Advise on Toddler's Diet

Some of my son's favorites at one were tofu, bananas and avocado. I liked them because they were soft enough that I didn't have to worry about choking and he liked them because he could pick the pieces up and eat them himself. He's since stopped liking avocado but bananas and tofu are still favorites. We also used the gerber puffs for a snack. They dissolve easily and are fruit and veggie based.

Soup! Any kind of soup. There is a nice selection of all natural soup out there these days or make your own. Store baked cold cuts. I buy turkey breast and ham baked at my local deli (no preservatives) and make small bites from it. Home made chikcen soup with lots of carrots, celery etc. and pasta in it is great and if you use 2 chicken breasts you can easily make pot pie. Any fresh veggies-broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower with a little cheese, butternut squash. Also try some barley instead of rice. It has a nice texture just cook it a little longer so it gets nice and soft. Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, healthy chips, sauted chopmeat with anything and pita pizza cut to small bites, mac and cheese (easy to make yourself fresh). My daughters eat everything I have listed here and my little one is 19months! She is barely getting her first molars!
Good luck and have fun with it!
Jen

Good Morning! I have a 15 month old daughter who happens to love table food. When I began transitioning her I had luck with pastina cooked in broths(chicken, beef), mac and cheese, waffles, mashed white and sweet potatoes. As her teeth grew in we moved on to meat - now she only eats what my husband, myself and the babysitter are eating. The Gerber first finger foods were helpful as well. Hope this helps - good luck!

My daughter is 14 months and loves veggie burgers and Chix( fake chicken) Patties, I toast them and cut them to size, they have been easy on her digestion and she loves the taste. Also cubed sweet potatos. And Pasta I have found the spiral to be a good size for her, and I give it to her with sauce (very messy) or with butter and chesse.
Other than that just what you have already listed.
She has the same thing in her stool, corn and peas whole, but I was told that this was normal intill she gets her molars.

I am a mother of 14 month baby girl (she is half chinese which is from my side). Anyway, I have been giving my baby beef stew which has lots potato and carrots in it and she loves it ( I coook them in the high pressure cooker). Also she loves the fish, vagetable and the shirmp. When you feed the baby with those type foods, make sure give them little piece per spoon otherwise it will choke the baby. Scrubble eggs for breakfast is also a good idea.

Hi Corrine,

My son is nearly 2 and hummus and cream cheese have been a staple in his diet since we started on table foods! When I first began giving him table foods, I relied pretty heavily on tofu becuase it was so soft (which helps with the choking fears) and because it's such a great source of protien. He also ate eggs, pancakes, and waffles. I would sometimes make him grilled cheese (ocassionally with a thin sliced of turkey) and cut the pieces very small. Earth's Best also makes a great pastina that when combined with carrots and peas had a nice texture for getting him out of the baby food frame of mind.

I hope this will give you some good ideas. I know that with me it always helped to hear what others were doing and then I would either use that or make it my own somehow.

Best of luck!
R.

If you are giving your son cooked food, you have to cut the veggies and the meat up very small because, they still can not chew the foods up properly as it. For them, they chew maybe 5times and swallow which is bad and may cause problem later in life which you don't want. But still take your time and let him try new foods but slow down a little bit and see if he is allegic to any of the new foods.

Hi C.,

My son is now 2.6 months and when I was transitioning him from baby food to table food, I started with foods that were a similar in texture, such as rice with the cream of beans. Then I would try to place the whole bean in the food along with the rice and cream to add different texture. From there I continued to introduce different foods while adding more texture. My son really enjoyed eating all kinds of fruit, and he loved soup. Meat was a bit difficult but I would sneak it in there with the foods I know he would eat. One thing I learned was that my son might not like something one week, but the next week it might be all he eats. So if your son doesn't like something don't give up on it completely. Good luck!!!

Hi C.,
Does your son have any teeth to chew this food? If not, then I would be concerned about his body being able to properly digest the unchewed food and because of this, he may not be able to properly absorb the nutrients in the food.
I would suggest giving him foods that are mushed or the kind that does not need to be chewed (yogurt) and not worry to much about hurrying the transition.
Good Luck
N.

Hi C.,
My son is 15 months. He refused to eat any baby food since about 8 months, rarely let any one else feed him till recently and he had no teeth till he was 13 months. It was a real challenge to find foods for him but one of my neighbors recommended Dr.Praeger's Kids Broccoli littles and he loves them. He also enjoys Spinach littles, sweet potato littles and plain potato littles. They are like little potato pancakes in kid friendly shapes. They mush up easily and are easy for them to self feed with. I live on the Upper West side and have found them at most stores in the area. They are in the health food section sometimes.

Earth's Best Cereal bars, Mini Bagels, frozen organic whole grain waffles, hot pretzels from the hot dog cart, roasted sweet potato cut into chips, miso soup, Dr.Praeger's fish sticks, edamame shelled and broken in half and fruit leather's (various brands fruitabu, stretch Island fruit co.) broken into very tiny pieces are other favorites.

We have always allowed our boys to try anything that we are eating (keeping in mind guidelines for allergy and choking hazards). My older son is 4 and he loves trying new foods. He eats some of the typical preschooler food but if given a choice between sushi or chicken fingers he will always choose the sushi. So let your little one guide you. You may be shocked at what he choose to eat.

Being that my younger son had no teeth most of his stools did and still do contain whole pieces of his food. I asked his doctor about it and he told me it is perfectly normal and not to worry about it because he was growing properly and was healthy. If it concerns you talk to your doctor.

I saw your name and had to respond =)
Hi C.- I'm C. too! It's not often I see another C. who spells it the way I do so HI!
Anyway, My son will be 2 April 20th and he has always loved Sweet Potatoes. It was his first soft food and one of his favs to this day. He goes to daycare twice a week and I usually make hime cut up chicken with mixed vegetables (from the frozen bag-peas, carrots, corn, lima beans- just heat for a couple minutes and put in a travel container with the chicken.) He also LOVES bananas- he's even started asking for them. He calls them "Nanas!" and actually cries if I run out of them. He loves mashed potatoes and even tried some Keilbasa (my husband is Polish) and ate a whole link. I basically think you can cut little pieces of any food you would eat and let your son try it. Good luck! Take care!