Hi friends! It’s been a little while since I’ve updated on Willow’s eating adventures. We’ve introduced lots of new foods to our plant-based baby since my last update. If you are interested in seeing what she was eating around 6-7 months, you can find that post here. If you’re ready to see what’s been going on lately, keep reading.
To be honest, we were doing mostly purees for a while, with a bit more mashed/chunkiness to them. BUT we have officially introduced small finger foods that easily mush (like pieces of banana, avocado, pasta, pancakes, etc.). I’ll be honest – so nervous about the bits and pieces at first, but she has been doing great. We had a scare with the avocado (worst few seconds of my life) but that was it! I am not too concerned because this girl eats so well. She’s enjoyed everything that we have presented to her. I can’t even believe it, but then again I can because my husband and I are not picky at all. I like to think it is because I eat such a wide variety of foods – and I did so through pregnancy – and maybe she knows through the breast milk? Maybe? Haha! But anyways, I have her 9-month appointment coming up, so I’ll be discussing the introduction of more and more finger foods with her pediatrician. Looking forward to that.
We are currently raising Willow plant-based – no dairy or meat in her diet. You can read more about our decision/plan here, but for now, this is what we are doing. She gets her protein from lentils, beans, kale, tofu, etc.
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Willow is currently eating three meals a day with snacks in between. Our schedule is not always set in stone, but it currently looks like this:
- 6:30 AM: 7 oz bottle
- 7:15 AM: snack (fruit in silicone feeder/teether or puffs)
- 8:00 AM: breakfast
- 10-10:30 AM: 7 oz bottle
- 12 NOON: lunch
- 2 PM: 7 oz bottle
- 3:00 PM: snack (small green smoothie usually)
- 6:00 PM: dinner
- 6:30 – 6:45 PM: 7 oz bottle
She’s getting anywhere between 24-28 oz of breastmilk/soy formula a day, and about 3-4 tablespoons of food each feeding.
Which brings me to the solids… here’s what’s she’s eaten so far. Anything with an asterisk is a new addition since my last 7 month update.
- Avocado
- Sweet potato
- Pear
- Banana
- Peas
- Plum
- Peach
- Oatmeal
- Apple
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
- Carrots
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Lentils
- Cauliflower
- Red pepper
- Broccoli
- White beans
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter*
- Chickpeas*
- Quinoa*
- Raspberries*
- Strawberries*
- Blackberries*
- Zucchini*
- Summer squash*
- Kale*
- White potato*
- Black beans*
- Mushrooms* (blended with onion)
- Onions* (blended with mushroom)
- Celery* (blended with zucchini)
- Mango*
- Coconut yogurt*
- Kiwi*
- Cherries*
- Tofu*
- Quinoa/Brown Rice pasta*
- Marinara sauce*
- Flaxseed*
- Whole wheat flour*
- Broccoli*
We have also introduced a number of spices and herbs to her, which she really enjoys. So far, we have experimented with these:
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger (fresh)
- Garlic (powder)
- Dill
- Turmeric
- Curry
- Rosemary
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Nutritional yeast
Just a note – If you are still doing purées, I would freeze batches of chunky purée in bulk (will share what I use to store in the gear section below), so I’d normally purée each one on its own and then add a few frozen cubes together to create combinations for each meal. I sometimes serve some mashed food while also serving some soft finger food to transition her. To be honest, kind of just transition out the mashed that I have in the freezer… I will add some couscous or quinoa or something to bulk it up a bit. BUT! I have found a cool way to use up the extra purée, which is making pancakes. I’ll share those recipes soon. She loves trying to use her spoon lately, which is adorable but messy messy. Avocado, banana, raspberries, zucchini, strawberries, pasta, pancakes, sweet potato, tofu, and carrots have been our go-to finger foods. Here’s a look at some of her favorites these days:
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal, pear, and cinnamon
- Oatmeal with mango
- Oatmeal, banana, and peanut butter
- Oatmeal, pear, and mango
- Oatmeal, strawberries, and banana
- Oatmeal, strawberries, and almond butter
- Oatmeal with blackberries
- Oatmeal, strawberries, and coconut yogurt
- Oatmeal with raspberries
- Quinoa with any of the above fruit combos (just swap out the oats)
- Coconut yogurt with any fruit purée
- Coconut yogurt with peanut butter and cinnamon
- Oatmeal, coconut yogurt, and cinnamon
- Oatmeal, sweet potato, and cinnamon
- Coconut yogurt and peaches
- Apple and kale
- Apple, carrot, and ginger
- Oatmeal with a dash of unsweetened cocoa powder and banana
- Pancakes (made with oats, banana, water, and blueberries)
- Tofu scramble
Lunch:
- Black beans and avocado
- Rosemary white beans and mushrooms/onion
- Mushrooms/onion and avocado
- Rosemary white beans and summer squash
- Turmeric lentils and sweet potato
- Broccoli/cauliflower and zucchini/garlic powder
- Chickpeas and avocado
- Green beans/pear and carrots
- Quinoa with any veggie combo
- Quinoa, black beans, and avocado
- Fritters
I tend to give her gassier vegetables/foods for lunch so her stomach has time to settle and digest. I do milder ones for dinner – I have found that sometimes she is a bit more fussy at night if I do the other way around. I don’t always do this, but am a bit mindful.
Dinner:
- Summer squash, white beans, and avocado
- Zucchini/celery and sweet potato
- Mashed potatoes with dill, and apple/kale
- Mashed potatoes with garlic powder, and green beans
- Ginger carrots and peas
- Curried sweet potatoes and green beans
- Curried lentils and apple/kale
- Lentils and sweet potato/kale
- Quinoa with any veggie combo
- Mashed potatoes, carrots, and peas
- Mashed potatoes and zucchini
- Pasta with marinara or avocado sauce and nutritional yeast
- Baked sweet potato “wedges” with paprika
And last but not least, sharing the items that are absolute necessary during meal times. I did this last time, but worth noting again if you just landed here. These are the things that are working for us lately:
GEAR WE LOVE:
High chair: I have zero complaints with this high chair – it’s compact, chic, and easy to clean.
Catch-all bibs:These are a must and literally the only type of bibs that gets the job done. The best part is that they dry so fast and are ready for the next meal (so I am not going through a couple bibs each day – just one!)
Bowls: these bowls
Spoons: these spoons
Clean-up cloth: I always have a wet cloth next to me for any messes on her hands/face as we go.
Sippy cup: Willow is really enjoying water finally (she wasn’t as interested a couple months ago). She has officially chosen her favorite to use – sippy with straw.
Silicone feeders: These are for snack times. I find that these also help with her teething – frozen fruit works great. But I also will put plain banana, avocado, pear, watermelon, strawberries, etc.
Freezer trays: I really love these trays because they are silicone on the bottom, which makes it easy for them to pop out. They also hold a lot of food. The cubes themselves are a bit small, but this works for me because I combine anyways. They really are perfect.
That about covers it for now. I’m going to start sharing exactly what she is eating (already compiling some photos) much like I do for myself. I hope you guys are into that. Be on the lookout, if so!
I hope that you have found this helpful if you are also in the same boat as me. If you are also raising a plant-based/vegan baby, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Share some of your babe’s favorite foods, too! xx bianca
