Demystifying Baby’s First Foods with Baby-Led Weaning

Curious about what to serve your baby first? It’s time we demystify first foods when kicking off the baby-led weaning journey! Don’t fret, we were confused too, and we really felt this needed to thoroughly covered in our book–see Chapter 5 in Born To Eat!

On a side note, this was one of our very first videos, so excuse the basicness–we are not video experts, but instead two dietitians (and busy moms) trying to get the message out as best we can (flops and all)! Thanks for bearing with us.

Here we dish out some of our favorite first foods, and how to serve them. Nutrition concerns and ease of texture take precedence when planning on out baby’s first meal.  There are a couple foods that really stand out; such as, steak, sweet potatoes, eggs,  avocado, kiwi, bananas, mango, and Greek yogurt mixed with nut butters. We share a couple helpful (and fun) images in the video!

Beginner Baby Bites

Steak: Grilled or broiled or pan fried and cut into fingers for easy gripping and gnawing. We recommend that it’s thick enough that gums cannot break through it initially and instead they gain skill and nutrition just from sucking out the juices which our loaded with iron and zinc.

Sweet Potatoes:  See the video for size ideas and texture (just how soft it really needs to be). 2-3″ sticks either steamed or boiled

Banana: You can serve with the peel for easy gripping or rolled in crushed Cheerios or almond meal for easy handling. Be careful giving too much banana due to constipation concerns.

Kiwi: Loaded with Vitamin C this is a perfect first addition to any plate. See photo for a breakdown. Remember to check the texture, ensure that it is very ripe and easy to gum up. If it’s too hard it can be unsafe for a brand new eater.

Eggs: Scrambled, frittata fingers, or egg salad (my first pick made with Greek yogurt and Mashed Avocado) are loaded with Vitamin D which is highly recommended for infants.

Avocado: Creamy, loaded with healthy fats, and so fun to hold and enjoy. Serve as fingers, and make sure the avocado is very ripe.

Greek Yogurt with Nut Butters: Stir in a tiny amount of nut butter into yogurt and serve on a loaded spoon or allow them to finger paint their face–your call! Adding in nut butters are key for introducing high allergen foods early on, speak to your Pedi if you have any concerns.

Mango: Same idea as kiwi, and if mango is slippery opt to roll in crushed cereal or almond meal

What Were Your First Foods? Did you experience any challenges when starting?

In our book we cover in depth how to make many common foods safe for a beginner eater, even those often considered choking hazards. Be sure to check every bite on a plate before serving a beginner eater, and considere how tiny their throats are (not just their mouths, but how they swallow). Once you wrap your mind around this it’s easier to understand how important it is to ensure safe textures and figure out foods that could potentially block airflow.

Last note…

Before you launch into eating it’s imperative to review infant CPR and what it looks like to have an infant gagging or an infant choking. Here is a great video to help: https://www.abclifesupport.co.uk/difference-choking-gagging/ Knowledge is POWER!