What Do You Feed a One Year Old? - Spring Lake,NJ

You can feed a one year old almost anything as long as its cut up small and the child has no allergies. Maybe I'm a mean mommy but meals at my house - choices were take it or leave it. I have 2 girls who would pretty much eat whatever was put in front of them, arguments were not allowed. If they didn't eat dinner, they ate breakfast. Neither of them starved to death or have anything wrong with them at 22 and 17 they certainly have their own favorites foods and such, but weren't and aren't really fussy eaters.

I wasn't too jazzed about giving my daughter peanut butter just yet- she's 17 months. So, I tried almond butter. It's a bit expensive but she loves it. As far as other foods, sweet potato fries, mixed vegetables, apple slices mirowaved for 15 seconds with a dash of cinamoon on them, kielbasa (yes, my DD LOVES it!) and when all else fails, cooked elbows with a little smooth marinara.

Your baby is just starting out and will not eat everything you give him. But you have to keep trying.
So I suggest that you keep up the fruits and veggies as you are. Incorporate all different cheeses that he may like...(Although can be constipating if your child is sensitive), try some pork and beans, rice along with the pastas,
try the Individual fruit cups of peaches, pears and mandarin oranges, cottage cheese also is great if he will eat it. Yo Baby yogurt is awesome and so good for him and they now have a new one that is a meal in a cup. It is a combination of yogurt, fruit and veggies, but tastes terrific.
I know he won't take much from the spoon. My daughter was the same way at first, but she will take things from the spoon now. I think once they feel they have established their independance with feeding themselves, they will give in to you again and let you feed them some things. ;)
Dry cereal, cheerios and the such are great too. Just check the nutrition label and make sure that he will get good nutrition from them. I love multi grain cheerios the best for her.
My daughter just turned 21 months and she is just starting to take to meat. Chicken is her favorite and she likes meatballs the best.
I know you want to "be creative" but just don't be there making different meals for him and then it's dinner planning for you and your husband. You will teach him to not eat the things you eat. And you will begin to hate meal time...too much work for you!!
Give him his meal and keep offering him what you and your husband will eat too. Small peieces here and there. He may refuse it 20 times, but take it on trial 21.
It can be such a guessing game!
Stick to it though...it does get easier.

Congrats on your 1st baby.
I am an older Mom of my first and only and I know how in love you are with your boy.
It is so amazing isn't it?
A whole new world and a whole new kind of love that you could never have imagined would feel so great!
Enjoy him and all the fun and adventure your little guy will bring you. His 2nd year is so much fun!
God Bless,
P.

I am going through the same situation. Sometimes it feels like he eats the same few things over and over, but he does get a pretty good variety most of the time. It is a little harder though because my guy since we have to limit dairy (he possibly lactose intolerant and he overproduces mucus). Anyway, he eats whatever we eat. He loves chicken, eggplant, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, pasta, turkey meatballs, hamburgers, turkey meatballs, avocado, earth's best cereal bars, deli meats, rice, couscous, turkey sausage, waffles, french toast sticks, bagels with cream cheese, soy yogurt (and regular. Good luck.

campbells soup, slices of watermelon, just noodles with butter or sauce, slices of ham or turkey rolled up, slices of cucumber with dip, blueberries, grapes cut in half, toast with butter and cinnamon, waffles with dipping syrup, or french toast with dipping syrup, (the frozen kind are just great) kids love them, a slice of pizza - cut up in small pieces, rice and chicken broth, I tried peanut butter and jelly at about 1 year with both my kids.. just a little peanut butter at first.. they loved it and it was wonderful, tuna fish on bread, little frozen fish sticks are usually a hit and chicken fingers.. good luck -- make sure you keep him going on veggies... at age 2 they give up everything sometimes... and eat such a small amt.

Have you tried avocado and hummus yet? My son loved and still loves to eat them "as is" or used as dips/spreads for veggies, crackers, etc. I also made a goat cheese/roasted red pepper dip from the Williams-Sonoma "Cooking for Baby" cookbook. I tried to give him regular table food rather than baby- or kid- specific foods, which for the most part are processed junk. He also loves plain yogurt mixed with frozen or fresh berries, cheese sticks, fresh veggies & fruit, organic baked chicken, sweet potatoes--this is a good time of year to roast sweet potatoes along with other root vegetables--oatmeal mixed with applesauce and berries...

I always buy organic dairy products and as much organic/local produce that's available.

It can be frustrating to find things that kids will eat, but my theory is that we should provide them only with healthy whole food and when they are hungry enough they will eat it and develop a lifelong taste for the good, unprocessed stuff!

Try giving him a little bit of anything that you would normally eat. Cut into small 1/4 inch pieces, or mash depending on what it is. Only feed about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon at a time until you find out what he likes. Be sure to let him eat it himself, inspecting & exploring each new food. Also offer items that he can learn to use a spoon & fork with. There may be a few messes, but makes him more independent with eating. He may even ask you to help with the fork or spoon items until they become more accustomed.

at one year old your son your can eat just about anything - steak, chicken, fish, all veggies, anything really! as long as he has teeth he should be able to try antyhing!

Hi G.,
At a year old, he can learn to feed himself with a fork. At one, they tend not to like things with sauces, etc but you can cook him chicken breast, ground beef patties, turkey cutlets or ground turkey patties, fish if you eat that, with just a bit of seasoning and cut into pieces small enough for him to pick up with fingers or a fork and serve with veggies and fruit.

Good luck!

Toddlers tend to like one or 2 foods forever until they decide they dont want it and like another food..forever. As long as he is eating something nutritious why try something different? When it is dinner with the family feed him what you are having, but the other meals give him what he likes. Every so often mix something new in with the old and he might surprise you and eat it.

G.,
My little one NEVER wanted to be fed! She ate off of our plates. No food lost and she ate healthy. She loves chewing on raw veggies, esp. red peppers and broccoli. I do not make special or different meals for her, as i want her to have a healthy diet not full of simple carbs (like mac and cheese, which i do feed her on special occasions) and sugars. Our society is big on processed and prepared meals so much that diabetes is raging in our young ones, even if they are not overweight. I try to give her as many fresh veggies as possible and complex carb/protein like beans often. If this is a change for your little one, remember that he WILL eat it eventually, then will prefer it, as his body will crave these nutrients.
Good luck,
P.

We pre-cook veggies like carrots, broccoli, sweet potato. Cut them into small pieces and freeze them. It's probably along the same lines as what you're already feeding him but it saves a lot of time down the road when you just want to grab and food and go.
I've also made some pumpkin pancakes (in spirit of the season) and cut them into pieces and freeze them.
I've given my daughter (13 mo.) banana, melon, grapes (cut in pieces), blueberries, mango, peaches, pears, apples, eggs, string cheese, strawberry, tender chicken, bits of hamburger, kidney beans, peas (she loves feeding herself peas). The harder foods I boil first.
Hope that gives you some ideas. Basically we give her anything we're eating as long as it's reasonably healthy!

A one year old shouldn't be eating grains. It's setting him up for allergies, candida, leaky gut and possibly worse down the road. Give him fruit, either cut up in small pieces, grated, blended, mashed. It's the perfect food for babies. They love it, won't spit it up or vomit from it and it's easily digested. Beware, he'll have more energy because his body won't be using all it's energy trying to digest dead cooked food. Cow's milk (cheese) creates mucous and inflammation. Look to nature, not food manufacturers and their slick advertising when choosing how to feed your baby. Obesity is programmed very early in life. Children need nutrients to grow healthy new cells, not fattening dead food.

- cut up nuggets/ fish sticks
- cut up veggies/ fruits (we buy canned veggies "just in case" and keep them in the pantry)
- toast with apple butter
- eggs (I know the doctors don't always advocate this, but we have no allergies in our family)
- soft cheeses
- rice
- mini burgers cut-up small with some ketchup (my son LOVES to dip)
- frozen waffles

*Remember that toddlers don't crave variety like we do! Just feed him a little of what you are having and if he doesn't like it, give him some pasta with veggies.

*I always keep a tupperware of the mini-pasta cooked in the fridge. That way if the little man doesn't eat what I'm serving, I can put some on his tray and he will usually eat everything once he gets "started".

*Talk with your pediatrician about a vitamin to make sure he's getting all of the nutrients (unless he's still on formula or nursing)

My one year old is very picky and will not eat much either. He also has allergies to Egg and Nuts so it makes it very tough. Here are some ideas that he likes.
drinkable yogurt with a straw that way he can do it himself
sweet potato fries
chkn nuggets (earths best brand at least has whole grain bredding)
english muffins
mini bagels
frozen broccoli with cheese
oatmeal (I make it think and roll it into balls so he can eat it himself)
Hope some of these ideas help.

My son is the same way! I found that I can spoon feed him some things like apple sauce, yogurt, etc as long as he has another food to pick up at the same time. I also discovered that soup is a great all-in-one meal - lots of soft veggies, pasta, beans, cheese, meat. I just serve the chunks in a bowl without the broth.

Grated parmesan on just about anything makes it suddenly delicious - broccoli, black beans, pasta, carrots...

Sometimes I think he doesn't like a certain food, then I serve it again the next day and he eats every morsel. I think they are just like us - they need variety and sometimes they just aren't in the mood for one thing or another. Good luck!

I do a lot of things with ground meat, if you are meat eaters. Meatloaf, Salmon loaf, ground turkey a thousand ways - with bbq sauce, with taco seasoning, in marinara sauce. You can find a lot of recipes for different types of meatballs using different meats.

Also, maybe think about some casseroles with everything really cut up.

We also do breakfast for dinner a lot since I'm not great about doing a complicated breakfast in the morning. You can do french toast or an egg scramble or something like that and throw some veggies in.

Bagels & cream cheese or cream cheese & jelly sandwich that they can start to pull apart with their teeth has been great.

Sorry for the ramble but I hope that helps.

I know its frustrating especially when you have to throw away the food. My son loves almost all fruit and you can easily cut that up. Just avoid really hard fruit like apples (unless they are cooked first) and grapes unless they are cut in half. My son loves pan fried chicken breasts that have seasoned flour on the outside. Some brands are Kentucky Kernal and Dixie Fry. I coat the chicken in the flour and pan fry it in olive oil or butter. Then cut it into small pieces. He also lives green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil. Just make sure they are nice and soft. Also, don't worry about him wanting to only feed himself. Its a phase that he will go in and out of.