Priya
A question that troubles most moms is ‘what to feed a teething toddler?’ Let us look into the answer to this question in this article.
When my first daughter started teething, she kept crying and was in a lot of pain. It was really hard to see her go through the pain and it was even hard to console her. She stopped eating her favorite foods and even started to avoid being fed. That is when I started to learn more about teething and how to handle my daughter.
Since she stopped eating due to teething, I researched as well as tried out a lot of food varieties and finally found some answers to the question of what to feed a teething toddler. Thus, in order to help you and your little one not go through all that pain, I decided to write an article that deals with the question of what to feed a teething toddler.
Are you wondering how to manage your toddler throughout the day? Check out our latest article on what to do with a toddler all day. We have listed the 10 best activities for easy parenting.
What is teething?
Before we look at what to feed a teething toddler, it is important to know about teething in general. Teething is basically when the baby’s teeth emerge from their gums. So, your little munchkin will start developing tiny milk teeth once they start turning 4 months. Even though they are cute to look at, the teething process is quite painful for the little ones. They would turn fussy and start crying almost always. They would want to put something in their mouth and bite on it in order to soothe themselves.
So when your baby starts to refuse eating or breastfeeding, feel their gums and look for ridges. This should give you a heads-up to switch to the food for teething toddlers. Sometimes your baby might also develop a fever, rashes, diarrhea, and drowsiness. If these symptoms pop up do take them to a physician. If these symptoms are not present then your baby can easily get through teething with your help. Teething toys greatly help with soothing your little ones, but it is important to give proper food to teething toddlers so that they remain healthy.
To know more about teething and how to introduce a teether to your little bundle of joy, check out our article on when to give teethers to babies.
What to feed a teething toddler?
Swollen gums are the most important reason why babies give up eating during teething. Some food materials become really hard to eat due to their sensitive gums. That is why it is important to give food for teething toddlers that would not hurt their sensitive little gums and baby tooth. Let us now look at what to feed a teething toddler so that you can keep your little one’s tummy happy and thereby keep them happy and healthy.
There is a lot of food for teething toddlers that would soothe their aching gums as well as provide enough nutrition. I have divided them into 5 easy categories so that you can choose what works for your little munchkin.
Pureed foods
The first on the list for what to feed a teething toddler is pureed fruits and vegetables. You can blend the fruits like apples, bananas, mangoes, and the like and give them to your baby using a teether. You can also blend steamed vegetables like carrots, broccoli, beetroot, and such and give them to your little ones. The good thing about pureed foods is that they can be customized depending on the age of your baby. It is extremely nutritious as well as soothing.
Soft foods
The next on the list of what to feed a teething toddler is soft foods. If you feel like your baby is only having fruits and veggies, you can choose soft foods. Some examples of soft foods are plain or flavored yogurt, pudding, and such. You can also give them strained porridge made out of the milk of the millets like wheat, ragi, and such. Unlike yogurts and puddings, porridges are quite healthy and nutritious.
Frozen foods
The third tested food for teething babies is frozen food. Anything cold would help relieve your baby’s swollen and painful gums by numbing the pain sensation. So, you can freeze the pureed fruits and vegetables and mold them like ice cubes or popsicles. You can also freeze breastmilk in the form of ice cubes and give it to your little one. This option is for babies who can hold and bite at the iced food without hurting themselves. If your baby is too young for that, you can put the little ice cubes on mesh teethers.
Hard vegetables
The next tried and tested food for teething babies is hard vegetables. If your baby already has a few teeth and can bite and chew, you can give them hard vegetables like carrots, beetroot, cucumbers, and celery sticks. But if your little one still does not have teeth, you can refrigerate the vegetables and let them bite on them instead of a teething toy. This will give them comfort while also giving them fiber and nutrients.
Teething sticks
Last but not least on the list of food for teething babies is teething sticks. If your little one has started eating solid foods and can bite and chew on food, I’d recommend teething sticks. It would serve as a little snack while also relieving them of the pain in their gums. Most teething sticks that are manufactured in India are made out of millets like oats, ragi, and such. So, your baby will get to have nutritious food while also feeling better.
Teething toys are a lifesaver for teething babies. Check out our detailed article on the best teethers for babies to choose the safest teething toy for your little ones.
4 tips to help your teething child
As mentioned above, one of the main reasons why babies don’t eat during teething is because of the pain. In order to help them relieve the pain, there are a few tips and tricks. I have mentioned 4 of the most proven tips below.
- One of the easiest ways to relieve the pain in your baby’s gums is by gently massaging it with your clean fingers.
- The next easiest and cheapest way is to let them bite on a cold wet cloth. The coldness will help relieve their pain.
- The other natural and organic way to relieve their pain is by breastfeeding. Breast milk has analgesic which relieves pain naturally.
- If the above-mentioned tips didn’t work, take your baby to a doctor. They will suggest to you what to do.
Takeaway
It is quite a task for new moms to figure out why their baby keeps crying and what to do about it. So, if you find your 4 to 6 months old baby to be crying excessively, and if they refuse to eat properly, start giving them the teething foods that are mentioned above. Carry ahead this tip until they reach 2 to 3 years of age and have a fully developed primary teeth.
I hope that this article helped you with your questions on what to feed a teething toddler and how to soothe them. Ease your baby’s transition and pain by giving them the best food for teething babies. Teething means that your little bundle of joy is one step closer to calling you mama. So, happy teething to your baby and you!
Bananas are one of the best foods for teething toddlers. Check out our recent article on nendran banana and its benefits for babies.
