Even though we had planned to wait until 6 months to begin any solids, S showed all the readiness signs around 4.5 months. By 5 months, I listened to his signs, rather than the books. I knew I wanted to to do Baby-Led Weaning with my twin boys, but we started with loaded spoons of carrot puree right at 5 months. Throughout their 5th month, I threw some food at them every now and then. We weren’t very consistent, just playing and experimenting. It’s a little younger than is advised by strict BLWers, but we were successful with S. B, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. Even now at 7.5 months, he’ll eat a bit, but really prefers the boob.
If you’re just starting out with Baby-Led Weaning, you’re probably looking for some ideas. Well, brace yourself for an onslaught of adorable photos of babies feeding themselves! These are the first 2.5 months of our Baby-Led Weaning adventure. I hope it gives you some ideas!
5 Months
Our first real solid was carrots. I already knew S liked them in a puree, so I just sliced some whole carrots into long sticks and steamed them until they were super mushy. It was like he was pureeing it in his mouth, it was so soft.
After carrots came avocados. As usual, S was game, but B preferred to just play with it. That’s completely fine in BLW–it’s part of the learning process!
Those little suckers are slippery, so S really struggled with actually getting it to his mouth, which very much pissed him off. I’ve read that if you wash the skin really well and leave it on, it helps them grip it. We tried it, but he still didn’t seem thrilled.
Yellow squash was a favorite! S loved the flavor. The only thing we had to be careful with was the skin. The inside cooks down much faster than the outside, and it was a little difficult for him.
B, as usual, just slid it around his tray. Completely uninterested in eating it. In fact, if you’ll notice, he’s flipping me off a little.
Oh my, pancakes! Look at that face! I swear he’s thinking, “If you come near my pancake, I will cut you!” It’s obviously not the healthiest choice, but I did put mashed banana in it. That counts, right?
We went out to eat and let Steven try tamago (we also attempted avocado again). Allergens were not much of a concern for us since we don’t have much of a family history of food allergens.
Broccoli remains a favorite so far. I never knew it was possible to be so excited over broccoli. Yuck.
6 Months
We loaded Greek yogurt on a spoon because it’s thicker and sticks better. B wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but S was down.
This was also the same day they had petit fours for their half birthday.
Zucchini, cut into spears and steamed.
Apples and pears, baked very tender with cinnamon.
Eggs, scrambled. You may want to hold off on this one if you have any history of food allergies in your family.
Banana Blueberry Custard Muffins!
We also started with a cup around this time, but I haven’t been very consistent with it. We only offer water, and since babies don’t really need water, it hasn’t been high on my priority list. Munchkin Click-Lock cups are truly fantastic though. They do not leak!
Pancakes and scrambled eggs.
Sweet potatoes, cut into spears and baked with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Fish was one that I haven’t served again because I didn’t like how they handled it. I thought it would be an easy meat for them to handle, but it was too flaky. If you try it, make sure to go through it and pick out any bones.
As you can see, though, the babies loved it!
Just taking a quick break from our regularly scheduled program to show you this adorable BLW Selfie!
Green beans have to be cooked really soft, which I think probably cooks all the nutrition out of them. It’s not a favorite around here right now.
Spaghetti noodles are fun!
So excited–B started eating fially! As for S, we can’t keep his tray full and he gets so angry when it’s empty.
Bananas cut into spears.
Pizza!
I ended up freezing these homemade teething biscuits and letting them eat them frozen because I didn’t like how much they crumbled. They gagged on them a little too much for my comfort.
Butternut squash, caramelized. This ended up being a favorite of the whole family–so good!
Cucumbers are easily their favorite food so far. I think they feel good on their gums since they’re so cold. I sliced these into rounds using a crinkle cutter to help them grip them.
I really like this self feeder for frozen fruits that I don’t quite trust them with yet.
7 Months
Pumpkin Pie can be made without all the added sugar, and it’s really very good!
Tomatoes, raw and cut into fourths.
Eggplant…
…not a favorite.
Quiche–a definite favorite!
We finally discovered something B loves when we gave them meatballs. It turns out, he’s a meat-eater!
I bought a jar of beets and steamed them in the juices that came in the jar to soften them. They like them just fine, but they seem to frustrate them because they’re hard to grip.
Lasagna is a family favorite!
S, who usually eats anything, screamed his way through this dinner of lasagna and English peas. He had 2 teeth coming in, and that put him off eating for a few days.
By the way, these mats are made by Nuby. They’re half the cost of the EZPZ mats and I really love them! They stick to the trays perfectly.
And finally, spaghetti squash. This is so easy to prepare (just cut it in half, gut it, and roast it for 45 minutes on 400) and it’s texture heaven for the babes. They had a lot of fun playing with it, and really enjoyed the taste.
Added bonus: I mixed marinara in it and got my 4-year-old to eat an entire serving without almost no complaining.
BLW for the win!
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