Food and our 9 month old

We're about to make the break from Stage 2 foods that you buy in the
containers to cooking our own (veggies, chicken, rice, toast, etc.)
and letting him finger food feed himself and/or spoon feed him as
well. But getting him into chewing and away from the puree stuff and
letting him explore textures and the whole growing up bit ; )

We have a game plan - buy some chicken, beef, noodles, veggies, etc
and cook it all and store it for the week and just reheat it via
microwave for breakfast/dinner and give him some to take with him to
daycare as well. As well as pancakes too. We don't always eat dinner/
breakfast so in case you're wondering why we don't just cook every
morning/night. Plus we both work full time jobs.

This is our first child and we're just starting out so we're giving it
our best shot.

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do? I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

We are trying to stay away from the canned fruit with all the added
sugar.

Also - can he eat eggs? As in scrambled eggs? (we love scrambled eggs)

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

thanks!!

meatnub wrote:

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do?

Eat the rest of it yourself--it's good for you ;-)

Also - can he eat eggs? As in scrambled eggs? (we love scrambled eggs)

Egg whites are not uncommon allergens, so some suggest
waiting until a year to introduce them. If you choose to do that,
it doesn't do any good if you're feeding him egg in other foods.
The yolk is less likely to be a problem than the whites.

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

You'll just have to feel your way through that with him.
How able he is to satisfy his nutritional needs via self feeding
will depend on a lot of factors. At this age, his main nutrition
should still be coming from breastmilk (or formula), so the food
is more for fun and experimentation. It won't be that long, however,
before he's getting the bulk of his nutrition from solids. By
that point, you'll need to be more concerned with whether he's
getting a well balanced diet from solids. By then, however, he
should be a pro at self feeding.

Best wishes,
Ericka

"meatnub" wrote in message
...
We're about to make the break from Stage 2 foods that you buy in the
containers to cooking our own (veggies, chicken, rice, toast, etc.)
and letting him finger food feed himself and/or spoon feed him as
well. But getting him into chewing and away from the puree stuff and
letting him explore textures and the whole growing up bit ; )

We have a game plan - buy some chicken, beef, noodles, veggies, etc
and cook it all and store it for the week and just reheat it via
microwave for breakfast/dinner and give him some to take with him to
daycare as well. As well as pancakes too. We don't always eat dinner/
breakfast so in case you're wondering why we don't just cook every
morning/night. Plus we both work full time jobs.

Freeze it in "splats" and then defrost it when needed. You can do as much as
you can store then.

This is our first child and we're just starting out so we're giving it
our best shot.

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do? I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

I eat the spare fruit-if #1 or #2 doesn't get it first. He might eat a whole
one anyway. #1 would eat a whole banana by 6 months!

We are trying to stay away from the canned fruit with all the added
sugar.

Also - can he eat eggs? As in scrambled eggs? (we love scrambled eggs)

If you're low on allergies/asthma/excema in the family you can, but make
sure it's fully cooked. #1 loved scrambled egg at that age. It's not
recommended if theres possibilities of allergies.

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

With #1 I gave her the food from a spoon then gave her a few pieces of
finger food to play/eat afterwards, except breakfast where she sat in the
high chair for about an hour and ate while I got on with housework. She
usually ate a good breakfast by herslef, but slowly. (she still eats slowly
so it may be just her) #2 wouldn't put up with being fed, so did it all
herself from when she started weaning. #3 (8 months) prefers finger food
which was how I started weaning him. But he now doesn't get enough food
entirely feeding himslef because he gets too interested in playing, so I
give him some spoon food first.
Debbie

On Mon, 3 Mar 2008 10:57:54 -0800 (PST), meatnub wrote:

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten?

Fruit is easy, especially bananas. I just peel them as they eat them. Buy
smaller bananas, if he can't eat a whole one himself, or finish it off
yourself.

"meatnub" wrote in message
...
The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do? I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

The best thing I ever did regarding baby food was to freeze foods in ice
cube trays, and then dump the whole tray into ziploc freezer bags. By this
age though I guess you're giving him solid fruits, not mushed up ones, and
those will last in the fridge in a baggie for a few days. You can do things
like cut a whole apple into baby-size chunks and keep it in a bowl. That way
you're not having to chop and cut everytime you want to feed it to him.

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

If you have the time, let him feed himself until he's done. (spaghetti is
always fun! but strip the baby *before* putting him in the high chair) When
you don't have the time, sprinkle some food-chunks on his high-chair tray so
that he can feed himself as you're feeding him also. I also put a baby-spoon
and fork on the tray so my babies could get used to them.
You'll figure this kind of thing out with time, your son will show you what
he wants and the rest will occur to you.
Marie

In article
,
meatnub wrote:

We have a game plan - buy some chicken, beef, noodles, veggies, etc
and cook it all and store it for the week and just reheat it via
microwave for breakfast/dinner and give him some to take with him to
daycare as well. As well as pancakes too. We don't always eat dinner/
breakfast so in case you're wondering why we don't just cook every
morning/night. Plus we both work full time jobs.

I suggest you take the opportunity to move the entire family to a more healthy
eating style. Regularity of meals does wonders for children's tempers (not so
obvious with a baby but very obvious with a 3yo!). It is better for you
adults as well.

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do?

Eat it yourself (I assume you are NOT normally managing your two pieces of
fruit a day?). Store fruit whole, not cut.

I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

That's what I'd do with rockmelon or other things we can't eat at a sitting --
but children have a very good appetite for fruit!

We are trying to stay away from the canned fruit with all the added
sugar.

Can't you get canned fruit in natural juice? It's very widely available here.
We have it with our breakfast cereal to increase *our* fruit intake :-)

Also - can he eat eggs? As in scrambled eggs? (we love scrambled eggs)

Check that one with your doctor; there are different ideas in different places.

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

You have the wrong approach. Finger food is stuff that is held in the hands
and chewed on; you can't spoon-feed it anyway. But try not to take over from
your boy. You want him to grow up confident to try new things and to do
things himself. Start now, with food. Put a few things down on his high
chair: a noodle, strip of cooked carrot, just a few things from your plates.
Then let him feed himself. When he finishes something, give him another
piece, and keep going until he's had the chance to try most things on your
plate and seems not to want more. This method minimises mess as he won't have
the chance to throw a whole bowlful of noodles onto the floor. Remember:
there isn't much that is more important than good nutrition, so take time to
enjoy eating together as much as you can. It also helps with modelling table
manners.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

On Mar 3, 1:57�pm, meatnub wrote:
We're about to make the break from Stage 2 foods that you buy in the
containers to cooking our own (veggies, chicken, rice, toast, etc.)
and letting him finger food feed himself and/or spoon feed him as
well. But getting him into chewing and away from the puree stuff and
letting him explore textures and the whole growing up bit ; )

We have a game plan - buy some chicken, beef, noodles, veggies, etc
and cook it all and store it for the week and just reheat it via
microwave for �breakfast/dinner and give him some to take with him to
daycare as well. As well as pancakes too. We don't always eat dinner/
breakfast so in case you're wondering why we don't just cook every
morning/night. Plus we both work full time jobs.

This is our first child and we're just starting out so we're giving it
our best shot.

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do? I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

We are trying to stay away from the canned fruit with all the added
sugar.

Also - can he eat eggs? As in scrambled eggs? (we love scrambled eggs)

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

thanks!!

I don't believe anything should be eaten after being stored for a
whole week in the fridge. I was taught that 3 days would be the rule
of thumb for tossing something.

IMO, now is the time to get used to cooking. It's been my experience
that kids develop a taste for what they are used to, and before you
know it, you could very well have a child who doesn't like the taste
of leftovers or reheated foods once fresh-tasting items are served up.
There are many things that can be FROZEN for future use, but constant
microwaving alters some foods questionably.

I fed my children eggs prior to a year, but we didn't have any food
allergies in our family history.

He is still under a year old, so finger-feeding himself to master the
fine motor skill it takes is a good idea. The issue isn't how much he
eats of things because babies are supposed to get the majority of
their nutrients from breastmilk or formula. Solids really introduce
them to new tastes and textures and are for experimentation/learning,
etc.

You can freeze fruits and vegetables, and the length of time varies
based upon the item and method of storage. For example, something like
FoodSaver bags lengthen the duration of storage, but items like
broccoli produce gases and don't store well in anything.

I have to question why you can't just send a whole pear into daycare
so the provider can chop it up appropriately and serve it up, or even
grapes to be sliced up by the provider, etc. When I bought more
expensive fruits, such as mango, I would chop them up and seal them
with my FoodSaver system and store in the freezer. Vegetables only
take minutes to steam or cook into an appropriate texture/firmness for
a baby.

We let our babies feed themselves what they could, but since they
hadn't mastered the art of utilizing their utensils, we would also
often spoon- / fork-feed them as well.

Basically, anything that you are able to squish against the roof of
your mouth with your tongue or in between your lip-covered teeth (to
mimic gums), is fine for baby to feed himself with supervision. You
will be able to judge where baby can go from there as far as advancing
what is offered, such as soft meats, etc.

I know it seems hectic right now, being your first and all, but trust
me, once you have the second, you realize how much time you really had
to tend to these things with the first and how little you have now,
and well, then when you have the third, you appreciate how much time
you actually had with the other 2 that you didn't even realize you
had. The whole thing is cruel that way - speaking in retrospect here.
lol.

Most of us started off using jarred foods before we became more
accustomed to cooking/domesticated, etc. lol.

You can boil all sorts of veggies in a snap--brocooli, cauliflower,
grean beans, all sorts of beans, lentils, thin asparagus, squash,
yellow summer squash and green zucchini, etc. Sweet potatoes and peas,
etc. You can follow the jarred baby food manufacturers lead on what
they jarred to get you started and then expand on that from there. All
of these things can be cooked first and then frozen in individual
portion sizes. Most fruits don't keep well due to browning, and the
lemon that stops that can turn off most babies. The daycare provider
shouldn't think twice about peeling and slicing/cubing up an apple or
a pear, etc. Things like seedless watermelon, seedless grapes,
blueberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, oranges, mango, etc. travel
fine and can be stored in the fridge for a period of time too.

Wholesomebabyfood.com might help you out some. There are many other
things to get baby used to the gumming/chewing practices, such as
Cheerios, which are very low in sugar, Gerber puffs, and the stores
have some organic brands of thing to try too.

For breakfast, after formula or breastmilk, baby can be fed oatmeals,
fruits, yogurts, toast cut up, bagels, etc. Baby doesn't have to eat
at the same time you do either, although eating as a family is best
whenever possible. If he needs to eat by you in his chair as you are
preparing things in the kitchen getting ready for the next day is fine
too. These "meals" shouldn't replace his breastmilk or formula. You
can look up online or ask your pediatrician how much of either of
those he should still be getting each day for optimal nutrition.

Good luck. I think self-feeding is a fun time - messy, but fun!

On Mar 3, 11:46�pm, "MarieD" wrote:
"meatnub" wrote in message

...

The first question I have is what to do about fruit? How do you store
it without it going spoiled/rotten? For instance, if we cut some
banana or plum up for him, he's not going to eat a whole plum/banana
at once. So what do you do? I guess i'm looking for suggestions in the
fruit department ; ) Do you seran wrap the left over fruit and put it
in a tupperware container and store it in the fridge? that's the only
thing i can think of.

The best thing I ever did regarding baby food was to freeze foods in ice
cube trays, and then dump the whole tray into ziploc freezer bags. By this
age though I guess you're giving him solid fruits, not mushed up ones, and
those will last in the fridge in a baggie for a few days. You can do things
like cut a whole apple into baby-size chunks and keep it in a bowl. That way
you're not having to chop and cut everytime you want to feed it to him.

When you let him feed himself, do you just let him finger feed himself
until he's full? No matter how long it takes? Or in the beginning let
him finger feed himself a little then spoonfed the rest of the way if
its taking too long?

If you have the time, let him feed himself until he's done. (spaghetti is
always fun! but strip the baby *before* putting him in the high chair) When
you don't have the time, sprinkle some food-chunks on his high-chair tray so
that he can feed himself as you're feeding him also. I also put a baby-spoon
and fork on the tray so my babies could get used to them.
You'll figure this kind of thing out with time, your son will show you what
he wants and the rest will occur to you.
Marie

Or if you live in a cold state, like I do, where stripping your baby
for tomato-based foods is not an option, get a 3-pack of baby-Ts that
are designated for staining purposes. lol.