Gerber Meat sticks? Table meats?

MommyToAshley wrote: Anyone give their baby Gerber meat sticks?

Ashley won't eat the jarred baby food any more, but I am a little afraid to give her meats from the table. (Other than ground hamburger in spaghetti or something like that) So, I have been giving her the Graduate meat sticks. I peel the skins off though and cut them up for her. Anyone give them to their baby whole this young?

I need some suggestions for what kind of tablefood meats to prepare and how to prepare it. I am so scared of her getting choked on it, so I need some suggestions.

Thanks everyone!

maestra replied: I give Jaci table meats, as long as they are cooked really well and are cut in small enough pieces. She loves chicken! Those meat sticks in the jar look gross- do they taste ok? What about the smell?

amynicole21 replied: Sophia is beginning to refuse all jarred food, too. We even started to give her the diced stuff, but she's not having it The only meats we've given her other than the jarred stuff is hamburger so far. I think any meat should be ok as long as it's cut into tiny pieces.

supermom replied: I used to give my oldest those meat sticks - actually, the skins on them are really soft - I didn't do whole, I sliced them at first, but I didn't peel them. And eventually they didn't want those either. I would say if she's eating raw fruit, like peaches, any soft meat (like maestra suggested, chicken) should be ok as long as it's cut up for her.

Heather replied: I wish I could help. Ali doesn't like meat at all. She spits it right out. I am not a big fan of meat either so I guess that is a good thing! I have tried the sticks before and she didn't really care too much for them. I would just suggest taking a spoon and mashing up the meat, or maybe you can grind it up a little bit just to give her a good head start.

amynicole21 replied: Another thought I had would be to give her ground turkey or canned tuna or chicken. I think the flakes would be easy to break up and it's already cooked. I might just try this myself! There might be something about not giving fish before a year, tho...

ediep replied: I gave Jason deli turkey and ham. I just make sure that I get the good stuff...Low sodium. He eats it like crazy!!! I tried to give him a piece of hamburger yesterday, he ate one or 2 bites, but thats it.
He is refusing jarred food too. I can not get him to eat veggies or fruit.

Schnoogly replied: Ew, meat sticks. I wouldn't go near those with a 10 foot pole! (But I don't eat meat usually) Have you considered putting meat in one of those baby safe feeders, the mesh thingies? If it was cooked in broth and really tender it might squish through. Then you wouldn't have to worry about choking.

Steph

MommyToAshley replied: Ashley likes the meat sticks. I think it is because she can eat it herself versus the baby food. I am going to try giving her some meats from table food... I will just cut it up really small. Meats are the only baby food we still buy, but I guess we are going strictly table food now.

I always try to give Ashley some kind of meat at one meal a day. I think it is important for the protien and iron. Those that don't give meat, just curious, what do you substitute with?

paradisemommy replied: Taven used to love the meat sticks too but i had to peel off the outer skin and cut them up - he would gag on the outer skin but he loved the insides... otherwise - we always usually eat meat and i will just give him some of our meat and he loves rice!!!

Schnoogly replied: Well I am of the opinion that breastmilk/formula supplies all necessary nutrients for the first year at least, so solids are really for practice/extra before then (this is the position of the AAP and many bf advocates as well). Iain eats so little solid food anyway I don't really worry about it. There's plenty of iron and protein in my milk & his formula for him.

Once he's older I will substitute avocado (lots of fats/protein), tofu (hopefully he will grow out of his soy allergy), and beans. For iron he eats veggies. And of course I will still be breastfeeding, so he'll get it there too. Also some fish, but waiting until a year for that because I don't want him to develop an allergy to it too!

Steph

MommyToAshley replied: Thanks for answering my questions Steph. I was just wondering what vegetarians give their babies.

I also realize that most the nutrition comes from BF, but BM alone doesn't satisfy Ashley. Especially now that she is only a little over a month away from the 1 year mark!!! Where did the time go??!!??

Guest_jem0622 replied: Schnoogly had some good meat alternatives. My eldest DS scarfed down jars of those meat sticks at this age and I thought I'd have to cut him off from eating them! LOL.

Gabe eats what we eat, within reason. If he doesn't like it then he spits it out. They say that a child has to try the same thing up to 18 times before truly knowing if they do or do not prefer it.

Julie

Schnoogly replied: That's true, M2A, you have a big hungry girl there! Iain probably won't be into table food for several months yet. I have tried some banana pieces and some of those wagon wheels, but he won't even put them in his mouth, he just plays with them! I tried putting it in his mouth so he knew it was food but he made an awful face and shoved it away. Oh well!

I just couldn't feed Iain anything that grosses me out. The alimentum formula is hard enough...I finally tasted it the other day and wanted to I can't believe he has to drink that crap.

Also, when he's old enough, peanut butter will be a meal staple I'm sure!!

MommyToAshley replied:

Aweee! But, don't you just love those faces. hehe. You're right, he will eat when he is ready and not before.