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Food ideas for 8m old

21 replies

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 15:52

DD is 8 months in a weeks time and I'd really appreciate food suggestions for her to eat.

She mostly has porridge, yoghurt, oranges and bananas and will occasionally have mashed potato with a little bit of chicken. She really loves food and enjoys different textures but somehow I've already ran out of ideas of what else to give her. I'd love to try finger foods too as she does like using her hands to eat.

What sort of foods do other parents give their little ones that are around a similar age?
I'd really like to her to have a healthy relationship with food and would like to try a wide variety. Thank you:)

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Thesearmsofmine · 29/12/2021 15:54

She can have whatever you are having as long as you watch the salt content and no honey for under ones.

Twizbe · 29/12/2021 15:57

I used pouches loads with mine as they offered way more variety than my cooking lol.

Have a look and pick out a few to try.

Other than that, what you're having is fine.

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 16:20

@Thesearmsofmine this is the problem! I hardly make anything to eat. I'll often have takeout or maybe freezer food (I've actually posted a thread about this on aibu) but I hardly eat anything that's homemade. I really don't want DD to be introduced to unhealthy foods really early on.

@Twizbe my mum's actually suggested the food pouches you get in supermarkets but I'm concerned about all the extra ingredients that are in them? Maybe I'm overthinking and they're okay! I'll definitely have a look and see. Thank you

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DashDotCom · 29/12/2021 16:24

Breakfast - weetabix with a blob of natural yoghurt and some berries, banana pancakes, eggy bread, scrambled egg and toast, crumpet with peanut butter
Lunch- finger sandwiches (my boy liked cream cheese, tuna mayonnaise, grated cheese at the start), flatbread dipped in houmous, cucumber sticks (I started with them peeled), pepper, soup, cheese scone
Dinner- fish fingers, cod in cheese sauce with peas, mash, roast dinner (really good one for finger food!), pasta, Asda do these little frozen potato and carrot waffles which are great

I wanted to do BLW but was anxious so I built up to full BLW by around 8months, my now 11month old will eat basically anything and eats what we eat so much easier now.

Twizbe · 29/12/2021 16:53

There's no extra ingredients in them. We used sainsburys and Ella's kitchen mostly as they did lots of dairy free ones. Because of allergies I looked at the ingredients closely.

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 17:02

@DashDotCom blimey! This sounds so dumb but I really didn't think they could eat proper meals like that😂 it's literally just a bit of what you eat basically. Thank you, I really need more suggestions like these!!

@Twizbe ah no way that's great to know. I'll definitely try some thank you

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PlantingGreen · 29/12/2021 17:14

I would have a look at the what mummy makes and family comforts recipe books. It got loads of nice meals in it. My little boy is 13 months and has been having chilli, bolognese, curry's from the books since he was 8months. We did try the pouches when we were out and about but he hated them. He just eats what we eat

WreathSupreme · 29/12/2021 17:21

Finger foods - porridge fingers, omelette cut up into fingers, banana pancakes, carrot sticks.
Give dc every vegetable and fruit you can get a hold of. They need to be exposed to a variety and they might like a random thing that you didn’t expect.
Try pairing a strong/bitter taste with something sweet if they’re not that keen on it at first. Some random combinations my dc likes are banana and avocado (mashed). Or pear and spinach (puréed). Or sweet potato mash and kale.

WaltzingBetty · 29/12/2021 18:45

If you want her to have a good relationship with food then the basis of that is role modelling. If you mostly eat takeaways and convenience food then as she grows up that will be her 'normal'
You probably need to think about overhauling the family diet if you want her to eat a varied balanced diet

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 19:04

@PlantingGreen ah that sounds great thank you for that.

@WorraLiberty that's such a handy suggestion and the food you've mentioned sounds super easy so I'll definitely try and give that a go. Thank you!

@WaltzingBetty why do you think I posted that thead? Because I clearly want to make changes so could do without your snarky comment thanks luv

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WaltzingBetty · 29/12/2021 19:10

[quote 485bantuknots]@PlantingGreen ah that sounds great thank you for that.

@WorraLiberty that's such a handy suggestion and the food you've mentioned sounds super easy so I'll definitely try and give that a go. Thank you!

@WaltzingBetty why do you think I posted that thead? Because I clearly want to make changes so could do without your snarky comment thanks luv[/quote]
Umm I wasn't being sarcastic - you asked for advice on how to develop a healthy relationship with food for your child and I gave it. You haven't posted asking for family meals or help with your own diet so I thought it was important to mention those aspects.

It's relatively easy to feed your child healthy food separately now, as she's so little but as she grows up,role modelling table manners and eating a variety of healthy foods as a family is important. If you live mostly on takeaways then it's tricky to do that and inevitably if that's what you eat, it's what your child will end up eating, so you need to consider family meals with a range of vegetables, protein and whole grains if you want her diet to be healthy and balanced.

If you want to be rude because this isn't what you wanted to hear then that's your choice 🤷‍♀️

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 19:33

@WaltzingBetty I actually asked what sort of foods do other people give their DCs of similar age and mentioned that I wanted DD to have a healthy relationship with food but ok.

I haven't posted asking for family meals because that's not what I needed advice on. I also did ask for help with my own diet and how to stop comfort eating. You've clearly read the thread on aibu but seems as if you haven't read it thoroughly.

I really don't know why you're telling me what I already know😂 I know all this that's why I've asked for help regarding myself and my eating habits on a separate thread. I obviously need to change for myself and my kids, that's the whole point of that thread. This one however, is not

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drawthelatch · 29/12/2021 19:38

I think it might be worth looking at it as an opportunity to improve your diet too Smile It definitely helped us cut down on the ready meals. And family meals are much more pleasant then trying to keep a grumpy baby quiet while we eat without her!

We did mainly BLW. At that age mine loved everything we gave her. She still loves her food, and probably eats the most varied diet of any 3-year-old I know!

Some ideas below that might help a bit.

-rice crispies/cornflakes with milk +/- yogurt to thicken it up and make it easier for her to put in her mouth
-crumpets/toast with smooth nut butter, cream cheese, or some puréed fruit instead of jam. Cut into triangles or sticks.
-sandwiches with any filling, really
-pasta with tomato sauce, bolognese, cheese sauce, mushroom sauce
-noodle stir fry with just a tiny bit of the sauce; vegetables and quorn or tofu. (If you forget to save some without sauce for her, put her portion in a sieve and rinse under the tap before serving)
-curry with rice (we batch cooked chickpea and lentil daal, not much salt, then if too spicy added a little yogurt to hers, and salt to ours).
-cottage pie, or veggie equivalents.
-jacket potato with beans, cottage cheese, or cheddar (might need some help learning to scrape out the soft potato)
-soft boiled eggs with toast or bread. Beans on toast.

-peas, cucumber sticks, sliced tomatoes, grated carrot. Cooked mashed carrot, swede, etc.

-Cottage cheese, grated cheddar, cream
cheese.
-Sticks of any soft fruit. Or sticks of any hard fruit, briefly microwaved until soft enough to chew without teeth. Grapes cut up, berries cut up etc.
-full fat Greek yogurt. Can swirl in nut butter or fruit purée for variety sometimes.
-breadsticks. Baby rice cakes.

WaltzingBetty · 29/12/2021 19:39

I really don't know why you're telling me what I already know😂 I know all this that's why I've asked for help regarding myself and my eating habits on a separate thread. I obviously need to change for myself and my kids, that's the whole point of that thread. This one however, is not

Unsurprisingly I didn't search your posting history so I have no idea what you know or how many other threads you've started Confused but simply gave good faith advice based on the information you gave on this thread.

It's clearly touched a nerve and you've chosen to be offended.
Good luck with figuring your issues out

Rainbowqueeen · 29/12/2021 19:40

Avocado mixed with mashed banana or on its own
Mashed veges- pumpkin, sweet patan, potato as the base then add various greens
Steamed vege sticks

Dumpling89 · 29/12/2021 19:50

Your bubba can have everything you have but keep an eye on salt and sugar.
I really enjoy making my baby 5 bean chilli. She absolutely gobbles it down -

  • tin of mixed beans
  • chopped cherry tomatoes
  • small blob of tomato purée
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp mild chilli powder
  • smidge of garlic

Serve it up with rice! Will see you through for a couple of dinners!

EmmaOvary · 29/12/2021 20:17

We did a fair bit of finger foods. Some of the things he'd have:

Broccoli florets
Wholewheat toast fingers with cream cheese or hummus
Carrots (boiled)
Sweet corn cobettes (even without teeth they can gum them and get the corn off easily)
Boiled egg quarters
Cauliflower and cheese patties (these were the only thing that required 'proper' cooking

At that age they need veg, protein and carbs represented.

Pouches are fine but I wouldn't give them as a substitute for fresh food. They may not have added nasties but nutritionally something that has a shelf life at room temperature of a year or more is not going to give the same benefit as something fresh.

gogohm · 29/12/2021 20:56

Whatever you are eating is usually fine, if you like lots of seasoning simply add after taking out your lo's portion. Mine were eating curry, chilli etc then - both liked food with flavour

gogohm · 29/12/2021 20:58

I suggest you getting a simple recipe book like an annabel karmel one and cook for both of you

485bantuknots · 29/12/2021 21:18

Thank you for all of the detailed responses! I'll definitely be trying loads of these out, they sound so simple too. Thanks again X

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EmmaOvary · 29/12/2021 21:31

Also if you want to add flavour, there are low salt stock cubes you can get. My local Sainsbury's does them, I think the brand is Piccolo.

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