Infants 6-12 Mos And Meal Policy

[Lilbutterflie]

Do you provide cereal/baby food for infants that have started solids, or do you have parents supply cereal/baby food?

If you do supply baby food for infants starting solids... what is your communication like with parents about it? For ex: do you require parents to tell you when a new food is started, do you only start a new food after it's been introduced at home, or do you go by your own new food schedule and just inform parents of what has been eaten that day?

I am currently contemplating changing my current policy based on an almost 1 yr old (picky eater that I posted about) whose mom is really only giving him fruit, bread, and pasta from Gerber Graduates. When he was on baby food, she never fed him any veggies other than sweet potatoes. He is already super picky as he's transitioning to eating my meals.

I'd like to start offering the infant cereal and baby food; so that I can prevent future picky eaters and make sure they are getting proper nutrition; but I will probably have to charge about $10 more per week (currently my infant rate is the same as toddler or preK rate). What are your thoughts and experiences with this??

[MNMum]

I liked someone else's idea that parents can do the solids until 8 mos. Baby only gets two "meals" per day at this point and it is to introduce food.

I provided cereal and baby food. What I told mom actually is that I would make baby food out of what I was serving for the day. I pureed our veggie or fruit (if it was appropriate) fed baby, then froze the rest in ice cube trays. Used the frozen on days I was too busy to puree food, or if we were eating something baby couldn't. I kept in contact with mom on what foods were not okay. No extra cost involved. Baby cereal is cheap. If baby is on WIC, I'd ask if they have extra baby cereal, they usually get more than is needed.

I think it depends on the parent. If they are planning to introduce one food per week, then I would let them do the introducing, then add that to the acceptable food list. This was a third child and mom was okay with baby getting anything, outside of the "do not eat until 1 year old list". He actually ended up being the kid that would not take food on a spoon, so I ended up only offering finger foods. Still have frozen baby food I will need to make smoothies out of

[mismatchedsocks]

I provide all food here. ) i am on the food program so get reimbursed for it) Makes it easier to get baby to eat what i make. I will not try a food here until they have tried at home with no reaction. I have a list of baby food hanging in their cubby. Parents initial next to each food when they have tried at home.

I start with rice cereal then "tell" parents we should introduce veggies next. Then meats and fruits last. If a baby tastes the sweet of the fruit in my experienc doesnt want the veggies or meat as easily!

[quailsgarden]

I pretty much do what MNMum does.

[nannyde]

I make all the baby food from scratch. I HAVE to buy the crappy processed baby cereals because the food program won't allow me to serve my wholesome organic grain cereal I have here for everyone else.

I make the minimum serving of the commercial grain and then give them some of my cereal for "extra".

I don't start feeding them until they turn eight months. I start with the dark green veggies and work my way up to the orange veggies.

Then I do the fruits.

Once they can manage puree meats I add them into the veggie and grain.

By one they are completely on what we have here for lunch. My kids like blended stews so I just mix the babies down to a bit thinner and then increase as they get to one.

The only baby food I buy is organic pears. I have a hard time storing that and finding it so I keep a few jars here in case one of the kids gets constipated.

I don't like commercial baby food. I don't even like the organic. I like my veggies and meats way better. My kids are SUPER healthy. We went 18 months with only one kid out one day with the stomach flu after she had been to a cousins birthday party where the guest of honor had the tummy flu. Other than that we have had perfect attendance for 18 months for seven kids.

If you start them when they are little they WILL eat healthy food. The problem with commercial baby food is it makes feeding the kids so easy that the parents don't want to give that up when they hit toddler. Thus gerber grads was born.

It doesn't take forty six ingredients to make one toddlers supper. It takes four. One meat, one starch, one veg, and one fruit. The other 42 ingredients are the substitute for peeling, chopping, cooking, and softening the food. Is it worth it to give your kid an extra forty chemicals so you don't have to do anything but open and nuke?

The other problem with commercial baby food is the parent doesn't have a clue how much actual food they are getting. Unless you take the time to work the nutritional info backwards you can't even tell how much it really is. With home made you know EXACTLY how much the baby is eating.

All my kids love love love food. We live for meals here. Today I made them a chocolate, blueberry, rhubarb, 7 grain bread. They are having bread slices with a cup of real hot chocolate for snack today. It's a TREAT to them to get this food. A little bit of sweets with a whole lot of fruit and the best grains I can buy. Now that's something special. The whole loaf had nine ingredients. How does a little tub of toddler food have forty six?

[dave4him]

Would rather the parents provide the food, but i think with the food programs there is reimbursment anyway

[Rachel]

I provide all food, but parents are responsible for trying the food first. I keep a chart that says what each child has had, and after they have had it I give it. When first starting they have fruit (combos if they have had multiples), at breakfast, veggies with meat at lunch. They get whatever the older kids are getting, but blended or mushed as needed. I don't give baby cereal (parents can send it if they want it given).

[Meyou]

I make all the baby food from scratch. I HAVE to buy the crappy processed baby cereals because the food program won't allow me to serve my wholesome organic grain cereal I have here for everyone else.

I make the minimum serving of the commercial grain and then give them some of my cereal for "extra".

I don't start feeding them until they turn eight months. I start with the dark green veggies and work my way up to the orange veggies.

Then I do the fruits.

Once they can manage puree meats I add them into the veggie and grain.

By one they are completely on what we have here for lunch. My kids like blended stews so I just mix the babies down to a bit thinner and then increase as they get to one.

The only baby food I buy is organic pears. I have a hard time storing that and finding it so I keep a few jars here in case one of the kids gets constipated.

I don't like commercial baby food. I don't even like the organic. I like my veggies and meats way better. My kids are SUPER healthy. We went 18 months with only one kid out one day with the stomach flu after she had been to a cousins birthday party where the guest of honor had the tummy flu. Other than that we have had perfect attendance for 18 months for seven kids.

If you start them when they are little they WILL eat healthy food. The problem with commercial baby food is it makes feeding the kids so easy that the parents don't want to give that up when they hit toddler. Thus gerber grads was born.

It doesn't take forty six ingredients to make one toddlers supper. It takes four. One meat, one starch, one veg, and one fruit. The other 42 ingredients are the substitute for peeling, chopping, cooking, and softening the food. Is it worth it to give your kid an extra forty chemicals so you don't have to do anything but open and nuke?

The other problem with commercial baby food is the parent doesn't have a clue how much actual food they are getting. Unless you take the time to work the nutritional info backwards you can't even tell how much it really is. With home made you know EXACTLY how much the baby is eating.

All my kids love love love food. We live for meals here. Today I made them a chocolate, blueberry, rhubarb, 7 grain bread. They are having bread slices with a cup of real hot chocolate for snack today. It's a TREAT to them to get this food. A little bit of sweets with a whole lot of fruit and the best grains I can buy. Now that's something special. The whole loaf had nine ingredients. How does a little tub of toddler food have forty six?

This. Baby food grosses me out. I do buy organic applesauce but only because the ingredients are apples and lemon juice.

[MNmamaOf4]

Do you provide cereal/baby food for infants that have started solids, or do you have parents supply cereal/baby food?

If you do supply baby food for infants starting solids... what is your communication like with parents about it? For ex: do you require parents to tell you when a new food is started, do you only start a new food after it's been introduced at home, or do you go by your own new food schedule and just inform parents of what has been eaten that day?

I am currently contemplating changing my current policy based on an almost 1 yr old (picky eater that I posted about) whose mom is really only giving him fruit, bread, and pasta from Gerber Graduates. When he was on baby food, she never fed him any veggies other than sweet potatoes. He is already super picky as he's transitioning to eating my meals.

I'd like to start offering the infant cereal and baby food; so that I can prevent future picky eaters and make sure they are getting proper nutrition; but I will probably have to charge about $10 more per week (currently my infant rate is the same as toddler or preK rate). What are your thoughts and experiences with this??

I'm on a food program, so I'm required to provide cereal and baby food for infants. I just bought a variety and served a variety of fruits and vegetables. For the food program, they require you start serving it at 8 months, but my DCB parents had me start it when he was 5 months.