Is this normal?

Question

I've been feeding my 6 1/2 month old son rice cereal and have started on veggies & fruits as well. The problem is that he won't take it w/out it mixed with the rice cereal. It's this way with every food. I try it plain for a bit then put the cereal in it and he's fine. Go to reduce the cereal and he just hates it. Any suggestions? Has anyone had a baby just not like baby food at all?

Tried it plain w/out ceral at first. He just didn't accept it at all. Someone mentioned mixing it w/ cereal to see if it helped and it did. Now I wish I wouldn't have done it but how do you get them to eat?!

Answer 1

My daughter did the exact same thing. I don't know if it's a texture thing or if it was that she just couldn't get used to veggies and fruits...the taste all by themselves. It's not that she didn't like it. She loves ANYTHING you put in her mouth now. Solid foods just takes a little getting used to.

When I started my daughter on solids, I would mix a little bit of cereal, just for texture/thickness into the veggies and fruits and see if she would eat it. If not, then I would go half and half then go 3/4 veggies and 1/4 cereal....slowly wean away from adding cereal to your son's other foods. Eventually, he will accept it.

Do the same thing when he's a year old and you introduce whole milk. Go half formula, half milk. If he accepts it, great! If not, then go 3/4 formula to 1/4 milk and slowly work your way up to just whole milk in a bottle. Thankfully, I didn't have this problem. My daughter loved whole milk at 10 months! Good Luck!

Answer 2

My first baby was the same way. She liked cereal so much that she ate it until after she was one! My second baby didn't like cereal much at all, which seemed abnormal to me, but my third baby, who is 5 months old right now, liked it just okay, but it made her constipated so I took her off of it (with Dr's suggestion). She still doesn't really like plain baby food all that much, so she only gets a little bit at each meal. I'm sure she would eat more if the cereal was mixed in with it, though.

Answer 3

Because cereals are good for you too. Rices are gentle to the tummy (in fact rice is the most gentle food), so I don't see the problem with giving cereal. Plus veggies and fruits are gas makers, and when a baby is tiny that is too strong for them...that is why cereal is good. (That info was in regards to the person saying cereal is not a good food for babies). Now for your question, if it doesn't gross you out then it's fine for your child. For some reason he just really likes it and you will be getting protein into him right along with his carbs, come to think of it that sounds like a good thing. Perhaps straight veggies/fruits just seem too strong to him since they are new. Don't fret, it won't hurt him.

Answer 4

Try making your own baby food for your baby. Use a food processor and make your own fresh veggies and fruits for the baby. That way you control what goes into the food you give him, it's completely natural and without all the preservatives and other stuff that goes into the prepackaged baby jars. Boil the fruits and veggies first, then blend them to a smooth consistency in a food processor. You control the ingredients and it's healthier for him and you can make the food as needed so you control the quantity per serving as well. Some babies can be picky eaters, both of my children were but you can't go wrong w/ making the baby food yourself. Good Luck!

Answer 5

The cereal adds consistency to the baby food because baby food tends to be runny. The food gives the bland cereal some flavor. I say it's OK to mix.

Answer 6

Some kids just don't take to solid foods very easily. I'm thinking it's a texture thing with your son. My daughter wouldn't eat anything for the life of her. She refused all solids until she was old enough to pick them up herself and put them in her own mouth. That happened around 8 months old. Today she is a healthy 25 month old who eats a wide variety of healthy foods and LOVES to eat.

If he is a year old and still not at all interested in solid foods, that's when you can start worrying. Babies really don't need to eat solid foods until they are a year old. Before they turn 1, it is just for practice anyway. I know some adults who didn't take to solids until they were a year old, and they're healthy adults today who don't have any food aversions or problems with eating.

So, don't worry! He'll eat eventually.

Answer 7

some babies just don't like the texture of the baby food. I don't see there being a problem with having to put the rice cereal in with everything. Does the Dr have a problem with you do this?

Answer 8

My son loves his fruits and veggies mixed with cereal as well. He may just like the texture.

Answer 9

I mixed the cereal with the fruit as well, my son didn't take it pain either, it's fine, my son is perfect. You don't have to really worry about their weight at this age, he is so little, he needs the food.

Answer 10

So, why ever mix it w/ the cereal?
I've never understood the reason for feeding babies cereal. It's not really good for them. Our ancestors are very limited cereal, sruit & veggies were high on the list. all cereal really does is fill them up & keep them quiet. It ws 1st introduced as a means of getting them to sleep all night.