6 Month Old Only Wants Grown up Food

My oldest son ate ONLY grown up food by time he was 5mos! MN 2nd son is now almost 8mos and wants nothing to do w/grown up food. I think every baby is different and shouldn't be made to go w/the "norm" if it's not right for them. I don't see anything wrong w/cutting out traditional baby food and letting them eat w/you. Assuming you eat well rounded meals, they'll still be getting nutrition. You will save money by not having to buy baby food, and you'll save time by not having to make two meals. Personally, I make my own baby food, but I think it's a win win situation for you.

Listen... It's going to be okay. She is not going to end up fat and diabetic by just eating table food. She should be eating table food. She's old enough for it. I have 4 boys and all but 1 started eating table food by the time they were 4 months old (1 actually started when he was 2-1/2 months old). Diabetis is an inherited trait (95% of the time). And obesity is both environmental & genetic. So it really doesn't matter if she's eating jar or table food. (I have to tell you that I am 5'9", gave birth to 5 children [4 living] and I have the shape of a runway model. But there's a catch... I eat like I'm a defensive lineman for a team in the NFL! I have always eaten like this, and I do not have an eating disorder, and I refuse to exercise! I do get my blood sugar level tested regularly, because diabetis runs on both sides of my family. It's all genetic.)

I think as long as the adult food you are giving them ground up is healthy then you will be fine. I made my own baby food and only used the jars when I was in a pinch or traveling. Just haul out the food processor and you'll be fine!

My ten month old has ALWAYS had "regular food". I don't add anything to his though. For example, when I make green beans he gets some before I season the rest. Cooked carrots? GReat! Just set some aside before you add honey or whatever. I pured (okay can't for the life of me remeber how to spell "pure-aid", must be having a brain bubble!) everything when he was on purred food. If you think about it, they didn't used to have jarred food. Baby jars are just a conveience. THeir is nothing fancy there. They actually add things to them (even though they say they don't) so that they can sit on shelves forever. My baby has not been sick and is fine. Now, I don't let him have inappropriate things. Like we go to Skyline and he gets noodles and cheese, no chili because hi belly can't handle it. You just make simple natural foods. Pizza crust for me is fine, but wait on the tomato sauce because of the acid. I have an awesome book calles "Super Baby food". The library usually has it. But it tells you at what ages kids are okay with things. Like the egg yolk is oaky but you should wait on egg whites until one year. Maybe buy it for your husband and consider it a compromise. I have never heard of a baby becoming diabetic from jarred food. It is genetic. ALso, look at the sugar content in some of the jars! It is unreal! They actually add sugar to some of the fruits. I was very surprised when I read the ingredients. Good luck and if you have any questions please feel free to send me a message. I have discussed this with my doctor berfore I did it and he encourages me to feed him real food. Just make the texture appropriate. THe only problem I can see is that if she has a reaction to something you m ay not know what. foods should be introduced with a 4 day wait between each new item to avoid allergy confusions.

Hi D., You have an issue if; The food is not pure such as adding a lot of spice (Salt/Sugar)additives-preservatives the baby does not need. Processed products are a no, no! precooked frozen products are a no, no!

Table food prepared properly is just fine for a 6 month old.
Jarred food is great too and costly.
Can dad and grandpa stick to a healthy, balanced meal.

Good Luck this is a tough one. B.

I would ask your doctor's advice. That way you don't have to play the bad guy.

Hi D.

In my opinion, baby food is a big rip off. The same applesauce that you pay $1 for 16 oz you pay $0.69 for 2 ounces. My children, with the exception of the first, have never eaten baby food.[I got a bunch of baby food for my baby shower so I did feed that to her.] I started them off with fresh fruit or canned fruit in natural juices that I pureed and vegetables that I cut up, steamed, and pureed. With the current organic food craze, you can almost always find fruit, even applesauce, with no addedsugar.

Once they were a little older (say 8 months) I bought a mini-chop and chopped up whatever we were eating for dinner. My oldest daughter's favorite was pot roast! I just put a little bit of everything in and corsely chopped it.

If you have health issues, the closer to whole natural food you get the healthier it will be. I know what I'm putting into my food. I do not know what is in that little jar, KWIM?? The other big advantage for my family was that it really got us into the mode of eating a vegetable with every meal. I actually had to buy extra asparagus for my second child because she loved it so much that the usual amount wasn't enought for all of us! lol

And relax, my father was the worst for giving the babies whatever they wanted and could safely gum up. He passed away last year and one of the dearest memories I have is of watching him from halfway across the room while he talked to our third child (aged 6 mo) at Chuck E Cheese's 'would you like grandpa to give you this pizza crust?...would you?....you would? O.K.' Incidentally, that was her first bite of actual food.

When you stop to think about it, how is pizza crust (flour, water, yeast, salt) any different dietarily than those Zwieback biscuits we give the baby? I always considered myself lucky that my kids would eat regular food. I'm hoping #4 is just as good about it. Right now he's still solidly on the breastmilk diet. But he's only 3 months.

Good luck,
E.

I agree with the other posters. As long as you are giving nutritious foods and avoiding the potential allergens (eggs, milk, citrus) then table food is fine. I wouldn't give her pizza, but green beans, potatoes, even meat ground up is okay.

My daughter never ate any cerals or other baby foods, it was always table foods. Here's another good link to check out http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030500.asp.

My only concern here is food allergies. Many doctors say starting some things too early can lead to allergies. In particular milk, eggs, wheat, and seafood. I would just shy away from those particulars. And, of course, honey as was mentioned previously. Otherwise, I don't see too much cause for concern...

~ V.

i gave my son both jar food and "grown-up" food at about 5 months. now, he'll eat just about anything. i think it allows kids to develop a taste for different flavors and textures early. if she likes something that's good for her, let her eat it! if you're worried about her having weight problems, don't use food as a reward and don't make her "clean her plate". teach her to stop eating when she's full. you sound like you're doing a great job so far! M.

I found out when I had kids that EVERYONE has an opinion on how to raise your kids. My inlaws always thought they knew best. Six months does seem to early to feed "real" food. My inlaws used to do that to me too. They also did other things I didn't want them to do. I finally put my foot down and had to get a little mean. I told them that I am their mother. If they didn't do as I asked that they would no longer be able to watch them any longer. Whether they thought I was right of wrong in the way I was doing things it didn't matter. They are my boys. After that they knew I was serious and we haven't had a problem since. Good luck.

None of my three children ever ate jarred baby food. I took some of whatever I was making for us and ground it up for them. If the rest of the family is eating healthy food, then it's not going to hurt your daughter to eat it. None of mine have ended up fat....they're all bean poles...LOL.

Dear D.

I hope the liitle one is eating the food you are giving.Don't worry about the food the family is giving. But please check on the quantity.Otherwise the baby will stop eating your food. Actually if the baby can digest it is good sign. In India the doctors suggest having the same food as the family from one year.I know it is difficult for a mother to see the child being different from their peers.

Best wishes C.

I think it is ok as long as she is getting healthy food. And, one thing at a time. I remember introducing a veggie at a time for a week starting at 6 mos and then starting the fruits to make sure there were no allegies and to ensure that the baby will eat veggies (fruits are sweater and taste better).

My son is now 2 1/2 and eats pretty much what we eat-- but we all eat differently now. Now butter on the toast, no nutra-sweet or similar products in food he gets, small adjustments.

I would be a little concerned she might choke... especially on bread or something that could break off. Maybe if your husband feed her, her food while they ate and then gave her some cherrios or fruit puffs she would be happy?

I don't think baby food is any better for the baby than real food. Just b/c it's more expensive doesn't mean it's better. All you have to worry about is giving well balanced meals. That means more veggies than starch and including dairy and meats for iron and B vitamins.
If you're not sure about how to balance a meal contact a dietician.
If you're concerned about choking then yes, grind the food a bit more.
It's not a bad thing that your daughter doesn't want the jarred food.

It is ok to grind adult food and serve it, because that is all that baby food is. I would be careful what you give your daughter especially at her age. Did your doctor give you any advice on what foods to start introducing and when. Children can have reactions to certain foods, so it is important to introduce foods one at a time and wait a few days for new foods. Also it is very important for your family to realize that there is a reason that some foods can not be introduced at her current age and it has to deal with how the child is able to digest the foods. She is not fully developed at 6 months. That is why seafood, meats, even some vegtables can not be introduced right now. They can be very harmful!!!! I would recommend the Super Baby Food Book for information on foods. As for serving table food it is fine as long as she is eating the right foods. I made a lot of my own baby food. When my son could eat everything that we could at the dinner table, I would put everything in a food processor. Good luck.

I don't know how much help I would be, I give my 6 month old table food. This is my 3rd baby. I have used jarred foods less and less. I just mash up or piece off table food. I try to avoid sugary foods, butter, and additives.

I would suggest getting some “home made baby food” cook books; I had a few when my kids started eating food. They have some good ideas on what makes good home made baby food and what does not. For example, why not smash up a banana rather than buying it in a jar. At the same time, if they put lots of salt and spices on their foods, it could be dangerous. So maybe educating yourself and them on what is safe and what is not safe from the adult table to feed your baby will make them comply to your wishes more, and make you feel better about the table food they are feeding her.

Hi D.

My son would not eat the jar food so I had to buy a food grinder and grind up what we were having. That is all he would eat. Like the other person said just make sure she is eating healthy foods and getting her fruits and veggies......

My three children never got jarred baby food. We started with table foods at 6 months with no problems at all. I didn't make anything "special", didn't leave out spices, nothing. There's a great article you can read on the myths of first foods here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449

WEll I have a 1 yr old and a 6 year old I have always giving them Jared food but at the same time I gave them table food to what ever I eat they eat both of them have no probs with it both of them are at perfect weight and everything. Does she have any teeth yet? my little one had her first Mc D happy meal when she was about 8 mons I have alway feed them from my plate my Doc told me to start wirh soft table food like peas carrots mashed potatoes apple sauce so that fine I also ggave her pizza cryst and bread. I would let it go for now if your daughter can handle it. Dont stop the jared food I still give my 1 yr old some jared food that have meat in it.

My daughter just stopped eating baby food at 8 months. I tried using the 3's and she just spit those out too. I started using a baby food grinder, or cutting things very small. They sell the grinders very cheap at Babies R Us. She did just fine with it and didn't get fat at all. As long as your daughter is getting all of the nutrition she needs I don't think it's bad if she is getting real food. Good Luck!!

I believe that 6 months old is early for pizza and things like that, but steamed veggies mashed up is ok my 2 love any veggie steamed and of course they are older now I don't mash it up but I think giving them veggies early on instead of junk foods really helped. But I ran into the same problem with my inlaws I keep my kids on formula till they were 1 cause the vitamens in it are good for them till then, well my inlaws couldn't understand cause they didn't raise there kids that way and there kids ate adult food when they were 6 months and guess what all the kids were really over weight till they got older and did something about it. I also feed my kids jar food till about a year old they have something called natures garden and it is really good, but agian the inlaws argued and I finally explained that they raised there kids how they wanted and I am my kids mother and I will rasie them how I want to if they can't do as I ask then they can not watch them. I know it sounds mean but you need to remember YOU are the mother and they should listen to you don't be afraid to stick up for yourself when it comes to your children cause trust me if you don't say something now next it will be they think that the child should go to this college... and so on talk to your husband he should understand where you are coming from and work with you on what you both want for the child and if you want to feed her jar food then go for it thats your choice. I would try dinner type jar foods and then some kind of steamed veggie so she thinks she is getting real food. Good luck I really understand the stress on inlaws and how they can be very overbearing.

RELAX!!! I am a mother of a 2 and 4 year old and I come from a large old-fashioned family. My daughter began eating baby cereal at 3 weeks and was eating ground up table foods by the time she was 4 months old. I gave her the fruits out of the jar in the appropriate stages and was just careful not to give her table foods cooked with too much salt or oils. She is now 4 years old, almost 4 ft tall, 37lbs, and as skinny and strong and healthy as can be. You should sit down with your husband and his family and come to a happy medium of what table foods your daughter should get before a year old.

Something to keep in mind is that baby food is just ground up adult food, however, jarred baby food doesn't typically have added sugar, butter, salt, etc. I think you are justified in being concerned about what baby eats but "baby food" shouldn't be exclusive to her diet. Mashed potatoes and applesauce and peas should be okay, you might suggest that they choose a "no sugar added" variety for the whole family, and dish up her peas before they add salt and butter. I think that as long as they are supervising her so that she doesn't choke, even a pizza crust won't hurt. It is not necessary to restrict her diet to jarred baby foods is my point. Alot of people nowadays are grinding their own baby food and there are plenty of people who only use the baby jars to introduce foods and check for allergies and switch to regular varieties once they are safe. Your concern about her future weight is justified in this day and age, encourage the vegetables and fruits and other healthy foods, and request that they avoid giving her other unnecessary stuff, like potato chips or ice cream until she is a little older.

My suggestion would be to can your own baby food. Keep your jars and boil veggies (and mash) or mash fruit and store them for later. You can do this with any other softer foods too...like pastas and some cooked foods. You absolutely CAN feed your baby what you are having, as long as what you are having is healthy.

My foster parents had the same theory about kids (big and strong) but they were all 300lbs+.....so thier definition of big and strong was very different from mine. I want my child to be HEALTHY more than anything.

Keep your kids away from fast food at all costs!! We must try to remember that our childrens adult eating habits stem from childhood. It is a FACT that fast food places target children becasue they know that if they hook them on thier food in childhood, they will be a life long customer. They also know that if the kids love to eat there, the parents are more likely to take them there. But the most important reason, fast food isn't even food. It's all genetically modified food that poisons your body over time and makes you more suseptible to cancers, diabetes, obesity, ect....all in all, it simply IS NOT WORTH IT! Take the opportunity while they are young to give them good eating habits.

D.,
I have only given my 3 kids "grown up" food. I have never bought jarred food...but that doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. Maybe they will compromise...Ok pizza might not be the best option for a baby...even ground up...but what about grinding up some food for her and leaving it in containers so they can give it to her when she is hungry.Then you are not giving her jarred food and there is some ready -on demand. I grind up all sorts of food..apples, bananas, spaghetti, any type of chicken dish I might make for dinner, all sorts of fruits and veggies (no, I don't usually cook them first...like apples, I just throw them in and grind away) You can give in to them if they are willing to use the food you make. But in all reality..if nothing else, chewing on pizza crust might be more of a choking hazard than anything else. Also, the first baby I used a baby food maker and it served the purpose..but for the last two I had the majic bullet...i bought off of an infomercial....it is the best thing ever.
good luck.

My 7 month old baby also likes the food we eat at dinner time. If we are eating something like mashed potatoes I don't mind giving him some because it is a veggie, but he also wants some of evertything else we eat. I also give him some green beans mashed a little bit. My suggestion to you is to make sure your daughter has eaten before your dinner time. When it is time for your family to eat, give her a cracker to suck on. I do this and it keeps him busy and occupied (not to mention he likes cracker too). I think it makes them feel as though they are eating with you. Hope this helps and good luck.

J.

D.,
I understand your concern, but as long as you give her healthy foods, She should be ok, just make sure they don't give her items like shell fish, or other things that might cause a reaction.
If you that worried, then do as I did and ask her doctor at the next visit what they think. My doctor didn't mend the table foods and she helped guide me into what was ok to feed her and when.
We gave my daughter pizza about the same age. She didn't really like any part of it but the mushrooms and crust.
Don't worry it won't be long before you will wish she would eat something anything. My daugher used to be a good eater. Now I can barely get her to eat much of anything.

Hang in there. There are so many books and help out there, but the most important is to follow what makes you comfortable.

Good Luck

All 3 of my kids eat jarred baby food for the convenience of it, but my nephew was never fed any jarred food. They bought a food processor and pureed their own food and froze it for when it was needed. I think that is fantastic because it is the best for the baby to have the fresh organic fruits and veggies, but I just don't have the time to mess with it. Keep in mind though that you may want to watch what table food you give her because babies stomachs aren't as developed as ours. That is why they have a liquid diet the first year and not to mention they need the calories and all the vitamins and nutrients. Also your little girl could easily form allergies to these foods and by giving her whatever you are having it will be difficult to decipher what is causing the allergy. There are lots of things babies SHOULD NOT have until a certain age and I would definitely be sure that none of those things are in your babies diet. For example...do you use milk in your mashed potatoes? Also the spices you use in foods can be hard on a babies belly even when they are toddlers. If you really want her to have table foods this young I would set a couple ground rules and ask that everyone follow them and then everyone wins.

D. - as long as she's able to digest the foods well (no constipation or diarrhea) let her have it. My oldest daughter (will be 2 in Nov) was on stage 2 jar-food and at 6 mo old, grabbed a BBQ rib out of my Mother's hand and gnawed all the meat off it...she hasn't touched baby food since. She's had no health problems, and loves vegetables, fruit and yogurt. I don't approve of the fast food, though she gets it on occasion. She only gets a small amount of sweets once a week or so. My youngest daughter was a preemie (3 months early) and her doctor just now wants her STARTING stage 1 jar food - I haven't listened to them and she's already on soft table foods along with her stage 2 jar food...she loves scrambled eggs, yogurt, peas (I don't mash them, I just give them to her slowly, a couple at a time). I would talk to the family about WHAT is being fed to her - I don't think the pizza crust is such a good idea - maybe pick up a box of the biter biscuts by Gerber. Try introducing new foods one at a time - don't give her strawberrys for the first time on a day where you've given her oranges for the first time...if she has an allergic reaction to something, you won't know which one it was - introduce one per day, then you can make sure she can handle it.

Both of my children were on "real" food by time they were 9 months old - they hated jarred baby food - obesity is caused by overeating - fat is essential to babies and children, so I find that your concerns with diabetes and obesity -though well-intentioned are misplaced with your baby. With my first child, I was concerned at his desire to only eat regulat food and not his baby food and my pediatrician (who, by the way has been recognized as one of the best in the country)said the only purpose for bay food is to train a baby to eat real food. With all this in mind, if your baby is showing signs of gastrointestinal issues due to the food he is getting, thent he spices may be too much and something more bland may be the solution. You may also want to watch the milk intake as to prevent milk allegies - and definitely NO nuts. Hope this helps.

Hi. I have a great book called "feeding your Baby" a practical handbook. It's by Sara Lewis. It is a great book. I'd suggest getting it and making a few of the receipes for your husband to give your daughter. It's all "regular" food prepared for babies by age. I got it at Borders. Good Luck.

My little one is 15m. I rarely gave him jarred foods. Instead, I made my own pureed baby foods. All fresh fruits and vegetables, steamed and whipped through the food processor. He is a busy little guy, perfectly happy and not fat.

I think skipping the jarred foods is fine if you are feeding your girl healthy things. the occasional pizza crust is fine to help with teething - even moreso if it is day-old pizza crust (harder). I would avoid giving her foods that are too high in fat/salt/sugar.

Good luck!

Hi D.,

That is great that your daughter is interested in "big people" food. There is nothing wrong with her eating what everyone else is having as long it is nutritionally balanced with protein, fruits, veggies, etc. You do want to be concerned about her having things with honey in them because of botulism. You also want to make sure the food is chopped up into small bite size pieces. Relax and enjoy your little girl growing up.

well in my opinion if she likes it give it to here. use a food processer to make it smoother if youlike. have you ever tasted jar food its pretty nasty. my son only at the fruit the rest was our food. if the doctors say its ok which i imagine they would then its should be fine. i wouldn't worry about it. babys that young you can't worry about her getting fat now if shes like 4 then yeah watch her intake.babys will only eat when they are hungry. so let her eat.

Hello D.
My oldest ate baby food and my youngest would not eat baby food he too wanted grown up food. He fine and pretty healthy he is a skinny little thing and my oldest his healthy but he gets sick more often and is chunky. So I don't think it really matters just as long as they eat healthy. I tried baby food with my youngest and he ate it for about a month and then he decided he wanted to ear what big brother was eating. Don't worry to much Your six month old will be fine.

M.

Before all the jarred food came along, all we had was ground up food from the table. The only reason we really have jarred food now, is for the convenience. As long as the food that is given to your daughter is healthy, you don't need to worry. I wouldn't give her pizza or fried foods, or ones that are high in fat or sugar, but mashed potatoes (without a ton of gravy), applesauce, peas, and other fruits and vegetables will be great for her. It's wonderful that she is overcoming the texture issues so young, because some kids (mine, for example) got used to the baby food, and didn't even like the stage 3 baby food. It took awhile to transition her to table food. I've noticed with my daughter that she will stop eating when she is full, no matter if she likes what is still on her plate or not. I don't know if all kids do that, but I wouldn't worry too much about your family giving her food if she is fussy. If toys or other distractions don't make her happy, then she may still be hungry. Growth spurts will make her more hungry as well. Honestly, I'm about as conservative as they come, and I think as long as the food is healthy and ground up well, it's fine to give your daughter. Save the baby food for when you are out and about, or when you're eating the not so healthy food. Think of all the money you'll save on jarred food! =)

Hi D.,
I have four kids. When my youngest who is four now was ready for baby food my pediatrician suggested to save my money and let her eat from the table. I would give her peas, green beans, mashed potatoes etc. Anything that I could smash up and give to her that was healthy I would. I did also buy some jarred baby food for the convenience. I would just make sure she's not getting too much so you won't worry about her gaining too much weight just as you would do with the jar food.Good luck!

Hi D.,

I have a 1 year old (as of yesterday)and we started giving her big girl food as soon as she was ready. I don't think there is anything wrong with that as long as she is getting more then just junk foods and is over indulging. Try giving her other things like green beans and little chunks of fruits and veggies. Please don't get me wrong knawing on a pizza crust is just fine, but try to give her a little variety and some things that are nutritional to her as well. I would also suggest that if you do let her eat regular food that you don't give her the baby food anymore, as long as she is getting the proper foods that she will need to be healthy. Good luck in any way you choose!

I am not sure what advice to give you here on what your parents are doing, but you can go to freshbaby.com and see how to make your own baby food. They also give you info on neutrition and they have a biweekly podcast as well which might be helpful. Good luck. I know it's hard having parents who do not listen to you on how you wanna raise your own children. That can be tough.
T.

Other family members can be very difficult to get through to cant they?! I understand your heath concerns for your child. If you go to www.mypyramid.com you can find a very realist view point on what the whole family should be eating. Early in life is the time to teach good eating habits!! I would also do some research to make sure your daughter is not getting foods that she can devolop alergies to, this is very common in young babies, hense the main reason to seperate baby and grown up foods. Make sure you put your foot down with the family on that issue, but by all means let your daughter join the family meals other wise. Jared baby food just takes the guess work out for you.... at a high price I might add!! Good luck, and remember knowledge is the key!