What can she eat? Need ideas help...

[Hopeful1479]

Hello my daughter will be 8 months this weekend and currently she has no teeth and is eating typical baby food and is formula fed... What else can I start to introduce to her that is safe for her to swollow seeing that she can not chew or what not?? First time mom and I need some ideas from anyone with experience!! Thank you in advance for your thoughts or suggestions!!

 

[Sarah125]

She can eat anything apart from foods with honey or salt. My girl is 11 months now and still has no teeth and can eat anything. Its amazing what they can do without teeth! She had lamb curry the other day and just munched up the lamb with her gums.

If you're worried why not try something like soft carrot sticks, toast or pasta? Something that doesn't need much chewing

 

[Hopeful1479]

Thank you very much, I appreciate the answer!!

 

[tristansmum]

Yep my first had no teeth til 1 And my second got his first tooth at 9 months. Didn't stop either of them!!! As other lady said they can eat pretty much anything. You could try some baby pasta with a cheese or tomato sauce, baked potato with cheese or beans, omlete, cottage pie, well cooked veg like carrot batons or broccoli florets, toast, eggy bread, roast chicken (nice tender soft bits)..... I give mine what we eat and it makes life so much easier x

 

[Kanichen34]

My almost 9 month old has only just got teeth - she eats toast, rice cakes, steamed veg ... Her absolute favourite food of the moment is avocado which is lovely and soft - she literally starts waving her arms and legs when she sees it. Only thing she's struggled with is apple - gags and throws up without fail!

 

[KayBea]

anything except honey & shellfish.

if its a hard food - carrot for example just steam/boil it for a few mins to soften it up.

their gums are pretty hard despite having no teeth xx

 

[Cyan]

You could try spaghetti with tomato and veg sauce, mild cauliflower and broccoli curry with rice or naan bread, pitta with grated carrot and humous, skin-on potato wedges roasted with sweet peppers and onion. My LO loves gnawing on all this and not a tooth in sight here!

She's an absolute fiend for satsumas too. She doesn't swallow much of the outer bits of the segments but she loves slurping all the flesh and juice out. She'll give any fruit a go but satsumas are the biggest hit at the moment.

 

[littletobyj]

I'm new to all this finger foods business but think my daughter would prefer to feed herself. Finger foods make me nervous though-what if they bite off too much and they choke?? Is it better to be chopped up small (not sure she can do a good pincer movement yet-7.5 months) or in sticks that they can hold and chomp??

 

[Cyan]

I'm new to all this finger foods business but think my daughter would prefer to feed herself. Finger foods make me nervous though-what if they bite off too much and they choke?? Is it better to be chopped up small (not sure she can do a good pincer movement yet-7.5 months) or in sticks that they can hold and chomp??

The idea is they learn to chew first, then swallow. The lumps they manage to bite (gum!) off help them to figure out how to manipulate food in the mouth and their gag reflex is still really strong. Just make sure your LO is sitting really upright and don't panic over gagging, it's perfectly normal and if you try to fish the offending article out you run the risk of poking it down further. Despite knowing all this I still felt it worth reading up on infant first aid and what to do in a choking situation. There's a sticky somewhere, Baby Club I think.

My LO is having fairly big things. She holds with a fist still so the food needs to be big enough to extend over her fingers. Just an example of how well they can manage - this was tea time today (wholemeal pitta spread with tomato purée and sprinkled with herbs and grated cheese then popped under the grill). She's just over 6 months and was VERY pleased with her pitta pizza! No idea why the picture is on its side, sorry.