My 9 month old not liking purees or mashed food . He likes to chew on food .

knottie8feae18ac6aa9989

My 9 month old not eating purees foods,  he likes only chewable finger foods  . He is not eating on his own im feeding the finger food though . As a Indian we eat rice everyday for lunch , but he is not liking it 

00kim00

Unless he chokes on purees, this probably isn't a problem. Baby-led weaning was invented because of babies not liking purees, and some cultures don't use purees at all. I wouldn't enjoy an all pureed diet, either! I would encourage self feeding, it's good for fine motor and adaptive development as well as kids learning healthy eating habits and full cues. What does he do if you just put food on his tray? Will he play with it? If you do have something that might get on his fingers (like a puree), will he bring his finger to his mouth and taste it? If you put a sliver of banana on his tray, will he pick it up and eat it?

I understand that rice is culturally important to you, but nutritionally it's not particularly healthful, so I wouldn't push it or worry about it. Expose him to fruit, vegetables, proteins, whole grains, dairy, etc. I was working with a family today that was concerned their child didn't like juice and preferred milk and water; I told them thats actually good, it's like your child preferring strawberries over M and Ms. Rice isn't quite as nutritionally devoid as juice or candy, but you can think about it the same way- if he prefers the carrot and chicken and sweet potato over the rice, that's great!

I general, it's okay to skip purees, I'd just want to make sure there are no concerns about choking/swallowing or sensory problems, and offer him healthy finger foods (soft steamed veggies, fruits he can mash with his jaws, scrambled eggs, etc., not just crackers or puffs or those meltable yogurt drops or other processed "baby finger foods").

knottie8feae18ac6aa9989

He is picking up some food when I place them on the tray , not all of them . He started to play after few mins . He is not fond of steamed veggies hence I'm giving them in the form of puree. I totally agree with all you said . I'm preferring purees since he is not eating steamed veggies. Thank you so much for your insight . Appreciate it much . 

00kim00

Keep letting him play, try lots of different veggies, and try eating the same things as him. Put some veggies on his tray and eat together the same food that also looks the same (if there are others in the family, have everyone eat the same thing!). You'll want to avoid salt and sugar, but feel free to use other spices you enjoy and expose your baby. Try to just add one new thing at a time, though, to watch for a reaction (allergy, upset stomach). Keep offering a food, even if he didn't like it the first time; sometimes it takes time to get used to it. Don't force it, but put it on his tray and you eat some. If there were any veggie purees he seemed okay with, try those in more solid forms. Playing with food is good, it's a step towards eating a variety of foods.

It sounds like he (and you!) are doing fine. As long as he's gaining weight as he should and still getting his nutrients from breast milk/formula, try not to stress. Keep mealtimes positive (be playful and offer variety, watch for refusal/doneness and don't push it or force feed and develop negative associations) and he'll get there. You've got this, mama!