At six months of age WIC decreased the amount of formula it supplemented from 10 cans to seven cans, while adding 34 four oz jars of pureed baby food and three boxes of baby cereal per month. The implication being that my baby is supposed to now be eating pureed fruits and vegetables, and somewhere near three boxes of rice/multi-grain/oat cereal in that time.
I honestly tried mixing the different cereals into things. She doesn’t like it. And you want to know why? Because it tastes like clay. Or like liquid cardboard. It’s just gross… and when added to bland, watery jarred vegetables? Even grosser. No wonder my baby doesn’t want more than a few bites. She probably only took those because she trusts her mom to actually feed her something she’ll eat, and so far she’s been disappointed!
I started out by giving her Plum Organic’s butternut cinnamon squash, and she liked it. The thing is, I also liked it when I tasted it. So why switch to these seriously gross jarred foods with no flavor? Don’t I want my baby to enjoy fruits and vegetables?
And is there any nutrition whatsoever in baby cereals? NO. Can babies even extract nutrients from these cereals until they are older toddlers? NO. It fills up their tummy and that’s it. Well, it actually doesn’t because she doesn’t want to eat it, and I don’t blame her.
So it’s going to be some money out of my pocket, but we’re going back to the organic squeeze pouches in yummy combos like zucchini and potato (sounds good!) and broccoli and chickpeas (yum). For snacks no more worthless corn starch crunchies, I got the yogurt and berry munchables.
We will keep trying lots of different kinds of foods until we find what she likes (that isn’t cookies or Olive Garden breadsticks). I want her to open up her mouth and slurp up her food with enjoyment! And I may even give using a blender to make my own mixes for her from fresh food a try. Not that I’m a super mom, but I think she might really like it!
Update: I got a blender and puree book from a coworker, and gave the baby organic sweet potato for lunch which she ate enthusiastically!
Mother of All Things 
Yeah! Make your own for a serious fraction of the cost of prepackaged! Freeze in ice cube trays or leftover baby food jars. Your baby will transition to “real” veggies much better when they have the real thing from the get. Follow the dirty dozen rule when buying produce. Organic is very important through the toddler years. Its so much fun making and knowing where your babys food came from.
What is the dirty dozen rule?
I’m on my phone so can’t post a link but google dirty dozen and clean 15.
There was an article I read a while back that said jarred food is not nearly as nutritious as the packaging would lead parents to believe it is. It’s a shame, because we expect the companies to provide our babies with healthy, nutritious foods if that is what they are touting.
It’s British, but you get the jist.
http://www.thealphaparent.com/2013/02/the-truth-about-baby-food-jars.html
Mine would never eat “baby food” either. Mushing up whatever you have in the house is more nutritious and cheaper. These feeder bags are awesome, stick a banana or cooked sweet potato in there and she can suck it out without choking on pieces. http://www.target.com/p/munchkin-fresh-food-feeder-2pk/-/A-13991507
She might also be ready for diced ripe avocado. Baby cereal is nonsense. Just filler to get them full, quiet, sleepy, etc. There are a whole lot of “baby products” out there that we’re told babies need. Just follow your gut.
…and as she gets older, she may enjoy more of the BLW style stuff. My girl only played with BLW food until around 10.5 months, then she *finally* started eating some of it. SOME being the keyword, so I’m sure you’d want to continue adding in all the good stuff she does eat. It was just fun to let her explore and whatnot. Also, this post was regarding this lady’s speical needs little dude, (sadly, he died last spring) but she had some pretty cool recipes for purees, I thought. Might give you some extra inspiration! http://www.kateleong.com/2013/10/all-about-gavins-nutrition.html#.UmmZoxAQNbQ
I’m glad you have the resources to find nutritious and delicious foods for her.
It seems like WIC really lets families and children down in the nutrition stakes.