How to safely approach baby-led weaning with a variety of dishes
If your baby is ready for solids, ditching the purees can make mealtime much easier.
April 1, 2020 9:48 a.m. EST
April 1, 2020 9:48 a.m. EST
Not only can baby-led weaning help broaden your baby’s palette to prevent less picky eating in the future, but it can also contribute to a lower obesity rate. It's natural to be concerned about choking when making this transition, however, research suggests that there isn't a greater risk of choking with baby-led weaning when comparing it to traditional spoon-feeding and purees. Between the ages of 4-6 months, most babies are ready to start with solids, however, it's important to take note of these signs to make sure:
- They show interest in food and reach out while you’re eating
- They open their mouth to suck on items
- They’re able to sit upright
- They’re lost their tongue-thrust reflex (they don’t automatically push solid food out of their mouth)
To help you get started, dietitian Abbey Sharp showed us three recipes for a typical day, and explains how you can modify them to accommodate your baby!
BREAKFAST: ALMOND CHERRY BAKED OATMEAL
.png "Baked_oatmeal-(1).png")
Baby modification:
- Omit any almonds
- Cut it into finger strips
LUNCH: EVERYTHING BAGEL WHITE BEAN AVOCADO SANDWICH
.png "Avocado_white_bean-(1).png")
Baby modification:
- Serve spread on one slide of toasted, unseeded bread (it's important to toast as soft bread can become gummy in baby's mouth)
- Top it with the light spread of the avocado mix and cut it into finger strips
- Leave out the everything bagel mix and serve with tomato wedges
DINNER: SWEET POTATO SALMON CAKES
.png "Salmon_cakes-(1).png")
Baby modification:
- Serve the finger fritters with plain yogurt rather than tartar sauce
- Add broccoli that’s been cooked a little longer (Make sure the broccoli is steamed enough to be “squishy” and has longer spears so that the stem can serve as a handle for the baby)
- Use larger fusilli pasta
