Weaning

[Picky]

Hi All

Baby Picky is now just over 7 months (and where did that time go?!). He is eating really well and I've got no problems with him trying different tastes - he seems to give everything a go! I am trying to make as much stuff myself as possible, but I only seem to be giving him vegetables and fruit as I'm not sure how to introduce meat into the diet (he has it when he has the jars). Does anyone have any suggestions as to receipes I could make for him?

Thanks in advance

P x

[Psychick]

As he only has a few teeth and still learning to chew properly, maybe its best you stick with the baby jars when it comes to meat for now. But when you do introduce homecooked meals with meat, how about something like shepherds pie? Also you could mash up hotdog sausages as they are soft. You could introduce other meaty tastes by spreading meat pastes thinly onto toast soldiers.

[hippyhoppy]

Don't give too much fruit or even carrots as this will make baby want sweeter things. Lots of rusks and mashed veges (not carrots/peas(!) ergo earlier) and try stuff like butternut squash - and Annabelll Karmel book will give you the low down...

[annie0000]

What about some mashed fish mixed in with potatoes and cheese. My kids liked this with courgette or carrots mixed in as well. As long as you blend it, you can give him anything. I used a hand blender and gave my son anything that we had but blended - and less blended as he got older. My first son never really took to this, and being first time parents we gave in and gave him what he liked and regretted it! 2nd son had everything we had blended and scoffed the lot! He had blended chicken pie, blended bolognaise, blended curry - absolutely anything. Soup is always a good one - thicken their portion with some potato or bread or couscous. i just learned not to make anything too well seasoned and we added pepper or tobasco to our plates rather than the pot, but it is amazing what they will eat. At 7 months, he could be eating garlic bread and pizza to get him used to chewing.

[mumof3angels]

Some boneless and skinless white fish is an easy thing to add to veg and pots. Just poach in a little milk and it flakes really easily. Also chicken is quite a good meat to start off with. If you have a food processor the chicken will puree pretty well.

[hippyhoppy]

Or eggy bread - always a winner

[mumof3angels]

i think you're do right annie0000. I was so scared about giving my 1st the wrong thing to eat and she turned into a really fussy eater. My 2nd ate most of what we ate and my 3rd it was if you don't eat it you'll go hungry! lol! They will eat anything now.

[boobesque]

I have never given Emmy jars, you can give meat without them, I started Emmy at 6 months, i just added no salt stock to the meat when I blended it. I certainly wouldn't give hotdog sausages as the salt content is far too high.
Shepherds pie and bolognese are always a winner with Emmy and good for introducing small lumps.
Good luck, weaning can be a minefield, but its great fun!

[Picky]

Thanks all

I only really give him jars if we're out and about so he's not getting that much from there, but he'll eat everything we've given him so far. I seem to be making meals for him seperately, so as he's now getting a bit older and with all those teeth, I'll start him on what we're having (I don't cook with salt, so that won't be a prob). It's a hard to know what to do when it's your first, so thanks all for your advice

P x

[boobesque]

A tip from me, i always cook a little extra to keep in the freezer as we dont always have food Emmy can eat, that way i always have a meal or 10 (lol) in the freezer as a stand by

[andrea81]

White fish I started with, but I had better success with it being put with mashed potato.

I started giving him tiny shredds of chicken (very little to start) with his veg, with a bit of gravy (my own to watch his salt intake) that always went down well!

[tracymort]

Have you not come across baby led weaning yet?
If babies are ready for solids then they are ready for "solid" solids too, even without teeth and no they won't choke (the usual questions answered there).
I blw with my last 2 sons, it's so much easier and healthier. Babies are used to controlling their intake of food (if breastfed that is) so can lead to a good relationship with food. They are quite capable of feeding themselves so why do it for them?
You can give them normal family meals (unprocessed and no added salt, if your family has allergies you may want to avoid dairy and wheat until after 1). It helps if you cut chunks into holdable sizes, like sweet potato wedges or strips of meat.
This is my blog on the subject http://babyledweaning.blogspot.com/ (not much to say really though)
and a busy blog here http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

[tracymort]

oops this didn't post last time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vxVBdMDl4RXo

Baby led weaning from the DVD

[Picky]

I've not come across baby led weaning - it's difficult to know what to do (I'm trying my best!!) I am still a bit scared that he's going to choke! He is pretty good with 'finger foods' (he likes bits of toast and soft fruits and veggies) and is trying really hard to use a spoon, although his aim is not always accurate! I am trying to encourage anything like this, I think he's doing ok. I'll try him on some white fish tomorrow and take it from there. Thanks for all your suggestions

P x

[tracymort]

I know it's hard to have that confidence, especially if this is your first! I'm on my 3rd now so used to these things. You kind of have to see it in action to realise they can do it. I guess we've been brought up in a baby means puree society. However it's not really an different to before. Just that now we know you shouldn't give solids under 6 months, so now babies are starting solids later mean they can skip the mushy stage.
One sign of readiness of solids is the gag reflex, it really is very efficient in babies of this age and I've not had any choking incidences yet (apples and grapes you may want to keep more of an eye on though).
If you are close by I'm sure he'll be fine.
One of the first foods mine liked were roast parsnips, sweet potato or butternut squash. Roasting means they are easy to hold but basically mush in side.