Dairy Products??

Try the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (I got it used online)--she's got lots of recipes and recommendations for when to start all of the foods.

Hi M.,
You can try yogurt- my son loved it from first taste, both plain and vanilla. We use Stonyfield which is organic and from whole milk. You can also try cottage cheese and shredded cheese like cheddar. Just do it gradually and watch for allergic reactions. Also, we never even tried the jarred meat stuff- yuk! You can try tiny pieces of chicken, or even grind it up first and mix with pureed pears or applesauce. Much yummier! Also, whole grain brown rice pasta is a great choice too. My son loves the cheese, loves the pasta, but not if it's melted together- yet! Have fun!

M.,

Hello. You can definitely introduce yogurt at your daughters age, but it is not recommended that other dairy, including milk, be introduced until 1 year. The book Super Baby Food is a great reference. Also in terms of meat have you tried boiling up ground beef, ground turkey or chicken (cooking and then putting in a food processor). I have been doing this for my son for the past few months (he is now almost 1 year.) The ground meat mixes nicely with either jarred veggies or fruit. Also, you can definitely introduce beans. I buy the low or no salt canned beans and rinse them and then mash them. If you mix this with infant cereal or any type of pureed whole grain then you will have a complete protein. I think that you can also introduce egg yolks, but I am not sure if it is more towards 9-11 months for that. Again, I just hard boil eggs, discard the white and mash the yolk in with something that is a bit more tasty to my sons palate. Good luck!

I swear most kids go through this! It smells so nasty I don't blame babies for not eating it. My son loved food but hated the meats to. My mom bought me a baby food grinder and I just put the meats we were eating into the grinder for him so it was a little lumpier than smooth baby food and tasted better like what we were eating. He loved it! Also I gave my son Yo Baby yogurt when he was 7-8 months old & he was fine with it! Get the one that has iron in it too so you know she is getting iron since she won't eat meats fortified with iron.
Good luck! FYI you can get a baby food grinder at Babies r us.

She is at the right age to start dairy products...it is recommended at 8 months.

you can try yogurt and you should also try some of the mashed up dinners they make. my son wouldn't eat the meat alone but would eat the chicken and apples and turkey and sweet potatoes...

I agree with the moms who suggest giving her the finger food meats. tiny pieces to start, just give her a piece from your plate at meal time and see how she does. another good one for babies who gum things is meatballs cooked in sauce. the ground meat is easy to break down and the sauce keeps the meatball from getting too h*** o* the outside. my kids never ate the jarred meats and my daughter refused to eat from a spoon so she started finger foods at around 6 months. refried beans, as well as other beans, are great too.

If you decide to puree or grind up chicken, go with dark meat. Chicken breast does not puree to a smooth consistancy. It's very grainy.

Hi M.,
For two reasons, I don't think you have to be overly concerned about protein.

If your baby is nursing or drinking formula at least 4-5 times a day (confirm this with your doctor, because it will vary with the baby's weight, I think), all her nutrition is covered by the milk. The food is purely for calories, up until about a year.

Secondly, many vegetables have as much or more protein per calorie as meat or dairy does. Spinach, is one of the greats. As your baby gets older and you do get concerned about protein, you can also do the classic combinations like beans and rice or beans and corn etc.

shes old enough for yogurt etc. also, if she can gum it or has teeth itsy bitsy pieces of the meat you eat is okay, my youngest refused baby food of all kind forever...it is gross! she ate off my plates at 5 or 6 months old lol

You could give her scrambled egg yolk -- just avoid the white until she's one. Also I second the mom who suggested Stonyfield Farms' Yo Baby products. You can also try plain tofu -- high protein, virtually no flavor and impossible to choke on. Our babies loved it -- just plain uncooked chunks.

I started dairy products at this age, we have no history of allergies. I also did beans. She doesn't like meat much so at age 18 months she eat lots of peanut butter too.Just double check with your doctor.

You can give her Edamame beans, they look like Lima Beans (but smaller) and are soybeans. You can get that at the healthy foods section or frozen veggie section of your local stores. They state good and just put some butter on them or leave them plain. She can pick them up after they are cooled from heating up and have the protein she needs.

Hey there!
Yes, those pre-packaged baby meats do smell absolutely disgusting. With my first, I didn't give her any. I used breastmilk and formula mixed in with her food. Also, I would puree my own meats and mush up fish and put them into her food. Our pedi did not recommend any kind of regular dairy product for our children until 12 months.

With #2, I tried more of the store-bought foods than with #1. She absolutely refused all of the proteins. Not wanting to continue with formula longer than I had to and not having enough time to always prepare all of my own baby food, I became crafty. I mix the protein, vegetable, and oatmeal together until I get the desired consistency. I take a spoonful of this mixture and dip it into a fruit. I usually alternate between 2-3 different fruits throughout the meal. The fruit seems to mask the smell, etc. of the meats and she eats it, no problem.

Good luck. Let me know if you come up with any other ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Hi M... I adopted my daughter at 9 months but I remember that she ate and enjoyed yogurt pretty early.. There is a YoBaby type that is whole milk and has a bit less sugar than some of the others. Also my daughter always has loved black beans and chick peas. When she was younger we mashed them a bit but at a pretty young age she would pick them up in her fingers and eat them. You can buy the canned beans- rinse them thoroughly to get rid of the salt- and there's a fabulous source of protein. No cooking necessary. Same with chick peas and I imagine other beans as well. Enjoy! Best, M.

Have you considered any vegetarian options? My son is 15 months old and enjoys a meat free diet. There are all kinds of veggies foods that contain a sufficient amount of protein: tofu, soy products, beans, veggies, etc.

One thing to keep in mind is that breast milk (the perfect food for growing babies) is very low in protein (I believe 5-7%). Don't obsess about the lack of meat in her diet. She can easily obtain the necessary amount of protein from fruits, veggies, grains, etc. As an added bonus she will have less cholesterol, saturated fats, hormones, and additives in her body.

I started giving my kids the Yo Baby yogurt around 8 months. They loved it. Also, you could give her some meat if you cut it up into really small pieces or shred it up. My kids also like cream cheese sandwiches. Just spread the cream cheese onto some bread and break it into small pieces and she can feed herself.

Hello M.,

My now 25 month old would not touch the meats either. Plus, he was allergic to milk and soy, so I could not give him yogurt for protein. I finally started mixing the meats into another baby food and he ate it all up. The Beech Nut meats are a little better, because they are meat in natural juices whereas Gerber is meat in gravy. The Gerber does not mix as well with other foods as the Beech nut meats. Hope this helps and good luck.

M. C : )

M.,
my son is allergic to dairy & egg & at age 4y he announced he doesn't "eat things w/ eyes" - so he is a vegan. we have used beans since he was 8mon old. he would eat kidney beans right out of the can! chick-peas & black beans r great too. depending on the age, you would't give them whole.
good luck!

Check with your doctor, but I would think that cheese and yogurt are fine. Also, your daughter is right- the baby food meat is NASTY!. Dice up or shred your own meat- if you are afraid to give her shredded chicken, puree it yourself (mix a little chicken broth with some chopped up meat in a blender- much, much better! Also, ground turkey, hamburger or buffalo is an awesome way to go (cheaper than baby food as well)Good luck.

I started my kids on dairy at 9 months.. don't feed her the babyfood meats, they are nasty! just chop up what you are eating very tiny and give that to her. there's no law that says you have to use jarred food for babies.. yogurt should be fine too..

Our pediatrician did recommend that our son eat cheese and yogurt once he got to be 7 months. I would check with your doctor first, but I would think that would be okay. Once, he was able to eat finger foods, we also chopped up some chicken(very fine) and fed that to him as well.

She's not too young for dairy, but don't overdo it. You can try soy products - soy milk in a bottle, and add soy protein powder if you can - I use Genisoy from the health food store. I add soy powder to mixes like pancakes and French toast. If she can chew them a little, you'll be fine. Is she eating any finger foods yet?

You can do eggs too, either in the baked goods like pancakes, or use the baby egg yolks and mix them into other things if she won't eat them plain.

I use a lot of bean products including tofu - it has no flavor so you can either flavor it with something (a little light soy sauce if she'll eat it) or anything else. You can also mix the soft tofu with something else like cottage cheese or yogurt, to boost the protein.

There is also a fabulous children's nutritional supplement sold through distributors like me - it is from a great company, is patented, is safe even as a prenatal (!) because it's all FOOD and no drugs or chemicals, and is has the DHA which is "brain food" - too much detail to write down, but you can email me back or call me at ###-###-#### if you want more info. No hard sell, just sharing info - lots of other moms you can talk to. Kids don't get sick if they take this - it boosts their immune systems! Good friends of mine have cured their kids allergies and ear infections using this - it is formulated by the scientist who helped develop ProSoBee and Enfamil formulas, so you know it's on the level. But he's been doing this company for 20 years. Love to share our stories. My son is so incredibly healthy now!

Good luck, whatever you decide!

D. Brown

Try the gerber brand that has the chicken and apples mixed together -- it's a stage 2 and it will give her some protein that you want her to have. If you introduce milk to her the best way is through yogurt, but I would wait at least until she is 9 months old. Try the yoplait kid pack with Dora on it, it's very thick and it doesn't have a lot of sugar. The yobaby is good but there is too much whole milk in it and if she has a reaction you will know. Do it during the day to test it. My son had a horrible reaction at 12 months but he had under lying issues -- I don't want to scare you but I know it's better to try it then never knowing.

Hi M., neither of my kids ate that "jar" meat. If you tasted it, I bet you wouldn't either!! It's nasty!!! My Pedi, said not to worry, so I didn't. The got plenty of protien through other sources, (cheese, yogert, scrambled egg) talk to your pedi, I bet their not going to be too concerned with you 8 month old on meat just yet. if anything, try pureeing your own chicken with a touch of water, it's bound to be tastier than that other nasty stuff!! Good luck!! L. C.

My daughter wasn't much older then her when we started giving regular table food. Make her ground beef or ground turkey. My daughter didn't care for the stage 3 meals and my pedi suggested just skipping them all together. At 9 mos we started with over cooked pasta so it was really mushy cuz she only had 2 teeth. Now at 11 mos she eats everything we do. I've stopped buying baby food all together. And it made it great when we went on vacation cuz I could just buy her meals like us. She now eats grilled cheese, mac and cheese, I buy Chef Boyardee and other soft foods. She also eats mashed potatoes and rice. I haven't given her steak but I have given her pork chops or ribs cut very small and boneless chicken.

M.,
We are vegetarians and my son is allergic to egg. I am happy to report that he is a healthy and active 4 year old boy. I nursed him to a year and added in whatever foods the pediatrician said were appropriate minus the meat. Pediatricians vary in what they say is OK but they will probably give you their list over the phone or refer you to a book or website. We did a lot of dairy (whole milk, yogurt made from whole mlk), fruits, vegetables, we did egg (twice until we knew he was allergic). We have friends whose kids eat squares of tofu. This seems gross to me so I didn't immediately try it. However, my son loves tofu. It can be cold, or warmed, seasoned or not. There are also lots of veggies and beans that are high in protein. Ask your doctor or do a google search for protein rich foods and cross reference them with what is allowed for your daughters age. Protein is really important but it isn't nearly as difficult as people think to get. Good luck!

Stonyfield Farms Yo Baby yogurts. Plain. Strawberry banana. Pear apple. Blueberry, etc. Perfect! My 8 month old loves 'em all and has been eating them since 6 months - no other dairy yet. She loves fruits and meats - but not veggies - spits those out..uh oh. Oh well. I'll pick my battles : )

Have you considered making your own meat "meals" for your daughter? Chances are, if the jarred stuff grosses you out, it has the same effect on your little one! I was pretty disturbed by the concept with my first baby, so I made my own. Start by purchasing a nice lean cut of beef or some chicken breast- this is stuff you'd probably already buy (if you're not vegetarian) so it won't break the bank like jarred foods can. Steam it until cooked. Puree with some added water in a blender and freeze in ice cube trays. These make great portion sizes and you can remove them as needed. Depending on where your little one is at with textures, blend it with some barley or brown rice and soft veggie chunks or just pureed veg. get creative. At 8 months, your daughter should still be getting a decent amount of formula/breastmilk. I wouldn't sweat the protein just yet. Try to get her to eat some beans or tofu...Quinoa, an ancient grain that's come into fashion recently is very high in protein and baby friendly. I would definetly call your ped. regarding adding dairy, as every baby and family is different. Though I think by 8 months, she should be cleared for yogurt and cheeses...but dairy can be very harsh on new systems, as can meat. My doc. reccommends I wait until 9 months to intro meats...but if it works for you and your little one, go for it. Invest in a baby food grinder...easier and cheaper than jarred foods. But if you have to "jar it," try to go organic. I used (still occasionally use with 6 month old) the Earth's Best brand when we were travelling or someone was baby-sitting. At least you know it's somewhat closer to homemade. Also, the "Food For Life" brand makes a wonderful sprouted whole-wheat bread that is considered a complete protein. It is also metabolized easier. You can find it in the frozen health food section in your major grocery store. Good luck! Both my girls are great eaters---it makes it so much fun!!

the baby food meats - straight meat - i couldn't even stand the smell - i found the meat flavors that were mixed w/ a veggie flavor - turkey and sweet potates, beef with mixed vegetables etc were better.

as for the dairy - my dr. told me to wait till she was 1, the labels on the package and info on websites said 6 mos... so i started w/ the yo-baby and it was great - so i'd say start on the dairy, and if she's taking milk based formula now i dont see that she'll have any problems w/ the yogurt. if you are still breast feeding - and you eat yogurt i'd say she'll be good too -

Introduce it like you did wiht all the other baby food - give it to her and watch for 2 days or so for any reaction - if no reaction she's good to go.

cottage cheese - i use the 2% milkfat kids - i'm leary of using any of the once that have the "probiotics" in them right now - i do the breakstone's cottage cheese doublers that have the strawberry, pineapple, blueberry w/ them and she loves them.

i wouldn't worry too much about how much of one or the other that she's getting - veggies over protien etc.. soemthing i read somewhere said kids get the nutrients they need over the week not the day - so just try to balance intake over the week not the day.

At 8 months old she should be eating table foods! Get rid of the jarred junk and start mashing up whatever the rest of your family is eating. Jarred foods are gross and shouldn't be used unless you are traveling or need the convenience. I wouldn't eat that yucky stuff!
Your child needs to get used to what you eat so that you don't become a short order chef later!
She can have baby yogurt- but cow's milk should be avoided until she's a year old. Meats that you cook will have more flavor and not be as nasty as that jarred junk!
Good luck!
-S.

I agree that the smell of the meat baby foods is terrible. I found it helpful to mix it with the veggies and fruit. A lot of times, it will eliminate the nauseating smell. Another thing you might want to try is to puree any meat that you make for yourself. That may help as well.

Try egg yolks, mashed beans, soft cubes of tofu and soft flaky fish like salmon.

Hello there,
There are so many great sources of protein that do not come from meat or pureed in a jar. Try firm tofu cut up into small cubes, whole milk yogurt (try to introduce plain so that your daughter is not getting too much sugar), edamame (soy beans - still one of my daughter's favorites at 2), cheeses, mashed beans (black, kidney, etc.), etc. I hope you find something that works - hang in there! Just remember that it can take introducing a new food over a dozen times before a baby will accept it...though I agree with your daughter on turning down the pureed meat dinner in a jar (reminds me of food for a cat or dog; even my pediatrician said she did not give it to her kids). Good luck!

Both yogurt and cottage cheese are ok to give her.. I recommend yobaby yogurt and friendship cottage cheese. Good luck!