Baby Led Weaning Lunch Ideas | Baby Led Weaning Lunch Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What should a 6 month old baby eat during BLW? ›

Top first foods for BLW include iron-rich foods (meat, poultry, beans, lentils, tofu), protein-rich foods (fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nut butter), whole grains, fat-rich foods (avocado, yogurt, cheese, nut butter), and various fruits and vegetables.

If you made it here, you're probably familiar with the concept of baby led weaning, but if you're not, baby led weaning (or BLW) is a concept of skipping purees in favor of giving your baby real foods to help stimulate their oral growth, curiosity about different types of food, and joining in during the family meals.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) involves skipping the spoon-fed purées and letting babies feed themselves finger foods when starting solids.

With baby-led weaning you'll want to offer food shapes and sizes that are easy for your infant to hold, so opt for cutting most things into sticks or strips about the length of your pinky finger. For example, offer a floret of steamed broccoli, a steamed carrot stick, or a small strip of soft-cooked chicken or beef.

When working out how much food to give your baby, aim for portions the same size as their fist, with one fistful of protein, one fistful of carbohydrates and two fistfuls of vegetables or fruits. Your baby will enjoy sitting and eating with you and your family, so share family mealtimes with them as much as possible.

🍽Serving Recommendations:

Always make sure they are thoroughly cooked inside. You can also offer it this way before 12 months if you feel comfortable. I made patties for my baby starting at 9 months since I felt confident in his self feeding skills. I paired it with applesauce or puree with make it easier to swallow.

Indeed, one of the main reasons healthcare providers are reluctant to fully endorse BLW is the perceived risk of choking. About 35% of babies choke while starting foods, most often because they were offered food that was a hazard.

Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is an alternative method for introducing complementary foods to infants in which the infant feeds themselves hand-held foods instead of being spoon-fed by an adult. The BLW infant also shares family food and mealtimes and is offered milk (ideally breast milk) on demand until they self-wean.

What is the best first food for a baby? ›

Solid foods may be introduced in any order. However, puréed meats, poultry, beans and iron-fortified cereals are recommended as first foods, especially if your baby has been primarily breastfed, since they provide key nutrients. Only one new single-ingredient food should be introduced at a time.

Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb all offer exceptional nutrition for babies including protein, fat, iron, zinc, and other essential nutrients. If your baby is on a diet of only breastmilk (or formula), fruits, grains, and veggies, she might miss out on brain-boosting nutrients.

introduce solid foods from around 6 months. think about the size, shape and texture of food – cut it into narrow batons, and avoid round shapes and firm foods.

However, numerous studies have now shown that babies take in enough energy with a baby-led weaning approach (Cameron et al, 2015; Taylor et al, 2017; Morison et al, 2018). And at this stage, milk feeds are still your baby's main source of nutrients and first foods are a way of exploring tastes and textures.