carry on I'd say. Tomatoes are excellent and hey, if she doesn't notice the other veg hidden then carry on doing it while it lasts. I'd keep offering other stuff in a low key way (i.e. if you're eating it, it's handy as finger food etc) but I wouldn't worry too much.

Oh yes, that's happening here too with DS3, starngley enough with tomato-y things too.

The way I got around it in similar situations with DS1+2 was to carry on putting tomato ( or what ever it was they would eat) in every meal and over a week or two just gradually reduce the amount I added.

I suppose it's like weaning them off it.

HTH

BTW, I agree with WWW though. Not a problem and as long as they're eating....blah blah blah.

I had to do it with DS1+2 with sweet dessert type things so not ideal. I'll let DS3 eat whatevr tomato-y things he wants.

We have shares in tinned tomatoes too. As dd gets older there is more food that she can eat (so more non-tomato choices that appeal to her), and she is keener on eating what she sees us eating too.

You could try giving her a meal that you know she will eat, with a "side order" of what you're having (or what you had the night before).

I considered red food colouring at one point but that seemed excessive!

My ds is the opposite. He will refuse anything with tomatoes in but will quite happily scoff a bowl full of chicken, mash and veg.

My ds is a big tomato fan too. In fact, one of the best bribes in the supermarket (shhh ) is cherry tomatoes. I agree with www, I don't think it's a problem - think how much worse it could have been!

dd2 likes stronger flavoured foods too. wont touch boring things like meat and veg, but if its mildily spiced (kormas, spag bol, shepherd pie) then she will scoff it. she loved chicken and apricots, the other day she nicking onion bahjis off me.

My DS1 would only eat a savoury bread and butter pudding type thing I used to make and then progressed onto the same thing except with potatoes instead of bread. He ate it every day for lunch for weeks and refused anything else (he was 10-12 mths) Then, suddenly he went off it (good thing too - I was pg with DS2 and the smell made me heave...)Now he just eats sausages and Alphabites....

Mirage I still hide certain veggies in a tomato sauce (basically tin of chopped tomatoes, herbs, cooked on the hob until nice and creamy!) And my ds twins are over 2 now!

If it is in my tomato sauce they gobble it down, plates scraped clean. Tomatoes are a great food so don't worry, she has just found something she really really likes the taste of.

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Thankyou everyone!!!

I'm glad to know she isn't alone in her tastes & I do realise it could be a lot worse.I will follow your advice & let her eat as much of it as she wants,but still offer other stuff too.

I spent a happy afternoon in the greenhouse yesterday & sowed twice my normal amount of tomato,aubergine & courgette seeds.Plus 6 different types of basil.Although I think I can almost guarantee that by the time they are cropping,dd will have moved onto something else.

Misdee,thanks for mentioning the chicken & apricots,I will try that today as she loves all fruit.

Whooo hoooo!!!!!!!!!!! Mumsnetters are fab!

Chicken with apricots went down a storm,I couldn't shovel it in fast enough.Am happily planning other fruit/meat combos now.We have a joint of lamb for tomorrows lunch,so may try lamb with mint & apple jelly on her.She has also developed a liking for wholemeal bread with poppy & sunflower seeds in it & will happily spend ages gumming it to pieces.

Thanks again,I am one very pleased mummy.