Stopped Eating Pureed Foods

My ten month old just got his very first tooth last week and we've been doing solids with him for a couple of months... just really soft foods cut up really small and he'll pick them up and eat them... banana, avocado, bread, cooked eggplant, cooked mushrooms, cooked squash, cooked green beans, peas, corn, etc, etc.

You'd be surprised what they can eat with no teeth! Cut things into bite size pieces or use a food chopper or food processor to really chop it up. I bet he could down Cheerio's with no problem. My 9 month old only has 4 teeth (2 are hardly poked through) and he ate a tomato today whole, like I would eat an apple. Give it a whirl - he'll impress you!

Sure it is. They don't need teeth to eat table food they just need bite size pieces of soft foods. My son was off baby food by 8 months refused them, I am not sure if he had a tooth by then but I know for sure he only had his two bottom teeth by his first birthday. Babies can gum down food pretty well. Some of the things I have fed my kids at that age were small pieces of cooked veggies (peas, soft carrots, tiny slices of green beans) cooked ground turkey or small pieces of soft chicken. Pasta was a favorite, bananas, Cheerios, I would cut up a cheese stick, they would let me feed them yogurt and sometimes applesauce. Others things I am not thinking of . Oh they also loved organic cereal bars, again cut into small pieces, and toast.

Your baby will be fine with out purees. My daughter didn't care for them around 10 months, and my son hated them at that age too. I just gave them softer "real" foods, the stuff I would normally puree, but just chopped up and let them use their fingers. My son didn't have many teeth until he was 1, and did just fine. I wouldn't try meats or anything difficult to mush in your mouth, but your baby will be fine.

Teeth aren't such a big deal, just offer very small, very soft pieces of table food and see how he does. My first son refused purees around this age too, and he only had one or two teeth. They really can eat lots of things without them.

Mine have done that. It's almost like baby food is just too baby for them:-) I let them gum table food and they eat more and more as they get older. It does mean they are on a mainly milk diet for a while, but it's worked great for our kids.

For what it's worth, my seven-month-old grandson has turned his nose up at pureed foods, too. He likes peaches, plums, beans, carrots, watermelon, cheese, broccoli casserole (with cheese), chicken, and several other items. He has only two little tiny teeth but he doesn't let that stop him. Watching him gumming steak isn't very delightful, but the boy is determined.

Try your son on some non-pureed things and let him go for it. If he's really, really hungry he'll probably take a little bit of puree as well.

If you're still worried, talk to your doctor.

Mine gave them up at that age, too. My daughter was also under a GI's care at that point, and we were lucky enough to have her dietician guide us through this. The dietician took us off purees completely, and my daughter thrived. The dietician said her kids were both off purees at 8 months. You'd be surprised what they can chomp with their toothless gums.

A lot of they can mash at this point is carb based so we would sneak veggies and fruits in. It's amazing what you can put in a pancake or a inside a grilled cheese sandwich. We'd also coat pasta in the veggie puree we had left in our freezer. Banana bread is great - as is zucchini bread. Think of it as a game to find new things to make him.

Try not to stress about it - your son will pick up on it, and it will only make it more of a battle. He's still getting the bulk of his calories from formula/breastmilk so this is all an exercise in exposing him to new flavors and developmental skills.

FWIW - my daughter is 20 months and an amazing eater now. She'll try anything and likes almost everything.

Good luck!

Hi there,

My daughter did the same thing. You'd be surprised how much a baby with no teeth can gum! We gave her lots of Cheerios, cut up bananas and cooked sweet potatoes, well-cooked broccoli, black beans, tofu, cooked carrots, and bread before she had teeth. We are vegetarian, but my mother used to tell me all the time about how I ate small pieces of boiled chicken as a baby (I didn't have teeth until I was a year old). I think once they get used to feeding themselves, there's no going back!! :-)

I don't know if you've tried the squeeze/"drinkable" baby food/applesauce/yogurts with your baby, but I know that some babies prefer that to being fed with a spoon.

Good luck!
R.

My daughter (now 11 months) did that at 9 months too. (But she had teeth). I immediately offered plain (cooked) vegetable pasta, cut in smaller pieces (although she's fine with it uncut now; I now have a variety of different kinds that I cook up); cut up, soft avocado pieces; and baked chicken, I pull some shreds off break it up into small pieces by hand (I buy it cooked from the grocery store, the plain not flavorings). She immediately ate it up, no issues. I then introduced: cooked ground beef (made sure no big chunks), no salt canned carrots, canned green beans (french cut, are very thin--especially if he doesn't have teeth), canned corn, steamed broccoli (pick the little florets apart into single tiny florets), blue berries, freeze dried strawberries, freeze dried peas, baby rice cakes (Yum Yum brand). The only thing she'll let me feed her (with a spoon) is yogurt.

You can try canned chicken, mushed up so there's no chunks and mixed with plain yogurt (I wouldn't do mayo yet due to egg allergy risks). Hand roll it into little balls. It shouldn't require much in regard to teeth.

Good luck! (Of course, he might be teething and that might be why he doesn't want to eat.)

Google "baby-led weaning". Babies do not need purees. Solid food is only for practice before a year old. His primary source of nutrition should still be breastmilk (or artificial baby milk, if that's what you use). Give him whatever you are having and you will be surprised at how much he can manage by himself; even without teeth.