Eats Solid and Semi-Solid Foods

“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.