15 month old will only have pureed foods

[mjw5311]

Okay, so I've had a bit of meltdown tonight. I'm not sure if I'm just being over sensitive or its actually time to look for help...
My son is almost 15 months and the only foods he will eat whole are rice cakes, crisps, biscuits and toast. Everything else needs to be pureed. He wont have any whole fruits, vegetables etc.

I dont even know where to start again with the whole weaning thing. Its like he just doesnt like the texture. He will often be interested in what I'm eating but if I offer some he will shake his head or will try to put it in his mouth and then make a face that he doesnt like it, pass it back to me or start to cry. He doesnt really like picking up foods which make mess either (except from yoghurt)

Do we just go back to the weaning process and start to puree foods less and the days go on to see if that helps? Hes currently on the 80th percentile for weight *he was on the 97th when he was born. But he's on the 7th percentile for height which baffles me a bit. Hes not done much growing and still isnt close to walking.

Sorry if this was all over the place but my brain is a bit of scramble and I'm feeling the weight of responsibility on my shoulders to do best by him - I hate to think that I have failed him through his weaning journey.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated or any similar bubs out there?

Have you had any HV involvement? I'm just wondering as there's a few things going on there: the dramatic weight/height disparity, the lack of interest/ability to eat solids, if he's behind on any gross motor or other milestones (although 15 months is still fine to not be walking, but if he's 'not close' then it's worth seeing if he's meeting milestones). It might be worth speaking to the HV if you haven't already to rule out anything physical going on.

I think the key is to take pressure off you both. He's eating, so he's not going to starve or become unwell, so that's the positive. I would keep offering purees but make sure you are also offering finger foods. Don't cajole him, try to hold them up to his mouth, make a fuss about them. Just leave them there on the table, don't comment/over-praise when he plays with them, just act like it's totally normal and clean everything away brightly when mealtime is over, even though it's obviously soul-destroying! And as I said, check with your HV to make sure that everything is on target and there's nothing preventing him being able to eat.

It is nice to see health visitor. Many kids develop similar traits more than the majority of people know. Very often is fussy eating, combined with texture issues, early signs of sensory processing issues and tiny bit delay of overall muscle development. It is not something unusual

Please, make sure you start looking for private nutritionist. All other people will only drive you mad, without actually being able to help you.

When did you first offer non puréed food?

I would just keep offering it alongside what you usually give him. Don’t make an issue of it, it’s on his plate and he can eat it if he wants. Keep doing it, don’t stop because he isn’t eating it.

With the purées does he feed himself? If he needs to be spoon fed the purée then that’s probably something to tackle too. First if anything.

Agree that visiting the HV is probably a good idea.

As my children's pediatrician once said no child ever allowed himself to starve to death! And it sounds like yours is doing quite well! AndI'll always remember advice from a nursery school teacher who told me, " give the child what he needs". If he likes everything pureed then give it to him that way. He is a little person with his own likes and dislikes and that's great! He will be eating solids soon enough. Happy baby = happy mum!

Look up Solid Starts, they're on Instagram or solidstarts.com.
I've found them really useful for all sorts of food related tips

I came to recommend solid starts as well, an absolutely amazing resource headed up by a mum who had similar problems to you resulting in severe picky eating, and run by a team of qualified professionals in feeding, nutrition, pediatrics etc.

The free resources are amazing but you can also buy specific guides and I think they can offer 121 support as well

Hello, I know this thread is 6 months old so I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what happened with your little boy’s weaning journey? If you sought help, what did they say? My little boy is just about to turn 1 and completely refuses all finger food, will only eat puree and drink milk. He sounds quite similar to your son in that he closes his lips tightly and jerks his head away if I try to put a finger food anywhere near his lips and he has 0 interest in feeding himself when I put it on his high chair (just wants to play in it) 😫

The combination of only dry solid foods and smooth purées and not wanting to touch/ play with food sounds like it might be a sensory aversion. Looking up some advise around sensory feeding difficulties and introducing some messy play with food might be a good place to start.

I know this is an old thread, but I’m wondering how your little one is doing now?

My 15-month-old is exactly the same as the OP described — eats bread, breadsticks, and baby snacks, but not real food.

He’s hitting all his milestones, and his weight is steady at the 75th percentile. I’ve spoken to my health visitor about it, but they don’t seem too worried. They said they’ll keep an eye on it. The nursery staff aren’t concerned either — they keep trying, and they say he’s getting more adventurous every day. He still doesn’t eat the food, but at least he’s starting to put it in his mouth now.

We started purees at 6 months and moved to a chunkier texture around 8 months. We’ve never managed to move past that stage. He only had two teeth until recently — then six suddenly popped out, which I believe slowed down the process.

When it comes to pureed food, he’s not fussy at all — he eats all kinds of meat, fruit, and vegetables.

I’m just not sure what to do next.

Hello Mama, if I may ask how is your little one doing now with food? Is he better now?

Hi! Well, in some ways yes, in some ways no.

He is still extremely picky with textures—he won’t eat pasta, rice, or anything with a bit of sauce. However, he has started eating things like chicken schnitzel, mozzarella sticks, and fish fingers. I think the key for him is the size (he hates small cuts) and that the food has to be dry.

Vegetables are still tricky. I usually make him a puree (for example, a mix of sweet potato, carrots, and apples), which he eats every day so he gets enough vegetables. As for fruit, he only wants it pureed or a whole banana to hold and eat. He won’t touch berries or anything else.

Are you in a similar situation?