Baby led weaning food ideas

[Guest]

Im currently looking after an 11month old baby who is blw. The problem I have is that she doesn't eat anything for me. She is drinking lots of milk - far more than I would expect a child of that age to have so she is obviously hungry.

 

Ive tried chicken, vegetables, sandwiches etc. She just throws everything on the floor. I feel that its so wasteful. Im not a fan of blw as I feel a mixture of spoon fed and finger foods is best , but that's just my opinion. I respect the wishes of the parents though and Im trying to accommodate their needs.

 

They say that she takes over an hour to eat breakfast - I don't have this amount of time with looking after other children.

 

Does anyone have any ideas for foods I can give her?

 

Thanks

ps she is allergic to eggs

[Upsy Daisy]

Raw veg, bread sticks, fruit, dried fruit, cheese.

 

Toast with all sorts of toppings,

 

Why not find out what she likes to eat best at home and offer that?

[HoneyPancakes]

Baby lead weaning wasn't around when I weaned my boys, but I realised it's pretty much what I did. It's messy, and time consuming but works in the end.

 

What I did wrong was to keep giving milk - milk consumption might be the issue here. I know we're supposed to offer milk as a drink, but my view is that it's a satisfying food - I'd just offer water with meals and keep reducing the 10am and 2pm feeds. Is baby on the breast at home? Maybe also consuming a lot in the evening which doesn't help.

 

Something that did work for me was to sit on the floor on an 'oops' mat which acted as a table. But I wasn't minding then so I could sit too, but I'm thinking one of those 'bumbo' seats to keep baby from crawling through everything might work (or have they been outlawed?). There are also some bags available in supermarket baby aisle these days that look a bit like a dummy. Put food in bag and there's a handle. Prevent's choking but I think it must prevent textures getting through.

 

My recent two little weaners (19months and 16months now) are happy with a piece of toast for breakfast. Some banana at snack time, Some microwaved vegies (and they all love peas and corn straight from the freezer and left to soften a bit). some egg or salmon (Iceland do the nicest best value salmon), Some rice, boiled potato (messy) or pasta (less messy). And I don't give puddings (except for special occasions) - those little yoghurt and fromage fraise are packed with sugar and stop babies being interested in other foods.

 

Persevere. It's for a short time. Give parents the changes of clothes to wash - warm enough now to strip to vest and nappy anyway.

 

Writing about it makes me realise how much I love feeding babies.

 

All will be well in the fullness of time.

 

Honey xx

[Guest]

Ive tried cooked carrot sticks, broccoli florets. cucumber, apple etc. Very little ends up in her mouth.

 

Ive asked what she eats at home and mum just says 'anything' - very helpful. Ive asked repeatedly for a list of foods she eats at home and got nothing. You wouldn't think it was for the benefit of her child.

 

She eats toast but we have that for morning snack so don't want to be giving her the same things all the time.

 

Thanks for your help

[Guest]

I also think the milk may be an issue but shes hungry. I always give the milk after her meal.

 

Shes waking at 4am for a bottle at the moment so having a total of 6 bottles a day. Which imo is way too much for an 11month old.

 

Shes very active so wont sit still at all so feeding on the floor wouldn't be an option. Would probably cause problems with the others I look after too. One of the children I look after is 3yrs ( being assessed for asd) and copying her throwing food, mushing it up etc.

 

Thanks for all your help. Think I might just need to persevere lol

[Stargrower]

If she's having six bottles a day at 11 months, I'd say she's filling up on milk and that might be why she's not interested in food. I'd try to persuade parents to cut down the milk and see if that helps.

[HappyMaz]

So for the uninitiated, can someone explain to this old duffer what baby-led weaning actually is?

[Guest]

If she's having six bottles a day at 11 months, I'd say she's filling up on milk and that might be why she's not interested in food. I'd try to persuade parents to cut down the milk and see if that helps.

I think we are in a cycle of, shes hungry so drinking lots of milk but because shes drinking lots of milk shes not hungry for solid food.

 

They wont cut her milk down as it would mean her being up in the night. The last time she was awake in the night, dad had to have a day off work as he was too tired - poor thing ha

[Guest]

So for the uninitiated, can someone explain to this old duffer what baby-led weaning actually is?

Its where the baby is given finger foods and whatever you as a family are eating - as long as there isn't a high salt content.

 

No purees or blended foods etc. The problem I have with it is that the baby I look after doesn't seem to be taking in enough solids - due to playing with food/throwing it on floor etc - so shes filling up on milk. She also cant/wont take anything off a spoon.

[Guest]

Maybe theres something in this baby led weaning idea as I have a 4 year old at preschool who will only eat pureed or supermarket baby food, no texture at all as she was never given texture as a baby

Edited August 7, 2013 by max321

[Upsy Daisy]

Baby led weaning is suppose to allow the baby control over their own intake of food, i.e. speed and choice. It's meant to help avoid food issues further down the line because they already feel in control.

The baby can also explore the texture and smell of a food before deciding to put it in their mouth which prevents new tastes being a nasty shock.

It's slower and messier than spooning puree into their mouths but, having done this for childminded babies, I like it better.

 

I did something fairly similar with my own babies simply because they enjoyed being in control and I didn't worry about their milk intake because they were breastfed so I had no idea how much they were getting anyway.

I f this baby is eating well at home, healthy and developing well and the parents are not concerned I would just keep offering a nice variety of small amounts of food, allow her to explore them and eat whatever she chooses and not worry about it.

[HoneyPancakes]

A friend keeps telling me how her daughter is feeding her baby 'all this Baby Edwina'! Took a couple of times to make the translation.

 

H

[HappyMaz]

I had to read that several times til I got it Honey. I'm having a hard of thinking day today! :huh:

[sunnyday]

Just like Maz - I'm an old 'duffer'! :blink: I hesitate to say 'in my day' - sounds awful doesn't it and who cares what happened 'in my day' :blink: but here goes......

 

In my day - it was a 'mix' of both - so may have been some very mushy cereal or baby rice for breakfast and then some finger food for lunch.......or some toast for brekkie and then some 'mushed' (technical term that ) whatever at lunch..........dinner was invariably whatever we were having but........wait for it 'mushed'! :1b

 

Is she using her bottle for 'comfort'?

[Lucie]

I'm currentlyweaning my daughter, she's nearly 9months. She loves food! I think baby led weaning is the current 'thing', we do a mixture, she has some finger food but I also spoon feed her with 'mush'! That way u know she has eaten something. Health visitors are adamant that actually they don't need any nutrients from anything other than the milk at this age and that this part of weaning is purely to get them used to trying new flavours and textures, not necessarily eating what they are given.

Rosie eats

Cucumber, sticks or slices with the skin off.

Apple wedges

Potato wedges

Carrot sticks

Pasta e.g. With tuna

Banana chunks

Rice cakes e.g. With dairylea

Cheese

Toast

Scotch pancakes

Brioche

Scrambled/boiled egg

 

But we feed yogurt, fruit purée etc with a spoon!

[Guest]

Thanks Lucie theres a few in that list I hadn't thought of.

 

I will just keep giving her bits of finger foods and not get to upset over the fact that she isn't eating it. Shes only with me for 3 days so she wont starve! I think my problem is that I feel she should be eating 'proper meals' at this age. Im not used to this way of weaning and finding it a bit difficult to get into.

 

Thanks for all your help and replies x

[Guest]

I did BLW with my son, Ben. (herein known as B!) and he was fantastic with it. It was perfect and it is also the way that the SALT at work recommends you do providing the child has no physical difficulties with eating or swallowing.

B got offered whatever we were having as a meal, just bits of it and obviously nothing salty. So if we were having a roast he'd have some meat, some potatoes, some veg (when younger long finger shapes are easiest to hold) or if we were having pasta, he'd have that. For breakfast he'd have cereal which sometimes he'd use his spoon with (always been a star with that) or use his hands. He still tries to get away with this now at just 3!). Milk was offered after meal times once he got used to the idea of food.

Around that age he loved veg or breadsticks dipped in hummous/other dips, pasta and pesto, anything bolognaise style so spag bol, lasagne, cottage pie. He also loved and still does love his fruit.

 

 

I've just been talking with a friend and she asked for my savoury muffin recipe that I used a lot when B was little and still do now, so I'll copy this for you on here as I've got it saved in my clipboard!

This is the recipie I found and used. Some people were asking me for it so here it is. I edited it slightly as I didn't have everything in that it said.

Makes 12 regular or 24 mini muffins

200g broccoli (1 small – med head)

1 1/2 cups plain yoghurt (360 ml)

1/4 cup oil (olive or corn or your choice)

1 large egg

50g cheese (I use a bit more than 50g – prob nearly double the qty)

2 cups self-raising flour (225g)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup skimmed milk if required. (50 ml)

Preheat oven to 200 C or 190 for fan ovens. Put rack just below middle of oven.

Cook broccoli (boiled or steamed until tender).

Mix yoghurt, oil & egg well together. Add broccoli and crumble cheese. Put mixture in food processor and pulse in short bursts until no large pieces of broccoli left. Try not to puree the broccoli but just chop it finely. (I do it all by hand. I chop the broccoli finely on a chopping board and mix everything by hand, Works equally well!)

Put flour & salt in a big bowl and mix together with a fork. Pour in the liquid mixture and begin to fold together. If you think the mixture looks too dry add the extra milk and fold JUST enough to combine. (The key is not to over-mix it – it should look pretty lumpy and unappetizing!)

Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Using two spoons divide the mixture evenly between the pans.

Bake for 12/15 minutes or until golden-brown and centres spring back when pressed. Let the muffins cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes before tipping out.