My 6 month old is refusing to eat salty food.

@mansha (6298)
India
December 19, 2006 12:23am CST
What should I do I started my bay on semi solid food and she is refusing to eat any thing with a pinch of salt and gobbles up sweet food I prepare.She infact grabs the bowl and does not even allow me to refill the spoon, the moment I take the spoon out of her mouth she ios shrieking to have more of sweet porridge I make. while any pulses which I boil with salt she throws out of her mouth makes a face and in two days has even learned to make a noise like vomiting to get me to stop feeding her that. How long can I continue feeding her sweet porridge etc. will it harm her if I do so for 15 days more.I have been feeding her this for past five days.
5 people like this
51 responses
@Justme2007 (1848)
• United States
19 Dec 06
Make her some foods w/o salt or mix the regular food with the sweet and see if she will eat it. Most people feed there babies none sweet foods first so they will get used to it then they feed sweet food to them. My children ate greens and cornbread with yams.
2 people like this
@msqtech (15074)
• United States
19 Dec 06
smart and good to do
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Oh! and I thought mine was unique. Infact everyone at home my aunts and all are constantly telling me not to feed her sweet food as my maternal side of the family is diabetic.
@soldenski (2503)
• United States
20 Dec 06
I would not feed her sweet or salty food's. If your family has the diabetic gene, I would stay clear from both. Try just making fruit puree's and not add anything to it.
• United States
19 Dec 06
you should never give a baby any artificial ingredints like salt,sugar i do not think that what you are feeding your baby will hurt him you should try a variety of foods because he might get hooked on sweet food and end up with bad eating habits later in life.
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
Yes I didn't knew that earlier now I have reduced sugar and giving her bland food instead of salt mixed food.
@anja31 (708)
• Canada
19 Dec 06
first of all it hard to give your child for the first time solid food. Second salt in the food istn good for the body. Try it without salt. Salt is somethimg that you dont need.
2 people like this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
Yes thanks I have notred down all the suggetions people keep posting here.
@lauriefnp (5111)
• United States
19 Dec 06
Let's face it, the sweet foods probably taste better to her than the salty foods. Try cooking without added salt, and make the sweet foods a bit less sweet (can you thin them out with water or milk?). Maybe you could gradually change her tastes. The salty food may actually taste too salty for her. You definitely don't want to let her start dictating what she will eat at such a young age, especially when you know that it's unhealthy for her to be overloaded on sugar.
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Yesterday only I tried to thin it out to make it less sweet and she just threw it up and didn't eat. She is becoming a stubborn child. Like when she is with her father and she sees me with the corner of her eyes moving around then she will start crying for me and he takes her out for stroll puts her on in the swing but after that she again remembers what she was crying for and at last I have to tkaew her even if for 5 minutes. I never had this problem with my 7 year old, I think I have forgotten all about parenting now.
@re08dz (1941)
• Australia
19 Dec 06
I admit it's been awhile since my kids were babies but do you really need to use the salt? Perhaps either try cooking without it or change it up a little, mash up boiled vegies etc. Maybe alternate between your own cooked foods and processed baby foods? Kids of all ages can be picky eaters, I still have a very vivid memory of my son throwing his mashed up pumkin all over the place :-) I don't think it will harm her to continue it health wise, it just may make it harder for you to introduce new foods if you keep going back to the same thing.
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Yes I had decided to introduce new thing every fourth day but she is so stubborn, we really have started on mother daughter battle right now. I have nevr heard of any baby knowing hoe to make sounds like she is about to vomit and she is exactly doing that.
@itsjustmeb (1212)
• Canada
19 Dec 06
don't give an infant salt. It's been proven the BEST foods you can give a small infant is bland, unsalted, unsweetened food. Same with juices - do not give the baby sweet juice either.
2 people like this
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Okay thanks I think you mean I need to give only naturally flavored food. I will try and reduce the sugar I am giving her. Thanks
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
19 Dec 06
Babies like their food pretty bland at first. Leave the salt out, and I'll bet she'll eat her cereal. Things that taste really nasty to adults taste good to babies. When she gets to eating table food, she'll develop more of a taste for salt and for other spices.
1 person likes this
@humaaaa (1386)
• Pakistan
20 Dec 06
exactly thats what i told you too.
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Okay I have decided to go with bland pulses for todays menu. lets see what happens.
@Hareesh (104)
• India
20 Dec 06
Give her rice mixd with curd & add salt in it. For taste ,if she likes any pickle, giv it while she eats. Otherwise, give her lemon juice pinching salt with sugar.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
I think she is too small for pickel but I will start curd once winter is over.
@angelface23 (2494)
• United States
6 Jan 07
I'm not really sure that babies need extra salt for flavoring. Your baby should be getting the salt she needs from her baby food. I would maybe just ask the doctor about it.
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
I am not actually giving her baby food but preparing light food for her at home only. I prefer making her eat home cooked fresh food. I asked the doctor he said its fine and we should feed her whatever we are eating.
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
20 Dec 06
If you started off with sweet food then you should've not done that. They say starting off with salts, let them get used to if first and then you can introduce sweet food. Just don'e feed her that for too long.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
Oh that I didn't realise actually in India we have a special ceremony before we start feeding kids solid food called annprashan pronounced as un-pra-shun. In that child is at firt given something sweet to eat. She liked that so much that now she hates salts.
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
20 Dec 06
your feeding him with salt alone?? or you put mixed it with the food?its better to mix it ...(food)
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
lol thats a funny comment, why will I feed her only salt.
@sanchita (21)
• India
20 Dec 06
babies hav different food habits after drinking milkfor a lot of time they refuses to eat salty foods as it become their habit to eat sweet milk.so start to give them salty foods gradually
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
I have started doing that thank you.
• India
20 Dec 06
mansha you should try some tricks with her and even ask her what she likes and feed her with that like any food which she wants as it would be better than no food..and you should try to feed her friuts as fruits are liked by most and are nutricious
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
yeah Okay I agree with loopie how will she respond
@loopie (123)
• United States
20 Dec 06
how do you ask a 6 month old what they like, do you really expect to get a response?
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Dec 06
Have you talked to her doctor about feeding her salty foods? I dont think at 6 months old they are supposed to have salt or sugar. Try regular baby food and see how she does on that
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
I spoke to the doctor he says yes it does not matter if she does not eat salt, i should give her whatever swhe likes and in between feed her at times new things too.
• India
19 Dec 06
i think that is not at all a matter to be worried because now the kinds dont know any kind of tastes properly and allow it to eat any taste which he or she wants to and in sweets u can prepare many kind of dishes and it is very easy than tha salty food to prepare and good for the child also. so carry on.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
Yes I agree. I have reduced her sugar and gone blaned instead of slat. thanks
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
20 Dec 06
The best thing for babies is thier food to be all natural. no salt or sugar added. Sugar is very addicitive
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
Yes I am going to giver her more of fresh fruits now.
• United States
19 Dec 06
They say not to introduce the sweets to the child unless they eat the 'good for them' stuff first. You don't have to salt her food at all, it's not necessary for a baby. Instead prepare potatoes mashed or rice, mashed, or baby food products that are not sweet. Eventually she will eat them. Also, you could cut down on the sweetness of the porridge for her little by little. Eventually making it unsweetened.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Okay I am going to try bland food today with her will tell you all if she eats that.
@coolcager (496)
• Costa Rica
19 Dec 06
subtitute it with sweet or bitter food. or subtitute salt with vegies. put vegies in the water and put a little amount of salt that she cant taste. it can tell if she is alergic or not.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
I have decided to give her bland food. But bitter........I dont agree. she might stop eating all together.
• India
20 Dec 06
mix sweet in salt such that it tastes sweet and then feed the baby
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
8 Jan 07
lol, thats funny how do I do that.
• United States
19 Dec 06
I wouldnt ween her off the sweet foods completely, i would do it subtly. Just feed her healthy sweet foods like watermelon or sweet potatoes ect ect. I think she will eventually get sick of eating the same thing over and over anyway.
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Dec 06
Okay thanks I have not introduced fruits to her yet, I will try sweet potatoes as watermelon we dont get here at this season. Thanks