Pictures of your 6-12 month old meals?

[BookFiend4Life]

I have such a hard time conceptualizing the recommedations and amounts of solid food kids this age should be getting. Anybody in the same boat? I failed at taking pics of all her meals today but I'll try again tomorrow, I did get her lunch and can list the others. My little is 8 mos now.

Breakfast- 1/2 slice of French toast with no syrup (so egg bread I guess), a couple bites of bacon, and a little organic unsweetened applesauce
Lunch- 1/3 slice of turkey, a few kidney beans, a few nibbles of cheddar, 1 banana chip, 1/4 cup homemade miso soup with tofu, carrots and greens
Dinner- a few kidney beans (we always put a few beans on her tray to help with fine motor control), 1/6 cup potato leek soup (no cream), a slice of avocado, a little more applesauce

Does this sound normal? She was a very tiny baby and is still on the smaller side but seems to have a good appetite and nurses on demand, probably 4-5 sessions per day. Drs aren't concerned with her growth now that she's above the 10th centile. We generally feed her until she indicates she's finished, so the above is what she actually ate vs what we prepared for her.

Don't even ask to compare. It's all trial and error with kids sometimes they try loads sometimes they throw most of it on the floor. Trust you do what's right for your little one. Otherwise you will end up feeding puddings to put on weight or worried they're eating too much so basically starve them. Feeding is all about fun and trying new things at that age, which is what it seems like you are doing.

@Asherline

Don't even ask to compare. It's all trial and error with kids sometimes they try loads sometimes they throw most of it on the floor. Trust you do what's right for your little one. Otherwise you will end up feeding puddings to put on weight or worried they're eating too much so basically starve them. Feeding is all about fun and trying new things at that age, which is what it seems like you are doing.

That's very sensible! You're right of course. I never used to worry about this at all when I was a nanny but now that I'm a mom I've lost all objectivity!

Are bacon and miso not a bit too salty for a baby?

Not meaning to be critical, just struck me as a bit early for them. I get what you're doing with the fine motor control but kidney beans at every meal are filling and will reduce the variety of new food she is trying. It also seems a bit light to me. Overall it seems a bit 'light' to me, some pasta, rice, baked potato might help with the balance.

Sorry for the repetition...half-asleep!

@Undertheoldlindentree

Are bacon and miso not a bit too salty for a baby?

I was about to say this. But apart from that, looks fine.

My twins are 9 months and not eating anything like that but no 2 babies are the same - they will have a jar of something between them plus a fruit based pudding. A scrambled egg with some toast or 1/2 an avocado etc

I don't think the bacon is a good idea personally....due to the salt. And as for the kidney beans presumably they are cooked as otherwise they are poisonous...just a bit of an odd choice really. They are also a choking hazard - at that size they are really no different to grapes and you wouldn't dream of giving them at this age un cut?

Also sliced meats are also generally too salty as it's used as a preservative so you'd be better off cooking some chicken thighs in baby stock cubes and giving that

I hope this link works…it’s a pdf with images of children’s portions for different meals.

static1.squarespace.com/static/59f75004f09ca48694070f3b/t/5efa3797c8ae1024ed8d6596/1593456555402/Eating_well_the_first_year_June_20_for_web.pdf

Forgot to say, you’ll need to swipe /scroll to get to the images. Has puréed and finger food portions.

@BookFiend4Life I agree with others - there’s not much point in comparing because they’re all so different! Here are some pics of my baby’s meals at that age. Not all from the same day - they’re from throughout the month. I always find it helpful seeing other meals just for some ideas if I think his meals are getting a bit repetitive 😊 Sometimes he ate it all and want more, other times he’d throw some away 🤷🏻‍♀️

1- homemade cod fish cakes. They had potato, carrot, peas, corn and cod in them so loads of veggies and some carbs. Served with cucumber sticks and some squashed blueberries

2- his favourite type of lunch - picky plate! Homemade puff pastry cheese twist, avocado slices, cucumber sticks, quartered baby tomatoes & some cheese cubes

3- Homemade beef mini meatballs in tomato sauce (has onion, celery and carrot and some herbs in then is blended smooth - I freeze it in portions so I always have a quick tomato sauce ready to fling on anything 😊), with some pasta and peas 😊

Babies shouldn't be having salt so I wouldn't offer bacon or miso soup. At that age I gave chopped up carrots, cucumber, cheese and bread sticks for savoury options and chopped up fruit such as apple, pear and little oranges for sweet.

I bought the Annabel Karmel book for ideas for dinners and made various chunky purées using veg such as broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato and carrot. I used to make batches of the stuff and freeze in the ice cube tray so would defrost 2-3 cubes when I needed them. Quick and easy at feeding time and really cheap to do. Baby rice and rice cakes were good too, along with pasta of all shapes and sizes. I also gave yogurts in the baby size cartons - and frozen frubes which were which are a handy portion size and good on teething gums.

It varies so much from child to child.

My 10mo has an enormous appetite. He has self-weaned down to two milk feeds per day, but has three really solid meals (e.g. a weetabix with whole milk, half a banana and a small handful of blueberries for breakfast, a saucer sized plate of sweet potato and cauliflower curry with rice, plain yoghurt and sliced cucumber for lunch, one scrambled egg on a slice of toast with a small handful of cherry tomatoes and a small handful of strawberries plus a yoghurt for dinner) plus two snacks (usually fruit / chopped veg with hummus / oatcakes with cheese) every day.

He eats a lot more than other babies I know, but he feeds himself so he follows his own appetite. He’s on the 91st centile for weight and 98th for height (my husband and I are both very tall) so I think he’s just a big baby with high energy needs. I do worry a little though when I see him eating five times what other babies his age will have!

There is a very helpful pdf to download on the Caroline walker trust website that has photographed examples of suitable foods and portion sizes for different ages, along with recipes.

@JapanJetplane

It varies so much from child to child.

My 10mo has an enormous appetite. He has self-weaned down to two milk feeds per day, but has three really solid meals (e.g. a weetabix with whole milk, half a banana and a small handful of blueberries for breakfast, a saucer sized plate of sweet potato and cauliflower curry with rice, plain yoghurt and sliced cucumber for lunch, one scrambled egg on a slice of toast with a small handful of cherry tomatoes and a small handful of strawberries plus a yoghurt for dinner) plus two snacks (usually fruit / chopped veg with hummus / oatcakes with cheese) every day.

He eats a lot more than other babies I know, but he feeds himself so he follows his own appetite. He’s on the 91st centile for weight and 98th for height (my husband and I are both very tall) so I think he’s just a big baby with high energy needs. I do worry a little though when I see him eating five times what other babies his age will have!

@JapanJetplane Yours sounds very much like mine which makes me feel better! As you said, it can be a worry when you see what other children are eating! 91st centile for weight and height 😊 He took really well to weaning and has been eating 3 solid meals for months. He was dropping milk feeds quite quickly and is now FF after problems feeding at around 4 months so HV didn’t want him dropping formula too quickly because of the vitamins etc and suggested holding back on solids slightly until 1. He still had 3 solid meals and 3 bottles now at 11 months. Will introduce snacks at 1, drop the 3rd milk feed and switch to cows milk morning and night 😊 I can’t think of a single food that DS has ever refused 🙈 Hes not overly keep on rice and would clear everything else on his plate first but that’s about it 🤣 I have a friend with a baby 2 months older who still barely eats a thing on her plate, and refuses point blank to touch lots of foods! She eats cheese, banana, mashed potato and a few other random things but anything else is a battle! I see how frustrating it is trying to get her to eat and I’m very thankful for my wee grubber 😅

I'm really bad at taking pictures I guess!!
For breakfast this morning she had green beans, beets, tofu, carrots and yogurt! Don't worry she's not getting deli meats/bacon every day! Lunch will be mushroom ravioli and some roasted acorn squash. Not sure on dinner yet! Maybe salmon and rice.

I wouldn't say she always eats the beans (we do a variety, kidney, garbanzo, green beans, black beans etc) butbwe put them on her tray because she eats better when she has something to distract her little hands. Thanks for all the responses, it is good to know there's such a wide range of "normal"!

Thanks for all the good ideas by the way! I will definitely make some of these!

www.firststepsnutrition.org/s/Eating_well_the_first_year_June_20_for_web.pdf

GP and health visitor recommended publication on what food and how much to offer babies. Lots of photos of portion sizes.

The section for 7-9 months starts page 49. Photos of portion sizes for that age group start page 56.

@BookFiend4Life your child is already eating better than most people because your are offering the best you know..... but getting pulled on 2 bites of bacon because it's not good enough ...,. Seriously shows nothing will ever be good enough. Babies experimenting and healthy so there's no better than what you are doing, a bit of bacon should not make anyone think they're doing a bad job. Say so much about the person trashing other mums over little things like this

I wouldn't give a baby back or deli meats at all x

Couldn't she have a proper dinner

[quote Asherline]@BookFiend4Life your child is already eating better than most people because your are offering the best you know..... but getting pulled on 2 bites of bacon because it's not good enough ...,. Seriously shows nothing will ever be good enough. Babies experimenting and healthy so there's no better than what you are doing, a bit of bacon should not make anyone think they're doing a bad job. Say so much about the person trashing other mums over little things like this [/quote]
Lol I knew people would have something to say about it! People tend to be very black and white on MN, you've got to assume that most people fall short of perfection sometimes... but maybe I'm wrong! Thanks for the support, you are kind!

It sounds fine OP, your baby eats better than me! Just wanted to ask, why no cream in the potato and leek soup? I’ve been making this since DD1 was weaned (she’s 4 now) and have always put cream in it.

And about the bacon, DD2 has been stealing bits of bacon off me and DH since she 8/9 months, she’s 18 months now and absolutely fine. It’s only occasional bits and she would get angry if we wouldn’t share.

@Babynames2

It sounds fine OP, your baby eats better than me! Just wanted to ask, why no cream in the potato and leek soup? I’ve been making this since DD1 was weaned (she’s 4 now) and have always put cream in it.

And about the bacon, DD2 has been stealing bits of bacon off me and DH since she 8/9 months, she’s 18 months now and absolutely fine. It’s only occasional bits and she would get angry if we wouldn’t share.

I would be SO angry if someone had bacon and wasn't sharing! I don't know why I don't add cream to her soup...in my head it makes it less nutritious but that's silly! She gets dairy from other sources like yogurt and cheese, I don't know why I have a hang up about it! I'll try some next time, I'm sure she'll love it. We're having clam chowder tonight, no skipping the cream in that!

Attached are photos from DS’s meals in the last couple of months, so he’ll have been 7.5-9.5 months.

He has a huge appetite and was on three decent meals a day from 2 weeks into weaning. Like a PP, he’s 91st centiles for height and weight & has also been properly crawling & cruising from 6.5 months, so highly active.

He tends to have seconds for at least two of his meals at nursery, and we give him a fourth meal when we pick him up.

Like a PP, we’ve not found anything he won’t eat & he genuinely seems to enjoy his food.

The beans in the photo do look like a choking hazard, I would probably squish them up.

We usually just have Dd what we were having. Try baby lead weaning for beginners and beyond on Facebook. It’s a great group and gives you information on how to cut/ prepare things.