DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an expert in the field – everything listed below is purely based on my experience with my own baby, and simply to offer a suggestion on starting points. PLEASE speak with your pediatrician before starting solids to ensure your baby is comfortable and ready.
Wooo right when you’re getting into the groove of things those first few months of having a newborn – you might finally have a good milk feeding schedule, you’ve got naps squared away, you have your evening routine down, and baby *just might* be sleeping through the night…now it’s time to start solids!! We can never catch a break, right?
I remember being EXTREMELY overwhelmed with the idea of starting solids – I had no idea where to begin. I talked to my sister and a few other new moms about it…I even bought this book! But something about it just made me so nervous. I think it was the fact that I knew once we began, it was the start of a WHOLE new process and schedule, and I just wasn’t sure if I was ready for all of that.
I’m here to tell you a few months in to our new process that it’s really not that bad! Yes, it is a whole new process and schedule, I won’t sugar coat that. BUT you learn to adapt and it’s actually been super fun watching our son, Kai, try and explore new foods!
I know there are a million different resources out there on how to start solids, whether it be with purees or baby led weaning (BLW), so I want to try and simplify that as much as possible for my fellow new mommas out there. It doesn’t need to be complicated, I promise! Below is how we got started and what worked for us – not saying that it is the perfect formula for everyone and every baby, but sharing our experience in hopes that it will help a few others as well!
How We Got Started with Purees
We began ours ‘solids’ journey with purees the day Kai turned five months old. His very first food was bananas, and to be honest, he didn’t really care for it off the bat. We followed the ‘same food for four days’ pattern to ensure no allergies popped up. Of course, bananas are not a common allergen, however, we did find that by repeating the same food for several days, it allowed him to warm up to the taste. By day four, Kai definitely gobbled up the banana puree completely!
I realize there are mixed opinions out there that if you’re going to do BLW that you need to dive in head first with that, and skip purees altogether. I disagreed with this, which is why we did a month of purees before beginning with BLW. To both keep our mental sanity, as well as give Kai the time to try a few different things other than milk, and get used to different flavors.
I used this NutriBullet Baby Food Making System to make and store all of Kai’s purees, and it was perfect! The storage containers were perfectly sized and worked great to store extras in the fridge and freezer, and the date indicators on the fridge storage containers were great for my momma brain on remembering when I made them. I would highly recommend adding this system to your registry (check out my baby registry must-haves post here)!
How We Got Started with BLW
I made Kai an oatmeal & banana “cake” with blueberry banana “frosting” for his half birthday when he turned six months, and he barely touched it. We cut pieces and tried to feed it to him and he licked some of the blueberry banana ‘frosting’ off, but was not very interested in the cake itself. I remember feeling so discouraged because I had worked so hard in researching a baby-friendly cake recipe that didn’t call for a million ingredients, and stressing that it had to be perfect. Austin (our mini goldendoodle) ended up eating the majority of it, so it didn’t go to complete waste :D.
We took a break for about a week after that before trying again with some steamed green beans. Kai, again, was not a fan. He just didn’t care to grab for them at all! However, the next day, I decided to try a piece of grilled chicken. I literally cut ONE chicken strip from a chicken breast, and grilled it stovetop with some ghee. He LOVED it. He tried to eat it so fast that he definitely gagged a few times (hello, momma heart attack!) but he quickly learned how to cough it up and try again. I was sitting in front of him the entire time, with my phone on DND, and my eyes glued to him while he ate. I tried to stay calm whenever he would gag and would only intervene when I felt like I needed to. It made me so happy to see him finally trying something on his own and learning to navigate food from the plate to his mouth!
After that, I started getting a little more comfortable and exploratory with foods. I made egg strips, steamed a variety of veggies and fruits, pancakes, thinned out bread, and swiss cheese. We even finally tried peanut butter (literally just watered a little spoonful down in a bowl) right around when Kai was seven months old.
The main, and probably most important, thing to remember when starting out with BLW is how to cut and serve the food. There are two types of ‘grasps’ a baby has – a palmar grasp and a pincer grasp. Baby will always start with the palmar grasp before they develop the ability to pick (or ‘pinch’) things up between their thumb and pointer finger, like we generally do! If the food is a crunchy and hard food like an apple or broccoli, it needs to be fully steamed and cut where it’s big enough to grasp in baby’s palm! A good rule of thumb is about the size of your pinky finger. This allows them a large enough piece to grab with their entire palm and bite off pieces, or even gnaw at slowly.
Until baby has developed a pincer grasp, continue to cut and serve foods in large pieces or strips. If you are serving something that can’t be cut that way (i.e. chickpeas or blueberries), the recommendation is to smush them so that they are flat, and less likely to get stuck in an airway when they swallow. I always Google new foods we’re trying to double-check that they’re safe to start at his current age – for example, I know that honey can cause infant botulism, and is something that should be avoided at all costs until he turns one, so I make sure nothing we’re serving him has honey in it. A quick Google search will always give you the answer you need!
Other than that, I’ve just continued to make tweaks to whatever we’re having for a meal and serving that to him in the safest way possible. I’ve included some meal ideas below, but one of the best parts of BLW is not having to think of an entirely different meal idea for him, and instead just thinking of how I need to tweak whatever we’re eating slightly during prep time.
Some Easy Meal Ideas
- Deconstructed fajitas/tacos – refried unseasoned pinto beans (or black beans, smushed), grilled chicken (strips), fajita-style onions, carrot, and bell peppers, tomato wedge, avocado slice, lettuce (large leaves), cheese quesadilla (strips or triangles)
- Deconstructed Mediterranean wraps – whole wheat pita (strips or triangles), unsalted hummus (served pre-loaded on a spoon or in the plate), grilled chicken (strips), cucumber (peeled and cut into strips), tomato (quartered), lettuce (large leaves), and a little bit of whole milk yogurt with dill)
- Egg omelet with finely diced veggies of your choice (cut into strips) – you can also add some cheese in when you’re cooking!
- Tofu veggie stir fry – grill some firm or extra firm tofu cut into strips, and serve with stir fried veggies. Go extremely light on, or eliminate completely, any heavy sodium sauces! I just take some out for Kai before proceeding with seasonings for us.
- Steamed veggies – Kai loves steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. These tend to be a go-to for us, and also a great option at most restaurants if you’re out and about! Just asked for a side of unsalted steamed vegetables for the baby. 🙂
- Fruits – some of Kai’s favorites include berries (strawberries – cut into strips, blackberries – cut in half, blueberries – smushed), and oranges! I ususally get cuties, and cut each wedge in half before serving.
- Kai also lovesssss snacking on these Gerber Baby Puffs – I usually just get them with our groceries, but linked them from Amazon as well!
These are just a few of the meal ideas that we have tried and liked! Honestly, just like our own weekday meals, a lot of these are on rotation for Kai as well haha. I’ll also say that while we try to do BLW most nights, there are also nights where we’ll spoon feed him. Mostly when it’s something super messy and we’re maybe trying to skip bath time (i.e. on weekends). Just want to state that it’s okay to mix and match, if that’s what’s easier for you!
Finally, I’m also following along on a ‘101 Foods Before One’ list that I found online and have just been checking off and dating as we go along! Who knows if we’ll actually hit all 101 foods before he turns one in May (!!) but I’m trying!
Quick Links For Things That May Be Helpful As You Begin
- NutriBullet Baby Food Making System
- Inglesina Fast Table Chair
- Baby Dining Tray (compatible with Inglesina Fast Table Chair)
- Silicone Baby Feeding Set
- Silicone Bibs
- Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Sippy Cup
- Travel Baby Suction Plate
I’m sure there are more seasoned parents out there rolling their eyes at this post, but again, I just wanted to share OUR experience so far! Like all things baby and kids-related, there are a million and one different ways to do it, and we’re also still learning ourselves. So take what you can from this post and find YOUR way. And if I can help answer any questions along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Good luck, and happy EATING!!!
xo,
gopi
*Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a small commission. Keep in mind that I link all of these companies and their products because of their quality, and my genuine appreciation for them, and not because of the commission I may receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.*
