Because I want to give you a complete step by step plan, this post is part 1 of 2, in it you’ll learn when and how to start introducing table foods to your baby.
In part 2 of transitioning babies to table foods, you’ll learn how to fully get your baby eating table foods without needing baby food any longer. As well as some helpful examples of a baby and toddler’s feeding schedule once they’re eating table foods. Lastly, you’ll find out what to do if your baby won’t eat table or finger foods.
You Need Patience for Transitioning from Baby Food to Table Food
As a mom, each time I had to transition my boys onto table foods, I was frustrated and overwhelmed even though I’m a feeding therapist that had helped many families through it before. It’s different when you’re the mom living it day in and day out.
Experiencing that as a mom showed me how challenging it can be. The little baby food routine you had starts to shift, as they are also beginning to wean from breast or bottle and learn to drink from some type of cup (ideally a straw cup).
As parents, we worry, “Are they eating enough?”
With jarred food, you can know exactly how much they’ve eaten, but it gets a little blurry when half of the diced up food you give them is on the floor. It’s tempting to stop serving table foods and to focus baby food because you know how much they’re eating – but there’s a problem with that as you’ll learn shortly.
This process does require some patience because your baby is learning a new skill, something I had to remind myself of quite often.
My best advice as a mom and OT is to take heart and know it’s all part of the process. Remember that until 1 year of age, their milk source (breast milk or formula) is their main source of nutrition.
This is why people say, “food before one is just for fun.”
We want to teach our babies how to eat table and finger foods so they have the skill, but not get stuck on how much they are actually eating. This is an exciting time, and it’s absolutely adorable when your chubby little baby is gnawing on a bread stick or getting puffs stuck on their face!
Now that you’re in the right frame of mind, let’s dive into the details of when and how to introduce table foods to your baby!
When Do Babies Start Eating Table Food?
Generally speaking, a good time to start introducing table foods for most babies is around 8-9 months. However, it may be later for your child, especially if they were a preemie. You will know they aren’t quite ready if they refuse, gag, or cough a lot when you try. That’s okay, don’t be discouraged, this just means you will need to take it slower and consistently offer safe foods they won’t choke on.
If you’re nervous about how to handle gagging or your baby is gagging a lot on foods, head to Everything You Need to Know About Baby Gagging.
For other babies, they may start eating table foods even earlier, sometimes at 7 months. As a feeding therapist, I can’t recommend starting too much earlier, but of course, it is your choice if you feel they are ready. It is likely that they will be mostly swallowing (not chewing) most of the food though.
If you’re thinking about baby led weaning, check out my pros and cons of BLW.
One critical word of caution is to NOT wait too long to start transitioning to table foods. Babies will instinctively chew from 7-8 months to around 11 months old, which means the transition will come easier. Check out this Weekly Meal Plan of Table Foods For Your Baby or Toddler to help give you ideas.
Waiting past 10 months, unless your child has developmental delays, a diagnosis, swallowing difficulties, or was born prematurely, can make transitioning to table foods even harder when they’re a toddler. See this chart as a quick reference:
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Step #1: Transitioning to Table foods
Some signs your baby is ready for this transition are:
- Looking at or grabbing your food
- Making a chewing motion with their mouth when they watch you eat
- Picking up small objects
- Are 8-9 months old. See 9 Month Old Baby Food + Table Food Ideas.
Remember, you want to start this by 10 months even if you aren’t seeing some of these signs, as long as they don’t have any of the reasons listed in the previous section to delay the start of table foods.
A week or two before you begin to introduce solids, start to thicken their baby food. Thicker foods require more movement of the tongue and muscles in the mouth, which helps lay a good foundation for moving a solid piece of food around in their mouth.
If you’re making your own baby food (get the DIY here), then add less water or liquid when pureeing. Use stage 2 baby food if you’re buying premade baby food.
Beware that some stage 3 type foods are great because they are thicker, but many of the jarred varieties have whole pieces of food mixed in with the puree, don’t go there – yet. That is putting the cart before the horse. For now, it’s crucial to stick with smooth purees, gradually increasing their thickness, as your baby tolerates it. NO CHUNKS.
The mixed in chunks can cause gagging and a negative experience. It’s actually harder for babies to eat than table foods. Babies that eat chunks in their baby food well are just swallowing it all without chewing.
I’d also recommend increasing the thickness of store bought baby food by adding cereal (this is one of my favorites) or freshly pureed foods into jarred baby foods.
Step #2: Eating Table Foods to Teach Your Baby
Once you start thickening their baby food, it would also be great to start eating at the same time you feed your baby, if you aren’t already. Your baby will watch what you do and learn a lot from it.
When you see that you have their attention, begin to dramatically chew for them, even with your mouth open. Show them how you put a small piece of food into your mouth using your hand. It may take finding the right moment to get their attention, but this will help pique their interest in table foods, as well as teach them what they should do when you hold that piece of food up to them for the first time.
The Best First Table Food for Babies
Before we move on, you need to know what table food to offer your baby. A great place to start, and the best choice for a lot of babies first table food is a meltable puff. I’ve used Gerber puffs many times, but there are so many brands, just test whatever type of puff you buy by letting it sit in your mouth and seeing how quickly it dissolves.
The dissolving factor is important because if your baby doesn’t chew the puff, it will dissolve in their saliva.
Puffs are perfect because they are hard and crunchy initially, which helps babies realize there is something in their mouth. That crunchy texture also helps them find it and maneuver it around in their mouth.
It may seem to make sense to start with a soft table food like eggs or banana. Not bad logic, but because those foods are so soft, babies have a hard time feeling exactly where it is in their mouth. For some babies, this means they will refuse table foods and for others, it means they aren’t chewing and just swallowing.
The wonderful thing about puffs is that they dissolve in saliva in just a few seconds. So, if your baby doesn’t chew while they are learning to eat and they swallow, they aren’t going to choke on it. That is peace of mind.
Puffs are also great because they can be broken into really small pieces for those first attempts, if needed. And, babies can pick them up easily! Read more in when can babies eat cheerios and puffs? (Cheerios are much later, they don’t dissolve)
Step #3: Introducing Table Foods to Your Baby
The very first time you give your baby an actual table food, you’ll want to try and pick a time with little distractions and that you can give them your full attention.
Make sure they are seated in their high chair because this keeps them in a safe position and will help prevent choking. Read about how to make sure your baby is seated safely for eating.
Place the table food on their tray and allow them to touch and explore it for a few minutes. Some babies will pick it up and put it right into their mouth, depending on their age. While that is certainly ideal, your baby may may need some more help.
If they aren’t putting the table food into their mouth, demonstrate picking it up and putting it into your mouth. Then, pick up a piece and put it into their mouth, right where their molars will be. Or, if they’re holding the food, gently guide their hand towards their mouth for them as you smile reassuringly.
If they munch up and down and swallow, you can offer more bites.
However, on the first attempt, some babies cough or gag. Other babies will spit it out. Be encouraging, peaceful (they will sense your stress, fake it if you have to), and know when to call it quits. Often, it may take a few meals over a few days before babies get the hang of it.
If your baby turns their head or pushes your arm away when you try to put the food in their mouth, then respect that and don’t force it. They may need some more exploration with the food first.
Step #4: Transitioning Baby to Table Foods
Continue to offer puffs for a few days to a week at every meal alongside their pureed food, until you can see them munching up and down with their jaw most of the time.
Ideally, they should be feeding themselves the puffs, too, but don’t let that be a deal breaker on moving forward. You can help them put the puffs in their mouth as long as they’re willingly opening their mouth. Find baby feeding schedules for 8, 9, and 10 month olds here and 11-14 months here.
Once your baby is enjoying puffs, you’ll want to try small pieces of other foods that dissolve really quickly. Some examples are: Town House Crackers (not Ritz, this texture actually requires more chewing), Graham Crackers, Teething Wafers, Baby Cheese Puffs, rice husks, and other stage 1 table foods you find in the baby aisle at the grocery store.
If you aren’t sure if a finger food is safe, do a taste test yourself. How quickly does it dissolve compared to a puff? How much do you need to chew it?
Step #5: Transitioning from Baby Food to Table Food
As your child eats a variety of crunchy but melt-able foods well, then you can start with soft foods like bananas, noodles, cheese, breads, and overly cooked veggies in a cube shape.
You can also try these cubed “jellies” or little frittatas, that are perfect for this stage too. It may take a few days or weeks before you’re ready to move onto these soft foods.
When your baby is eating several cracker like foods and several soft foods, you can pull back from giving as much baby food and perhaps skip the baby food at some meals. As they eat more and more of the table foods, you’ll serve less and less baby food, skipping it more and more until you no longer need it.
To learn more about helping your baby or toddler transition to table foods completely, while avoiding some common pitfalls, grab a free seat in my online workshop (I’ll email you the link of where to watch) by click below:
Important Tips for Transitioning Baby to Table Foods Easily
- Once you begin introducing table foods, offer one table food at each meal. Then, slowly increase the variety of foods they are eating as they are managing more foods.
- Continue to steadily increase the thickness of baby foods as you progress with table foods. If you aren’t making your own baby foods, try pureeing what you are eating for dinner or mix this into the jarred baby food. This will help get your child used to more textures and tastes. I love using a magic bullet for this!
- Carefully monitor all new foods. Some coughing and an occasional gag is normal. If you are seeing this frequently, the texture you are giving them may be too difficult for them. Wait a week or so before introducing it again and then proceed slowly. Discuss persistent gagging and choking with your doctor.
Free Printable: Learn How to Eat Table Foods Cheat Sheet!!
Want to have all these steps in your hands so you can reference them in a heartbeat? We’ve got you covered you’ll find all the steps for transitioning your baby or toddler to table foods in this handy free printable:
Click here to get the free Learn How to Eat Table Foods Cheat Sheet
More on Transitioning Baby to Table Foods from Your Kid’s Table
The Ultimate List of Baby/Toddler Meal Ideas
The Best High Calorie Foods for Babies
Getting Picky Eaters to Eat New Foods
A Weekly Meal Plan of Table Foods For Your Baby or Toddler: So You Can Save Your Sanity
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 18 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Hi. My son is 17 months old and refuses to eat table food. He is stuck on eating jar purée baby food. If I give him puffs or even canned vegetables like I was told by his doctor he will take a bite then spit it out. He won’t chew it up or swallow it. He gags as soon as he puts it in his mouth. I’ve tried all kinds of table food and he still won’t eat them. I don’t know what else to do. Any advice will be greatly appreciated! He eats puréed baby food just fine but will not eat any table foods. He won’t eat anything unless it’s jar baby food.
Hi Samantha! Thanks for reaching out! First, we always recommend discussing this with your pediatrician, who will make sure your son is otherwise healthy, at a good weight, and doesn’t have any eating difficulties (swallowing, GI, etc). Next, start practicing some oral motor exercises and sensory activities to help ease him into being more comfortable with textures other than purées. Sensory bins, food play, and oral motor exercises can really help with this! Allow him to touch/feel/play with his food. Use a toothbrush to brush the insides of his mouth between meals. Sip from straws, blow raspberries, and make silly faces. All of these exercises can help strengthen his oral muscles and desensitize his gag reflux and sensory sensitivities. Lastly, we have a free table foods workshop that can help even further! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi my daughter is 21 months old and she already got all her teeth.Her doctor told me to start giving her table food but when i first tried it she is crying a lot and doesn’t want to eat, she spit it out, gag and cough but when i gave her the same food into pureed she eat it but still didn’t finish it.Am getting problem with her on that process plz help me.
Hi Madeeha! Thanks for reaching out! Definitely consult with your pediatrician, due to her age. Your doctor can potentially refer you to a feeding therapist that can offer some hands on help. In the meantime, try using some sensory activities and oral motor exercises to help with the sensory sensitivities and oral muscles that work to chew/swallow. With food, the main thing will be to keep offering without any force or pressure. Allow her to touch/feel/play with her food and different textures. For more in-depth tips, definitely check out our free table food workshop— save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
My son was put on solids at 4 months due to his reflux. The doctors (his pediatrician and his pediatric GI doc) thought that it might help the reflux. At 8 months he still was not really eating purees and seems to be going backwards. I realized that most of what I thought he was eating was actually coming back out of his mouth. As he got old enough to keep it in his mouth, he started gagging, coughing and choking. My doctor and the OT whose blog he wanted to me read both were saying that gagging is healthy and never leads to choking. They were wrong about that. Once gagging became predictable, my son would cough while gagging to get the food out and gagging > coughing > choking became the chain of events every single time we tried to feed him purees because he would aspirate while coughing. When my doctor was still giving me this counterproductively positive advise, like “you got this, mama. It’s all fine” at 11 months old I realized that he wasn’t hearing me. I got myself an OT. Being in a big busy city, that meant the OT and I couldn’t connect until he was already 1 year old, but she immediately confirmed that he was lacking the oral-motor skills needed to lateralize his tongue and the food was just hanging out in his mouth until he either accidentally swallowed it or sputtered it out. She also identified some sensory issues. She noticed that he has trouble modulating his muscles in the way he smiles like his face will break and his hands splay out so much they almost bend backwards. She says he has some proprioceptive delays. And I see it now too. But it all becomes a big mess that is hard to untangle. Is it that the proprioceptive delays has led to an oral motor delay, or vice versa, Or has his reflux kicked this whole thing off and the sensory issues made it worse? He has other sensory issues. He notices very small noises in a noisy environment and is obsessed with ringing bells. He doesn’t like food on his hands, but he also doesn’t like his hands and face washed off. He loves hanging upside down. Diaper changes are a nightmare, which might be sensory, but I also suspect the reflux is active again and he doesn’t like laying down. Behavioral habits might be in play after months of having bad experiences. He gags when he even looks at certain foods or sometimes when he gets them on his hands. He is a giant one year old that is really difficult to keep well-fed because almost all of what he is eating is formula – hard to obtain, HA formula. It’s been a month of intensive treatment with the OT and I’m praying something gives. Deep pressure gum massage is one Rx, but the OT is better at it than I am. We’ve been working with him to lateralize his tongue. Getting him to chew teething crackers on the side of his mouth, which sometimes he will do now. We’ve been using a mini-probe from Ark therapeutics dipped in ice water to help him swallow the bit of crackers he pockets in his cheeks by placing it on his “molars” or gums where they’d be and making his tongue move. Drinking water has been achieved by using a cup with the nose cut-out, keeping his tongue inside his mouth by controller the floor of the cup and gently pressing under his chin. He will not let a spoon in his mouth but he will take water on a spoon. He really wants to feed other people. He likes shoveling food around, but becomes tantrummy if anyone tries to take control, and get it into his mouth. Poor thing. But sometimes, in a restaurant, he will surprise us all and steal food from our plate and plop it in his mouth. I just want to see him happy and eating. I think it’s also important to mention that he had a tongue tie and I had stopped listening to bad advise and got it released. Who knows how much it was an issue, but I have to tackle each factor so we can drill down to root causes. My work has recalled me and I’m unable to put him in daycare. The treatment is absolutely bankrupting me. But it is my top priority. One last word about doctors. They use proxy measures, and if your child is not underweight, they just won’t ever be concerned, because they don’t see you struggling to keep that baby fed or still doing night feedings at 3am. And even though he knows and likes my OT and has worked with her professionally before, I think a core problem is that he doesn’t believe in sensory issues. He told me even after I bypassed him and got treatment that I should take her advise critically because he has never *not* seen a child come back from OT without a diagnosis. In other words, every person he didn’t recommend go to OT, went anyway and had their problem confirmed.
Hey Jen,
Thanks for sharing with us, so sorry for all that you are going through. It is so hard when professionals aren’t seeing the whole picture and providing advice that isn’t helpful, but we do see it all the time. It is hard to tell which came first, but it does sound like you’ve recognized where the struggle lies in with oral motor and sensory difficulties (both common in picky eating). It does sound like the OT is providing you with lots of great oral motor activities to help move him along, it will take some time as feeding does. I would make sure they are also providing you with some sensory strategies as well to work on that side of things! If you need any resources from us, feel free to let us know. We are so glad you followed your gut and got connected with an OT!
Best,
Desiree
Your Kids Table Team Member
What is an OT please ?
Hi Connie! An OT is an Occupational Therapist! OTs help build/address gross/fine motor skills, visual skills, sensory processing, cognition/behaviors, self-care skills including feeding, and age-appropriate developmental play skills. Let us know if you have any additional questions!
Best,
Kalyn
My daughter is 2 years old. She is a picky eater. If the food is not blended she gags and cry. It is my fault that she is no eating table food at this age. She doesn’t eat meat or pasta, only pureed food. I need help and tips of what I need to do next !
Hi Micaela! Thanks for reaching out! Please don’t blame yourself, you are definitely not alone and we are here to help! First, we always recommend discussing this with your pediatrician, who will make sure your daughter is otherwise healthy, at a good weight, and doesn’t have any eating difficulties (swallowing, GI, etc). Next, start practicing some oral motor exercises and sensory activities to help ease her into being more comfortable with textures other than purées. Sensory bins, food play, and oral motor exercises can really help with this! Allow her to touch/feel/play with her food. Use a toothbrush to brush the insides of her mouth between meals. Sip from straws, blow raspberries, and make silly faces. All of these exercises can help strengthen her oral muscles and desensitize her gag reflux and sensory sensitivities. Lastly, we have a free table foods workshop that can help even further! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Do you have a bigger list of foods to offer, in order? Your post helped me realize I was giving my child foods that that were difficult for her to start with (but that I thought were easy). I’m already doing graham crackers, puffs and toast but she’s not ready for avocados and bananas. What else can I try now? Is love more guidance. Thanks!!
Hi Christie! Thanks for reaching out! We do have a Mega List of Table Foods to try. But for more step-by-step guidance, I’d definitely recommend our free Table Food Workshop. Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
My toddler is 16 months and still won’t eat table food. He wouldn’t even attempt purées until about months. He is very stubborn. He is now interested in table food and he will suck on it but has no idea what to do with it. What should I try? I don’t know what else to do.
Hi Jessica! Thanks for reaching out! It’s great that he’s now showing interest in table food! Since he’s stuck on purées and just sucking on table foods, he may need help with chewing/swallowing. Meltable puffs are perfect for practicing chewing and adjusting to a crunchy texture. Also try practicing with some sensory and oral motor exercises by allowing him to touch/feel/play with his food and using a toothbrush to brush the insides of his mouth. Other oral motor exercises include making silly faces, blowing bubbles, sipping from straws, and licking lollipops/popsicles. These exercises will help strengthen his oral muscles, which are what he uses to chew/swallow his food. Along with that, we encourage promoting a no-pressure environment, where he chooses if and how much he eats, without any forcing. We have more tips for chewing in our post here! Hope that helps!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi. My son is making 3 years old this may. But he has totally failed to adjust to table foods. So am forced to keep mashing up his food. And I have to keep feeding him otherwise he will not eat. If its something he likes, he will feed him self. How do I get him to start table food. Am really worried. He also like more of the sweet than salty foods
He doesn’t chew and if he isn’t interested in the food, he will not swallow it.
Kindly help.
Hi Kevina! Thanks for reaching out! First, here is our blog post with tips on teaching your child how to feed themself. If he has difficulty chewing and swallowing, definitely consult your pediatrician as well. Second, check out our free table food workshop, which helps provide in-depth tips for transitioning from purees to solid foods! Hope this helps!
Best,
Kalyn
I am desperate for help. I have a 13 month old daughter who has 6 teeth (4 on top, 2 on the bottom) and she will not eat solid foods. I have tried stage 3 baby food and she gags, then refuses. I have tried scrambled eggs, which usually results in one or two bites, then refusal. She is still drinking formula (mixed in with a little bit of milk, trying to get her on milk) which usually results into her not drinking the bottle. I have talked to her doctor and that was her suggestion. Now she isn’t sleeping well and I feel it’s from being hungry. I’ve even gone back to just formula, she will occasionally finish the bottle, when hungry enough. Refuses a sippy cup. I have been trying this since she was 6 months old. Now we are at the point where she needs to be using a sippy, drinking milk and eating solids.
Hey Kayla,
So glad that you reached out! We know how difficult this transition can be on everyone! First, I would stop trying with the stage 3 food (some kids do well with it, but gagging is also common because they have not yet learned how to chew the hunks of food that in with the puree that they typically just swallow). The next step I’d be working on is meltable foods (this is the first step in transitioning to table foods). You can learn more about how to make that transition in our free workshop! Save your seat here! As for drinking, I’d try to work on drinking from a straw cup this can be fun for kids as well as utilizing a character favorite cup can be helpful. But learn more about straw drinking here!
Best,
Desiree
Thank you for the article! I feel less crazy! My son is 14 months and will munch on crunchy foods like goldfish, Gerber cheese puffs and crackers but out right refuses solid food after a few bites. He can use a spoon but loses interest pretty quickly. Eggs, carrots, potatoes, peas, pasta all get a nibble or two but then he just wants his formula. I have some luck with Yogurt pouches but no other pouches. He used straws regularly. He has strained bowel movements and the only pediatrician advice is give him fruit and veggies but he refuses. Any thoughts on ways to convince him?
Hi Drew! You are definitely not crazy! We’re here to help 🙂
It could be that he just prefers milk and is filling up on milk, therefore only eating small amounts of his food. Try gradually decreasing his bottle feedings and replacing one by one with a meal or snack. We have a sample schedule you can check out here! If that doesn’t work, we do have a free table food workshop that helps guide you through transitioning to table foods more in-depth. Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hello! We recently started introducing finger foods to my 8 month old. He had puffs and teeth in crackers for a few weeks before (since 7 months). The first week and a half of finger foods he did so well and loved everything and couldn’t get enough. Now on the second week all of a sudden he’s refusing. So I’ll do thicker purée with baby oatmeal and yogurt and still have some ginger food. By the end he’ll take a few pieces but not nearly as much as he was. For dinner, he seems to still be into it. Is this ok? Not sure how to adjust since he was loving it
Hey Janine,
Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you’re on the right track. Even though he have just started refusing the finger foods, keep rotating them with the purees he is eating, especially at dinner time if he tends to eat more at that time. We recommend using a no pressure approach. You can also get some more info on transitioning to table foods through our free workshop. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
My child is 16 months old and still on the Breast and still on puréed baby food. He chokes sometimes on the dissolvable puffs please help lol I don’t know what to do.
Hey Amber!
Thanks for reaching out! You’re not alone! So many other toddlers have these same challenges. I’d suggest watching our free table foods workshop. It’s geared towards toddlers with these same struggles. You can save your seat HERE. Please reach out with any questions!
Best,
Andrea
Hello!
Can you please help. My 19 month old doesn’t t want to eat solids. I have tried everything. She has teeth and eats a slice of pizza without a problem but besides that she doesn’t like eating anything else. She doesn’t even likes fruits that are naturally sweet. I tried making her pancakes and she spits it out. I don’t know what else to do. Please help me!!!
Hi Patricia! So sorry to hear that your daughter is having a hard time with eating solids. We really encourage a no-pressure environment, where you offer her a variety of foods, but don’t force or pressure her to eat it. Since she’s rejecting certain foods, she may need help with her sensory/oral motor skills. Try using a toothbrush to brush the insides of her mouth- this will help desensitize her gag reflux and strengthen her oral muscles. She may also need help adjusting to different food textures. Try putting the food on her tray and allow her to use his hands to touch, feel, and feed herself. It may be messy, but this is perfect for her sensory and motor skills! You can even try pre-loading a spoon and setting it on her tray for her to practice picking up the spoon and bringing it to her mouth to eat. You might also benefit from our free workshop centered around table foods! Click here to save your seat!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi! How big do I cut the cube when I’m first offering soft cubbed foods? I’m dicing everything into teenie tiny pieces now and it’s hard for my son to put in his mouth (10 mo) because he doesn’t have a good pincer grip. Is a cube similar to the size of a dice or smaller? I don’t want him to choke!
Hey Jessie,
Yes, it should be big enough for most kiddos to be able to pick up! We always suggest sitting right nearby, especially when they’re first learning to eat new foods. Here’s a great article that gives some suggestions on how to help them feed themselves as well! Hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi!
I’ve been following the advice on this page for a few weeks now, and no luck! My son won’t even allow me to put the food in his mouth. He turns his head away and puts his hands in front of his face. He can pick it up easily, but he doesn’t want it anywhere near his mouth. It’s weird because he’ll chew on teether toys all day long. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong… I’m so worried he’ll be a picky eater. He is a preemie. He’s 11 months actual and 9 months adjusted. Is he just not ready? It’s really beginning to get to me.
Hey Jenna,
We’re so glad that you’re here! He’s at the perfect age to be looking into this, so that’s great! Sometimes being a preemie can have an impact on feeding for sure. It might be a good time to start letting him pick up the food or use a spoon to feed himself. You can model this using an over exaggerated motion, feeding yourself. I’d also suggest our free table foods workshop. It is such a helpful resource and I think would be a great place for you to start. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
Hi. I think im having every issue you’re saying. My daughter started well on purée foods and pouches. Then on some finger foods. but she’s nearly a year now refusing food fed by us, any texture, refusing table foods. Only wants milk. I’ve taken her milk right down to make her hungry but it’s not working. She just wakes frequently at night now wanting milk. Literally at the end of my tether thinking what do I try next.
Hi Natalie! Thanks for reaching out! It’s great that she started out well with purées and some solids, she just might need more practice! Try letting her feed herself- allowing her to touch, feel, and pick up the food and place it in her mouth- even if it’s messy! You can also pre-load a spoon with some food and set it in front of her to let her pick up and feed herself. Model eating and chewing for her, using over-exaggerated motions as she watches you eat. If she needs help with chewing, try crunchy/meltable foods, such as baby puffs. These will help her get a better feel of the solid food in her mouth and teach her to bite down on them. You can learn more about all of this and more in our free table foods workshop! Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi. When we started weaning I spoon fed rather than baby led, but did give bits on the side for him to pick up and eat himself. He was never really interested in eating this and just threw it on the floor.
We are now 16 months and at the stage where he still doesn’t really want to chew anything, (he still wants food mashed / easy to swallow) and he will not try any new or different foods. He very occasionally will put it in his mouth, but then just spits it out, he won’t even take a bite. He is having the same 3 meals everyday as that’s all he will eat.
I spoke to a dietician recently, as he is allergic to egg, and she said to keep offering the new foods along with the old foods and eventually he will eat the new. I have been doing this everyday for a couple of months now (every lunch and every dinner) and he will still not touch any new foods. He is also not bothered if I give him food from my plate.
He currently has porridge with squashed blueberries for breakfast, cheese toastie and a yogurt at lunch and mashed banana with weetabix for dinner (or after a huge battle mash potato, with carrots and peas). He is not having any meat, fish, different carbs etc.
He is also not saying any words at all – I’m wondering if it’s all related perhaps. Any advice please? I feel so stressed about it all!
Hey Harrison,
That sounds like it is really stressful for you! If you have concerns about his speech, we’d suggest bringing it up at his next doctors appointment. It does sound like he may be having trouble chewing. Using dissolvable solids like graham crackers or Gerber puffs can be a great teaching tool for chewing. Our free table foods workshop would be a great resource for you to check out. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
My baby is almost 13 months and I’ve been giving him puffs and small pieces of very soft foods for months and he still won’t actually chew anything. He just moves it around in his mouth like you would a hard candy then swallows. Sometimes just straight swallows with a big gulp. I eat with him and do the exaggerated chewing and tell him chew chew chew, but he still doesn’t. So I don’t feel comfortable moving forward with big pieces to where he could actually get a full meal. He does get tired of all the little pieces in about 10 min so he’s not eating a whole lot. Any ideas?
Hey Brittany!
Thanks for reaching out! Soft foods can more easily get lost in your little one’s mouth compared to crunchy foods. You might try dissolvable solids like gerber puffs or graham crackers. They offer a crunchy feedback, but dissolve quickly so they’re safer. We have an article about teaching how to chew, that would be helpful for you to check out!
Best,
Andrea
My 3rd child-nearly 3 old barely eats. He was diagnosed late on 10mths with diary and egg allergy (plus a couple of mils off a peanut allergy. We had tried lots of formulas and he ended up on neocate until about 6 mths ago. He lived on fruit, toast, pasta, vegan cheese etc + twice weekly peanut butter as advised. Now, since just over 2 the allergies disappeared and we tried oat milk-which he loves. As he’d not had much milk for 2 years we let him have lots at breakfast-big mistake. He refuses now any food at breakfast, everything he ate before he now also refuses (obviously bored of it). Lunchtime I’m lucky if he will eat a bit of apple, a bite of bread and 3/4 ritz! Maybe a smoothie. Evening comes and it’s chicken nuggets he demands. I give in out of desperation twice a week. (I know it’s bad) he doesn’t drink much water and by 5pm he’s asking for milk again! Please help as I’m at my wits end. (Luckily he’s somehow not underweight, but how long for worries me. Plus, I’m worried he will have tummy & digestion issues from practically being on a liquid diet!
Hi Laura,
That sounds like he had a tough start with food! That can be difficult for everyone. You might try to set out a plate with a small amount of breakfast foods and at least 1 food you know that he will eat (doesn’t matter if it is a breakfast-type food) and then a small glass of milk. Having him get in the habit of sitting at the table eating something (even if it’s something you aren’t crazy about) will get him in the habit and make it easier for you to expand foods long term. We also have a blog post about food jags. It gives some good information on how to expand foods! I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hello! My son is currently 10 months and even though he is the 3rd child, the process of transitioning to table foods and weaning off of formula soon still stresses me out. I am worried that I made major mistakes and I am hoping that you can provide guidance.
When he turned 10 months, I started stressing about how, in just 2 months, he will be off of formula and needs to be eating food well in order totake in enough nutrients. So I started introducing table food, which I think I shouldn’t have. He has been eating baby food for a few months and does well with it.( I did start thickening it recently too.) But here’s where I made the mistake- I never knew about the stage of starting with and mastering crunchy dissolving foods first. We give puffs and teething wafers and he does OK ,but I thought soft veggies and fruits would be easier, so I started offering little pieces this week and i feel like I shouldn’t have because he hasn’t mastered puffs and those things yet. I’m worried that I confused him and he wasn’t ready for what I gave. He’d would let me put a couple of pieces of the vegetables and fruits in his mouth but after 1 or 2 bites would refuse. Today and yesterday he wanted nothing to do with them, however he will touch and play with the food.
Can I rewind and go back to baby food and puffs/dissolving snacks? I really hope I didn’t make a negative impact by not properly following steps.
Hi Amanda! Thanks for reaching out! Try not to stress- you didn’t mess up! If you feel like he needs more practice with chewing crunchy textures, then go back to offering the meltable puffs until he masters that. However, if he chews fine and seems interested in other food, you can try to keep offering the soft cubed fruits/veggies. But try just placing them on his tray in front of him, dont force or pressure. Continue to allow him to touch/feel/play with it, and see if he naturally brings it to his mouth to eat. Feel free to still offer baby food and purées a few times per week, as its still good to have him be familiar with those textures as well. Hope that helps! If you feel like you need more support, check out our free table foods workshop here!
Best,
Kalyn
The Free printable Learn how to eat table food Cheat sheet is not available. It says there is a virus and on the downloadable page in my email is nothing but code and jibberish. Help, I am desperate to help my child eat.
Hey Jessica,
So sorry you are having trouble on your end. It sounds like your computer is blocking it. Email us at hello@yourkidstable.com and we can help get that to you!
Best,
Desiree
My baby eats finger foods and refused to eat anything off a spoon. But he eats only fruits and hasn’t developed a taste for anything other than that. Everything else he brings to his mouth, tries some and spits it out and then just plays around and throws it on the floor. Any help on what could be the reason and what I can do to change this is much appreciated. Thanks 🙂
What does it mean by cube shape? How do you cut veggies into cubes? Thanks!
Hey Cassandra,
A cube is a square shape on all sides. For vegetables it would just depend on what it was, but getting it as close to that shape as possible. This helps with them feeling all sides of it in their mouth so they have a better time recognizing where it is in their mouth to help with chewing.
Best,
Desiree
Hi! I am SO happy I found your blog! My son is 9 months old and still doesn’t seem super interested in food. I’m still breastfeeding about 8 times a day. I’m wondering if maybe that is why he doesn’t eat more than a few bites when we offer solids?
I make my own baby food at home and we started with super smooth purées at 6 months and he would NOT let us spoon feed him. He would grab the spoon and put it in his mouth. He uses it more and a teether I think and any food that he’s swallowing is not really on purpose. Every time the food enters his mouth he makes a funny face and then when he swallows he does a little sensory shutter. Is this a sign of a sensory issue?
I took a BLW course thinking that method would help him Since it seems like he just wants to feed himself. But the thought of giving big princes just made me too nervous. So now I offer chunkier purées as well as some very small pieces of the food that is in the purées during mealtime. I let him explore and play so mealtimes are about 45 min even though he might only actually be eating a teaspoon or so. We only do solids once (sometimes twice) a day so I know we should be doing it more often but it’s tough because he again just doesn’t seem very interested.
He has food allergies so we have been a little more careful (and slower) on introducing foods. I just get a little anxious every time he tries something new. I’m probably the reason he is behind as far as solids go. I know lots of babies his age who are eating 3 meals a day and way less breast milk. I’m hoping by the time he’s 1 he is on track and eating with me and my husband. This article gave me hope that it’s possible!
As per your advice, we started puffs today. He has a hard time getting them in his mouth (his pincer grasp isn’t very strong yet). He did however like the teethers and was gnawing on them but spit out the big pieces.
I’m sorry for all the questions! I appreciate you taking the time to read this long post. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!!
Hey Bree,
I love that you are reading and learning to figure out how to help your little one. I’d keep trying with the puffs, it may take a little, but is such a great tool for them to learn chewing! We do have a free workshop that walks you through transitioning to table foods that I think you will get some great information from. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree