Advice re suddenly picky 8 month old please

[EllieG]

DD used to eat anything and everything. I was very smug and proud and food times were easy. A few weeks back she started turning up her nose at things, and now the list of things she will happily eat have shrunk to

tomato based sauces with pasta
avocado
various finger foods and anything I give her off my plate
yogurt and fruit

She will however gulp down ella's kitchen/plum baby foods, which I do not want to give her as they are too pricey. Plus I feel somewhat aggrieved that my little ingrate will turn up her nose at mummy's lovingly prepared meals in favour of mass-produced mush. She is also getting a bit of a sweet tooth, and would eat yogurt or fruit til the cows come home, which is all very well, but I want her to eat her savory stuff.

Any thoughts? The only thing I can really rely on her eating are these bought foods and I don't want that. How do I get her to eat more? Don't want meal times to be fraught though. Also - do I stop giving the sweet stuff and run the risk that is still hungry? How much choice should I give if not eating?

It's probably just a phase, just keep offering a selection of different foods, some you know she will eat plus some she isn't atm and she should just start eating a variety again.

Try having a read through Aitch's website I'm sure there will be something on there.

Most of all, don't worry, as long as there is no tension, most children will generally grow out of it, if there is tension then they can learn to see food as stressful.

Ta VS will have a look at that site.

Bloody good site that, have got loads of ideas from it - she is happier with finger foods at moment it seems rather than mush, so will try some of the things aitch suggests

Ellie, I think your cooking is just rubbish.

Bumping this for someone talking more sense than me, off to read Aitch's site again.

Ellie, umm, B is still a bit of a food hoover, but friends with fussy babies have had some success with giving them spoons, lids, whatever to hold while feeding them - I think giving them something they're in control of, even if they're not eating it, helps persuade them they're really in charge while you can casually feed your savoury gastronomic delights.
Second the more finger food too. We had much success with forming some of the mashed potato/carrot/swede stuff into patties, adding a little cheese and then frying in a little butter like fish cakes (but without the fish IYKWIM). He could hold those and eat without too much being lost in the fist and it meant my mashing efforts didn't go to waste.
Also, the commercial stuff is, I find, much more smoothly pureed than anything I do, and some babies I've met will only take very smooth stuff when they're a bit uncomfortable with teething pain - anything going on there?

Oh yes, the decoy spoon - have forgotten about that. Helped with R at some stage too.

Any changes yet? I'm watching your thread for tips too, even though we're ok for the moment.

Since she's ok with finger foods - would using bread / carrot sticks / celery etc and then savoury foods to dip them in work? Almost like scooping up humus if you want?

Thanks sal and lb - bump for further ideas please!

Will try decoy spoon. Though she is very grumpy at moment so I suppose could be teething. Hope so. Today she decided she doesn't even like tomato pasta anymore. Tried an omlette cut into strips a la aitch, and that was moderately sucessful though after a shaky start cos she didn't realise it was food and just waved it around and then dropped it.

I vote for teething, too!