Expanding diet of 8-9mth old?

[florenceuk]

DS is 8.5mths, and is a very picky eater. Generally if it is sweet or has sweet potato in it, it is OK, and otherwise it is generally bad. He will eat bread and fruit yoghurts, mashed banana, fruit purees and Weetabix. But rejects potato, tomato-based sauces, courgettes, cauliflower, rice, pasta, beans, peas etc etc. Hated mince (even when heavily diluted with sweet potato). Doesn't like jar food either so that option's out! I know you're meant to introduce babies to a range of foods between 6-9 mths and we are rapidly running out of time! If I do try to introduce something new, I find myself having to prepare two meals - one with the new taste, and a plate of sweet potato for when he rejects the other one. Plus having had a bout of diarrhoea he is now quite small (below the 9th percentile) although otherwise very active and healthy. He is also findng it hard to adapt to a bottle (see BF thread!) when I am away. Should I just bow to the inevitable and just feed him what he clearly prefers (bread and sweet potato) or keep trying?

We found with ds that he rejected most things - he was ok with banana and apple, but wouldn't eat even weetabix, up to being about 8 months. But he has gradually improved on this, and is eating quite a good variety now. I would say don't worry! And definitely don't be governed by the HV's guidelines as to what ages they should be eating solids. All babies are different. Incidentally, my ds is small as well - has been on 9th centile!

How long's he been like this Flo? I was wondering cos dd went through 'phases' (such a parenting word that isn't it!)of liking sweet stuff then only savoury for a while. I'd try not to worry about it and unless you want to be really strict about mealtimes (ie savoury then a pudding and keep your elbows off the table!) I'd try to go with the flow and trust that with the combination of foodstuffs he is eating he's getting most of the major nutrients. You've got veg, carbs, protein and fat so he's eating pretty balanced stuff. I'd balk at anyone suggesting that he's only eat sweet stuff for the rest of his life as its simply not true. Maybe he's really in tune with his own body, after being ill, he maybe craving sweeter things for the instant energy they provide and storing some to build himself back up to size. Also I wouldn't believe anything about picky eaters, dd was a good eater for months then it all stopped, others have picky babies who turn into voracious eaters at toddlerhood. However, I'd keep offering bits of other tastes just to see if he does change his mind but don't go killing yourself trying to cook a million different meals while tearing your hair out, it'll get you nowhere IYKWIM

Hate to say this florenceuk but our son was very much as you describe at that age and now at 3, remains a poor eater. We have never stopped offering a wide variety of food but generally with limited success. In contrast, my daughter who is 9 months is an incredible eater and likes absolutely everything.

If I were you I'd basically go with the flow but maybe try mixing foods up gradually and gradually reducing the proportion of sweet potate. Don't give up on introducing new options. Good luck.

Hi Florenceuk, I am sure he will get better. Just keep trying, I think that's the only thing you can do. Is the plate of sweet potato visible when you are trying other things. He's clearly got a sweet tooth. My dd hates potato as well. I think it's quite bland. Have you tried spicing the food up. My dd loves garlic and strong flavours.

Have you tried mixing the sweet potato with other foods with a lot of potato to start with and gradually cutting it down - when dd2 was 4-6 ms she only liked fruit purees, so I used to put, say, apple with carrot, 3:1 and same with other veggies and gradually she would eat veg alone. I also found that she liked 'proper'meals eg chicken and veg/fish pie etc, pureed rather than just veg on its own hth

Just catching up with this (have had limited access due to computer going on blink). Yes I have tried mixing things with sweet potato - like lentils, broccoli, chicken etc. If the taste is very strong (like beef) he tends to reject it, otherwise accepts it, but not sure how we move on from this to more "normal" food. I'd like to move onto more textured food at some stage, but we do seem to be moving very slowly. Suspect maybe Bells" is right and DS is just terribly picky (self-runting is the term my DH used!).

DD started tucking into her food when I started more 'proper' food. You could try frying up some onion and garlic, then add cubes of the famous sweet potato (more than any other veg) and any other stuff you want ie the beans, carrot,brocolli celery, and herbs to taste etc. Cover with water, boil for 25 min, cool, puree and if bob isn't your uncle then I'll eat my hat. Taste it, it's bloody lovely.

Another veg which I've had success with is butternut squash which is also fairly sweet. My ds loves butternut Squash & red pepper soup. I've also roasted veg which intensify and sweetens taste (which family can eat as well - goo veg for this are red peppers, cherry toms, parsnips, sweetcorn etc. My ds never liked greens pert from peas, so i still tend to freeze cubes of spinach and brocolli and add them in to sauce.

Sorry some spelling errors - goo = good and pert = apart.

Florenceuk, another thought, we now tend to cook our own meals and give dd a portion. It makes us eat very healthily and also means that she gets really tasty stuff. Maybe he'd like that ?

Just another food and another thought. I started feeding ds at a young age on tofu (it can be mashed liked scrambled egg or ccut in to chunks). If ds didn't like something I tried to mix a flavour in that he did like.

thanks for all the ideas! I've started mixing in rice and bits of chopped chicken into the veges even though it seems like an overdose of carbos with the sweet potato, but it makes it a bit more substantial than vege mush. Have also tried frying up half an onion with things, and it adds a bit of sweetness which DS seems to like (plus increases the fat content a bit). Not sure about him eating our stuff -- we're on a takeaway pizza/ready meal kick at the moment since I've gone back to work!!! I take more care over DS's diet than mine, I'm afraid.

But Tillysmummy is right - once DS started sharing our food it made me try harder to be healthy and also provide greater diversity and I think all three of us have benefitted. Unfortunately though we have now gone the other way and DS will ONLY eat the same as us.

Florenceuk - you're so right. I make sure that ds has 5 portions of fruit/veg, some calcium, protein, carbohydrate, fat etc each day, and then don't do the same for myself. I do cook healthy meals in the evenings now, which dh really appreciates, but still eat loads of chocolate, whilst not allowing ds to have too much sugar!

My dh tells me that, when he was a child, all the kids used to play outside in the street, after having their dinner/supper/tea whatever. He used to get fab meals made for him by his mother, like lasagne, beef stroganoff, stew and dumplings etc, but used to be really jealous of the boy next door who would have had egg and chips, sausage and chips, fish and chips (the fish on Friday of course!) He now prefers all the home made things, and laughs at his old behaviour.

Maybe I sounded a bit self-righteous in my last post. To atone can I admit to desperately tucking into the cooking chocolate after DS had gone to bed.

Cooking chocolate? You have to be desperate to eat that stuff! I bought some to make ds's birthday cake, but ate it before it ever saw the cake ( ) It tasted of soap!

My ds loves garlic. He's ill at the moment but still managed a tiny bit of sweet potato with onion and garlic and tomato