DS ate a whole sweet potato

[newmum234]

DS is 8 months and on 2 solid meals plus 4 milk feeds a day. Yesterday he ate a whole sweet potato (puréed) for lunch. Does that seem like a lot to you for an 8 month baby? I mean, sweet potatoes are quite large...!

Yes it does seem like quite a bit. Are you giving him milk roughly an hour before solids? This might slow down his appetite fir food a bit

Have you tried offering some finger foods too? If he has to pick things up that might slow him down too and also give him a bit of variety.

This guide from the Caroline Walker Trust gives some good indications of what size portions he should be having at this age. You'll probably need from page 31.

The Weaning Section on MN is good too and there are loads of weaning recipes on MN too

Thanks! Yes, I always wait an hour after milk before giving him solids.

In that (very helpful) link from the Caroline Walker Trust, it says that babies between 7-9 months should be on 600ml of milk a day. But DS is currently getting two meals and 850ml of milk a day!

Sounds like it might be time to move him onto 3 meals a day

Honestly feed to their appetite. Both mine have days where they eat tons and others where they hardly touch their food. Your son could be going through a growth spurt of hungry phase or maybe just really likes sweet potato! Don't worry about it.

Pureed sweet potato isn't really very solid though. It wouldn't take much time or effort to eat it as all the work is done apart from swallowing. (Please don't take this as a criticism! Just an observation.) Perhaps if you serve more lumpy/finger foods he will spend longer chewing and feel more full, more soon?

Thanks all. I will try him on something lumpier for lunch!

Are you giving him finger food? The NHS recommends he has finger food from 6 months. Is there any reasons why he is having singular veg opposed to more balanced meals?

@Thatwentbadly Yes I’m giving him bits of finger food too. He’s had a wide variety of flavours but only in the form of single fruit and veg so far (as well as things like avocado or cream cheese on toast, and purée with porridge). You’re right, I really must move onto more balanced meals. I’m not a confident cook and am finding it daunting to ensure that he gets all the right nutrients!

I try to think veg, protein and carb for each meal. The Annabelle Karmel cook book is good if you are going down the traditional form of weaning.

I think weaning the first is one of the most difficult part of the early years because you are transitioning to a child friendly (low salt, low sugar) diet.

Thanks @Thatwentbadly, I’m going to get that cookbook! Hope I haven’t harmed DS in any way by not giving him more complex meals sooner

Lots of easy recipes on Annabel Karmel's website. These two are particularly good:

www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/lovely-lentils/

www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/fruity-chicken-apricots-sweet-potato/

Also... how much more beneficial is it giving DS fresh food compared to pouches like Ella’s Kitchen? I’ve tried to do all fresh so far but it’s a lot of cooking!

You haven't harmed him, dont worry.

A whole sweet potato is a lot. And my two were good eaters. But I don't think its possible to overfeed a baby.

I used to do sweet potato and avocado (mixed bleugh).

I dont think babies need a particularly meaty diet. I gave egg and cheese a lot.

At 8mo mine were getting 3 meal plus breast milk and mainly veg based diet. Probably also gave snacks (I should have had shares in goodies!)

I really like Annabelle karmel. It does involve cooking for baby only and is a bit old fashioned. There's still some great recipes in it. The kedgeree was a hit for the whole family.

Sounds like if your ds has a good appetite you could just cook whole family meals like shepherds pie (sweet potato topped?!) Or anything fairly sloppy. I cooked for ds1 from the AK book but ds2 had to fit in with family meals so got given a bit of what we were having.

@newmum234

Thanks *@Thatwentbadly*, I’m going to get that cookbook! Hope I haven’t harmed DS in any way by not giving him more complex meals sooner

You won’t have at all. Make sure you start to give him iron rich foods if you haven’t already. Spag Bol is often a favourite amount children.

Nutritionally the baby pouches are fine. They don't taste good though.

I reckon family foods are the way forward. What do you usually eat?

I gave ellas pouches for lunch out and about. No need to be a hero carting round home cooked baby food. Also ds1 weaned onto Elias pouches as we went on holiday at 5 1/2 months so took a tonne of pouches with us.

They also loved those fruit pouches as a snack.

Don’t feel bad, he’s fine! I’ve been told that babies and toddlers self regulate and you don’t have to worry about over feeding them until they’re at least 2 years old as they will eat to their appetite (obviously within the realms of a healthy diet, most kids would gorge chocolate if allowed!). I agree with the above suggestions to start trying to get some fat and protein into his meals to fill him up a bit though - avocado, full fat cheese, egg, meat/fish etc and to add some texture for chewing. And throw in some finger foods to keep him busy, toast fingers or something.

Pouches are fine but they have a really high water content, so not as filling - which might be a problem with your little foody! No problem with giving some pouches though.

I used to make mini shepherds pies in ramekins and freeze them. Also those teeny tiny pasta stars that go in soups with a bland-ish bolognese sauce mixed together and frozen in individual portions in sandwich bags. Great foods for about that age.

I agree with the others, there's no harm in offering pouches but they are high in water and usually sweetened with apple. Fine in moderation though it isn't everything?

I can really sympathise though as I wasn't a great cook when I had DS, I've had to learn really as, like your DS he has a great appetite.

Things you could try him with that are fairly easy:

Breakfast ready brek with chopped banana, cinnamon & raisin toasted with butter, porridge fingers, smooth nut butter on toast.

Lunch. Sardines on toast, one egg omelette, sandwich. All sever with veg sticks on the side.

Dinner/tea there are lots of great recipes that you can share with baby like spag bol, fish pie, roast dinner. Have a look at this cookbook fir meals that you can share.

You'll probably find that once you up his protein he might be a bit more satisfied

Pouches are fine for out and about or when youre in a rush. A sweet potato is also fine but at 8m you could definitely start giving baby a version of what you're having - anything 'sloppy' is easy like cottage pie etc, but pretty much any meal can be adapted to suit even if you've gone down the traditional weaning route as they are plenty ready for finger foods by this age. It sounds like you're doing great so don't stress

For the next 20 years let him eat as much vegetables, milk, meat, fruit, cheese fish and eggs, bread and pasta as his appetite wants. Give him every opportunity to run, jump, climb, bike, swim, kick a ball, play sports and be active outdoors every single day. Make sure he sleeps lots at night. Grow him the best and healthiest body, teeth, bones and brain you can.

@newmum234

Also... how much more beneficial is it giving DS fresh food compared to pouches like Ella’s Kitchen? I’ve tried to do all fresh so far but it’s a lot of cooking!

home cook it and freeze portions. That way YOU control the amount of sugar, salt, chemicals, colourings and flavourings in his diet.

You might want to do a little research into prisoners who were fed on an entirely home-cooked healthy diet, and the differenvce it made to their behaviour and mental health.

The Annabel Karmel book was great for me. I'm a pretty fussy eater and didn;t want my DC to be the same. My eldest is 17 and I still make the ratatouille from there. My younger DC ate more of what we were having, than specific meals for them.

At that age, you could give him sweet potato wedges, roasted or steamed. Or any vedge done like that, it doesn't need to be pureed. I never did purees at all, so can't really comment, but both my two loved holding and sucking a big chunk of roasted veg /fruit/bread/meat/rice cake with hummus, peanut butter or avocado/egg muffins. Or just give them what you are having, cooked without salt etc, (add it after for you), cut appropriately and let them at it! A whole sweet potato does seem a lot, but if he was enjoying it... Why not?