Starting solids? - Baby Led Solids Chatter #2

[Jennifer13]

So I see no reason to shield them from particular foods, or to say that they can't have dessert until they've finished their meal. Especially if that dessert is a healthy one, such as fruit or yoghurt. The more variety of foods, tastes and textures, the more balanced eaters they are likely to be.

Herein lies my quandry - I agree with you in theory, but once they become toddlers, even by using the BLS method they will assert their independence by seeing what they can get if they decide not to have what they've been given. Even when only 12-18 mths old (pre ice-cream days!) she could still use food as a way of asserting herself. If she decided she wanted yoghurt (her fave!) she would try rejecting dinner (even if it was something she might have happily eaten not many days ago) and ask for yoghurt. That's when I started saying "You have to eat your dinner first". I never insisted she eat ALL of her dinner, but she had to make a fair effort. But I digress, since this is a thread for babies after all! Just something to bear in mind.

Also babies and toddlers will reject unfamiliar foods up to 20 times before they will taste it in some cases. So it's worthwhile still offering foods even if it's been 'rejected' before. (There has been some speculation that it's a survival thing, when they are capable of moving around themselves they would be more wary of trying to eat everything they came across).

[Captain]

We solved the dessert problem by not having any! It's now a special occasion thing, like if we have gone out to dinner. Seems to work well because no matter how full Danielle said she was at dinner time she always seemed to have room for dessert. I never make her eat everything on her plate. Sometimes she eats nothing and it doesn't bother her that she will get nothing else to eat until breakfast.

Mummytummy, I was the same as a child, I hated all fruits and veg, I wasn't trying to annoy my parents, I really just did not like them. I used to be made to sit at the table until I ate them. Did nothing for me because I still don't like them, I've just leart to tolerate them.

A funny story, we were at a BBQ the other day and I had brought Ashlyn some cucumber and carrots. You should have seen people's faces when Ashlyn started munching away. At first there was some shock (and I think panic) and after they watched for a little bit they started offering her all sorts of food. It was really funny.

[Visitor8]

MT I totally agree. I was NEVER made to eat things, and mum always said "if you don't like it don't eat it". I have done the same with my kids. I have never treated vegies as some big importance. It is just something they get with whatever else we are eating. As a result my 5 and (almost) 4 year old will eat pretty much everything. We have a 'try it and see if you like it' rule. If they don't like it so be it. However I always serve it up again when we have it. Even if it never gets touched, one day they might try it again and like it. I will never force them to eat! Last night we had cold meat and salad for tea, and they ate it all. I know so many kids their age that will not touch lettuce or cucumber or even anything in a salad yet mine love it, Jaidan even asked for some for school today (which he got)

Ashton gets given whatever we are eating most of the time. It is always a large variety of things. Most of the time he will play with it, some things go in the mouth other times nothing will. Like this morning, he had toast with vegemite and jam (2 slices). None of it went in his mouth because he had only had a BF half hour before. But that's ok. Tomorrow he will get it again and may eat it. He still got his banana for morning tea

[MummyTummy]

Jen - Ahh, I now understand your quandry... I think, but I may change my mind, that I will just stick to my guns and say this is your meal (dessert if any included), eat it or don't but there is nothing more and no other choice. If dessert is a sweet treat then I think yes they will have to make a fair effort on the main meal. It is a hard one, especially when they get to that age of testing the limits to see how far they can go.

Captain, I am still the same with fruit too! Vegies I have always been ok with, just the normal ones though!! But fruit, nup, strawberries are as far as I go and they need to be small sweet ones, not the large woody ones you get in the supermarket these days!!

Missymoo I think that is very wise not placing the emphasis on fruit or vegies. Food is food and we need it all in balanced proportions. And keeping things relaxed will hopefully not lead to a battle of wills!

Captain we have exactly the same reactions here too. Everyone looks at me sideways when they see me offering my food to Jett but then they see him pick it up, eat it and thoroughly enjoy himself and then I get all sorts of comments like "ooh he's so clever, fancy being able to eat like this at his age, fancy being able to use a spoon, etc", and then they love to watch him try all the different foods.

[Visitor8]

Ash is happily eating his spag bol haha i think it's gonna be a favourite.

Question. What bowls do you use? I have brought 2 different ones of those stick on ones and neither actually stays stuck to the tray!

[amberj]

Those sticky bowls never seem to work. I just put anything straight on his tray because I know he would just knock a bowl over or pick it up to play with and pour the food all over himself. For yoghurt, I hold the bowl and just give him the spoon.

Tonight we had pizza and garlic bread and Peter had some of both- is that bad? I just gave him crust of both but the pizza had a little bit of ham and the bread had some garlicy butter. He LOVED the garlic bread. Am I only supposed to give him healthy food?!

[ezymay]

Amberj Emily had those same foods last friday night! She LOVED the garlic bread too! I think as an very occasional ting its ok

[Jennifer13]

The stick-on bowls are a myth!

I use tupperware bowls and also melamine bowls (from sets you can buy with a plate and cup, we were given a couple of Royal Doulton rabbit ones). The melamine ones are usually a bit heavier so don't shift around as much. But they can break if they're dropped.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

oh just give them the bowls!! u get the best pics when the spag bol has been tipped on their head!! lol

[Sammiejane]

We use a stick on one on Mums IKEA Highchair and it works well.

Here we just use the bowl from the stick on one or a bowl with a handle - it came as part of a set that my sister bought me when i was UTD, i think its a UK brand early learning or something like that, they are great bowls and dishwasher safe.

When we started however i did the same as Jessica - food straight on the tray in a blob and she would eat it from there.

Re the food question taht i asked earlier, Its a hard one really, part of the basis of BLS is that the baby will select what they want and nutritionally what they need, therefore if i limit what i give her because she doenst want something, i am not allowing her the full choice.
I am lucky really, she is not a guts, she will leave food and if offerd fruit (which she loves) when full she wont eat it... She also is really into most food that i make, especially curries or really flavoursome food...
I give MJ 2 options usually, like for b/fast if she is not keen on her cereal i will make toast - i give DSS and DH the same choice in the morning, only they can vocalise what they want.
Lunch i will do the same, IF i am giving options on sandwiches, like cheese and ham or chicken or hommus (what ever is on the go)
Dinner she doesnt get a choice between meals, i am not cooking two meals (like others have said) but if she is not interested in dinner, but still appears hungry i will give her a dessert - which is only EVER fruit or yoghurt, we are not dessert eaters really, but i read somewhere that its good to offer 2 courses... Anyway, thats my take on it...

MJ has hade both garlic bread and pizza (usually just the crusts) the garlic bread has been store or restaurant bought, the pizza home made... I dont think a little bit is harmful, i think that she has only had it once or twice, MJ eats the same meals as us, so its a bit hard not allowing her the things that we are all eating - usually i give her some leftovers of something that week (i usually have 3 or 4 things in the freezer) and then a smal taste of what we are having.
There are a few things that i dont give her, lollies, chocolate are the main ones as well as cordial or anything with added sugar of loads of salt...

Another question - Easter is coming up - what are you going to do, DH and I have discussed that we dont want MJ to have chocolate at easter... its going to be a bit hard, especailly as we go away with friends and their kids have chocolate/coke/lollies like its going out of fashion (what a old saying tat is!!!) Seriously last easter the then 6mth old was chowing down on chocolate all day long and i was asked if i was going to give MJ a try (she was 3 WEEKS old )... this year as she is iver a year it is going to be harder to justify, but i have my family on my side, hopefully they will stick up for us (even DSS who is 11 is on board and jokes around about it, but is really good and wont tease or eat something in front of her that she cant have)... IMO she has her whole life to learn about chocolate and lollies etc etc - what are you thoughts???