Self feeding foods for baby
Best Finger Foods for Babies: The Ultimate Guide
How exciting that your baby is about to graduate from mushy foods to finger foods! This is a big step in your little one’s development. However, you may be wondering when’s the right time to start finger foods, and how to tell that your baby is ready. We’ll answer all these questions and more, plus give you a list of the best finger foods to introduce to your baby first.
Introducing Finger Foods to Your Baby
So, when can babies eat finger foods? You can start to give your baby finger foods around the time they’re able to sit up independently and can bring their hands to their mouth. This may happen between the ages of 8 months old and 9 months old, but your baby may be ready a little sooner or later than this time.
Around this time, you may also notice that your baby is developing their pincer grasp and may be making chewing motions. These are both great indications that your baby’s ready for finger foods. Moreover, using their fingers to pick up foods will further develop your baby’s fine motor skills.
Some parents who adopt the baby-led weaning approach may start offering finger foods to their infants as early as 6 months old. This method skips spoon-feeding with solid foods and instead lets your baby take the lead in self-feeding with finger foods. Some believe this approach can decrease fussiness when it comes to introducing new foods, including finger foods, to your baby. Speak to your child’s healthcare provider if this method is something you’d like to try.
Giving your baby finger foods can help your little one learn to feed themself, just one step toward gaining independence. Self-feeding can be great fun for your baby. Even if much of the food doesn’t end up in your baby’s mouth, the fact that they’re exploring this new frontier is an accomplishment to be proud of.
First Finger Foods for Your Baby
As you begin choosing finger foods for your baby, check out the following ideas:
Steamed veggies like sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas
Soft, ripe fruits like bananas, berries, peaches (peeled), mangoes (peeled)
Whole-grain breakfast cereals (without nuts, clusters, or chunks)
Whole-grain pasta (cooked well)
Whole-wheat bread
Whole-grain crackers or wafers like teething biscuits
Soft meats like chicken
Cheese (mild)
Scrambled eggs.
Be sure that any of the above finger foods are cut into small pieces. You don’t want your baby eating a piece that’s too big to swallow. And, make sure to watch them while eating.
Finger Food Safety
During this time babies are more likely to swallow foods without chewing them, whether they have a few baby teeth coming in or they have no teeth. Avoid giving any finger foods that require a grinding action to chew (this type of chewing is typically mastered around the age of 4), as these may pose a choking risk. Offer finger foods that are soft, easy to swallow, and broken or cut into pieces that your baby cannot choke on. A good rule of thumb is that soft and mushy finger foods are safe for your baby. Small, round, coin-shaped, hard, chewy, crunchy, slippery, or sticky foods may lead to choking. Here are some foods to avoid offering your baby when they start on finger foods:
Peanut butter (in chunks)
Meat (in chunks)
Cheese (in chunks)
Raw veggies (in large chunks or round shapes), including celery sticks, carrot sticks, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and peas
Raw hard fruit (in large chunks or round shapes), including apples, pears, and grapes
Nuts (whole)
Seeds
Popcorn
Chewing gum
Candies (hard, gooey, or sticky)
Hot dogs or meat sticks.
There are ways you can still give some of the above foods while making them easier to eat and less hazardous to swallow. For example:
Grapes or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Creamy peanut butter spread thinly on whole-grain bread that’s cut into small squares
Hot dog, cut lengthwise and then cut into small 1/2-inch pieces.
Note on Food Allergies
Medical experts once recommended that parents avoid feeding their babies eggs, fish, and peanut butter since babies may be allergic to these foods. However, it’s now recommended that you introduce these foods early—while keeping a close watch for any reactions—since this approach can help reduce your child’s chances of developing food allergies. Before introducing peanut butter or peanut products, consult with your baby’s healthcare provider. Your baby is more likely to be allergic to these foods if
food allergies run in your family
your baby is known to have an egg allergy
your baby has eczema.
The Bottom Line
It’s time to introduce finger foods to your baby when you see that they’re able to sit up on their own, start bringing their hands to their mouth, and can use a pincer grasp to hold onto small items, like finger foods. This development happens around the age of 8 or 9 months old, but you may see it sooner or later in your baby.
In the beginning, you’ll want to introduce finger foods that are soft and easy to swallow, since babies at this age tend to swallow instead of chew even if they have a few baby teeth. Think steamed veggies and soft fresh fruits. You can also introduce whole-grain bread, crackers, cereal, or pasta if they’re cut into small pieces. Chicken, mild cheese, and scrambled eggs are also great options when served in small pieces.
Avoid hard foods like raw veggies and fruits, as well as chunks of nut butter, cheese, and meat. Whole nuts and seeds are not recommended, nor are chewing gum, candies, hot dogs, or meat sticks.
All these items can pose a choking hazard.
Transitioning to finger foods is a big step in your baby’s development and independence. Letting your baby self-feed with finger foods may be a bit messy at first, but you’ll both get the hang of it. Learn more about developmental milestones for your 9-month-old baby.
Best Early Finger Foods for Baby (With Tips, Visuals, and Recipes)
Use this list of safe, nutritious, and easy to eat finger foods for baby to help you know exactly what (and how) to offer at meals and snacks. Plus, find the best first finger foods, troubleshooting tips, and visuals of foods broken down by food group to keep things easy!
Finger Foods for Baby
After baby starts solids and is ready to move onto finger foods, you may feel a little confused by exactly what to serve and how to serve it. Which is totally normal because it can be scary to let baby feed themselves this way and we may not have any experience doing this—or we may have totally forgotten from our last kiddo!
This list of finger foods for baby will cover some great first finger foods to start with, then set you up with plenty of healthy options from each food group.
TIP: Find more info on starting solids here and the best foods to start with if doing baby led weaning or purees with baby.
Healthy Baby Food
I love sharing these ideas for baby food since they are easy to prepare and serve and because I know how hard it can be to continue to come up with flavorful and healthy meals and snacks for our little ones. Let me tell you, I’m on my third kiddo and it can be such a challenge to feed him during the chaos of parenting the rest of my crew! These foods are wholesome and nutritious—perfect for your baby.
TIP: I’m a big fan of SpoonfulONE, a company that offers the most complete way to introduce food allergens to our kids. They make mix-ins, puffs, and crackers that are yummy and easy for babies and toddlers to eat. Learn more about their pediatrician-approved baby foods here. (sponsored link)
Best First Finger Foods
When baby is around 9 months, you’ll notice that they’re able to pick up smaller pieces of food with two fingers.
This is known as the “pincer grasp” and is a sign that they’re ready to start finger foods. To be clear, when I say “finger foods” I mean small pieces of food that a baby (or toddler) can feed themselves.
Here are some of my favorite ones to start with that are all super soft, safe to eat, and easy to pick up.
- Scrambled egg, broken up into small pieces
- Roasted sweet potato mashed and broken up into small pieces
- Fresh raspberries, broken up into smaller pieces
- Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
- Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- Ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
- Shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
- Mashed sweet potato, in little pieces
- Peanut butter puffs
TIP: You can serve the tofu, ground meat, or meatballs in veggie puree from a pouch or a simple marinara sauce for extra moisture and flavor.
Learn more about how and why to introduce peanut butter.
Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies
Some of my favorite early fruits and veggies to serve babies are:
- Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces
- Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired
- Roasted Zucchini
- Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
- Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
- Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
- Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- Avocado, diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)
TIP: A good rule of thumb is to serve pieces of food that are about the size of a pea to start and soft enough that they are easy to squish between your fingers. This will be easy for baby to pick up and eat and will also reduce chances of choking.
Finger Food Ideas: Carbohydrates
Offering complex carbohydrates can provide fiber, a variety of textures, B vitamins, and more.
Try these with your baby.
- Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
- Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
- Baby Puffs
- Peanut Butter Puffs
- Rice (it’s easiest if it’s in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
- Baby Banana Muffin
- O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- Baked Oatmeal, diced
Finger Food Ideas: Proteins
Offering proteins will continue to expose baby to a range of nutrients. These are my go-tos for babies newer to finger foods—and toddlers too.
- Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up)
- Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
- Flaked cooked wild salmon
- Lightly mashed meatballs
- Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, broken into smaller pieces
- Lightly mashed beans
- Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
- Diced egg muffins
I’d love to hear any questions you may have, or if you have foods that your babies enjoy that I didn’t include here.
Chime in below in the comments!Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Baby Food
Calories 124kcal
Servings 1
First Finger Foods (choose 1-3 per meal)
- ▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Roasted sweet potato, mashed and broken up into small pieces
- ▢ 1/4 cup Fresh raspberries (broken up into smaller pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
- ▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
- ▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, chicken, or turkey, broken up into small pieces or lightly mashed meatballs
- ▢ 2 tbsp shredded cheese or crumbled goat cheese
- ▢ 1/4 cup Mashed sweet potato (broken into little pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Peanut butter puffs
Fruits and Veggies
- ▢ 1/4 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup warmed frozen peas
- ▢ 1/4 cup Roasted Zucchini
- ▢ 1/4 cup diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash
- ▢ 1/4 cup blueberries (cut in half or quarters)
- ▢ 1/4 cup raspberries (broken into small pieces)
- ▢ 1/4 cup banana slices (broken into small segments—they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
- ▢ 2 tbsp avocado (diced and mashed slightly—be sure it's ripe and very soft)
Whole Grains and Carbohydrates
- ▢ 1 Spinach pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Oatmeal (cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Baby Puffs
- ▢ 1/4 cup Peanut Butter Puffs
- ▢ 1/4 cup fully cooked rice (it's easiest if it's in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
- ▢ 1 Baby Banana Muffin
- ▢ 1/4 cup O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
- ▢ 1/4 cup Baked Oatmeal (diced or regular oatmeal broken into little pieces)
Dairy
- ▢ 2 tbsp Shredded cheese (such as mozzarella)
- ▢ 2 tbsp Tofu (diced and sauteed lightly or steamed)
- ▢ 2 tbsp flaked cooked wild salmon
- ▢ 1 lightly mashed meatballs
- ▢ 2 tbsp finely shredded chicken (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
- ▢ 2 tbsp ground beef, turkey, or chicken (broken into smaller pieces)
- ▢ 2 tbsp lightly mashed beans
- ▢ 1 Scrambled egg (broken up into small pieces)
- ▢ 1 Diced Egg muffins
For each meal or snack, choose 2-3 foods from a mix of food groups.
Aim to include some fat in most meals and protein in many too.Prepare the food, cutting into small pieces and/or mashing as needed to make the food easy to eat.
Start with small portions and allow more as baby indicates according to their hunger.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Many foods you cook for your family will work as baby finger foods—just be sure they are easy to squish between your fingers and the pieces are small and easy to chew.
- Babies very normally make a lot of faces when they eat, so don't assume they don't like something just because they scrunch their nose!
- Flavors and textures can take time to learn to eat, so continue offering foods in small portions even if baby hasn't liked them in the past—and make sure they taste good to you!
Calories: 124kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9857IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!
Self-feeding for children - Encyclopedia Baby food
Levchuk Victoria © More and more parents prefer to feed their child on their own from the very beginning, when complementary foods are introduced at about six months of age.
When a child explores the food on a tray with his hands and his whole face, sounds sloppy, but it's so much fun for both him and his parents. Giving toddlers the opportunity to explore food with all of their senses increases acceptance of new tastes and textures. As a bonus, self-catering helps parents enjoy their meals at the same table as their child.
You can read about independent nutrition in the following articles:
- At what age does a child begin to eat independently?
- How to teach a child to feed himself
- How to spoon feed
Contents:
Learning to feed yourself is an important milestone for many reasons.
First , children learn to feed themselves, and this is a skill that they need to develop before 2 years of age to use all their lives.
Second, this stage includes the development of finger grasping, squeezing and throwing food.
It may sound strange, but it's one way a child develops fine motor skills, like holding a spoon.
Third, is a chance to help your child learn more about the taste, texture, smell and temperature of food. For example, he learns that it is easier to take a piece of banana or kiwi than yogurt or spaghetti.
Fourth, scooping or forking food and then bringing the object and food to the mouth are all great ways for a child to practice hand-eye coordination or fine motor skills.
Since feeding is a motivating factor for most children, hard work and perseverance in the face of complex motor challenges is assured.
Fifth, the child improves sensory processing skills.
Messy eating isn't just messy, it's a great way to develop tactile (sensory) skills. The child begins to understand his feelings when there is a sticky or sticky consistency on the face, when it is cold or warm on the hands and face, because this is normal.
Sensory experiences at an early age develops a sensory threshold so that the baby understands what inputs are safe and comfortable.
Self-feeding also develops the proprioceptive or kinesthetic sense. This is a sensation that tells the body where the parts of the body are in relation to the outside world and to each other. This feeling helps to touch the nose with closed eyes and fasten the coat without peeping. Funny things happen while the baby remembers where his mouth is and acquires muscle memory when he brings food and utensils to his mouth.
Sixth, the child becomes independent. Independence is an important stage in the development of early childhood. By allowing the child to self-feed, the parent avoids or minimizes potential power struggles and behaviors (including food tossing) while eating.
Many parents wonder why a child stops eating from a spoon after he starts using his fingers to feed. It's simple, if only a parent used a spoon (fed the child from a spoon), then the child decides to use an independent method of nutrition (fingers).
Self-catering helps children determine how much food to eat. For health and well-being, the best skill a child can acquire during childhood is awareness of satiety.
Seventh, the child learns to use his mouth.
What most parents don't realize is that a child under one year old easily learns to take sips from an open cup.
Drinking liquid from a cup helps the child improve more skills and also helps to achieve jaw stability. Don't forget to also practice neck movements for proper head tilt to take a sip, use of two hands (bilateral coordination) and kinesthetic/proprioceptive skills for proper cup tilt.
Dirt, lots of cleaning, broken plates and mugs. But seriously?!
After the introduction of complementary foods, the child shows signs of a desire to feed on his own. For example, he may begin to reach for a spoon or try to take food from a plate.
Baby wants to feed himself is normal and great, we encourage it, although it is often messy and can sometimes be frustrating for the mother, who will have to clean everything up.
Be patient - sooner or later the child will improve motor skills and stop dropping and dirtying everything. You can keep a camera handy to capture the fun side of this feeding phase.
The best way to start the self-feeding phase is with finger food.
Finger food are soft, small pieces of food that a child can easily pick up and grind between the gums or teeth. If you are interested in self-feeding, you can start with food that is easy to put in your baby's hand, such as a small piece of soft fruit or soft boiled vegetables such as potatoes or squash.
Self powered
Advice : At the beginning of self-feeding, you can put finger food directly on the table for feeding in a small amount, as the food decreases (due to falling on the floor or in the mouth), you can add more. This way the food won't end up on the floor right away.
Most children will not be able to use a spoon until they are 18 months old.
But it is better to allow the child to use the spoon from a much earlier age. Babies usually report themselves that they want to use a spoon during feeding, when they constantly reach for it.
Advice : At the very beginning of weaning, you can feed (supplement) the baby with one spoon while he holds the second.
To avoid suffocation, we always look after the child when he learns to feed himself. It is important to feed your baby in a sitting position. Some foods, such as whole nuts and hard foods like raw carrots, are dangerous for your baby. Children who are learning to eat should not eat these foods.
Eating erratically and playing with food are normal parts of a child's development as they learn to feed on their own.
If the mess causes stress for the mother, then you can:
- put a bib on the child
- offer finger food that is soft, but not spreadable, which is easy to collect with a broom, rather than washing the floor
- cut the food into strips or cubes so that it is easier to take and eat
- let the child eat with his hands
- put an oilcloth or diaper under the high chair
- feed the child naked (easier to wash, especially in summer)
- calm down and clean up once a day (cockroaches are nocturnal animals, so you can wash the floor before going to bed )
- dress the child in unstained or unnecessary clothes (but preferably naked).
Child drops or throws food on the floor is normal. Especially if he is less than a year old, then this is definitely normal, he is studying physics. If the mother reacts when the child does this, he may think that this is the beginning of an exciting new game. One way to deal with this is to ignore it. Calmly and without fuss to pick up food. Lifting food or utensils from the floor and giving to the child should not be, it is better not to touch anything. And on the table to have spare cutlery. "It has fallen - it means it's gone!" is probably the most important rule of the first year of self-feeding.
When your baby is six months old, he is ready to learn how to drink from a cup. Like learning to eat, this can be a slow and difficult process.
Here are some tips to help you teach your child to drink from a cup:
- Buy your child a small, unbreakable plastic cup that is easy to hold and hold.
- Let the child play with the cup first to get used to it.
- Hold the cup for the first few times when using it.
- Pour only a small amount of liquid into the cup (a couple of sips) so as not to spill.
- During a family meal, the cup should be used by all family members to show the child how it is done - babies love to imitate their parents.
Self-feeding of children is the right skill that helps parents after 1.5 years. But until this age, the child will hone his movements every day, achieving filigree accuracy. And it's very dirty! After all, the first time the food / spoon gets anywhere, but not in the mouth. Therefore, there are many funny cases when a spoon flies at mom or dirty hands stick to mom's hair. My advice: Keep your phone or camera nearby, the main thing is to have time to take a picture, and everything else is trifles.
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"Encyclopedia Baby Food"!
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Our website Encyclopedia Baby Food has useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the website "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children.
Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not.
Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not replace visiting a pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby.
I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health.
Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make those choices, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve, and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength!
Disclaimer No. 4: On the Encyclopedia Baby Food website, photos from books on baby food with attribution are used for a more complete understanding of the information (Article 1274, paragraph 1, part four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Literature on baby food is found in the public domain on the Internet.
95 Children's cucumber salad
Children's Olivier salad
Children's porridge biscuits
Children's puree of strawberries, bananas, yellow cherries, yogurt and biscuits with cereals
Children's puree with cottage cheese and fruits
Homemade yeast bread with flax flour
Homemade cheese
Homemade pizza
Breakfast outside
Kohlrabi appetizer
Roast cauliflower
Roasted carrots
Roasted carrots and cherries with millet
Winter salad with Jerusalem artichoke
Cabbage with white beans
Canteen-style coleslaw
Mashed potatoes
Quinoa and pumpkin porridge
Quinoa porridge
breakfast porridge
Quinoa and apple
Strawberry puree
Strawberry puree with banana
Strawberry compote
Dried apple and raspberry compote
in a thermos" for a child older than 8 months
Corn porridge
Corn porridge with pear
Corn porridge with pumpkin
Corn porridge with pumpkin and carrots
Corn porridge with apple and carrots
Chicken liver in the oven
Chicken cutlets with carrots
Chicken with carrots, sweet peppers and potatoes
Navy pasta
Macaroni with orange sauce
Muffins with vegetables and egg
New potatoes in their jackets
Milk soup with vermicelli carrot puree
Carrot puree
Carrot-rice casserole
Carrot with chicken
Amanita from eggs and tomatoes
Meat envelopes
Homemade Tarragon drink for children
Vegetable puree from cauliflower and carrots
Vegetable soup with corn semolina
Vegetable soup with cheese and corn semolina
Vegetable soup with spinach
Vegetable puree soup with bell pepper
Oatmeal
Pollock fritters
Hot kefir fritters
Cauliflower omelet 905 in a bag
Spinach and Cheese Omelet
Omelette Pancake
Peach Puree
Baked Apples 7 months +
Zucchini and Carrot Pie
Zucchini Pie
Rice and Zucchini Pie
Fish Pie
Fish and potato pie
White cabbage pizza
Lavash pizza
Zucchini, tomato and sausage pizza
Tomato and olive pizza
Spinach pizza
Rabbit pilaf
Chicken pilaf with green peas and corn Puree 9019 and cherries
Banana, cottage cheese and porridge puree 4 cereals
Broccoli (cauliflower) puree
Broccoli, courgette and cauliflower puree
Blueberry puree
Pear puree
Pear and banana puree
Pear and banana puree, baked
Pear and pumpkin puree 7 months +
Pear, pumpkin and peach puree
Pear, apple, plum and prunes puree
Blackberry puree
Turkey puree
Zucchini puree 90 zucchini and broccoli
Zucchini, carrot and potato puree
Quinoa and banana puree
Quinoa and carrot puree
Quinoa, banana and carrot puree
Quinoa, squash and carrot puree
Quinoa, peach and raspberry puree
quinoa, cauliflower, apple, peas and mint
Quinoa, apple, pear and raisin puree
Quinoa, apple, carrot puree
Rabbit, broccoli and cauliflower puree
Chicken, carrot, potato, apple and pea puree
Raspberry, cherry and banana puree
Carrot and Apple Puree
Carrot, Potato, Broccoli and Cheese Puree
Carrot, Potato, Apple and Quinoa Puree
Carrot, Pumpkin, Apple and Prune Puree
Carrot, Apple and Potato Puree
Turnip and carrots
Plum puree
Cottage cheese, strawberry and banana puree
Pumpkin puree
Pumpkin and banana puree
Pumpkin and squash puree
Pumpkin and apple puree
Pumpkin, apple and banana puree
Cauliflower and broccoli puree
Cauliflower and Potato Puree
Cauliflower and Rice Puree
Cauliflower and Apple Puree
Cauliflower, Green Pea and Squash Puree
Cauliflower, Turkey and Potato Puree
Cauliflower, Potato and Squash Puree
Cauliflower, carrot and broccoli puree
Cauliflower, carrot, cheese and rice puree
Cauliflower, apple and courgette puree
Zucchini puree
Zucchini and potato puree
Zucchini, carrot and apple puree 90 cherries
Blueberry puree
Prune puree
Apple, pumpkin, carrot and some curry puree
Apple and pear puree
Apple and strawberry puree
Apple, strawberry and cherry puree
Apple, peach and banana puree
Carrot and pumpkin puree
Cottage cheese and banana puree
Turkey, potato and carrot stew
Zucchini, carrot and broccoli stew
Fish, potato, carrot and broccoli stew
Rice porridge
Whole grain rice porridge
carrot
Rice porridge with pumpkin
Rice porridge with apples
Rice porridge with apple and pear
Rice porridge with apple and pumpkin
Fish cakes with vegetables
Semi-cooked fish
Fish meatballs with ketchup
Baby Fish Soup
Salmon and Celery Fish Soup
Carrot and Kohlrabi Salad
Chickpea Salad
Chickpea and Cabbage Salad
The Laziest Soup
Creamy Kohlrabi Soup
Oatmeal Smoothie Pot95 Sauce
Cheesy Pizza
Pea and Bacon Soup
Baked Vegetable Soup
Kohlrabi Soup
Salmon Soup
Cauliflower Soup
Turnip Potato Soup
Meatball Soup for the Picky Eater
Kohlrabi soup with green apple
Rabbit, pumpkin, potato, broccoli and cauliflower soup
Beetroot soup
Pumpkin soup with mushrooms
Broccoli and celery soup
Soup/stew Pork with Potatoes and Carrots
Cheese Pasties
Pumpkin Cheese Sauce (Annabelle Carmel Recipe)
Buzz Lightyear Sandwich
Pumpkin Apple Puree
Pumpkin Apple Juice
Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin Soup 9 Puree
Fruit Salad 5 Lavash bread
Cheese cauliflower
Linden and thyme tea
Experimental vermicelli and lentil soup puree
Apple puree
Apple juice
How to transition a child to solid foods - what is BLW
The BLW theory was introduced in 2010 in the book Baby-Led Weaning by Jill Rupley and Tracey Marquette.
This approach to first foods is popular in the US, while there is not much information about it on the Russian-language Internet. In this article, we will talk about what are the features of BLW, what foods can be given to a child and what should not be, what precautions should be taken into account.
Baby-Led Weaning can be translated as “baby food of choice”. You can apply this method no earlier than six months of age, it is better - from eight months. According to BLW, from this age, the child can be given regular food (which one - we will discuss below), while continuing to breastfeed or feed formula milk.
Benefits of BLW
Compared to baby purees, BLW has a number of advantages, in particular:
- You don't have to spend time preparing baby purees.
- The child can be at the family table from the very beginning and eat the same food as the parents.
- This feeding method promotes the development of visual and fine motor skills.
- A child learns to chew, swallow and decides for himself what and how much to eat - this is how the foundations of healthy eating behavior are laid.
Also read: From 1 year old and older - what and how to feed a small child
How to understand that a child can be given solid food
- There are several signs - how to understand that a child can already be given regular food:
- Child can sit up alone with little or no support.
- The child wants to chew something, even if he does not yet have teeth.
- He takes food with his thumb and forefinger instead of his palm.
- The child shows interest in food, grabs food from the table.
- It is advisable to consult a pediatrician before giving a normal meal to a child.
What foods can be given as first complementary foods
Of course, not all foods can be given as first complementary foods. Foods that are suitable for first foods according to BLW are:
- Steamed or baked vegetables (broccoli, carrots, pumpkin pulp, zucchini).
- Ripe fruits (apple, banana, avocado, mango, watermelon, peach, pear, plum).
- Protein food (natural cheese, egg yolk, meat, liver).
- Carbohydrates (gluten-free pasta, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, gluten-free bread).
Also read: 6 Months and Older - What Dairy Foods to Give to Young Babies
BLW First Feeding Rules - Do's and Don'ts
- Make sure baby is ready to eat regular food .
- Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding until at least 10–12 months of age.
- Sit the child in a comfortable position - he should sit upright, without leaning back.
- Cut food into large pieces so that it is easy for the child to take them.
- Start with soft foods: ripe fruits, steamed vegetables.
- Take your child to the family table.
- Get ready for a mess.
- Take your time and don't rush your baby - eating will take at least 10-15 minutes.
- Pay attention to the signals - for example, if the child scatters food, he may have already eaten.
- Do not offer complementary foods if the child is tired or in a bad mood.
- Do not coax your child to eat another bite and do not offer too much food at a time.
- If your child doesn't want to eat regular food and likes baby purees more, don't be upset. Fortunately, there are many foods available for children today that can be spoon-fed, such as baby yogurt, cottage cheese spreads, and others.
See also: Baby food - 7 dairy products for young children
Precautions - things to consider
- Avoid foods that a child can choke on, such as nuts, grapes, cherries, grape tomatoes.
- If you want to give your child foods such as cherries and grapes, cut them in half and remove the pits.
- Hard foods that a child cannot chew should be boiled (eg carrots).
- Find out in advance how to give first aid if a child chokes.
- Be careful with foods that can cause allergies: foods containing gluten, peanuts and other nuts, egg whites, seafood and some types of fish, citrus fruits.
- Do not give your baby unhealthy food and fast food: chips, popcorn, foods containing sugar, sweets.
- Banned honey, sugar and chocolate. Salt - in very small quantities with the permission of a doctor.
- Never leave a child with food unattended.
Based on materials from parents.com, mamanatural.com, malyshi.livejournal.com
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