BLW introduces a wide variety of flavors and textures. After doing extensive research on both Baby Led Weaning and the traditional weaning, I chose to go ahead with BLW. 2. Rest assured knowing your baby is still getting great nutrients from breastmilk or formula. So how do you promote family meal time if they don’t always match up with when your ready to eat? Some babies are uninterested at first, some may just play or others may bring food to their mouth. As a Mom and pediatric Dietitian, my mission is to help nourish your little ones with whole foods, flexibility and fun by teaching how to make healthy habits for your family easy and attainable from the very first bite. Whether you are doing BLW or traditional feeding, it is important to avoid choking hazards. 1. When this happens, I always eat a small portion with him to help model and eat a bigger portion later when my husband and I can sit down together and eat in the evening. Current recommendations to begin complementary foods from The American Academy of Pediatrics is around 6 months of age and showing readiness signs. One study showed no differences in energy intake between the BLW group and the control. Easy for baby to hold, absolutely delicious and of course, they can be batch prepared and stored in the fridge/freezer. we had family meals each night and that is a tradition I want to pass down. Soon enough they will become more proficient in eating and become little foodies. You may have heard the term “food before one is just for fun” but, this isn’t necessarily true. I'm Grace. All are great for babies 6 months and up. I provided all she needed to know about BLW and, we have had a successful journey with all 3 caregivers. Rach x. Baby Bites: Adventures in Baby Led Weaning! Sitting down and eating with your little one at meal times will give them an opportunity to see how to eat and, you’ll likely see them begin to mimic you! How? Baby led weaning (or BLW for those in the know) is an alternative method of introducing solids to babies. All these mealtime benefits were so important to me when considering starting solids with Hudson. Although the food choices are endless, some great first foods are sweet potatoes (peeled and steamed), avocado, banana, and carrots (steamed). I’d like to know more about feeding toddlers. BLW refers to a way of introducing solid foods that allows babies to self-feed themselves right from the start. 3. 2. You can always offer “seconds” if your baby wants more. If it is a soft round food, I cut it into small pieces for Husdon or, if it’s a hard food like peanuts, I like to serve as a nut butter. As a note: BLW does not mean we are weaning. There is no significance to starting solids prior to 6 months, but there are drawbacks to starting later, such as risk for iron deficiency, increased risk for food allergies. 1. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. For example, Hudson loves veggie egg muffins but isn’t a fan of scrambled eggs (yet!). To start things off, here’s a little background on us: Our pediatrician suggested starting solids pretty early on when Mia started drinking copious amounts of milk, started stealing food off my plate, and smacking her lips any time someone took a bite of food in front of her. Now, I aim to offer 3-4 different foods at each meal from a variety of food groups, including a high iron food. No evidence has been found of increased choking incidence between BLW groups and traditional (puree) feeding groups. 3. Ideally, anything your eating–let your baby have too! Baby-led weaning (BLW) is an alternative method for starting your baby on solids. Gagging– appears to be mildly coughing with noise. These cookies do not store any personal information. When comparing body mass index (BMI), “, a baby-led approach to complementary feeding did not result in more appropriate BMI than traditional spoon-feeding, although children were reported to have less food fussiness.”. Even as a pediatric dietitian, well versed in infant feeding, I remember having the same thoughts that every parent has and becoming slightly overwhelmed. One study showed no differences in energy intake between the BLW group and the control. Low in salt and soft in texture you will find easy BLW meal ideas, baby snacks & breakfasts Introducing solids should be fun, not stressful, I hope your little one enjoys these baby led weaning ideas as much as my four kiddos have. BLW has set us up for a long standing healthy relationship with food, and I will continue to use the core principles as he gets older. Check with your doctor and make sure your baby is truly ready prior to starting BLW. These 45 recipes are perfect foods for baby-led weaning. Things may get a little messy but, if your like us and have a dog, clean up is a breeze. Yes, we did experience gagging but, it was only a few times before Hudson got the hang of it. Allow your baby to set the pace. 2. I love to encourage fun at meal times to help Hudson become comfortable with different foods. Once your child … Baby-Led Weaning Recipes. Follow me on @babyledweaningideas. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Foods offered should be soft enough to mash with the tongue or your finger. BLW is an alternative to traditional weaning that can provide nutritional, mealtime and developmental benefits. I created this baby led weaning beginners guide for everything you need to know. After our 6 month doctor appointment, it was go-time! 3. whole nuts, uncut grapes). Would we go the traditional (puree) feeding or the BLW route? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sharing meals together helps model good eating behaviors and always brings a sense of togetherness. At this point, your just getting started so, don’t be surprised if your baby doesn’t eat much at mealtimes. They are easy to make, nutritious, delicious and most importantly they are all easy for baby to pick up and eat themselves. Simple to make, freezer-friendly, these little bites are the perfect make-ahead snack. The likelihood of Hudson creating a healthy relationship with food through self-feeding, BLW’s intuitive nature and the ability to incorporate whole. As a note: BLW does not mean we are weaning off breast milk or formula but rather, foods are added in complementary to ensure your child’s nutritional needs are met. Your email address will not be published. Baby can practice intuitive eating! Family meal times also encourage social, language, visual and posture skills. It can be done! These bites are packed with protein, fats, and nutrients! It’s important to start solid foods around 6 months of age as babies no longer have their iron stores from birth and, breast milk/formula alone don’t provide all their iron needs. No more forcing to be part of the “clean plate club” simply, eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Hi! Wrap the fish in foil, put on the same tray and continue cooking for around 10- 12 mins until opaque and cooked through. Written by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, Certified Personal Trainers and parents, this guide will help ease your fears and get you straight on the road to success when starting solids. Since I knew he was gagging, and not choking, I was able to stay calm and let him work it out (which didn’t take but a second!). Happy weaning! foods with fun and flexibility had me hooked. No extra time spent making, buying or remembering to have different food for the baby. Truth be told, I am pretty much counting down the days until baby # 2 Be sure to check out the update on this recipe below in the *notes* section to find out how I've recently updated this recipe for my toddler. The simple version: put strips of soft foods on a plate and allow your baby to eat and explore. Spinach Sweet Potato Blender Muffins (baby and kid-friendly! These little bites are a great way to introduce healthy oily fish into your little ones' diet. First Bites is the definitive guide to Baby-Led Weaning for plant-based babies. BLW weaning offers foods in their whole form, increasing the chance to get in those vital nutrients compared to purees, which may be watered down. Assume you 're OK with this, but you can start to cut foods into smaller pieces (. Tradition I want to pass down honey until 1 and choking hazards ( ie maneuver foods! Can now be put into practice loves veggie egg muffins but isn ’ t a fan of eggs. My son, Hudson, turning 6 months old got closer, decided! 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