My son is 8 months old, and I am trying to introduce as many different table foods as possible. I was just wondering, what are things I should not give him at this age?

8 months old is pretty young to be introducing table foods. My daughter is 11 months old and we didn't start introducing table foods until about a month or so ago. At 8 months the only thing we were giving her was cheerios and gerber puffs. Even then she still choked on them from time to time.

"SiMaMa", I also started my son on table food at a fairly young age... and he did GREAT with it! He accomplished oatmeal cereal and Stage 1, 2 & 3 baby foods between 4 months and 8 months (luckily with very little choking!) and then we moved on to things like......

puffs (cherios are still not his fave)
yogurt bites
mashed bananas
sweet potatos (a favorite!)
cooked, soft pasta with butter
yogurt
cottage cheese
small, small pieces of American cheese
mandarin oranges
bread/toast with lots of butter to soften

......to start. Now he's 11 1/2 months and eats practically everything! (Even grapes and hot dogs, which I tried to avoid as long as possible... but the babysitter got brave and he LOVES and does VERY well with both!)

I think that if you and the baby (most importantly!) are ready, GO FOR IT! Have fun... take lots of pics... and always remember to try new foods in the morning or early afternoon so you will be able to notice an allergic reaction (should he unfortunately have one) as opposed to when he's in bed after dinner.

Roman is not quite 10 months old and he can eat anything we eat.
Steak, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, lasagne - you name it, he's tried it.
As long as you cut small enough pieces that your son can chew and swallow them safely, he'll be fine.
I never "mashed" anything for Roman either. I gave it to him exactly however we were having it, just in much smaller pieces.

PS-It isn't a good idea to give him anything that he could possibly be allergic to (ie peanut butter, etc) yet though until he's a little older.

I've pretty much stopped feeding him baby food altogether. He is very adept at chewing and has never shown any signs of disliking any food or having any allergic reactions. I had heard that the earlier you introduce table foods, the less likely they are to be picky eaters when they get older. My husband is a pain in the butt to cook for and is really really picky, and I don't want another man in the house like that.

BTW, what are food that might cause allergic reactions? That was what I really meant by what he shouldn't eat. He's had tuna and egg yolks before; those are a few of the things I've heard (well egg whites rather). Is there anything else that may cause problems for him and that I should wait on?

It's funny, because he's been eating pretty much whatever I eat, and I like to season my food well. The other day I didn't cook so I just steamed him some broccoli, and he wouldn't touch it until i added a little bit of seasoning. ;p That's my boy. . . now if only I can get him used to spicy food we'd be set. . . .

FDA recommends no to the following until over 1: peanut butter, popcorn, grapes, hotdogs, honey, fish/seafood.
I also HIGHLY recommend no refined sugars (like cake and so on) and limit seasoning. This teaches them the real taste of real foods that are healthy and nutrionally balanced. When introducing foods it is recommended to go from bland veggies to complex veggies, to light fruits to dark fruits and finally meat. Baby's stomachs are barely able to break down the complex protein in meat and only need a small amount. Even then it should be super tiny or mashed/purreed. That is why we give them formula/breast milk until one with the simple proteins. Even cows milk has too much protein for infants.
With all that said I have a few tips for toddlers too... Since day 1 with my kiddos we have served one meat, one starch, and one veggie with dinner. This is a balanced meal and healthy. Also we have a rule that everyone gets everything on their plate always. Toddlers are apt to often change their minds with what they like and to randomly taste that one food they have never had before.
Another tip to avoid or change picky toddler eaters is POWER. Most toddlers have no control in their lives on anything, so the more choices they have in other areas the less likely to act out during dinner. So let them choose their clothes, toys, play activities, ect. Once they reach age 4 you can bargain, like I have oatmeal raisin cookies for whoever eats 4 bites of each food!
I have been highly interested in nutrition since first becoming pregnant, so I hope my 7 years of research and practice help someone...
Good Luck

Well, shoot then Ginger, please help me out with a question that's been bugging me for a few weeks now......

My 11 month 3 week old son is completely on whole milk now (after a 2 week 1/2 formula 1/2 whole milk "lean") and loving it! However, he's only getting about 18 oz. a day... plus 3 balanced meals and 2 snacks a day (plus water / 100% fruit juice). Is that enough??

I would think so. Start giving him a daily multi-vitamin if it would make you feel better, that's what I did with my son.
They make chewable ones, gummy ones, and they make liquid kind you just squirt in their mouth, whichever is easier for you.