[PositiveThinker]

At 15 months, my DD has decided that she no longer wants any food served to her on a spoon. She is not yet proficient with a utensil to manage on her own and will only accept food cut into bite sized easy to chew pieces. Fueling my anxiety even more, is my doctor's concern that DD is too small - she has hovered at 20.5 lbs for the last few months and is 30 inches tall.
Please send me any ideas you have for high calorie finger foods. Thank you!

[akasohappy]

My niece is 15 months old and my sister feeds her
cheese (cut up)
green beans
corn
boiled carrots (cut up)
beans (black, pinto, great northern)
bread
well pretty much anything - just cut up or pulled apart
I know not everyone is into canned food, but she gives her Ravioli cut up and Elaina LOVES LOVES
Italian wedding soup. It is Campbells Select brand.
It has little meatballs. somehow she manages to eat it by the handful.
She doesn't like to be fed either.

[JillnChris]

My dd will be 15 mo in 2 days! She likes to eat noodles, cheese, peas, carrots, and chicken strips. Also, she LOVES to feed herself with a spoon (even though it goes everywhere) so I try to let her have some practice with things like yogurt and mashed potatoes, that way they stick to the spoon and it is easier for her. Just a lot to clean up afterwards!
Another thing, she is also around 20lbs, don't remember how many inches but she was in the 75% for height. Her head circumfrance is also a little small, but her doctor did not have any concerns about her weight since the rest of her development looks good.

[SKL]

Here are some that work for me:

- Boiled frozen cut mixed veggies. Some types need further cutting, others don't.

- Mac & Cheese that uses shell noodles. I buy an organic brand (Annie's) that comes in a few different flavors and prepare it without any added margarine/oil so it is a bit healthier than it sounds. The shells seem to be the easiest for wee ones to pick up but they come in all kinds of other interesting shapes too.

- Cut up cheese ravioli or lasagna.

- Organic spaghetti-o's with soy meatballs, and similar type stuff. (It is hard for the girls to pick up the smallest pieces but by the time they've gotten to that point they are happy to let me shovel it in.)

- Toast-and-cheese sandwich broken into bite-sized pieces.

- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich broken into bite-sized pieces.

- Scrambled egg and toast. The scrambled egg can be made with stir-fry veggies or cheese for an interesting twist.

- Baked seasoned pieces of red-skinned potatoes.

- Pieces of naan or chapati, with or without mild Indian curry.

- Olives. (Disgusting to me, but my wee one likes them!)

- Cut up slice of pizza.

- Fried cheese squares.

- Bananas - sliced or not.

- Cut up apples.

- Oranges cut up small with a serrated knife.

- Cut, canned tropical fruits.

- Cheerios!!!

For spoon practice, I love oatmeal because it sticks to the spoon and is relatively easy to clean up. I also let the kids try spooning stuff (like apple/berry sauce) out of a small bowl held by me. This way I can take it away if the spoon action gets a little too enthusiastic.

By the way, don't worry about the 20 lbs just because it's below average. If your child is healthy, her weight might be ideal for her. My daughter is only about 20-21 lbs and she's 19 mos old and of average height (probably about 32 inches now). She is energetic, on target developmentally, and eats very well. She looks Oriental and my thought is that she simply has some slim genes.

[humanpitchpipe]

DS loves chicken nuggets, fish sticks, meatballs, spaghetti, grilled cheese, hot dogs (all cut up of course), and he had a poptart for the first time today and LOVED it.

[0328Lisa]

DS is 11 months old and is refusing to take any food from me via a spoon. He isn't proficient at hand mouth coordination, so he will allow me to feed him, but is must be finger-type food. In addition, he only has 2 bottom front teeth and the top front teeth are just starting to show.

I just cut-up whatever I'm eating. So far we've tried and he loves:
*ham sandwiches
*grilled cheese I use a little Pam Butter flavored spray, instead of actuall butter to cut the calories & mess
*cheddar, swiss and brick cheese
*chicken
*hamburger
*Annie's cheddar bunnies
*cooked carrots
*cooked green beans
*cooked peas
*cooked apples pieces about finger tip size
*steak
*waffles/pancakes
*bananas
*melons

I have a new spoon I'm going to try next week, called a little dipper. I have started giving DS baby yogurt (with Dr. approval). He likes it so much, that he will allow me to feed it to him on a spoon, but this little dipper has grooves that allow the food to stick to it and be sucked off. I'm going to try it next week, because I need to work up my courage and be mentally prepared to deal with a mess.

Hope this helps.

[Saya]

AVOCADO. Yummy, good for you, and high in fat!

[RGirl]

My daughter is almost 16 months old. She just eats whatever I am making for dinner - it is rare that I feed her something from a spoon (except her morning yogurt). Almost anything (other than soup!) can be eaten with the hands. And you can let her practice with a spoon with things that will stick to it a bit - we like to do that with pudding.

Also, unless there is a specific reason that your doctor is concerned about size, I wouldn't waste time worrying over that. My daughter is just over 18 pounds. She is healthy, happy, and proportionate. My doctor is not concerned nor am I.

Good luck and have fun!!!

[GuatMommy2Be]

My daughter is your daughters size at 20mos..

I give her:
sandwich stacker pickles (cut into bite size pieces.. i have found other pickled to be too hard to cut up)
diatlini noodles with butter and cheese
sweet peas
green beans
shredded mozarella
provolone broken up
sliced ham cut up
sliced turkey cut up
apples
bananas
frozen blueberries thawed
chef boyardee raviolis
mini shells with sauce
frozen pizza (ellios) cut up

HTH.

[vivismom]

Everything that everyone said sounds perfect. Add to it cubed, boiled sweet potatoes, salmon (easy to chew). My kids always loved avocados!!! It's like puree in the perfect package, high in good fat, fiber, etc!

[stephjoel99]

I agree with avocado - cut in tiny pieces - and it's so buttery the little ones like it.

Also, I've had a child who was underweight and we were advised to put flax seed oil in anything we could. So for instance, yogurt drinks (we do Stonyfield farms) - add a little flax seed oil. Scrambled eggs, chopped up so they can pick them up (put flax oil in at the last minute). It has Omega 3's and is good for brain development too.

[letsgo]

If you grind up Cherrios very finely, you can dust the cut-up pieces of whatever you are serving to make it easier for little hands to grasp...we aren't quite there yet, but it's a tip I plan on trying soon!

[PositiveThinker]

Thank you, Everyone! I jotted down many things from your lists that I haven't thought of trying yet.
After much angst, I have decided that what I really need to do is find a new doctor. DD is healthy, always on the go, alert, shiny hair and eyes, a booming vocabulary...I just want to enjoy her and let her be. I have waited too long for this. Thank you!

[Dawnb93]

Wow. Kids that eat solid food. I'm so jealous. Madelyn won't eat anything unless it's pureed.....

dawn

[KJones5]

2 more suggestions I don't think I saw here are goldfish crackers and french toast sticks!