New food ideas for 8 month old please

[Funghoul]

Dd is 8 months. We started weaning at 5 months when she started helping herself to things on our plates. We did start on purées but jacked that in pretty quick because it's too much faff, and because she seems to really enjoy feeding herself.

She still has the occasional bowl of porridge, but she loves rice cakes, toast, and crumpets. She's had broccoli, carrots, parsnips, marrow, sweet potato, sprouts! She likes fish and meat, fruit and yoghurt. She gives everything a good go, and we're forever giving her bits off of our plates when we eat so she's always getting new tastes.

Is there anything else we can try? We've started on cucumber but are there any other veg or salad type things I can try uncooked? Could I give grapes a go? Can I do preloaded spoons of yoghurt? She has a spoon to play with when she eats and is pretty good at getting it into her mouth. Everything's a bit samey at the minute so would like something new to try. Thank you.

At 8 months she can have pretty much anything. Yes, you can try spoons of yogurt but I'd give her natural yoghurt as things like petit filous are rammed with sugar.

If she likes feeding herself, pretty much anything can be picked up and eaten. Have you tried her with strips of omelette or a sandwich? There are some great things to try here and both of mine loved cheese straws.

If you want to try her on grapes, just make sure you halve them first as a whole grape is a choking hazard. Would she like chopped banana or berries in her porridge? Have you tried things like asparagus, melon or green beans?

Not yet but shopping later so will get some new things. She likes scrambled eggs so omelette shouldn't be a stretch and I'll try fruit in porridge. Thank you.

Let us know how you get on

Just remembered, when I was weaning my spoon refusing dd I borrowed this book from the library and it was very useful.

Pasta is good at that age. I bought the biggest pasta shapes I could find. Cheese sauce, tomato sauce, even just a normal ragu.

Curry! Mild korma is good, mix in the rice.

Couscous with bits of chicken and a bit of hummus to bind it

Soup with bread dippers. All sorts.

Cauliflower cheese also good.

Butternut squash stew - basically soften an onion, add chopped BNS and allow to get a wee bit of colour. Add water or stock until just covered. Simmer until soft, then mash or blitz with hand blender. Add orzo pasta or that massive Israelis couscous. Keep off the heat, the residual heat should cook out the pasta. You can experiment with spices and herbs with this too. Cumin, paprika, garlic, parsley etc all nice (not all at the same time) and it's also good with crumbled feta or goats cheese on top.

I started to do loaded spoons at that age. Practice with something sticky like porridge or mash potato. Nothing cuter than a baby using a spoon properly! And remember to offer them the handle of the spoon, it gives them a fighting chance of getting the bowl of it into their mouth!

She loves butternut squash, will give that a whirl. She's pretty good with spoons, I give her one whenever I spoon feed her anything so she's not trying to take mine, so definitely trying loaded ones I think. Have tried pasta with tomato sauce before but she didn't seem too fussed about it, I'm persevering though! She's getting better with cheese now, even ate some of my cheese on toast the other day so feta will be given a go.

Thank you for the ideas! We were getting stuck in a rut.

Another question! Dp is making a stew at some point, we have reduced salt gravy and the like. Is that ok? Or should we make separate for dd?

I just used the reduced salt stuff and gave it too her. Obviously you have to let it cool first..

If she likes butternut squash, have you tried butternut squash risotto? A bit messy but they love grabbing handfuls of it.

If she's not fussed with the pasta and tomato sauce, I'd keep on offering it. She may just have not been hungry that day.

Tried pasta again today, still not fussed but 2 goes is nothing so will try again. Make a fair few risottos anyway so will give that a go.

Mum gave me the best Xmas present ever, a messy mat, so I'm not too bothered about mess. Besides that, she looks like she's having fun when she's licking mashed potato off her fingers!

Sounds like great fun

Are peas and sweet corn a no go at this age? Think she'd like them but would she choke? Fridge is now bursting with new things so having a cooking day tomorrow.

As long as he can pick them up he should be fine. You could also squish them with a fork if you are worried

Not overly worried, but mil is terrified of her choking so has me second guessing sometimes. Dd rarely seems to choke on anything, I'll give them a go.

Thank you so much.

Mashed avocado?

You can usually trust mil to undermine you

What's she had today? Anything new?

My ds has been scoffing peas & sweet corn since 6 months; he loves them & has never choked/gagged etc. Babies seem to love peas as they're sweet & they practise their pincer grip chasing a lone pea around the high chair tray!

Ds loves mashed avocado on whole meal toast.

Pepper strips grapes and mushrooms last night mixed in with a few of the usuals and they went down well. Putting raspberries in porridge shortly but she's being a bit fussy. Her first tooth appeared after Christmas and a second seemed to appear from nowhere Monday so she's guzzling milk but a bit fussy with food. Also going to try the butternut squash stew either tonight or tomorrow and risotto. Haven't done avocado yet but it's on the list. Her pincer grab is coming on well so definitely giving peas a shot now.

Dd likes frozen peas. Odd child

Can see mine going same way, her favourite toy is the peg bag at the minute.

Just tell everyone you've chosen to give her the peg and its part of her exploring the world through play. Huristic play, it's all the thing don't you know

My dd loved banging the saucepans with a wooden spoon too...

Will try to remember that for next time she has something she shouldn't.

She likes her walker at the minute but she's like lightening. We live in a bungalow so she can get everywhere. This week her adventurous side has really come out. She knocks bottles over, hides the remote, scatters pegs through the house, bangs Tupperware together, had the clothes horse over, unravelled rolls of wrapping paper and nearly dumped a box of icing sugar over the kitchen floor. Things I thought would be a while off, stupid me! I like that she is just exploring, but pay day can't come fast enough so we can get a couple of baby gates. Luckily we only have to wait till Friday.

By the way, that stew went down a treat today. You've really encouraged me to get back

Posted too soon!

Back on track with this weaning malarkey. We're not particularly pfb with her, but I want her to eat well. Thank you.

The BNS one? It rocks doesn't it? You could also try mac and cheese with spinach mixed through it. I use frozen spinach, one cube to an adult sized portion of pasta, cheese sauce, stick it under the grill for a couple of mins.

Giving that ago soon then. Been looking for ways to sneak spinach in. Thanks so much.

Fung if you want to feed her healthy food that you can all eat! have you tried the Gill Ripley book? Your library should have a copy

Going to have a look in the library for these, you've all given me brilliant ideas.