feeding my 9 month old solids... any suggestions on foods to feed? how much and when?

Question

I have been feeding her solids since she was 5-6 months old. Find myself in a rut as to what and how much to feed... consistency of the food, and am still nursing. Going back to work in just over a month... anyone help?

my other issue is how much of different foods do i give at a single meal? She eats potatoes, carrots, squash, yams, yellow string beans, chicken, ground beef, toast, cheese, and yogurt. All sorts of fruits.
I just find that lately she's not eating the foods she once did. Am i giving too much variety at meals? (one meal may be: *1-2 tbsp cubed yams and squash,
*1-2 tbsp potatoes,
*1 tbsp cottage cheese,
*1/2 piece of toast,
*2 tbsp cheerios to snack on ( as distraction to get other food in),
*1 tbsp meat
and if still hungry, some yogurt (1tbsp) and or 1-2 tbsp fruit.

Answer 1

Has she started to feed herself yet? She should be about ready for that. If so, you need foods that she can pick up that are still soft. I know what you mean about getting in a rut -- I have felt like that many times. So you can try the below foods, either feeding her or letting her feed herself...

My daughter (now almost 11 months) eats:
- bananas, bananas, and more bananas
- baked sweet potatoes...they are firm enough that you can cut them up into pieces for your baby to pick up but still plenty soft enough for her to mash with her gums
- canned peas, carrots, green beans
- whole grain waffles, pancakes, and other soft bread; she especially loves whole wheat bread with a little cream cheese on it
- soft fresh fruits like mango, cantaloupe, and watermelon
- canned fruits like peaches, pears, and mandarin oranges
- scrambled egg yolk (not supposed to have egg whites til 1 yr)
- yogurt
- baby oatmeal mixed with formula
- Cheerios; and when she first started on this, I soaked them in milk or formula so they would be soft enough for her.
- veggie burgers
- meatless meatballs (made from soy protein...nice and soft)
- slices of cheese torn into small bits
- just two days ago I tried a quesadilla on her and she loved it -- made with whole wheat tortillas, smashed black beans, and shredded cheese; this could work for you once your daughter is more used to table food

As far as how much and how/when...you probably know this but she should still get her main source of nutrition from your breastmilk. Food at this point is just to get the baby used to eating real food. My daughter takes 4 bottles a day, and I usually squeeze in three "meals" in between them. Here's an example of how she eats (all times are approximate, she's not on a strict schedule by the clock): she wakes up around 6:30, has a bottle at 7:00, has breakfast at 9:00, nap around 10:00, bottle at 11:30, lunch at 1:00, nap at 2:00, bottle at 4:00, dinner at 6:00, bottle/bed at 7:30.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

It is best to start with green vegetables first (green beans, peas, spinach)as they are most bitter but still have flavor different than that of breastmilk, then move on to the orange ones (carrots, sweet potatoes) and fruits last as everyone loves sweets. This will give baby a chance to appreciate every pallette. If going back to work make sure you take a good variety to the babysitter but only of the foods you are working on at that time and also take infant cereal mix 1/4 cup cereal with 1/3 to 1/2 jar of baby food. The cereal will also keep the food from tasting to sharp that he wont later want the breastmilk. This will also help fill baby, the cereal is fortified with extra vitamins and makes it easier on your food budget too!!! Good luck!!

Answer 3

Gerber foods covers all the ages, but you can buy a masher for kids,, almost like a garlic press, any type of veggie is good, and at 9 months with a couple teeth,,small stuff,,rice cereal

Answer 4

start with mashed potatoes and small pieces of vegetables and meat. Feed little bits at a time. Regular hours as noursing. Just not at night. Applsauce with bits of crushed apples are also good. At this time It is a mix of solids and liquids or soft solids

Answer 5

You can feed her a small bowl of cereals once a day..(have a variety of choices like wheat,rice,fruits) feed her all different flavours cause she has to build a taste for everything..

Answer 6

At this age they can start having foods with a little more texture to them. Try the gerber 3rd foods. My son at this age too loved the Gerber fruit puffs. They disolve in their mouth and they have veggie puffs too.

Answer 7

I made all my baby food and portioned it all in ice cube trays. At that age you could try mashed potaotes(I used instant) mixed with veggies and purreed meat. For breakfast you could try oatmeal (I ground my oatmeal in a food processor to make it finer) and mix it with any fruit.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
http://homecooking.about.com/od/specificfood/a/babyfooddos.htm
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/baby/baby.html
http://www.angelfire.com/nm/MorganWilliam/food.html

Answer 8

dont feed ya baby too much or she will be fat and she will eat alot as an adult and a child