Those of you who frequent my BlogFrog community know that we have had a terrible time getting Cora to eat ANYTHING! We have tried homemade baby food, store bought baby food, mushed fruits and veggies, unmushed fruits and veggies, waffles, pancakes, muffins, rice, couscous, just about anything that we eat, we have tried to get her to eat.
Her typical routine goes something like this:
Look eagerly at the food. Attempt to grasp food and shove it in her mouth. Chew on food for several seconds and smile. As soon as the entire family is ready to explode in shouts of joy she spits food back out onto her tray.
This has gone on for a few months. We continue to try new things, old things, basically anything and she just won’t swallow food.
Until this week. When she ate an entire plate of this:
Seriously Cora?
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Way to go Cora, who would have thought she just likes mexican food. Lol
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TheHappyHousewife Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I know! Of course we love black beans and rice, so maybe she didn’t want the boring garlic-less veggies!
Toni
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LOL, whatever works! We went to Red Robin for Drew’s birthday (he turned 2!), and I ordered their Fiesta Chicken Salad. He climbed on my lap and started picking all of the black beans out of it, so I’ll have to look for more recipes use them too.
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My son was the same way. He didn’t start swallowing food until around 18 months. He would gag at the sight of it! Now he’s almost four and eats like crazy – there is a light at the end of the tunnel. (as you have now seen) yay!!
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Hee hee! Whatever works, indeed!
My now 3 year-0ld wouldn’t eat for a long time. We were like you- had given him all different kinds of textures and foods to try. He was undergoing speech therapy (as well as physical and occupational therapies) at the time, and his ST told us to give him foods with stronger flavors. It worked like a charm. To this day my boy always picks the strongest flavors offered and he loves hot/spicy foods. I believe there was some medical explanation about needing more stimulation…. all I know is that we were thrilled when he finally ate!
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Just want to share that my friend had the same experience with her 3rd son. Turns out he has sensitivity to dairy and some other things (and the only family history of allergy is avocado). He breaks out in a rash or even hives. He’s 3 now and even today he seems to know what he can’t have – he will smell it or lick it and push it away. So I would suggest keeping an eye out for that…
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TheHappyHousewife Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Great advice! I will definitely be watching for food allergies in Cora. I have never had a child who seems to like the food, but not swallow it.
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We did have a Cheerios victory this morning… I think she ate at least 20
Toni
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Stock up on the beans and rice! My littlest took awhile to catch on to swallowing. Start with the things she loves, and keep adding in. My littlest loves mustard of all things- so I give her mustard to dip the less savory foods in. Gross, but effective.
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Yum! I would eat that, too! I have had my share of picky eaters….it’s frustrating, isn’t it?
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When we switched my oldest daughter to table foods, she would eat nothing but hotdogs and mandarin oranges – for 4 months. It was crazy. I just kept putting other foods on her tray and finally one day she also ate all the blueberries and green beans too! Then she ate everything. It was bizarre, just like Cora. Kids certainly have their own personalites.
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I have heard, especially in the South, that many babies eat brown or black beans first. Mine didn’t eat them first, but loved them and smeared them all over their faces gleefully.
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My 23 month-old also loves black beans and rice. Thank goodness it is pretty much good for her.
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That is funny! My 15 month old has been really into eating what I call “mush”, anything all mixed together. Noodles, Chicken, pasta sauce, and spinach, or hamburger rice and tomato soup. She seems to like all her flavors at once!
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When my oldest started solids I didn’t know what I was doing and I just listened to those around me, starting with one pureed food at a time, being careful and looking for allergies or any other reactions.
We went on a road trip and stopped at McDonald’s. (Don’t judge; when we travel all bets are off.) Conner started eying my cheeseburger, so I tore off a tiny bit and gave it to him. He ended up gobbling the whole thing down. As in, the whole cheeseburger.
Once I figured out he was ready for “real” food boy did he put them down! He also started sleeping much better! He’d probably been wondering how long I was planning on starving him, good grief.
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Have you made sure she does not have dysphagia? My child had this and had trouble swallowing hence why she did not eat food. My youngest ate refried beans and rice at 6 months. She never did eat baby food and everything always had to be seasoned just like her Daddy ate it.
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My younger son has ALWAYS loved the well-seasoned, spicy foods. Forget that bland, baby stuff. I made homemade baby food for him with the food processor and he eats everything now. My older one was pretty picky until he became a teenager. Keep the salsa and saffron coming for Cora!
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Oh those eyes!
Nell
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My son LOVED beans when he was little! Black, kidney, pinto, anything! Now that he’s 2 and a half, not so much, but he will still eat them every now and then! That is exciting to find a “favorite food!”
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OH, So Cute! What a sweet blessing!
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The same thing happened with my oldest – finally got him to eat refried beans on a whim – just wanted some flavor, I guess.
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Way to go Cora!
We had a baby that would only eat spicy food. I mean seriously, give the girl a jalapeno and she was happy.
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whatever is on that plate looks delicous! what exactly is it? is there a recipe? please share! yum.
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wow im a a big black bean fan i love it any time and any where
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My daughter loves black beans!
Glad Cora found something that she likes!
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Holy Cow Toni–I could just copy and paste this post into my own life. Blake is the exact same way. SOOOO excited when he sees food, but after one bite, excitement is dead. I’ve done black beans before and he loved them the first time, and now won’t touch them.
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This was my Kaden he is 5 months old. He just started eating baby food like last week his favorites is apples and chicken right now. He still prefers his bottle over food. But he’s gaining weight came into this at 5 went down to 4lbs and now at a healthly 15lbs so hes doing great. Cora just wanted some real down home food congrats on her venture into eating.
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I’m with jamie that posted. What is on that plate? It looks great. I like all the colors. I am so bad at the color balance with foods. Can you tell us what’s in it? Pleeeasse!
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I don’t know if you’re nursing, but I know many, many nursing mothers who doesn’t even *begin* to offer solid foods until somewhere between 9 and 12 months of age. My nursling is 7 months old now and doesn’t eat solid food yet
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I had this issue with Colin. Any baby food I bought at the commissary he gagged on or threw up. During one of my trips to Wal-Mart for the Milupa formula (way cheaper than what the commissary brought in and had more in the box) I checked out the baby food. The combinations were completely against everything we’re told in how to introdue baby food. I picked up a few jars and muesli’s for him to try. He devored the german baby food as if he were starving. I joked he did this because he was born in Germany, therefore, he must eat German food.
When I decided to make baby food for Jake, I didn’t hesitate on mixing foods or adding spices to anything. I used quite a bit of ginger, cinnamon and vanilla in the foods I made.
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She’s BEEEEEEautiful!
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Ha, ha! Well, I’m glad you found something she will eat!
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Lol! She is too funny!
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