If you are looking for realistic and simple ways to feed your plant-based or vegan baby, I hope that this post will offer inspiration. I’ve been compiling these photos for a bit… from about 7 months on. Some dishes are still purees… you’ll see the transition. I was having a lot of anxiety moving her from puree to mashed to soft to solids. But she’s such a great eater… I didn’t give her enough credit! I just needed to relax!
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🌿For all plant-based kids guides, head over to Plant-Based Kids (the hub for nutrition through the ages!)
Plant-Based Guide for 6-Month Old
We started feeding Willow about a week after she turned 4 months, as our doctor let us know we were good to go. The first month was mostly just playing around with the textures/smells etc. She used her hands most of the time and it got messy real quick. But it didn’t take her too long to get the hang of it (she loves to guide the spoon to her mouth). And before long, she would look forward to getting in her high chair, because she knew exactly what was coming. And today, she’s pretty much smitten to be eating at mealtimes with us.
I have to say, she honestly loves anything you put in front of her so far. The only one that took some time was avocado – she gagged like crazy the first time, but thankfully she loves it now. Pears are her absolute favorite, and that is a good thing for mama because pears helped her get over some slight constipation in the very beginning. Now that she’s had a wide variety of foods, constipation is not as frequent… I think her little tummy needed some time to figure out how to start processing anything aside from milk!
As of now, Willow eats two meals a day and has snack times. Our schedule is not always set in stone, but it looks sorta like this:
- 7AM: 6 oz bottle
- 9AM: Breakfast
- 10-10:30: 6 oz bottle
- 12: Snack (usually banana or some sort of frozen fruit in this feeder)
- 1-1:30: 5-6 oz bottle
- 4: 5-6 oz bottle
- 6PM: Dinner
- 7PM: Bedtime bottle (5-6 oz)
I’m thinking around the 8-10 month mark, we will bump her up to 3 meals a day. I also think that is when I will start with finger foods… a bit nervous, but I’m sure I’ll know when she is ready. For now, I am happy that she enjoys eating with us and looks forward to meals. It’s so much fun to see her reaction to new foods as we continue to introduce – especially since I’ve been playing around with spices and herbs lately.
Which brings me to the food… Here’s what’s she’s eaten so far:
- 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 (I was SO NERVOUS for this but she went crazy for it, and no bad reactions!)
I freeze batches of food in bulk (will share what I use to store in the gear section below), so I will normally purée each one on its own and then add a few frozen cubes together to create combinations for each meal. Here’s a look at some of our favorites:
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal, pear, and cinnamon
- Pear and blueberries
- Oatmeal, banana, and apple
- Oatmeal, apple, and cinnamon
- Banana, apple, and blueberries
- Oatmeal, banana, and blueberries
- Peach and cinnamon
- Banana and avocado
- Oatmeal, banana, and peanut butter (or sometimes just banana and pb)
- Sweet potato and cinnamon
Dinner:
- Green beans and sweet potato
- White beans and rosemary
- Lentils and apple
- Red pepper and sweet potato
- Carrots and cinnamon
- Carrots and peas
- Carrots and apple
- Avocado and green beans
- Cauliflower and pears
- Broccoli and apple
For snack time, I will usually use the baby fruit feeder and just fill it with one of the following: banana, frozen fruit (like peaches and bananas), avocado, pear, or apple.
And finally, I wanted to share some of the items that are absolute necessary during meal times. This is what I found works for us!
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.
Bowls: We have these bowls – nothing special, just bought whatever was a good price.
Spoons: Love the curve of 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: I always give Willow her sippy cup with some water in case she wants it. She isn’t too interested in water yet, but sometimes she will reach for it. We use this one or this one.
Fruit feeders: This is for snack time, which is probably 1-2 a day (morning and sometimes while I am making dinner at night). I find that these also help with her teething – frozen bananas are awesome in these!
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.
Plant-Based Ideas for 7-8 Month Old
A small compilation of the meals we served between 7-8 months.
Plant-Based Feeding Guide for 9-10 Months
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 7 months list.
- 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.
Plant-Based Meals for 9-11 Months
I’ve tried introducing the spoon/fork during meals at times… still not into it that much, but sometimes she will grab the spoon and feed herself once I load it up. Progress! She’s also still drinking milk, about 5 oz 4 times a day. We’ve transitioned to sippy cups during the day and still a bottle before bed. She’s growing up too fast! I am holding on to that last bottle more than she is, haha!
I hope the below gives you some inspiration for your plant-based/vegan babe.
Plant-Based Baby Meals 11-12 Months
You may notice that toward the end we started using her silicone mat much more… because she has figured out that swiping your hands across the tray really fast equals food EVERYWHERE. And she enjoys that, apparently. Haha! This mat helps keep that mess contained… for now!
I’m still cutting up her food… if you were like me as a parent (read: paranoid to give bigger chunks) what age did you start? Would love to hear from other mamas. For now, enjoy the food inspiration!
Products we use and love:
smoothie cups / sippy cups / silicone whale plate / high chair / spoons + bowls / re-play plates / silicone bibs / sleeved bib
