I am very rubbish in the kitchen so heavilly relied on Ella's Kitchen and other organic baby food
They are very handy for when you're out and about.
Banana, raspberry, prawns, cheddar, pasta and smoked salmon all go down well in our household
Oh and he joined the cult of yoghurt, organic whetabix and Organix Gingerbread men
If you give them adult meals just check the salt content
yes they're not allowed mega sugary food but as a special trip on a meal out ice cream can be fun, just don't take them to the library afterwards like we did!
if a restaurant doesn't do kids food try pasta dishes/ smoothies/ soup etc.
we find our little one thrives on eating out and eats way more at nursery or in the presence of other kids. At home with just Mummy he's a fussy one!
a particularly contraversial one of mine is if you don't want them to eat/drink it don't buy it. I know so many mums that complain their child only eats breadsticks IMO if that's all they are offered they will and if you want them to chill out on the breadsticks for a time don't buy them!
read up online about when to introduce certain foods eg. no to honey for the first year and look into lactose intollerance in case (start with full fat milk)
also some are surprising my friends kid is very intollerant to kiwi
don't rule out any food groups unless you are sure there is an allergy or intollerance, it might just be their body isn't ready or they don't like it
if you find them use bowls/plates that stick to the table, my ds is always trying to tip his up.
get them used to having water available in a sippy cup or doidy cup as even if they don't have it now they will get used to the idea of having water with a meal
don't go too big on the juice too early, orange juice if not watered down can have a laxative effect & I know some mums who's kids refuse a drink if its not juice so they sneak water into it
do a first aid course or read up for you and dh on how to handle choking/ vomiting
your reaction is key so controlled and not scaring them is best
they are likely to regress when they're teething or ill so always be prepared to make them a smooth old favourite
when they're older let them try with the plastic cutlery they need to learn (yes its very messy) and when they've mastered self feeding this frees you up to tidy etc.
don't always give them the same once feeding is established as this makes them reluctant to try new things and more likely to reject tastes later on
if they are a healthy weight and not ill or teething try new things. If they strop or don't want to eat just leave the table and read a book etc. don't make food into a drama
don't try new things when they're tired/ or force anything if they don't seem up for it/ meal times should be fun not a battle
if they're a fussy feeder don't use the TV or toys as a tool to coax them to eat, maybe they're not ready yet and you don't want to build in dependencies that you can't keep later eg. when you're out or they're school age
once they babbling try and teach them how to communicate when they're full/hungry
don't have big gaps between meals == low blood sugar grummbling
invest in a decent backpack coolbag for the summer, teddy bears picnic with a friend are a fun way to encourage them
take them to the supermarket and let them feel they've chosen dinner and they can pretend to help by squishing some random fruit!