Anyone else have a 1 year old who only will eat puree food with no chunks?

Question

My daughter will be 1 year old next week (yay!). She has been eating finger food since she was 7 months, and is doing OK with it now. However, she refuses to eat any chunks in her spooned baby food. She will suck the food off the chunks and spit them out, or just open her mouth and let the whole thing roll out. According to stuff I read and what people say on here, I get the impression that by her age my daughter should be eating table food. My main questions are these - Is she behind in her eating development? Is there a such thing? Any suggestions to get her on track?

Answer 1

Yes, she is probably a bit behind in her eating, but it's fine, especially as she is eating finger foods. These are helping her learn to chew foods. You can't force her to eat chunkier foods, but you can offer small challenges, such as mashing her food finely rather than pureeing it, then gradually mashing it less finely.

My daughter is 18 months old and still has difficulty with chunky foods. I was encouraged when my friend told me that she had to puree/mash her son's food until he was nearly 3. He is now a highly intelligent 18 year old, who has no difficulties with eating or speech!  

Answer 2

My daughter is 3.She has eaten finger food,had pasta and rice from being 1 year old but when face with even a well choped up meal eg mmeat and veg,lasagne etc she will not eat it unless its blitzed up and fed to her.She can clearly chew and has the co-ordination to feed herself,but cant be bothered to eat it if its not mushed up as it take slonger and she would rather be off playing.I look at it this way (after many months f stressingg and being upset about it),At least she is eating healthy nutritius food,even if it is blized up.Id rather she has a good meal inside her that filled her and was rich in nutriants but was mushed up,than nothing much at all.When she gets to school,she will copy off the others anyway.She CAN do it but chooses not to.Please dont worry abou it,if it works for you both that her food is mushy,ignore health visitors etc.She will do it one day.Whats important is that her food is healthy,lots of it,she eats it and is happy and well loved.I know what its like,big hugs to you both.

Answer 3

Just give her the bigger chunks as finger food - she doesn't need to eat the soft lumps type food at all. She can go right onto table food big enough to pick up and chew - if you'd prefer her not to eat it with her fingers, maybe you can put it on a baby fork for her and encourage her to hold the fork instead of the food.

My son was exactly like this. He's now nine and still doesn't like the sort of food which is lumps in sauce.

Answer 4

She sounds like she just doesn't like chunks in her baby food.  I'm like that with ice cream, no chunks of anything in it.  Don't say anything to her, she'll get over it.