Holiday food for 11mo

[sharond101]

We are going to a cottage on holiday for a week. I want DS 11mo's food to be as easy to prepare, picnic with, transport etc as possible. He currently has weetabix and fruit at breakfast which is fine, soup or sandwich with custard for lunch and a pureed/mashed dinner. He struggles with lumpy foods and won't pick up anything slimy or wet like fruit and vegetables. We will eat out most evenings and probably picnic for lunch. I am worried about what to take for him as I don't want to have to prepare lots of foods for him when we get there.

How long is it until you go away sharon have you got time to introduce finger foods instead of mashed or puréed for dinner. What kind of food will you be eating?

We go away on 11th May. We tend to eat chicken, salad, bread, pasta, fish, chinese food, steak pie....all sorts really. He will take some finger foods now but no meat, cheese, eggs, fruit or veg so Iam a bit scared if we went all finger food he would only ever eat peanut butter sandwiches (ham or cheese sandwiches get dissected and filling ignored.)

Ok so what do you do if he refuses food?

I try the refused food several times by keeping putting it in front of him. I usually offer an alternative though as well as i don't like to think he will go hungry because he doesn't like what I offer. He won't take extra milk if he misses a meal so I feel food is important too.

Think you have either got to give him a little of what you are having and then let him have a pouch when you are on the way home or learn to trust him. Give him food and let him choose what he wants to eat and assume that if he's not eating, he's just not hungry.

Some things that might help with this is offering one thing you know he will eat on his plate. So if you are giving him chicken salad, give him some bread and butter with it and let him choose what he eats.

I'd also keep a food diary over a week. Most children will eat little on some days and lots on others so its not really worth your energy to worry over one or two refused meals.

You might also like the book My Child Won't Eat by Carlos Gonzalez.

Thank you Jilted. We don't tend to do pouches at all. I cook all his meals. Will try offering more alternatives this week.

We didn't do pouches either but if you are on holiday and don't like the thought the thought of jim not eating in the evening, it might be worth packing a few, especially as he's not eating proper food yet.

He is eating proper food just all mushed up. I am pleased he is managing sandwiches, albeit with smooth peanut butter! I have a plate ready for his kucnh with some cucumber, carrot stick, breadstick, chicken and a small sandwich. Will be interested to see what he manages!

Let us know how you get on

He ate the breadstick and sucked on the carrot for all of 10 seconds. He touched the chicken then screwed up his face. Anything slightly moist he does this with.

I'd just carry on offering them though, he won't be screwing his face up when he's 20 and he did eat the breadsticks so wasn't completely hungry.

Did you have a look at the book?

Not looked at the book yet but will do, bought a pouch tonight to give that a try.