Introducing Solids!
Harper has been eating solids since right before she turned 6 months. We gave her mashed banana as her first food followed by mashed avocado a few days later. While I have many friends who have immediately started their babies with baby led weaning, my husband and I felt more comfortable easing into it so we have stuck to mostly purees over the last 2 months and our daughter absolutely loves it!
She is currently almost 8 months old and I will now hand her food that we are eating from our plate that I know she can’t choke on: big pieces of chicken or steak, spears of avocado, banana & oat pancakes, large berries or veggies. I’m noticing she is naturally a lot more interested in these big pieces of food than she was when I would try to hand her them earlier on.
I have been mostly making her meals here at home (I know that sounds like a lot but I promise you it has been a really easy integration into my routine!). It’s been helping me make my meals at home more too — I was definitely in a rut of ordering out a ton, so I’m really happy to be back in the kitchen!
For making these meals at home, I love stocking up on ingredients on Sundays or Mondays (video included of my must have items) and making a bunch to store for the week. I love to give her tons of different foods and flavors to grow her palate in hopes that she will enjoy all foods! Personally, I notice with giving her purees, she’s actually eating all of the food in front of her rather than just playing with her food or throwing it around. This is why I like to do a little mix of both BLW and purees. She’s able to eat the entire meal with the puree but she can slowly start learning how to hold the food and feel its texture and taste by giving her pieces from our plate too! I really don’t think it has to be one way or the other, so don’t stress yourself out by feeling like you have to choose!
Another thing I like to do every once in a while (be warned: this gets messy) but I give Harper the spoon to feed herself. I have been doing this since day 1 of her eating food. She is so good at maneuvering the spoon and serving herself! She definitely misses a lot of the time / flings the spoon around so there is more clean up involved but it’s great to do when you have the time to clean up afterwards.
I have been experimenting with Baby food steamer/blenders for you as well as high chairs, bibs and utensils. Sharing my favorite recipes to make for the week and all of the tools you’ll need below!
**Something I started adding in to Harpers meals at 6 months (they can be started sooner by adding them into your baby’s bottle if they are taking one) is the Ready Set Food allergen packs (Stage 1 & Stage 2). They slowly and safely introduce allergens one at a time. Once the first few allergens are introduced you are meant to maintain them for a couple of months to get your baby fully acclimated to them and then they continue adding more until all of the major allergens have been introduced! It takes a huge stressor off of us parents.
Recipes I’m loving at home:
Broccoli & Peas:
1 cup of each
Steam until a fork can go through
Blend adding in a small amount of water to help smooth it out and spices of your choice. I have experimented with adding in a little bit of garlic and onion!
Serve when cooled!
Butternut Squash:
1 box of precut squash (this will make life so much easier)
*You can add in a peeled apple if you’d like for some extra flavor!
Sprinkle in thyme herbs
Steam until a fork can go through
Add in a splash of chicken bone broth (such a good source of vitamins and nutrition for bb!)
Blend down and serve when cooled!
Avocado & Spinach:
Mash half an avocado on plate (I like to mash hemp seeds in as well for extra protein)
Steam as much spinach as will fit in your steamer
Pour out excess water from steaming (you can use some of this water to pour back in)
Add small amount of liquid and blend
Mix the pureed spinach into the avocado mash
Sweet Potato & Pear:
Wash & Peel one sweet potato
Wash & Cut one pear
Dice everything and add to steamer
Once you can press through everything with a fork, they are done
Puree together and add spices of choice (I like cinnamon, nutmeg and you could even add a little ginger)
Strawberry Oatmeal with Hemp seed & Chia:
Cook one serving on oatmeal (usually depends on which oats you purchase, so follow instructions on back of bag for stovetop)
While oats are cooking, add in:
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
4-5 strawberries
Continuously stirring and adding in more liquid as needed (can continue adding water or add milk/nut milk of choice — I like to add splashes of almond milk)
Breaking down the strawberries as they soften
Serve and let cool, adding more liquid if needed to keep it smooth rather than sticky.
Here are the two baby food systems I have tried out and am loving:
