“Breakin’ Bread”
Using foods of different textures, allow your child to accept new foods.- Position the food toward the back of your child’s mouth to elicit a swallow.
- Position your child at a 90-degree angle whenever introducing foods or liquids.
- Lightly massage your child’s lower jaw and neck to facilitate a swallow.
- Make sure utensils are an appropriate size for your child.
- Comment on how good the food is, “MMMM”. Verbally instruct you child to chew and swallow.
- Introduce your child to a variety of semi-solid and solid foods.
- Present one new food at each meal.
- Model eating the new food introduced.
- Vary the texture of the same food (e.g., present a piece of chicken in its regular form, then grind it or puree it). This way the taste and temperature remain the same and only the texture varies.
- Allow a sufficient amount of time for each meal. Remain calm and do not rush him to eat.
- Give your child’s favorite food plus a small amount of the new food. Increase the amount of new food until your child is eating only the new one.
- Semi-solids can be thickened by adding other foods to it (e.g., yogurts with fruit, oatmeal with fruit).
- Vary solids and liquids during meals. Gradually increase the amount of solids introduced.
