purees evil for 15-month-old?

perry7285 · January 2012

we have been working with a dietician since DS is a little underweight (he started at a 25th percentile for weight, dropped off around 9-12 months, and has been 3rd-4th percentile ever since). the dietician is adamant that purees are evil because babies his age should be self-feeding. she insists that if they self feed (while being offered a balanced diet, and are allowed to eat as much as they want) they will grow optimally.

he likes purees so they were a major part of his diet until recently, but then a week ago we stopped purees at the dietician's advice. in theory he should have eaten more finger food to compensate, but his finger food intake didn't really increase. then he was weighed today at the doctor's office and he had lost HALF A POUND in the last week, taking him from fourth percentile to second percentile. i'm sure it's because of stopping the purees rather than illness. (he's not that sick--very mild ear infection, no fever, drinking plenty of fluids, and has only been sick for the last twelve hours. so that can't explain a loss of half a pound.)

we are supposed to go back in two weeks for another weight check.

i'm completely torn. i believe in the dietician's argument in theory, but i don't know if i should go with any system that is making a 15-month-old LOSE weight. a slowing of growth is one thing, but losing weight? no. not okay!!!

thoughts?? do you guys think purees shouldn't be given to a 15-month-old? any other advice? TIA!

Dochas · January 2012

I'm still giving them to my 17 month old so I don't think they're evil! And the dietician we saw never said anything like that. If you're worried about self feeding then just give him the spoon.

In all seriousness what my son will and won't eat changes daily. I can offer him anything under the sun he may or may not eat it. He was loving hamburgers - would eat as much as you would give him and then just stopped and refused that and anything that resembled meat. Last night he wouldn't eat anything we gave him and then he devoured a hamburger. Beloved sweet potato fries out, hamburger in. He will, however, suck anything out of those pouches. I'm not going to stop giving those to him so he can eat nothing all day long. I've worried too much about his weight. Now that he's gaining I'm not going to refuse to give him purees. And how is it any different than yogurt anyway? He likes purees. I'm going to keep giving them to him along with everything we're eating.

krissyh21 · January 2012

As a mom who has been dealing with my sons weight since birth and his extreme finickiness - my thoughts are calories are calories no matter how they get them. Yes, I believe in self regulation and would never force feed him, but my son is very adamant in when enough is enough - even if I am feeding him he would not let another bite of food in if he was done - or didn't like it.

Is her whole issue you feeding him? Can he use a spoon himself? Or have you tried pouches that he can eat himself?

I have never been to a dietitian, and I am not sure I would take everything they said at 100% if I did. I think just like with pediatricians - you can take their advice, but you don't always have to take it as law.

My son at 2 eats the fruit pouches and some veggie pouches - because he likes them and there isn't much in this world he does like.

itsmyangel · January 2012

ds is a great eater and a big boy..... he eats peanut butter sandwiches, meat, cheese etc......that said he HATES veggies. I can't even get him to pick one up (how he knows its a veggie without sticking in his mouth i don't know) he used to love them but all the sudden it stopped.....so i give him those pouches. They have fruit and veggie in them and he LOVES them. I figure if thats the only way to get him to eat vegg then so be it.....

could you maybe mix puree with cereal to thicken it so he could practice using a spoon and feeding himself while you also provide some on a spoon? if he needs to gain weight then i would let him eat what he wants....if thats puree so be it...but then again i'm not hte doc

Mouseygail · January 2012

you know...my first thought was "feed that kid some real food!!"...but I wouldn't hesitate to give my child applesauce or one of the pouch things, so I guess its really just the fact that it is "puree" that strikes me as odd...does he self feed the purees? It just seems so weird to be spoon feeding infant food to a walking/talking toddler. But ultimately you have to decide what is right for your kid...and if right now, feeding him baby food works, then so be it! Are you offering him lots of table food too? exposing him to different flavors and textures?

schmoodle · January 2012

To echo the others, I think at this point getting food into him trumps whether he SHOULD self feed. The dietician is going by what is a general rule, not necessarily your son. As you have witnessed, he ISN'T growing optimally from eating what's offered for him to self feed, so if the choice is self-feeding and losing weight/stalled growth or doing what you aren't "supposed" to do and having him grow, I'd choose the latter.

Experts and doctors are there to guide us when we have issues but they're not infallible nor is their advice to be followed regardless of whether it's working for you.

Not exactly the same thing, but with boodle's feeding issues, almost everything the GI doc (repeatedly) tells us will help and we should do makes things worse. Every time I see them and say she's still not eating great, but we have some improvement, they tell me more cereal in her bottles, try oatmeal, etc., ignoring the fact that though those suggestions help MOST reflux babies, they make mine eat less. So I put very little cereal in her bottles because that way she at least EATS, even if she struggles. If I do what they say, she eats 1 oz./bottle and that is it, period.

Toodle had purees well into toddlerhood - not necessarily as his primary food, but with some regularity. And I spoon fed him MUCH longer than normal because I'm super Type A/OCD and didn't want the mess that resulted from letting him self feed anything that required a spoon/coud drip. He self feeds fine and has never had an issue, and despite being finicky, has grown fine.

(((HUGS))), hope he starts gaining again soon.

perry7285 · January 2012

krissyh21:
As a mom who has been dealing with my sons weight since birth and his extreme finickiness - my thoughts are calories are calories no matter how they get them. Yes, I believe in self regulation and would never force feed him, but my son is very adamant in when enough is enough - even if I am feeding him he would not let another bite of food in if he was done - or didn't like it.
Is her whole issue you feeding him? Can he use a spoon himself? Or have you tried pouches that he can eat himself?
I have never been to a dietitian, and I am not sure I would take everything they said at 100% if I did. I think just like with pediatricians - you can take their advice, but you don't always have to take it as law.
My son at 2 eats the fruit pouches and some veggie pouches - because he likes them and there isn't much in this world he does like.

Her objection is mostly that it's us feeding him. We haven't tried a spoon but I doubt he could manage a spoon now--he hasn't even figured out how to give himself a sippy! Hasn't figured out the whole gravity thing.

I did try pouches and he wasn't interested.

krissyh21 · January 2012

perry7285:
krissyh21:
As a mom who has been dealing with my sons weight since birth and his extreme finickiness - my thoughts are calories are calories no matter how they get them. Yes, I believe in self regulation and would never force feed him, but my son is very adamant in when enough is enough - even if I am feeding him he would not let another bite of food in if he was done - or didn't like it.
Is her whole issue you feeding him? Can he use a spoon himself? Or have you tried pouches that he can eat himself?
I have never been to a dietitian, and I am not sure I would take everything they said at 100% if I did. I think just like with pediatricians - you can take their advice, but you don't always have to take it as law.
My son at 2 eats the fruit pouches and some veggie pouches - because he likes them and there isn't much in this world he does like.
Her objection is mostly that it's us feeding him. We haven't tried a spoon but I doubt he could manage a spoon now--he hasn't even figured out how to give himself a sippy! Hasn't figured out the whole gravity thing.
I did try pouches and he wasn't interested.

I forgot when D started being able to use a spoon...

Do what you need to do! I am convinced half the people who give advice about a picky eater never dealt with a picky eater. On paper it seems easy - it isn't at all.

GuitaristsGirl · January 2012

Ditto the others!! My DS LOVES the pouches. I love them, too, because he gobbles up veggies that way!! Plus, when we're out and about. . . cheerios, or a veggie pouch? No contest!

Also, when we started feeding DD purees, DS kind of lost his mind and started demanding them, too. . . at first I was all, "he!! no! He's (at that time) a year and a half old!" But you know what I then realized? Um, my kid is eating organic peas and can't get enough of them. I am going to go with it!! Now, granted, that's as an appetizer to his "real" dinner. But still. DD hates peas and I have a ton of them leftover, so I'm still offering it to DS when he wont' eat his other veggies!

SweetBijou · January 2012

I still give them once or twice a week. I wouldn't think it is a big deal--it's still the food they would normally eat--just pureed. Can you keep offering finger foods and then if he refuses to eat, then go with the puree for that one meal and try again at the next meal with the finger foods? He will eventually get it! N & D don't know how to use utensils yet either, but I keep letting them hold spoons while they eat and hope that they will pick up on it soon.

Can you try giving him some high fat healthy foods, like avocado, etc.?

dana316 · January 2012

While I don't think they are evil, I would certainly make strides towards him feeding himself.

He needs to learn how to use a spoon, and yes, he will make a mess. I taught Caroline to do it with SUPER thick foods...like oatmeal cooked super thick, or yogurt with cheerios mixed in. The only way he is going to learn is to let him try...and it doesn't have to be at the expense of his regular eating.

Strip him to his diaper, stick him in his high chair and let him have fun. He is going to make a ridiculous mess, but he'll have a good time and learn in the process. Look at my FB pictures of Caroline in her high chair...that girl would be COVERED in food...but it is nothing that a bath won't wash off. She had a good time and she was eating and feeding herself.

I'd also let him experiment with using a toddler fork. Cook him some boneless chicken thighs and cut them up into small pieces and let him try to spear them himself...that was always a big hit at our house.

PS-I'm still trying to remember that website for you...I'll FB it to you when it finally comes to me...

perry7285 · January 2012

Mouseygail:
you know...my first thought was "feed that kid some real food!!"...but I wouldn't hesitate to give my child applesauce or one of the pouch things, so I guess its really just the fact that it is "puree" that strikes me as odd...does he self feed the purees? It just seems so weird to be spoon feeding infant food to a walking/talking toddler. But ultimately you have to decide what is right for your kid...and if right now, feeding him baby food works, then so be it! Are you offering him lots of table food too? exposing him to different flavors and textures?

yup, we offer him tons of table food, and he's actually not picky, he'll try lots of different stuff . . . he just doesn't eat nearly enough to get the calories he needs.

perry7285 · January 2012

Mouseygail:
you know...my first thought was "feed that kid some real food!!"...but I wouldn't hesitate to give my child applesauce or one of the pouch things, so I guess its really just the fact that it is "puree" that strikes me as odd...does he self feed the purees? It just seems so weird to be spoon feeding infant food to a walking/talking toddler. But ultimately you have to decide what is right for your kid...and if right now, feeding him baby food works, then so be it! Are you offering him lots of table food too? exposing him to different flavors and textures?

yup, we offer him tons of table food, and he's actually not picky, he'll try lots of different stuff . . . he just doesn't eat nearly enough to get the calories he needs.

perry7285 · January 2012

SweetBijou:
I still give them once or twice a week. I wouldn't think it is a big deal--it's still the food they would normally eat--just pureed. Can you keep offering finger foods and then if he refuses to eat, then go with the puree for that one meal and try again at the next meal with the finger foods? He will eventually get it! N & D don't know how to use utensils yet either, but I keep letting them hold spoons while they eat and hope that they will pick up on it soon.
Can you try giving him some high fat healthy foods, like avocado, etc.?

we have tried every high calorie food i could think of! i offer avocado every day but it's not his favorite thing. and the high-calorie junk food that most kids love (like cake, cookies, and ice cream), he's not interested in. his favorite food is broccoli. sigh. i'm going to try putting butter on his broccoli and see if he'll still eat it.

krissyh21 · January 2012

perry7285:
SweetBijou:
I still give them once or twice a week. I wouldn't think it is a big deal--it's still the food they would normally eat--just pureed. Can you keep offering finger foods and then if he refuses to eat, then go with the puree for that one meal and try again at the next meal with the finger foods? He will eventually get it! N & D don't know how to use utensils yet either, but I keep letting them hold spoons while they eat and hope that they will pick up on it soon.
Can you try giving him some high fat healthy foods, like avocado, etc.?
we have tried every high calorie food i could think of! i offer avocado every day but it's not his favorite thing. and the high-calorie junk food that most kids love (like cake, cookies, and ice cream), he's not interested in. his favorite food is broccoli. sigh. i'm going to try putting butter on his broccoli and see if he'll still eat it.

Dillon's doctor suggested drizzling olive oil on everything to add calories. It doesn't have as strong a flavor as butter (D doesn't like butter)

Mrs.Reem · January 2012

I'd say if purees are the only thing he'll eat then keep doing them but make sure he's feeding them to himself. Either have him use a spoon (gerber makes really deep ones) and just use a bib etc. or try a sili squeeze so he can feed himself. I'd also offer plenty of finger foods just in case he does pick some up. That way he'll also get used to seeing them on the table and eating them.

OscarQ · January 2012

I agree with the PP who said a calorie is a calorie.

My son is 13 months actual and still on formula so I'm all about getting the calories into him however I can (and like your son, when Kevin is done eating, he is done. No amount of coaxing does any good).

I'm concerned that he may miss the window to start solids and that will cause longer term issues but my absolute #1 priority is him gaining weight. If I changed what I was doing and he lost weight, I would absolutely go back to what I was doing before.

Like another poster, our nutritionist wanted to add oil to his foods (even to his formula) but Kevin has a near aspiration condition so we can't chance the oil getting into his lungs. It does work well for many babies though.

This is the advice of one dietician though so take that for what it is - one opinion. Chances are if you saw another dietician they wouldn't have an issue with the smoothies.

chocolatechip06 · January 2012

DH is a dietitian and we still give DS (who is 19 months old) pureed veggies because he loves them (I will not buy more when he is done with what we have, but I'll definitely let him finish them up or add them to soup etc)

If you are offering a lot of good food choices and he prefers purees I would continue to give them-you are giving him vegetables not candy! DS likes to self feed, but we still help to feed him at least 50-75% of the time (my preference), and he loves peas/carrots etc in their natural form so I don't have any issues with the purees.

LucyPevensie · January 2012

Once DS got to a certain age I called purees "soup" and was happy when he'd still eat them! He LOVED organic veggie purees as a baby/young toddler - now it's an amazing day if I can get a veggie into him. He'd probably barf if I tried to give him a puree now.

Anyway - I don't see the big deal. Pretend they're a fabulous soup. Would you help him eat soup, sure you would! Let him try and you help too. And give him lots of other choices and options as well.

dusk42 · January 2012

I would still give him a puree plus finger food at each meal, but I would give him the spoon and have him feed himself the whole puree portion if possible. Once he gets the hang of it, he'll probably eat a ton by himself. He might fuss at first because he is used to you doing it, but I would go cold turkey on you feeding him as much as possible. Then I would gradually start giving him chunkier purees or even just smashed veggies and fruit. Let him eat everything off a spoon if he wants - DD uses her spoon for crazy foods that don't need a spoon at all (like chunks of chicken) just because she likes having utensils.

DD also will eat a ton of peanut butter off a spoon - I just have the jar on the table all the time and give her a spoonful. If she wants more, I just give her a fresh spoon (so I'm not dipping the used spoon back in). Then at least she is getting something even if the rest of her meal is three cheerios. If you thicken up the purees, you could start with something like that - lay a spoon with the puree on it on the tray for him to pick up and eat. Sometimes that is less frustrating than having to get food on the spoon from a bowl and then into the mouth.

Good luck!

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