Solids! I can’t believe we are already here with Fiona. But I am so excited because this really is such a fun journey to take with your babe. I have been getting questions from some of you on how we have started introducing foods and if we are doing purées/blw/etc. So I thought I would give you a nice overview here and share our game plan and some of the products we love to use, too.
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Our Plan
We are taking the same approach with Fiona as we did with Willow, to be honest. We had a lot of luck with Willow and I feel good about how it went. We didn’t go with baby-led weaning (it made me too nervous). Not that anything is wrong with it at all, but it just didn’t feel right to me. However, the purée stage didn’t overstay its welcome, either.
At 5 months, we started with purées twice a day to give her a taste and figure out if she’s allergic to anything. Usually oatmeal & fruit in the morning and a vegetable while we eat dinner. I always give her a bottle of breastmilk first and foremost to fill her up and then about an hour or so after that, I’ll offer purée. She really looks forward to it – her excitement is off the walls.
Since we started this process during the stay home order, I was really nervous to introduce her to any high-allergy foods so I waited until after 6 months. But we can’t put it off forever – it’s important to introduce them early! To ease my worries, I spoke with her pediatrician about it and we came up with a game plan in case anything happens and she has a reaction. I suggest you do the same if you are worried during this time – pedi is just a phone call away!
But anyways, while she was 5 months, she tried the following:
- Baby oatmeal – I like this brand
- Sweet potato
- Apples
- Peas
- Pears
- Green beans
- Avocado
- Banana (Believe it or not, this is the one food she does not care for! SHOCKED!)
- White potato
- Carrots
- Peaches
- Blueberries
Now that she is 6 months, we have another list of foods to tackle. The high-allergy foods are on there and also legumes/beans. I waited for the beans because I know they can make a baby gassy and I didn’t want to upset her stomach too much when we first started. Here’s what the list ahead looks like:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Garlic
- Peaches
- Black beans
- White beans
- Zucchini
- Onions
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Plum
- Nut butters
- Egg
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Corn
- Flaxseed
You may notice egg on the list above and that is because yes, I will be introducing egg to just see how she reacts and if she has an allergy. I think it is important to expose egg to her, even though I will not be serving it too much in the future, because eventually in her life, she may decide that she wants to eat eggs or maybe she has something with egg by accident. I feel more comfortable exposing it to her now to hopefully avoid an allergy down the line. We did the same with Willow. You can read more about it here.
Around this time, I will also start to introduce spices and herbs. I wrote more about that here.
I also have a third tier of foods for after 8/9 months. Here’s the list for reference:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Red pepper
- Blackberries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Cherries
- Tomato sauce
- Chia seeds
- Rice
- Pasta
- Bread
- Tofu
So obviously this isn’t every ingredient on the planet but these are the major ones that we have in our house. As she gets older, she will experience and try more but at least for now she has been exposed to the ones we use most frequently. Once all the major foods have been given, then I’ll move into the next phase of giving her food BLW-style (9 months). Finger foods, toast strips, more texture, etc. I remember with Willow that this was when she was starting to get interested in feeding herself. And yes, it is MESSY but it is worth it because it is a very important skill for them to accomplish. Utensils optional. I would always leave a spoon with the meal but she almost always used her hands. That’s also normal.
By 9-12 months, this is where I’ll be and then anything after that just gets easier and cleaner, to be honest. But anyways… this is the game plan and I thought maybe some of you would be interested in seeing it all laid out. I try to keep it pretty relaxed (I don’t always wait 3 days for the next food to be introduced if the food isn’t likely to cause an allergy) and not force too much at once.
This is how it naturally played out with Willow and I feel good about doing it all over again.
Gear We Love
Feeding a baby doesn’t require much, but here’s some gear that we do like.
Bibs – In the very beginning, I love a silicone catch-all bib. After 1, I really like the Bumkins catch-all bibs because they are not too bulky and don’t distract too much.
Plates – At first, I like these silicone plates so the entire plate doesn’t end up all over the floor. As she gets older, she will use these Re-play plates (we still use these with Willow, too).
Bowls – These suction bowls are great at first, but again, we will move to Re-play as she gets older.
Utensils – There are a few different ones that we like. I started with these for purées, then we move onto Re-play for self-feeding. For my oldest, I love the OXO Tot set.
Clean-up cloth – I have always used our burp cloths to clean-up little hands and faces – a great way to extend their use! These are our favorite. I have used them for both kids.
Ice cube trays – I love these to freeze baby food into small portions. They are great because they have a silicone bottom – easy to pop out. I purée each ingredient separately and then add together for endless combinations. Making your own baby food is kinder on your budget & a healthy option for your baby. You are 100% in charge of what goes into their little bellies!
So that is a lot of information! I hope that it didn’t drag on too long and you found it helpful. Introducing foods is one of my favorite parts of motherhood. It is just a delight to see what they like and don’t like and I mean… it’s food. We all love food, babies included.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions. You can comment below or DM me on Instagram (@thefriendlyfig). I’d love to chat with you. Thanks for reading! x
