What is baby led weaning?

There are many approaches to feeding babies and understanably, it can be difficult to figure out what to opt for. This post will show you the basics of how to take the feeding approach known as “baby led weaning” and the best first foods for baby to make starting solids easy and fun.

On the whole, baby led weaning is a very safe and gentle approach to weaning. It does not involve adding foods to the baby’s diet that they have not yet been introduced to.

What is baby led weaning

Baby-led weaning is a way to introduce solid foods to babies. It lets them decide what they want to eat and when they want to eat it. This method encourages children to learn how to self-regulate their intake of food, leading to healthier eating habits as they get older.

Baby led weaning (BLW) is a way of introducing foods to babies. It’s not a method of infant feeding – instead it involves giving your child their first solid foods at a very early age. The main idea behind BLW is to give babies the opportunity to self-select which food they want to eat. This is essentially done in stages over time as your baby grows and learns to eat solid foods. This way, you are letting the child take the lead over his eating habits, and watching for signs of developmental readiness and, when a baby is ready, allowing them to self-feed.

In our baby Weaning Blog, you will find articles on baby led weaning, the benefits of baby-led weaning, natural baby foods, and much more.

The Benefits of Baby Led Weaning

Baby led weaning (BLW) is a style of infant feeding that involves responding to baby’s cues to feed instead of relying on a schedule. This method encourages children to learn how to self-regulate their intake of food, leading to healthier eating habits as they get older. Here are some of the benefits of BLW:

Baby led weaning allows your child to learn to control their eating habits and self-regulate.

A lot of parents use weaning as a way to make sure that their children don’t overeat. In order for this to be effective, the child has to be ready to be weaned. If a child isn’t ready to be weaned, they won’t be able to follow the rules and they will continue to eat what they want. If you want to be able to successfully wean your child, you have to be prepared and patient. To be able to wean your child, you should do it in stages. You can start by giving your child something soft that they can chew on. At first, you can only give them one small piece of food each time. You should feed them in a slow and steady manner. This can help them to get used to chewing and swallowing. When they can chew and swallow well, you should increase the number of pieces of food that they are allowed to eat at each feeding. You should also be prepared to wean them.

Baby led weaning teaches your child about healthy eating and the importance of nutrition.

There are many reasons why we should teach our children how to eat properly. One of the main reasons is that kids who learn how to eat right now are likely to grow up to be healthy adults. Healthy kids are usually happier, which makes them easier to raise. They are also less likely to get sick. As a result of being healthier, they are less likely to need the services of a doctor. Teaching kids how to eat right is important because they are going to rely on us for their nutrition needs. It’s vital that we teach our kids how to eat right. In order for them to get the nutrition they need, they should be taught how to prepare their own food. There are many benefits to baby-led weaning. It is important that kids are weaned naturally. Babies shouldn’t be put into a baby-led weaning schedule because it might affect them negatively. A baby-led weaning schedule involves teaching your baby to eat with his or her parents.

Baby led weaning gives your child the confidence to take charge of their eating

It helps your child to develop a sense of responsibility and self-control. Baby-led weaning is a parenting technique that encourages kids to make their own decisions about what to eat. Babies who are weaned naturally tend to eat more healthy foods than babies who are on a baby-led weaning schedule. Kids who were on a baby-led weaning schedule were found to have fewer cavities than those who weren’t.

We need to encourage our kids to eat more fruit and vegetables. We should teach them that fruit is important because it is healthy. We should also teach them that fruit is fun to eat. If you want to teach them to eat well, you should make sure that they are eating fruit and vegetables regularly. If you want to help your kids to get the nutrients they need, you should make sure that they are getting enough fruits and vegetables. Some kids have difficulty in getting the right amount of nutrients. In order to help your kids to get the nutrition they need, you should teach them how to prepare their own food.

Baby led weaning foods

While opting for baby led weaning, there are sevral food items that you can opt for. In this article on baby led weaning, we will discuss some of the most common baby led foods that you can opt for.

Soft fruits (e.g. banana, avocado, peach)

While opting for baby led weaning, you can offer soft fruits to babies in different forms. Some of these include:

Mashed or purees: Soft fruits such as banana or avocado can be mashed or turned into purees and offered to babies as first food. These fruits can be mashed or converted to purees using a fork or a blender, and the puree can be diluted further using milk, to make it easier for the baby to swallow. This will provide the baby a good start for his weaning process.

Sliced or diced: Solids such as as peaches, plums, or nectarines can be sliced or diced into small, manageable pieces for babies to pick up and start eating. These solids should be soft enough for the baby to bite and chew easily, and therefore, help with the feeding process.

Whole: Foods such as soft fruits, including ripe berries can be offered to the baby as a whole. It’s important to ensure that the fruits are soft, fully ripe and free from any blemishes or mold.

Moreover, note that certain solids & certain fruits should be avoided as they can cause choking. These include grapes, cherry tomatoes and hard fruits like apples, pears, etc.
It’s also important to avoid adding salt, sugar or any other seasoning to the fruits while feeding the baby, as he is not yet ready for it.

Steamed or roasted vegetables (e.g. sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower)

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes can be a great food for babies during the baby led weaning process as they are easy to prepare and packed with nutrients. Here is how sweet potatoes can be fed to the baby:

Peel, chop and steam or roast the sweet potato until it is soft, then mash or puree it. You can also add some milk to the steamed potato to make it easier for the baby to swallow.
The steamed potato can also be sliced into small, manageable pieces for babies to pick up and eat. These pieces should be soft enough for the baby to bite and chew easily.
It’s important to ensure that the sweet potato is soft, fully cooked and free from any blemishes or mold.

Brocolli

In addition to sweet potatoes, broccoli can be a really great food for the baby too. Brocolli can be prepared in a variety of ways. Here is our guide on how to feed brocolli to your baby:

You can start by steaming or roasting brocolli. This helps retain its nutrients, and it can then be cut into small pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.

Cook the broccoli by steaming or boiling, then mash or turn into purees and add it to rice or soups. Make sure that you boil or steam it for approporiate amount of time so that it is soft and can help the baby with his weaning. Besides, some kids may enjoy eating raw broccoli dipped in a healthy dip like hummus or yogurt .

You can also stir fry the brocolli before feeding it to your baby. Cut the broccoli into small florets, stir-fry with some other vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Make sure that the solids are now soft and easy to chew, as it will help the baby with his weaning process.

Soft proteins (e.g. boiled eggs, cooked chicken, tofu)

Boiled eggs

Boiled eggs can be a great food for the kids during their baby led weaning process. Eggs are easy to prepare and are packed with nutrients. Here are a few ways to feed boiled eggs to a baby:

Soft-boil: Boil an egg for 3-5 minutes, until the yolk is still soft and the is cooked. Cut the egg into small, manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat. You can also mash it with a fork, making the feeding process easier for the kid
Hard-boiled: Boil an egg for 8-10 minutes, until both the yolk and the white are fully cooked. Cut the egg into small, manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat. You can also mash it with a fork, making the feeding process easier for the kid
Scrambled: Beat an egg with a fork and cook it in a pan with a little bit of butter or oil until it’s fully cooked. Cut it into small manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.

You can opt for any of the above mentioned egg form. The differences do not cause a significant loss of nutriets. Additionally, eggs can also be given alongisde some other steamed or roasted food item, or even fruits such as banana or avocado.

Chicken

In addition, cooked chicken can also be used for feeding during baby led weaning process. Chicken can be a great source of protein for the baby and is in fact crucial for his growth and development. Cooked chicken can be fed in various ways:

Shredded or diced: Cook the chicken by baking, boiling, or grilling it. Once it’s fully cooked, shred or dice it into small, manageable pieces for the kid to pick up and eat.
Pureed: Cook the chicken by baking, boiling, or grilling it. Once it’s fully cooked, puree it with a little bit of breast milk or formula to make it easier for the kid to swallow.
As a topping: Cook the chicken by baking, boiling, or grilling it. Once it’s fully cooked, chop it into small pieces and use it as a topping for pureed vegetables or grains like rice or pasta.

Remember not to add salt, sugar or any other seasoning to the chicken as babies are not yet ready for it. Moreover, make sure that the chicken is cooked until it is soft enough for the babies to eat. In addition, ensure that the chicken is cooked through, with no pink or raw parts. Also, avoid giving chicken skin or bones to the babies, as there is a risk that teh kid can choke on it.

Finally, note that it is recommended to wait until babies are at least 8 month old to introduce chicken. It’s also a good idea to check with your pediatrician before introducing any new food to your baby.

Tofu

Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a great food for babies during the baby-led weaning. Tofu is a good source of protein can be imperative for the babies health. Here are a few ways to feed tofu to a baby:

Mashed or pureed: Cut the tofu into small cubes and steam or boil it until it is soft. This will make it easier for the baby to start swallowing it.
Scrambled: Cut the tofu into small cubes and scramble it with a little bit of butter or oil until it is fully cooked. Cut it into small manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.
Diced: Cut the tofu into small cubes and fry it with a little bit of butter or oil until it is fully cooked. Cut it into small manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.
As a topping: Cut the tofu into small cubes and sauté it with a little bit of butter or oil until it is fully cooked. Use it as a topping for pureed vegetables or grains like rice or pasta.

Finger foods (e.g. toast, crackers, bread)

Toast & Bread

Toasts can be a good source of carbohydrates for the baby. Here are a few ways in which the baby can start having toast during his weanig process.

Softly toasted: Toast the bread until it is lightly golden and still soft to the touch. Cut it into small, manageable pieces and strips for the baby to pick up and eat.
Spread with soft toppings: Toast the bread until it is lightly golden and still soft to the touch. Spread with a small amount of butter or a soft cheese like cream cheese or cottage cheese, cut it into small, manageable pieces and strips for the baby to pick up and eat. In addition, some solids, such as banana or avocado can also be used alongside toast. All of these foods will be helpful for the child’s health.
French toast: Cut toast into small manageable pieces, then dip it into beaten eggs and cook it in a pan with a little bit of butter or oil until it’s golden brown. Cut it into small manageable strips and pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.

Crackers

Crackers can also be helpful to start the baby-led weaning process. Here are a few ways in which such solids can be given to the baby:

Softly crushed: Crush the crackers into small strips , making sure they are not too small as to become a choking hazard.
Spread with soft toppings: Spread a small amount of soft cheese like cream cheese or cottage cheese on top of the cracker, cut it into small, manageable pieces for the baby to pick up and eat.
As a side dish: Serve the crackers alongside other finger foods like soft fruits, or steamed or roasted vegetables.

Conclusion

While we have discussed the baby led weaning process in detail and identified how you can start you kid’s baby led weaning process, there are a few precautions that you must take.

First, wait until the kid is at least 5-6 month old before starting this process. It will be better to consult the doctor before you put your baby on a weaning schedule.

It’s important to note that babies should always be supervised while eating, and that certain foods should be avoided due to the risk of choking, such as nuts, popcorn, hard candy, and raw fruits and vegetables. In addition, ensure that any kind of food that you are giving to the baby is soft enough for the babies to eat, Also, make sure that the food is not too hot before you hand it to the babym as it can burn their mouth. Furthermore, avoid giving babies crackers with toppings that can be a choking hazard, such as honey, peanut butter, jam, etc. It’s also important to check with your pediatrician before introducing any new food to your baby.