Food for 11 Month Old

My daughter (2nd child) is also 11 months old, and she pretty much gave up pureed food 2 months ago. (That surprised me, especially since I didn't start giving it to her until she was 6 months old!) I giver her just about *everything*, though I actually haven't started her with cheese yet.

My daughter hates baby cereal and has refused it for the past 3 weeks or so. In the mornings, I give her iron-fortified "O"s (from Whole Foods) along with egg yolks a couple times a week and banana or apple pieces. (I also try to sneak in that fortified oatmeal, which still works on occasion!)

At lunchtime, I try a variety of things. Often I give her plain whole-milk yogurt with toasted wheat germ stirred in, and maybe some blueberries or raspberries. (She, oddly enough, isn't crazy about fruit and LOVES vegetables.) She also likes lunchmeat, so I buy and tear up pieces of roasted turkey or baked ham. Sometimes I also give her torn-up/sliced pieces of fish or baked chicken. She LOVES avocado, so that's a staple in her diet, sometimes in slices or else spread on a half-piece of wheat toast or a brown rice cake. Tonight I gave her cut-up rotini pasta, lima beans (cut in half), and applesauce.

I think as long as you maintain the practice of feeding your child a variety of foods, she'll get the nutrition she needs and also hold on to that broad palate, which will make your life easier in toddlerhood. Good luck!

Hi Jen,

Check out Petit Appetit. It's a great cookbook.

You know what she's having for dinner so just make sure to give her whatever is missing from that in her lunch.

Carbs are a good thing in the morning or afternoon. It's energy they use so if you want to give her mac n cheese (Annie's makes a great wheat version with many organic ingredients) go ahead. I often add some browned turkey or beef and corn and peas. Or my son eats a lot of "deconstructed" sandwiches. A slice of bread and 2 or 3 slices of nitrate free turkey slices wrapped around a cube of cheese with tomato slices on the side. Cottage Cheese has a ton of protein and mixes with fruit well. It also mixed well with pasta sauce or even just plain noodles and cinnamon (sounds weird but Finn loves it). We do lasagna (veggie if we are having a meat heavy dinner) which is easy to make and a good way to slip in spinach.

Don't forget that kids need fat for proper brain development. I mean don't be crazy about it but also don't forget they need it.

Have fun!
Jen

Hi there. My son is also 11 months old and has been fighting me from eating anything that he can't pick up. I absolutely LOVE www.wholesomebabyfood.com . I have made so many meals from here and it helps me be creative. There is a section under Baby Food Recipes that is called Meals for Fingers, this has been very helpful. I also saw a recipe in Real Simple magazine that I loved for myself, but my son loved it too. Mozzarella and Ham Quesadillas (nothing else in them).

Good Luck to you!

Hi Jen,

Safeway has organic chicken nuggets in the frozen section that usually are on sale. We also tried fish sticks, organic turkey and chicken lunch meat and rice pudding. Good luck!

Ok you say she loves fruits and veggies, but yet you give her carb (which i'm sure is mostly refined) and sugars. Try giving her more veggies and fruits. Cook up some chicken breast strips (not the breaded kind) and have them on hand... have you tried fish yet? My son loves salmon and tuna. What about fruit and cottage cheese? Yogurt? Those are two acceptable forms of dairy at her age, but if you'd rather they do have alternatives to those.

yogurt, dry cereal if she can handle it, fruit, applesauce, even plain noodles, cucumber, etc. Don't get too caught up in giving her a three-piece meal, the way adults eat, but rather give her a bit of everything and let her pick and choose.