Advice Please - Good Foods/Recipes for Reluctant 1 year old

[QueenSconetta]

Hi All

DD is 13.5 months and is very reluctant to eat 'family foods' at mealtimes.

I feel partially responsible for this because she has a VERY sensitive gag reflex so I had been more concerned that she was getting nutrition, rather than the method it came in, so have been giving her 'mashed' type food at meal times, but I guess really now she should pretty much eat normal food?

The funny thing is she can eat chunky things/things you need to bite without a problem (e.g. a huge, uncut bit of smoked sausage she stole from DP the other day and munched her way through )

On the plus side she is very very keen the have some of whatever you are having.

I'm just concerned that when I put 'proper' food down to her she eats a tiny bit of it, then picks at it and plays with it and I'm worried she is going to be hungry.

Do I just need to keep giving her chunky food and try and chill out about her being hungry, on the basis that she will eat when she is?

Any good food ideas/methods/recipes to tempt her?

Thank you and sorry this ended up so long!!

I generally just give whatever we're having - which DS deconstructs, picks at, or demolishes depending on his mood! Food from my plate always tastes better - especially if it's different to his food, so sometimes I cheat by putting bits for him on my plate (he sometimes eats them even if they're the bits he's just rejected).

At one, my DS didn't necessarily eat very much at meals, but would need snacks in the morning and afternoon, whereas now (at 18mo) he'll eat more at mealtimes and have fewer snacks.

Also, you could try soups - real adult food, but liquid - or pasta and sauce (something like macaroni is good and small, or penne may go down better because it's big and chunky).

Mainly, I'd say try not to worry too much (easier said, than done, I know!) and keep offering different things. She may not need to eat very much, she may suddenly discover how good food is and wolf down everything you put in front of her!

"Do I just need to keep giving her chunky food and try and chill out about her being hungry, on the basis that she will eat when she is?"

Yep

Ds2 is 14 months. Some days he eats barely more than a handful of cereal and raisins. Other days he eats more than his big bro! He gets whatever we have. Yes he does pick it up and play with it like your lo, but he does eat it too. The amount he eats has got more over time, though some days he does basically just wipe it over the table and stash it around his high chair. We did blw (well, our own version of) so he's learnt how to handle food for himself. I think spoonfed bubs need to go through the same process, and when your dd is deconstructing her food that's what she's doing. I bet if you leave her to it and try not to stress then she'll begin eating more of it in the not too distant future..

Also, if she likes what's on your plate, let her eat what's on your plate! To begin with I just put extra veggies etc on my plate and let ds2 grab them - he definitely seemed to eat more that way than if I gave him his own plateful!

Thank you all. We had a fairly sucessful day today; smoked haddock with brown bread and butter for lunch and mini kievs with veg and mash for tea.

Amusingly she wasn't all that interested in the cut up mini kiev I had done for her, but stole the whole one I had put for myself off my plate and started eating it like and apple!! Oh well as long as she's eating I'm not fussed.

Thanks for the reassurance, we'll see how we get on, x.