No Lumps....

[bubs_and_us]

my nearly 11 month old son wont eat lumps. he just spits it out and plays with it. he takes finger foods well, and chews with no problems at all. he's got 6 teeth, and i know he can chew, he just wont.

he wont eat lumpy vegetables (it has to be pureed), he wont eat cereal unless its very smooth.

i've tried 'watering down' the mashed things with puree (ie 1/2 mashed, 1/2 pureed) to no avail.

im getting worried.... is there anything i can do to encourage him to eat lumpy foods??

[the pero clinic]

Dear Bubs_and_us,

Try to not be too concerned about the issue your little guy is having with lumpy and mashed foods. It is very positive that he is taking finger foods. The mashed and lumpy textures are a developmental step between smooth purees, and the finger foods that need biting and chewing.

Once finger foods are bitten and chewed for a while, they turn into lumpy mush before being swallowed – so, essentially, your bub can and does manage this texture.

It would seem that the issue occurs when the food is first presented in a lumpy or mashed state. Refusal of this may indicate some oral hypersensitivity (being overly sensitive to different sensations in the mouth). This can be overcome or accommodated for.

To assist your bub to learn to tolerate the different textures, try working backwards from the finger food, instead of working forwards from purees (which you have already tried). Take a cube of liked finger food (e.g well cooked veggie) and encourage him to eat it from a spoon. Gradually work towards mashed veggie by squashing the pieces slightly with a fork – a little more each time, until he is used to the food being in a mashed state.

The dislike of lumpy or mashed food usually isn’t a problem for kids if they can manage finger foods anyway. There may be some food types (such as porridge) that won’t get eaten, but there should be plenty of other foods your bub can enjoy.

the pero clinic