Conference moira::parenting

    Hollis is 1 and is in the same boat -- needs/wants to eat table foods
    but hasn't got many teeth yet!  Here are some things she likes:
    
    Canned (no-salt-added) veggies -- Try carrots and the tiny, tiny peas
    	that Del Monte has.  She enjoys green beans too.
    Pasta with meat sauce.  Holly doesn't really care for hamburgers,
    	but she sure likes pasta with meat sauce!  Crumble the meat
    	pretty fine and cook the pasta thoroughly.
    Tuna salad (current favorite -- use the water-packed stuff)
    Pocket bread, raisin bread (toasted), English muffins -- almost
    	any kind of bread
    Egg salad
    Cottage cheese
    Toaster waffles
    Cheerios, Kix, Chex -- any kind of plain cereal that can be picked
    	up in the fingers (I'm assuming your son is self-feeding like
    	Hollis is)
    
    Our local deli also makes a very good no-salt-added turkey breast.
    It tastes almost exactly like what you'd fix at home. Both of the
    kids love it.
    
    Oh, another favorite -- well-done chicken.
    
    I'll listen to any other ideas anyone else has, too!!
    
    

    Charlotte (11 months old) enjoys tofu cubes. I saute them in a small
    amount of oil and tamari for flavor (you can also steam them or 
    simmer in water). Easy, cheap, full of protein. Her older brother
    always wants some when he sees her eating them, although he will
    refuse otherwise...
    
    Lucy

    We had a foster child who came to us at 12 months old and had no teeth. 
    I started him out on baby foods because he was nutritionally deficient. 
    We also put him back on formula with iron.  But as his health improved
    his teeth came in fast!  We had him for 5 months and in that time all
    his teeth (below 2 yr molars) came in.  We found he liked things like
    spaghetti-o's (yuck), canned veggies, cereal (Kix, Cheerios, Chex), all
    fruits, yogurt, eggs, cheese, sliced lunch meat (big favorite cause it
    was also easy to prepare).
    
    A summer time favorite for my boys was frozen peas!  They loved them! 
    Great treat for teething gums, too!!
    
    -sandy
    

    
    Our 16 month old eats what we eat at the dinner table. He also has 6
    teeth, four on top and two on the bottom. He'll eat whole green beans,
    pretzels, chicken tenders, etc all by taking bites slowly until the
    food is finished, just like Mommy and Daddy. Have you tried this with
    your child? It's amazing what they figure out just by watching you.
    
    Chris
    

    Shannon is 18 months (15 months adjusted) and has 4 teeth but I don't
    think she uses them -- tends to swallow without chewing.  Anyway, her
    diet is varied at the babysitter, but she is more fussy at home.  Here
    is what she likes:
    
    Breakfast:  Waffle with butter -- that's it, don't try eggs or anything
    else!  She may eat some baby fruit along with it.
    
    Lunch/Dinner:
    
    - Frozen cheese ravioli with Mom's sauce.  I let her eat meatballs that
    have been cut up.
    - Spinach stuffed pasta shells.  Easy recipe available!
    - Chicken cut up small and self-feed
    - Steamed green beans/peas/corn
    - potatoes cooked any way 
    - fish sticks (when we are having something she can't have)
    - grilled cheese sandwiches on whole wheat 
    - yogurt with wheat germ
    
    Snacks:
    
    - fig newtons
    - gram crackers
    - dry cereal
    - fruit breads (without nuts, sweetened with apple juice)
    
    She will not eat any of the beautiful summer fruit that is now
    available, nor will she eat any traditional treats of summer such as
    ice cream!  I'm so desperate for more ideas, I'd like to expand her
    repetoire!  We are getting so tired of pasta!
    
    Beth
    

    Try fish sticks, microwaved (makes them "soggy" and not crispy, easy to
    chew).  This is a favorite of Jackie's.  She also likes pasta, cut up
    hot dogs, sandwiches (creme cheese and jelly), cheese, meat, chicken,
    pizza, or whatever we happen to have that night for dinner.  She
    prefers frozen veggies over canned veggies, and right now will only eat
    corn.  She will (sometimes) eat tomatoes and likes to eat our salad.
    She now has 12 teeth (2 years old) but another favorite was the little
    Gerber soups or pastas (in the microwave containers), available in the
    baby food section.  Every now and then, I also cook up some rice and
    hamburger together, and then put in some cheese to make it stick
    together (easier to eat).  She like that also, and is pretty easy
    regardless of the amount of teeth.  Canned Mandarin oranges are easy
    and she also likes grapes (cut), apples, fresh oranges, and bananas.  I
    try to feed her fruit because of the lack of veggies she gets.  She
    does not get candy and like the previous noter, will not eat ice cream
    or other sweets.
    
    Mary
    

    At 20 months, Johnathan still gags a little on meat, even small slivers
    of chicken.  The only meat he can eat are fish sticks (Van de Kamps
    fish filets in batter, not breaded, are his favorite, and are fairly
    soft to eat), and meatballs (no onions or parsley or anything that
    would give them texture.)  Sometimes I also give him cold cuts, but I
    stay away from hot dogs because no matter how small I cut them up, he
    still seems to swallow the hotdog pieces without chewing them.
    
    For veggies, he likes peas and carrots (the cut-up kind sold in cans
    seem to be easiest for him to eat), but has trouble chewing green beans
    and corn.
    
    For fruit, he loves bananas, although he doesn't like me to cut them up.
    He also likes a peeled and cored apple, not sliced, that he can hold in
    his hand like a ball and chew away on.  He likes blueberries, which I 
    cut in half for him. 
    
    Gerber has new juices out, in 8 oz bottles, that have a fruit and a
    vegetable in the juice.  When Johnathan hasn't eaten well on a given
    day, I feel better if he drinks one of these juices, at least.   His
    favorite is the Carrot/pineapple.  They also sell Apple/Sweet potato,
    Orange/Carrot, etc.  
    
    Jane
    
                                                                        

    My son will be 2 yrs in Sept and has had all his teeth (except 2yr
    molars) since he was 14 months.  He basically enjoys anything I give
    him, he just loves to eat.  

    Here are some random ideas:

    I sometimes by Swanson Chicken ala king, it is found near the tuna.  I 
    bake a potato, add butter and cheese and the ala king and microwave it 
    until the cheese is melted.  He loves this, cleans his plate everytime.  
    Takes about 13 minutes to make if you microwave the potato.  Those 
    microwave meals by Beechnut/Gerber use to be lifesavers.  Now he thinks 
    they are for babies and won't eat them.
    
    Once in a while I will buy canned ravioli and he loves that too.  Have 
    you tried Mini-muffins for breakfast.  They are perfect for kids and easy.
    During the week, I go for quick and easy, don't have a lot of time for 
    preparing meals.  How about pancakes with butter and fruit, a little
    bit of peanut butter on a slice of apple for a snack.  I also make
    frozen juice pops for the summer.  They cost next to nothing and hardly
    any time to make.  Jello with fruit in it, pudding, banana slices with
    a little bit of hersey's syrup or yogurt on them for dessert.  Plain, 
    non-spicy burrito cut into little bit size pieces.  Pregresso Chicken 
    Noodle soup, Campbells lowmain (sp?) soups.  They come freeze dried.

    Just some things off the top of my head.  I remember when Stephen was
    about a year, I was desperately searching for new foods to try.  He
    also likes frozen french frys.
    
    My .02 cents worth.
    
    Kathy

    A suggestion for veggies... I go to the salad bar at Shaws & fill up
    the dressing container w/ sm bite size pieces of brocoli & cauliflower
    & that makes a serving for my 1 yr old daughter.  I just microwave that
    portion in a bowl w/ a little water & she can nibble on that along w/
    whatever else we give her.  I had such a hard time giving her veggies
    as we rarely have them ourselves.  She loves all kinds of fruit though
    - so she gets that 3 times a day.
    
    I'm glad someone started this note.  I'm running out of ideas myself -
    although Heidi has 6 teeth completely in at 1 year - so it will be
    easier now.
    
    Sonia

    I have a hard time finding food for my 13 month old.  He has his 2
    bottom teeth, and is just starting to get his 2 top teeth.  It's taking
    him forever to get his teeth.  Seems like he's been teething since
    birth.  
    
    He doesn't want baby food anymore, but I'm running out of things to
    feed him.  He does eat grilled cheese, eggos, toast, hotdogs (cut up
    small) macaroni & cheese, ravioli's, (does not like spagetti o's)  I
    tried cutting up small pieces of turkey breast, but he wont touch the
    stuff.  He does like chicken Mcnuggets and loves french fries.
    
    I hope I can get some better ideas from reading this file on what to
    serve Derek.
    
    Donna
    

    
    	You can get miniature bagels at the grocery bakery, toast them
    	and spread with cream cheese, cut into bite size pieces.  They
    	gum them, don't need their teeth.
    
    	Or just toast spread with cream cheese is good.
    
    	Cut spinach into small pieces and steam in the microwave.  Let cool
    	and just put it on their plate.
    
    	Our daughter loves strawberries, which are nice & ripe now (melt
    	in the mouth!).  Some children are sensitive, so watch for a rash.
    
    	Moosh any fruit and mix with yogurt, yum!
    
    	I get some crackers for Shauncey at Alexanders in the special foods
    	section.  Their Japanese and the only ingredients are brown rice,
    	soy sauce, and seeds.  They have them with vegetables, too.  She
    	loves them, an excellent snack or addition to a meal.
    
    	Make or buy quiche and cut into cubes, excellent!
    
    	She eats anything we do, including lunch-time sandwich.  We make
    	turkey & cheese with mustard or mayo (half sandwich), and just
    	cube it for her (it may fall apart, but the mayo or mustard keeps
    	it together).
    
    	Also baked beans (cool or cold), they can scoop them with their
        fingers.
    
    	Cubed kiwi fruit, or any fruit.  She has 7 teeth (12 months) and
    	bites into fruit herself...loves whole plums (might spit out the
    	skin).
    
    	Pepperidge Farm gold fish, they break right up in the mouth.
    
    	There's some ideas!	Betty

    
    	Boy, I have a ton of questions to this note myself, but no time to
    	write....  just wanted to add:
    
    	Fig Newtons!!!
    
    	I tried them on my 9 mos old son last week, and he can't get
    	enough!! He has 2 bottom teeth, and 3 partials on top. I cut
    	them into sm pieces, and he goes to town!!! LOVES EM!
    
    	That and cubed toast with a little jelly...
    
    	-chris
     

    
    Here's a couple of different ideas that my kids loved.
       
    - Tuna fish mixed with cottage cheese instead of mayo.
    - Quiche of any kind.
    - Small chunks of chicken with cream of mushroom soup on top.
    - Alphabet pasta (for babies) with Ragu - they got a lot of
      this...easy!
    - Weaver chicken roll - they refused deli meats except for this...must
      be the texture they liked.
    - Deviled ham spread on crackers.
    - Avacado cut up in small cubes - make sure its ripe.
    - Broccoli spears - they still cannot get enough of this!!
    - Canned carrots/peas - very easy for them to mush.
    - Kiwi slices - Again, they can't get enough of this!
    

    I feed James and Rosalind (fifteen months) whatever we are eating, if
    it  includes large chunks of meat then I put it in the food processor
    and coarsely chop it, otherwise they have it as is. The coarse
    chopping helps them eat it more quickly which is a benefit when they are
    really hungry.
    
    Dishes that they like include:
    
    Shepards Pie and fresh vegatables
    Lentil soup 
    Chicken korma and rice and veg (this one need chopping of the meat)
    Prawn cocktail
    Kedgeree (smoked haddock curried with rice and eggs)
    Roast meats and all the trimmings (another chopping one)
    Spagetti bolognase
    
    They both like pieces of fresh fruit, sandwiches and those small pots
    of fromage frais.
    
    Their absolute favourite food is anything from Mummy or Daddys plate!
    
    Judith
    

     My daughter is 9 weeks old and take 6 oz of SMA white cap,but she seems
    to we hungry all the time.the health visitor told us not to give her
    any more than that.Sometimes she only goes 2� hours then she want fed
    again.She was 4,6 at birth and is now 9,6.Should we start to wean her?.
    
    SCott

I'd say that if she wants to eat more, then feed her more.  I had my kids up
to 8 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours before starting with cereal.  And you 
could start giving her cereal. We used to put 1 scoop of cereal per ounce of
formula (I used powdered formula, so used that scoop -- I think it might equal
1-2 teaspoons).  If you put it in the bottle, you may need to slit the nipples
a bit so she can suck it.  And there are many opinions about putting cereal in
the bottle, but we had no choice as Brad had reflux and needed the cereal to
help weight the formula down to help it stay down better.  Since we did it
for him, we also put it in Jessica's bottle.  We started spoon feeding cereal
to Jessica at around 6 months old (3 months adjusted), and started Brad the
following month once he had come home from the hospital.

    I'm going to add to this note and ask for help.  I have read the replys
    about what to feed a child but I need some more help. 
    
    My daughter is 10 months old, has 8 teeth and weighs 23 pounds.  I
    can't keep her full.  Example, last night for supper, she had half a
    jelly sandwich, two jars of baby food, a Gerber meat stick and said
    enough, she would not eat any more.  At 11:00 she woke up, took a six
    ounce bottle and went back to sleep. 
    
    How much is enough?  How can I stop her from waking up at night?  We
    normally eat between 5:30 and 6:00 so it is not that we are feeding her
    real early.  Any suggestions that can be offered, I'd appreciate it. 
    
    Thanks, I'm starting to lose too much sleep. 
    Lisa Cozzens 

    The amounts sound reasonable to me.  You might try a pre-bed
    snack, to top up the tank for the night.
    
    She might be going through a growth spurt.
    
    		-John Bishop

    Lisa,
    
    I'd suggest that you have a sleep problem more than an eating problem.
    Young children can get in the habit of eating at night when they
    don't really need it and it's a difficult one to break.  Perhaps
    take a look at the many notes in note 27 - some will undoubtedly
    address your situation.
    
    Carol

    Neel (14 months) sometimes eats more than Avanti (4 years). He has a
    big appetite and he works it off - constant walking around the house or
    daycare. He is not fat, just big and a fast growing boy. Our pedi says
    that as long as the child wants to eat there should be no problem
    feeding him/her. Don't try to force the child to eat but let them
    decide when to stop. 
    
    Wednesday nite was a classic. Avanti and Neel did not eat much for
    lunch and were soooo hungry at dinner time that they both ate more than
    twice their normal and I got very worried about the amount. I was
    afraid to give them anymore but did not want to stop them from eating.
    Well, all's well. Neel is going thru the "teething phase" - canines
    this time so his habits are ever changing depending on how much the
    teething is bothering him. Then again Avanti and Neel must be in  a
    growth spurt!!!
    
    Shaila

you can try diluting the milk or formula gradually.  I forget whether I
read this in the Penelope Leach or Ferber book.  The idea is that the
baby's tummy is used to being fed at 11 pm, so the baby wakes at 11.  If
you gradually lessen the amount of food they take in at that time, their tummy 
stops waking them up.  Also check to be sure that there isn't something
environmental waking her up.  (Does a neighbor with unusual work hours arrive
home at that time in a noisy car?)

The dilute route is something like this:
For the next 2 or 3 nights, you'd give the baby a 6 oz. bottle but make one
of those oz. be water.  The next two or three nights it's 2 oz. of water, etc.

Another possibility would be to give her longer-digesting food at dinner time.
Don't meat and cereal stick to your ribs longer than fruits & veggies??

I know that no two children are alike, but to give another data point:  Noelle,
my almost-1-year-old (no way!!) has 2 teeth, weighs around 21 pounds, eats
her final meal anytime between 4:45 and 6, and sleeps from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am.
She eats 4, rather than 3 smallish meals a day.

Hope you're soon on your way to restful nights!

- Deb

	Emily, a normally 11-12 hour sleeper in the winter, has been waking
	through these hot spells on occasion, usually around 10 pm.  Through
	trial and error, we discovered that the problem was thirst.
	Now, if she wakes up, we immediately offer her a sippy cup with
	1/2 juice, 1/2 water.  She'll drink 3-4 oz. with scarcely a breath,
	then will go right back to bed.

	Although kids appetites do vary quite a bit, it sounds as though
	your daughter is getting plenty to eat.

	Karen

    Chelsea is 14 months old and weighs about 19 pounds.  She is a very
    healthy, active little girl. 
    
    The last three months Mom has been a little on the frustrated side
    during feeding times.  It seems like my daughter lives on yogurt,
    oatmeal and Cheerios/Kix.  I have tried everything during mealtime
    and she just flat out refuses the food.  I don't push it, becuase I
    want meal time to be a happy time (even if I'm not!).  But I'm just
    getting concerned over her being so picky about most foods.  We have
    tried steamed veggies, toast, pasta, eggs, etc. and she just won't have
    any of it.
    
    I know this could be a stage (even though its lasted about 3 months),
    could be tied into teething (her molars are giving her a really tough
    time and they are just starting to break thru the gum).  I guess my
    main concern is trying to not worry so much that she is not eating
    enough.  She takes a daily vitamin and doesn't look starved at all, I
    just wish I could find ways to get her more interested in eating.
    She use to love cheese and now she won't even take a small bite of it.
    I know kids can love a food one day and go on strike the next, but I
    feel like I prepare 5 different options at a meal and end up grabbing
    the box of Cheerios.
    
    Any ideas or comfort from those of you who have been thru this is
    greatly appreciated.
    
    ..Lori

    Hi Lori,
    
    You are not alone.  According to our pediatrician, it's very normal for
    some children to be picky about what they eat.  My four year old will
    only eat about five different foods.  My 15-month old will eat a larger
    variety, but her preferences change daily.
    
    During mealtimes, I feel like I'm doing jumping jacks.  I prepare at
    least one food that I *know* the kids like, and I prepare a meal for my
    husband and myself.  Often, the kids don't even go for the food that I
    *know* they like, and I find myself jumping up and trying something
    else.  Many a night my kids have eaten cereal and milk for dinner.  
    
    Depending on the child, the "phase" could last a long time.  Try not to
    let it get to you.  I find it's easier on me if I have a couple of
    backup foods ready and waiting.
    
    Sheryl

    Natasha (now almost 2) was very difficult eater but we found that if we 
    make a game of it - she eats better.  We give her a little tike
    person, dog or cat (like weebles) and we say, "I think the man want
    some corn", Natasha give the man some corn please and believe it or not
    she gives some to him then she eats it.  We started this ages & ages
    ago because I too feared she wasn't eating enough. {It started on one
    of those night we're you've tried everything and just want a peaceful
    meal!} We've also used stuff toys.  The key is you must make the sound 
    like the toys has eat'n the food.  Today I still find Natasha feeding 
    her babys & making a soft munching sound.  
    
    Also when she was 1 (the walking stage) I'd leave food (cheerios, 
    raisins, apple, nuts) in little plastic dishes near here play area 
    (she always goes for her dish because she knows only Natasha uses it 
    and she can go to it at her pace).  Today when she wants a snack we ask
    her to get her dish and she runs and gets it, then sits on the floor
    and hands the dish to me.........it's so so cute. 

    I remember this with my oldest.  He wanted nothing to do with sitting
    and eating.  Anything that could be munched while toddling around was
    fine!  I used to fill the cups of a muffin tin with cheerios, raisins,
    anything of the like and I remember he ate lots of yogurt (took him all
    morning, too - running here and there).
    
    Today he is 8 and he will eat ANYTHING ANYTIME ANYWHERE!!!!
    
    -sandy
    

    Since a few of you mentioned raisins here...and we haven't tried them
    yet...how old were your children when you tried them?
    
    Chelsea has four top and two bottom teeth.  Two top molars and another
    upper (next to the molar) on their way.  I've always thought that she
    might choke on raisins, so I've held back on giving them to her.
    
    ..Lori

    She might be able to handle them, but remember no matter how much they
    chew, they still come out looking about like when they went in!! 8^)
    
    Just monitor her ther first few times...
    
    -sandy
    

    
    	I tried raisins with Spencer at age 21 months and yup, he started
    choking. (but this is also the kid who at 6 months, choked (full
    obstruction) on Cherrios). Guess we'll be putting those raisins away
    until he reaches high school. ;-)

    				Wendy

    
     Relax and don't worry - Cheerios/Kix and yogurt sounds pretty healthy,
    overall.
    
    Some ideas we've used....
    - hiding the food under bowls and playing peekaboo
    - 'pretending' to take the food away, then letting the child take it back
       (and usually pop it in the mouth immediately for safekeeping)
    - different textures.  My kids love "icy peas" - straight out of the
      freezer.  I also feed them their veggies as a before dinner snack -
      peas or green beans out of snack bowls, while I finish up in the
      kitchen.
    - and last, but my favorite - the "yum yum spaceship".  the spoon is
    raised high and swoops around in any flight path that takes your fancy,
    with the engine saying all the while. "yum yum yum yum yum yum..."  
    
    Relax and just make sure YOU get some food!
    Jamd

    RE: 14 month old kids
    
    Neel (14 months) is usually a very good eater. He LOVES yogurt and in
    general will eat ANYTHING. But for the last 10 days he has been fussy.
    He does not eat yogurt as much as he used to (he used to eat three 6 oz
    yogurt containers a day..sometimes more). He is teething .. his canines
    are getting ready to cut. I have been told that teething of the canines
    is rough. He is biting anything in site ... including the carpet on the
    stairs !! He was ready to eat a stone at the lake-side beach on Sunday.
    He loves my cheek and shoulders for a quick munch (OUCH!). So I am
    attributing his fuss during eating to (1) teething pains (2) growing
    pains. As we are now used to calling any unusual behaviour "A PHASE"
    :-).
    
    Shaila

    Charlotte just finished that "Phase".
    She was a big muncher prior to that, but all of a sudden, she refused 
    to eat anything that was chewy. It was back to softer foods for about
    a month as our mad little teether went around chewing everything but
    food. 
    Well, she went from 6 teeth to 12 (and the other 4 have just about 
    arrived). Now, she's more interested again, and must have grown at 
    least an inch when I was away in Colorado Springs last week!
    
    Hang in there, Shaila!
    
    Monica
                                                                

	Lori,

	Emily went through a similar phase during a teething spree at
	around 10 months (four teeth in 6 weeks or something like that).

	She stopped eating most foods that she'd previously liked.  The
	only foods she'd eat without fail were yogurt, toast, cheerios,
	graham crackers, and baby cereal (all relatively soft foods).  Even
	if I mashed up other foods, however, she wouldn't eat them.  
	The first week I got frustrated, then I just started adding extra
	cereal to her meals, and offering the veggies or other foods, and
	gradually she started eating them again.

	I thought we'd be done baby cereal by now, but she still loves
	it, and eats it twice a day.  She virtually doesn't eat meats.
	
	I think we may be in for another bout with the teeth, too.  She
	didn't finish her meal the other day, drooling is starting up
	again, and her nose has been runny for over a week.

	Karen

    	Pumpkin Griddle cakes

    Made this last night from a new book I had gotten called :
    	Sugar-Free Toddlers.

    	The recipe said that it took 12 minutes to prepare and that it
    rated a 9 out of 10 on the "toddler scale" (all of the foods were tried
    out on many toddlers.)

    	I'm at the point where although nutrition is definitely a bonus, the
    Like-it-enough-to-not-throw-it-on-the-floor scale is far more
    important these days.

    	I'm happy to report that Spencer rated these an 8 on the LIETNTIOTF
    scale. Which means that Mom gives it a 10 on the Peace-at-dinnertime
    scale. Good news all around.


    	1/2 can of pumpkin
    	2 eggs
    	1/2 cup of milk (I used water)
    	1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (I had to add about 3/4 cup - enough
    to make a dough)
    	spices (cinnamon, nutmeg)
    	wheat germ (a good dash)

    	Drop these by spoonful and fry them up in a little bit of vegetable
    oil. They turn out to be like crunchy doughy pancakes.

    	I served them with Maple syrup (which defeats the Sugar-free thing
    but hey) and Spencer wolfed them down. This recipe has made enough for
    us to freeze for many meals (probably made about 30 cakes and a meal
    for Spencer is 3 of these with fruit and juice).

    	True to the book, it really was easy and quick and even *I* ate
    these for my dinner.

    				Wendy

    Sounds great - two notes:
    1/ since it's pumpkin season is there some kind of equivalent
       you can make in fresh pumpkin instead of canned? I have a pumpkin
       at home that begs to be eaten 8-).
    2/ I suppose you can try apple sauce instead of maple syrup (which
       is what we do for pancakes Charlotte gets) but then again,
       Alan and I are BIG maple syrup fans (and right in the heart of
       syrup country too!)
    
    Thanks for the recipe!
    
    Monica

    
    	Actually the book had sugar free syrup recipes that I am going to
    look into and yup, you could certainly use fresh pumpkin (or even
    squash I suppose).
    
    	Our Halloween pumpkin has long ago traveled through little
    Griffin's digestive track. I nuked that suker (the pumpkin that is
    ;-)), pureed it, spiced it up and little Griffin could get enough of
    it. (ours was a sugar pumpkin not a jack-o-lantern pumpkin)
    
    	Don't have to worry about beta-carotene with that guy for awhile.
    
    				Wendy

    re:  suppose you can try apple sauce instead of maple syrup (which
           is what we do for pancakes Charlotte gets) 
    
    	You might want to try honey too, which we substitute for maple
    syrup for our daughter.
    

    re:honey (which is actually concentrated sugar and is no better than
    maple syrup in that respect).

    	You should never never give a child under the age of one (and I
    personally feel the age of three) honey as it can contain botullism
    spores that although harmless to adults can be fatal to children.


    				Wendy

    
    Another recipe that has 'no fat', and that my kids love:
    
    Kitchen sink muffins
    
    1.5 Cups Flour
    1.0 Cup  Sugar  (can be reduced; experiment)
    1 tsp Baking Powder
    1 tsp Baking Soda
    .5 Tsp Salt
    1+ tsp Cinnamon
    1+ Tsp Vanilla
    .5 tsp Clove
    
    1.0 Cup Applesauce
    1   egg
    1 to 1.5 Cups mashed fruit:  I use cannned pumpkin and leftover bananas
    
    
    Mix all the dry ingredients.  Stir in all the wet ingredients until
    only slightly lumpy.
    
    Pour into paper muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350.
    
    Jamd
    

    
    I guess this is the best note for my question.  Seems like most of my
    notes about Lauren have to do with her eating habits.  I think I
    must have entered over a dozen in the "No teeth yet" food note!
    
    Anyhow, here is my question.  Lauren drinks up to 40 oz of formula
    per day.  She just turned 1 year old.  She doesn't drink juice (well,
    not more than 1 oz at a time since she doesn't care to use a cup).
    And when she has a meal, she eats very little.  Maybe 1/4 C diced food
    at a time.  Well, now she is transitioning to milk and I am concerned 
    about meeting her nutritional needs since formula is complete
    nutritionally but milk is not.
    
    Do I really need to worry about this or will her body signal her to eat
    other foods and not rely on milk?  How can I get her to eat more food
    when she is so stubborn about wanting her bottle? 
    
    Also, how much food should she really be eating.  According to the book
    "What to expect the first year" she should be eating about 10 times
    what she eats!  They call 1/2 C peas one toddler serving of vegetable!
    Thats crazy!  She probably eats 1/2 C food in an entire day!  I can't
    imagine her eating all the food that it suggests she should eat.  I
    was also not worrying about her eating vegetables and fruit since she
    was on formula.  I just gave her what I knew she liked in hope that
    she would eat a fair quantity.  Now should I start making sure she eats
    more fruits and veggies (not her favorite) or just concentrate on
    quantity for now and worry about nutrition later once she starts
    relying on food as her main sustenance instead of formula/milk?  She
    does have vitamins daily.
    
    About the only time she eats alot of anything is when I give her 
    Campbells Chunky Chicken soup (lots of sodium there though so I will
    not give it to her often).  Then she eats 1/2 a large can (and
    sometimes has a stomach ache since she is not used to eating so much).
    
    From reading all the replies in this note, I wonder if it is ever going
    to get easier feeding her....
    
    Karen
    

    Karen,
    
    I have fairy children who don't eat a lot either when they are this
    small.  My one recommendation is to offer the food, and not to get
    upset if she doesn't eat it.  another thing is to give her one "dab" of
    something and offer more if/when she finishes it off.  Some kids are
    overwhelmed with large amouonts of food on their tray, and believe the
    only thing it is good for is play or dogfood.  
    
    Atlehi is a grazer.  She likes little bits of things often.  the
    solution is: a piece or two of Carrie's french toast in the morning
    while carrie is eating, then, maybe a part of a pear  later on in the
    morning, maybe some cottage cheese or yogurt later on, bites of my
    sandwitch when Frank brings her in for lunch, bites of whatever frank
    fixes for himself after they get home, a snack when I get home from
    work, pieces of popcorn (yes I know they aren't supposed to have it,
    but one piece at a time when you can pay attention works for her), when
    Carrie gets home from school, and some of whatever we are eating for
    supper.  
    
    She is still nursing, although in the last month we have dropped the
    morning bottle, and the afternoon bottle only has enough breast milk in
    it to put her back to sleep if she wakes up early from her nap.  We
    keep a cup with a straw in it available for juice.  She grabs that on
    and off through the day and evening.  Only a swallow or two and she is
    off again.  She might get two ounces of juice through the day.  
    
    It isn't much at a time, but I would imagine if I added it all up in
    total, she eats plenty, albeit in dribs and drabs.  she is just 19
    months old.
    
    meg

I was at such a different place at that stage it's hard to offer advice.

My daughter started on cereal, and then fruit, and then veggies at 6 months.  
Such that her sustainance was probably 50/50 food to breastmilk by, oh say, 9
months.    I made all of the veggies, so i made them lumpier and lumpier until
she was eating them as finger food.  Same with the fruits. 

I guess the transition breastmilk - milk was a non issue because at that point
she was eating a good portion of a good variety of foods, that I was not worried
about the decrease in nutrition from the milk source.      The milk was probably
only 16 oz a day at that point (11 months) which is what our pedi required for
calcium.   (and some of that was yogurt and cottage cheese). 

    
>     Also, how much food should she really be eating.  According to the book

My pedi is big on saying they will eat when they are hungry and will eat as 
much as they need.  You just have to provide nutritional food so when they do 
eat it, it is good for them.     


>     was also not worrying about her eating vegetables and fruit since she
>     was on formula.  I just gave her what I knew she liked in hope that
>     she would eat a fair quantity.  Now should I start making sure she eats
>     more fruits and veggies (not her favorite) or just concentrate on
>     quantity for now and worry about nutrition later once she starts
>     relying on food as her main sustenance instead of formula/milk?  She
>     does have vitamins daily.

In my opinion, she's not going to just start liking/eating veggies one day
because she's used to eating solid food.    And getting her to eat quantity, if
it's not of a total nutrition picture, is not really a goal.    But I don't know
how you get a baby to eat veggies when they never really had to before and now
they have taste buds :^)      Since it was part of ours' diet from month 6, she
never knew any different.  

If you can't get her to eat them straight, try starting off with a lasagna heavy
with vegetables, or a chicken meatloaf laced with lots of diced up vegetables, 
or grilled cheese and chopped broccoli, etc.    (sneak them in).   


My pedi does not endorse vitamins, so he relies totally on the food value.
He says to cut out the empty foods (crackers, etc), use water not juice, this
will make them eat more solid food, and make sure a good amount of the solid 
food is vegetables.  This will serve them well now, and set their habits for 
their lives. 

Since it works for us, she's eaten her veggies since day 1 because she 
sees veggies multiple times a day, we've not had to find an alternative.  

I liked Penelope Leach's advice on food:  it's your job to provide 
nutritional food, and it's the toddler's job to eat it.  Don't sweat it 
if they only eat macaroni for several days in a row.  Toddlers generally 
get what they need over the long haul.  (Note this is much easier said 
than done!!)

Noelle was a *big* milk drinker and hardly ate anything.  In addition,
she gagged at most solids and ate baby food for ages.  We just took
things on her schedule (with some mostly silent worrying on the side.)

I second the advice on giving tiny helpings -- that worked fairly well
with Noelle (and still does!)  One of the Parents magazines
recommended that a quarter of an adult sized portion is appropriate
for most toddlers.  Also, since Lauren is big on milk, you don't
have to worry at all if she doesn't eat meat -- she'll get plenty
of protein from the milk.

If you can pick up or borrow a copy of the Leach book (I've forgotten
the title, but it covers birth to 5 years), it really does have
some very good advice on feeding toddlers.

Good luck!

- Deb B.

I read the same book (based on someones note in this file)-
it definately puts you mind at ease about toddlers different
eating patterns.  What's good one day is thrown the next.

My Lauren was also a BIG milk drinker (and a big kid weight
and height wise).  At almost 3 she drinks about 12 oz a day
(nonfat, started that at 2).  I always wondered if the huge
milk appetite contributed to her growth.  Any comments out
there?

What I found is food at 1 is not so much a function of age
as the number of teeth they have.  Once they have some teeth
your choices are wide-open.  We always give Lauren tastes of
what we are eating, to date she will try almost anything (not
into the HOT stuff though).

    40 oz. a day is a good deal of liquid. What you might want to do, if
    you have not tried it already, is offer solids first at a meal and then
    offer the bottle. She may be filling up on formula/milk and then not
    having room for the other food.
    
    Also, try a cup with a straw for juice and milk. My kids much preferred
    straws at age 1-1.5 and drank any and everything from them.
    
    

    
    I focused on Laurens eating habits this weekend and got her down to
    30 oz of formula and a good amount of food, as long as I gave her the
    right thing.  I tried all sorts of things for breakfast, from french 
    toast to fruit to pancakes, eggs, toast, etc.  The only thing she
    chowed on was cheerios!  So, the heck with fancy breakfasts!  Cheerios
    it is (until she changes her mind that is).  She drank about 6 oz of
    Orange juice from her cup over the course of the morning but refused to
    drink any milk from her cup.  Milk had to be in a bottle.  Guess I'm
    gonna have a struggle there.
    
    For lunch and dinner, her favorite was homemade chicken soup with
    stars.  She just picked and played with anything else I gave her.  I
    wonder what she'll like next week?  She also LOVES anything off my
    plate!  After I fed her lunch yesterday I was having my lunch and she
    was all over me, begging!  I had salad with pepperoncini and spicy
    italian dressing.  Well, she wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to
    give her a taste of the pepperoncini!  She sucked on it for a second,
    starting coughing a little, then reached for it again!  After 4 times
    of this, I put my foot down!  I didn't want her getting sick on me!
    
    Well, from what I've read here, this is just the beginning of figuring
    out a toddlers eating habits.  Before having children, I used to be of
    the opinion that children should eat what they are served with no
    special catering.  Now I'm eating my words...  ;-)
    
    Karen

    re -1
    
    Thanks for the early morning laugh,  can't tell you how many times 
    I have eaten my words since having a child.  funny how things 
    change.  
    
    lori

Karen,

Your note rang a bell with me...  Noelle, too, had a view of the world
in which milk always came in a bottle and only juice came in cups.  I,
too, thought I would have a struggle on my hands.  It ended up
not being a struggle (much to my surprise and delight!)

Here's what worked for us (from what I remember):
  Noelle's "comfort" meal was her morning bottle -- she
  really wanted to be held for that first bottle so we
  went with her on that.  I think we started off one
  bottle at a time.  Initially, she had all her milk
  from the bottle.  Then she had her lunchtime milk
  in a cup.  Then, (after a couple of weeks?), she
  had her dinnertime milk in a cup.  (I think she had 3 meals
  and 2 snacks at this point -- a mid-morning and an
  afternoon.  Her snacks included juice in a cup.  I wasn't
  sure how I was going to get her off her morning bottle
  but when she developed a cold, she had a really hard time
  sucking milk from her bottle, so the next morning I 
  just gave her milk in a cup.  And from then on, she had
  no more bottles...  

I *think* she was weaned completely to cups by 15 months.
(3 months late by one of my baby books, but close enough :-)

Hope someone finds this useful!

- Deb B.

    karen,
    
    Are her bottles warmed still or are you giving them to her at
    refrigerator temperature?  If her bottles are warmed, and the milk in
    the cup is chilled, I can see her issue.  If this is the case, start
    leaving her bottles cold.
    
    meg

    
    re: warm bottles/cold cups
    
    Actually, yes, her bottles are warmed (just to take the edge off).
    I tried warming the milk in the cup but still no go.
    
    Maybe I'll try the cold bottle to make bottles less of a "comfort"
    thing for her.  I must admit, I enjoy holding her to give her the
    bottles though...
    
    Karen
    

    karen,
    
    There is NOTHING wrong with giving a baby a comfort bottle while
    holding her, IMO.  My mother's restriction (and mine consequently)
    is/was that any baby with a bottle must be held.  Since I nurse babies
    until they are ready to be weaned completely, I can't see anything
    wrong with a bottle until she is ready to give it up.  My older kids
    gave up comfort nursing after they were two, and atlehi is folowing in
    their footsteps.  
    
    meg

    re:  comfort bottles
    
    I let my oldest decide when to give up the evening bottle.  Now with my 
    18 month old, I am following the same track....When she doesn't want
    to sit and rock with me and her bottle, it will be over.  Until then,
    I could care less what the "right" thing to do is...I think we both
    benefit from this time together.
    
    -beth

    I agree and don't see a problem with a child having a bottle
    when being held (especially if the child is still under 2 yrs old). 
    My son, who is going to be 20 months on Christmas day, for a while 
    wanted nothing to do with a bottle (between 12 and 15 months old), 
    but now likes his bottle again - but only when he is tired (ready 
    for nap or bedtime).  We do restrict bottles for cuddle time...
    (i.e. he has to be sitting with my husband or myself) and I personally 
    really enjoy that time with him - and I think he enjoys it too!  
    I don't think anyone outside my house sees him with a bottle.  He 
    has cups at daycare and home during the day.  
    
    just my .02
    
                                                 

I have changed the title of this string from "Toddler foods" to 
"Toddler Foods/Feeding Toddlers (18-36 months)" at the excellent suggestion 
of a noter.  The new title should make this string somewhat easier to 
locate with a DIRECTORY command.

     Carol duBois, PARENTING co-moderator

    I have a question regarding the solid type foods.
    
    Paul is almost 17 months.  There are still many foods that I will chop
    in a grinder for him.  Most of his foods are solids, but some things he
    will enjoy more if I grind them (i.e., shepards pie). 
    
    My husband thinks that this is awful, "he isn't a baby anymore".  I
    don't agree.
    
    
    Comments?
    
    Thanks..
    cj
    

    re.cj
    
    If most of his foods are solids, you certainly aren't holding back his
    development.
    
    I might not grind food for a 17-month-old, but I don't think it's
    awful. If I did, don't think I'd always do it for certain things.
    
    I do not agree with your husband that 17 months "isn't a baby anymore."
    Maybe not an infant, but not a baby? [I'm tempted to ask what his rush
    is? Children seem to grow at a pretty good clip...]
    
      Annie

When I was about 12 years old, I would ask my great aunt to grind my meat
for me.  She was the only one I had ever seen who had a grinder.  I don't
know whether I liked it because the food was easier for me to eat or
because it "tasted better" or simply because it was fun.  I suspect the
latter, but either way my mother was appalled (and my great aunt indulged me).
:-)

Speaking as a parent who would do anything to get her 1 year old to eat any
food, I don't see anything wrong with grinding the food, especially if he
also regularly eats food that isn't ground.  

As I recall, one or both of our kids also had trouble with chunks of food for
a *long* time.  Smoother foods would be eaten much better.

    Carol

    
    I'd go along with what Carol said .... Jason HATES any food at all
    that's of different consistency.  He won't eat it, and (ever since he
    was a baby) it makes him gag.  Lumps in potatoes, "chunky" baby food, 
    or anything like that, he just turns green.
    
    I've always viewed it as a "food preference".  Hey, you like ketchup on
    your french fries, I hate it.  Is one of us wrong?!
    
    

    At 20 1/2 months my son still eats pureed veggies.  The only veggies he
    will eat with some texture are raw carrots, french fries, sometimes stir
    fry veggies or veggies someone else is eating.  I regularly try "whole"
    veggies but he turns them away. He loves just about any pureed veggie
    so instead of fighting it I decided as long as he's getting his
    nutritian I'm not going to care about the texture.
    
    Kathy 

    latest "trick" with Atlehi for veggies and unfamiliar foods:
    
    I don't put them on her plate, but put extras on mine.  After
    contentedly munching on her food for a bit, she looks around and finds
    out we have something different from hers on our plates.  She goes into
    instant "I want that" mode.  I give her "itty" pieces to start, and she
    has wound up eating a whole broccoli "tree", most of an asparagus
    stalk, and lots of different sauteed mushrooms this way.  
    
    meg

    I think I read somewhere (maybe in the what to expect...) that children
    should start eating solids (well solids that aren't ground) at whatever
    age it was cuz it helps with jaw/teeth development as well as if a
    child is on pureed food for a long time they become lazy and will then
    it make it very difficult to get them to transition.
    
    Has anyone else read/heard this?
    
    

	Meg,

	My two year old does the same thing.  Last night I was eating
	chicken and rice, and Emily kept asking for bites.  If I had
	made her her own chicken, she would have eaten exactly one
	bite.

	Must taste better off Mom's plate!

	Karen

    Meg/Karen,
    
    Well, Jonathan's the same way, so I decided to 'beat him at his own
    game', and made him exactly what I was having for dinner .... now he
    won't eat anything!  Not his or mine - that was smart, eh? (-:
    
    Back to hot dogs and chicken nuggets I guess ....
    
    

    I've been through this with my kids, too.  I use the "if you can't beat
    'em, join 'em" technique - put something on the kid's plate - if they eat
    it, great! - if not, give them all the bits they want from my plate (this
    works best if I have enough on my plate to give half of it away!).  My
    now-4-year-old ate the majority of his dinners from my plate for about
    1.5 years, I think.  Now he's pretty much not interested in much of
    what I eat ("oh yuck Mommy!  that chicken has *sauce* on it!").  I still
    have to share about 1/4 of any salad I have with him, though...

						cheryl

    Here too!  My 22 month old son would NOT eat rice ... has never
    liked it, but last night I had rice and broccoli in my plate and
    he gobbled it up bite after bite off of MY plate.  (he has 
    always liked "boccoli" - so that was no surprise).  He kept saying
    "more ice, more ice" ... they're so cute at this age.
    
    Happy toddler feeding! It's always a challenge - but there's always
    a way.
    
    Julie
    
    

Shruthi has been drinking whole milk since she was 9 months old.  At one point,
we had asked her pedi if we could switch her to 2% milk and we were told that we
shouldn't do this..not until she is two yrs old.  Well, she is two now..and at
her two yearly checkup, the pedi said it was fine to switch to 2% milk..and that
there really wasn't any advantage in sticking to whole milk.

This is something I wanted to ask the pedi but didn't get to...why is it ok to
switch now?  What were the advantages in sticking to the whole milk till now?

--Chaya.

>This is something I wanted to ask the pedi but didn't get to...why is it ok to
>switch now?  What were the advantages in sticking to the whole milk till now?

    Despite the current "fat-aversion" that we are bombarded with daily,
it *is* a required nutrient, and the young'uns *REQUIRE* it to be healthy.
At least two - and possibly more - vitamins require fat to be effective 
(vitamins A and E), and fat itself provides amino acids required for
muscle/brain development.

If you want more specific info, I could probably bring that in tomorrow,
but the bottom line is that it's as important as any other nutrient to
a child's development.

	    - Lorri

    fwiw:  I put my kids on 1% or skim well before 2.  BUT, part of my
    reasoning was that my husband does most of the cooking and he cooks a
    very high fat diet, so I reasoned that they would still have their
    necessary fat intake.

    
    I know that hot dogs are supposed to be bad for kids and that a child
    shouldn't have more than 4 a month.  Why is that?  Because of the 
    sodium nitrite?  If so, then does the same apply to ham and coldcuts
    that have sodium nitrite.  My husband and daughter love ham and I
    like it too but I tend to avoid it because of the sodium nitrite.  Is
    there ham without this chemical?
    
    Karen

    I'll leave the nitrite question to the additive experts in here, but I
    would think the greater risk of giving hot dogs to toddlers would be the
    choking hazard.
    
    Leslie 

    Karen,
    
    It does appear in one study that there may be a relationship between 
    hotdogs and leukemia, but more studies are being done.  the sodium
    nitrate and nitrits may or may not be the culprits.
    
    If you are concerned but like the flavor of ham, hotdogs, and bacon,
    you could try a local health food store.  They often carry nitrate-free
    hotdogs, and bacon.  I haven't looked for nitrate-free ham, but I would
    look in the same places.  
    
    Caveat:
    
    the nitrates and nitrites are put into the meat as preservatives, as
    well as to retain the bright red color of the meats.  You need to use
    more care regarding safe storage of nitrate-free meats, as well as get
    used to grayer appearing cured meats.  
    
    meg

    What do you do for your toddlers lunch for the week? For the past year
    I've been sending Lisa's lunch for the week on a Monday. Anything from 
    mac & cheese, lentil & cheese loaf, pasta & tomatoes. Plus fruits and
    snacks. I was wondering if other people pack the kids lunch daily? Lisa
    is in a family day care and this method has worked so far, but it means
    she has the same thing all week. 
    
    I have scoured the supermarket for new finger food (she is getting less
    tolerant of being fed). 
    I have found for:  Tofu Dogs, I slice and then quarter
    them, they have a soft texture and mild flavor, no nitrates and low
    sodium (relative to real hotdogs) 
    - Nutri-grain or Snackwell breakfast bars. These are very popular, good 
    nutrition a bit sweet, lots of flavors. 
    - Mandarin oranges, in the can, very quick easy snack. Other canned
    fruits (for convenience) like crushed pineapple and pears. 
    - Shaws (and brand names) now have 6 packs of 4.4 oz yogurts. A good size,
     and they didn't increase the until price. However they only have "kiddie" 
     flavors. Rootbear yogurt? Ick. 
    
    
    Gail 

    I have to pack 2 lunches daily, one for a 5 year old and 1 for a
    toddler.  Other things I send include:
    
    	chicken nuggets (Shaw's has one with cheese in them)
    	sandwiches (I try to limit to 1 a week)
    	individual quiche (these are good for kids who can't chew good yet!)
    	bagel pizza
    	anything with macaroni (including tomato and meatsauce)
    	soup
    	apple sauce
    	fruit cups (you can buy one that's an individual serving size that
    		is lite)
    	cucumber rounds
    	cooked squash
    	slightly steamed carrots
    	any sort of fresh fruit
    	deli meats cut in strips
    	french toast sticks
    	green salad
    
    Overall, I try to find things that have the protein, bread and
    vegatable all combined.  Then I just have to throw in some fruit and
    they have the required components.  First thing to realize is that just
    about anything can be finger foods, depending on how much you want to
    clean up.  My daycare has no problem with pasta and tomato sauce being
    eaten with fingers.  The other thing I've found invaluable is the
    small wide mouth thermos.  They hold (I think) about 6 oz and are a
    great size for a kid's portion of soup, etc.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Irene

    I have to pack a lunch for my 2.5 y.o. each day. The lunch is
    refrigerated until he eats and if the food needs to be heated they do
    it. However, heating isn't important to Alex so I'm not so sure how
    often they zap his lunches. Day care provides snacks and liquid but I 
    always leave them a supply of the small round rice cakes and a container 
    of dry cheerios and raisens for those days he doesn't eat much
    breakfast at home.  He was a great eater until around 1 and seems to be
    getting better again, fortunately.  I have several small rubbermaid type
    containers which I put his food in and "Alex" them since most of the
    other parents use the same type plastic containers.   I don't like the 
    individual serving sizes of food/juice for environmental reasons so I 
    purchase large containers of yogurts, applesauce, juice, etc. and transfer 
    to the reusable plastic containers. It's pretty easy and works out
    well.   
    
    Since age 1 on I've sent in meat/chicken with brown rice or rice pilaf. 
    He loves the chicken nuggets; I've usually bought Purdue's. Fresh fruit 
    and when he was younger used canned fruit a lot in winter. Also plain tuna,
    macaroni and cheese, pasta with a little sauce or pesto, a peanutbutter 
    sandwich, slice of left over pizza. Recently he started liking raw
    broccoli/cauliflower/cucumber so I give him small pieces with a bit of
    salad dressing for dipping. He's been up and down with raw carrots too.
    Cut up cubes of cheese or now Cabot has individual slices of cheddar.  
    This is about it. We're not more diverse in what we pack for him because 
    he is not more diverse yet.
    
    Kathy
    

    One thing my pedi mentioned.  You should put some sauce on pasta
    or be sure they get plenty of juice or vegetables.  Something 
    about the younger they are, the less enzimes (sp?) they have for
    breaking down pasta in their bellies.  
    
    I know I was hesitant with the sauce at first, and was using bits
    of magarine.  Now I'm more relaxed about using sauce.
    
    						cj *->

    My 20-month old also gets hard-boiled eggs, leftovers like a
    lentil/pasta dish that I make, peanutbutter on crackers, cheese and
    crackers, ravioli and other pasta dishes, and any other leftovers from
    dinner, plus many others that have been mentioned in previous replies.
    
    His daycare room will heat up things.  His older sister's room does
    not, so I find her lunch to be harder to make.
    
    judy

    Someone asked that I post this a while back...
    
    Lentil & Cheese Loaf
    1/2 lb shredded Cheddar		1 cup soft bread crumbs,packed
    2 cups cooked drained lentils	1 egg, lightly beaten
    1/2 small onion chopped		1 tbsp melted butter or marg
    1/8 tsp pepper
    1/4 tsp thyme
    
    Lentils don't require soaking before cooking. One cup of uncooked
    lentils = 2 cups cooked. To cook use 1 cup lentils, 3 cups water,
    simmer for 40-50 minutes.
    
    Blend together cheese, lentils and onion, add pepper and thyme. Stir in
    bread crumbs, egg and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add to loaf pan (greased
    if it's not stick-free). Bake at 325 for 45 min. 
    
    The cookbook recommends serving it with tomato sauce, but that defeats
    the finger food idea for me. This stuff tases like stuffing, I've even
    added mushrooms and apples to it. 
    
    This is from "The Baby Cookbook" Karin Knight, RN & Jeannie Lumley