Transition to table food

[Anonymous]

Brian is able to handle small piece of soft table food now, but it takes 1-2 minute for him to chew and swallow, if I rush him then he would gag and vomit, so if I feed him all table food it will take him FOREVER to finish a meal. Do you have similar problem with your little one? How do you transition from puree to table food?

One interesting thing is he likes my food better than his own, I cooked some Tofu for him yesterday morning, when I fed him, he just tried to escape from it. When I had my lunch, he wanted to eat my lunch (but he just had 7oz of puree and 2oz of formula 10 minute ago, which took a lot of distraction), so I put some Tofu on my plate and gave to him, he enjoyed it so much and wanted more, I think he just got the concept that mammy’s food is better than mine, I wish he can eat table food, then he can eat my food. Does any one have similar experience?

[Anonymous]

Oddly enough Isaac only wants my table food now! He wants nothing to do with his own. I am starting to feed him scrambled eggs and trout. Both are soft and easy to chew but beyond that i have no clue what to feed him. Sorry that i am not much of a help here hopefully one of the veterans can add some ideas!

[hellbennt]

I have lots of ideas!

I’m wondering about the long time to chew- I forget if you’ve seen a feeding specialist/speech therapist, whoever? I’ve read that to help them ‘know’ what to do’ you can use a over-your-finger toothbrush in their mouths and apply pressure on their gums, in the back- there’s something about this that helps them ‘remember’ to swallow? hopefully more people will chime in here…

as for what to eat– lots of info here- you have to go through it, but there’s good suggestions:

finger foods: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1653

Toddler foods-mspi safe& otherwise: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2599&a mp;PN=1

[Anonymous]

Giving Kaelyn food off of our plates is the only way that we can get her to eat new foods now. If she thinks that she is getting a bite of our food then she will often happily try it, but if something on her plate looks new she totally ignores it. She’s also had a lot of days lately when she has refused all of her food, but will eat off of our plate. It’s frustrating, but I’m holding onto the thought that at least she is eating something!

[Anonymous]

You will definitely have to allow longer meal times. When we first switched Hailey over to table foods I had to allow a good hour to get meals finished. At around the same time, she also started refusing to let me feed her but she was willing to feed herself. It’s tough because you’ll feel like you are just getting done cooking and cleaning up from one meal and it’s time to start the next. It’s very important to just let him get the hang of it. Hailey was slow to chew and swallow at first too (I wouldn’t worry about that), they are just being careful and learning. As he gets more comfortable with eating textured foods, he’ll start having quicker meals. Hailey can finish a meal within a good 30 minutes or less now. And yes, new foods are always given from my plate. Right now, unless I show her that I like it she won’t eat it.

[Anonymous]

Oh yes – the best way to get a kid to try something is to NOT put it on their plate! Honestly, the best thing you can do is to feed him the same things you are having whenever possible…and to eat when he’s eating. The whole dynamic of the child in the high chair with the plate of food in front of him with mom/dad staring at him and trying to feed him SO doesn’t work for toddlers! I think they feel compelled to resist. Try giving him a plate with a few thing you know he likes, and put enough of the “real” lunch on your own plate so you can share. When he wants to try something, let him – and let him have as much or as little as he wants – it should be fun. I think it was Dr. Brazelton who said that one year olds seem to live on bread and air and somehow thrive. And remember, a couple of generations ago there were no chicken nuggets and mac and cheese – kids ate what the adults ate. Sounds like Brian is doing great!

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