When to Start Baby-Led Weaning and Best Foods to start with and Avoid

When to Start Baby-Led Weaning

When it comes to introducing solids, whether finger foods or purées, wait until your baby is developmentally ready. Here are a few signs:

• Your child can sit in a high chair unassisted
• They have good neck strength.
• They're able to move food to the back of their mouth with up and down jaw movements.
• They seem interested in solid food.

The Best Baby-Led Weaning Foods

You may see photos on baby-led-weaning Facebook pages of infants chowing down on all sorts of surprising foods, from chicken drumsticks to casseroles. But most experts recommend beginning more slowly.

Start with single-ingredient foods, so you'll be able to pinpoint any food allergies.

Examples of great first finger foods include:

• Avocado
• Apple slices (baked, steamed, or poached without the peel)
• Banana
• Broccoli florets with a stalk "handle" (steamed)
• Chicken (cut into strips)
• Omlets (cut into strips)
• Pasta
• Meat (slow-cooked and shredded)
• Salmon (poached and flaked)

Substantially-sized pieces of food—cut in long thin strips, coins, or with a crinkle cutter—are often most manageable for your baby. That's because very few 6- to 8-month-olds have mastered the pincer grasp (thumb and index finger), so they'll pick up foods with their whole palm.

Once your baby develops this pincer grasp (usually around 8 to 9 months), serve food cut into small pieces, like ripe mango chunks, cooked beans, chopped steamed spinach, and pieces of pasta.

Also, remember that texture is key. The food you give your novice eater should be soft and easy to smash with gentle pressure between your thumb and forefinger. You should steam fruits and vegetables when beginning baby-led weaning.

Once your baby has tried and tolerated several single-ingredient foods, you can begin offering mixed dishes. Make sure there are high-calorie foods and those with iron, zinc, protein, and healthy fats on the plate.

It's also a good idea to cook with no salt since a baby's body cannot process sodium well.

There's no strict recommendation on whether baby-led weaning is a better or worse approach to introducing solid foods, so try it if you like, but your baby will also do just fine if you decide to go with the traditional strategy with spoon-feeding purees first.

Foods to Avoid With Baby-Led Weaning

When starting with baby-led weaning, avoid common choking hazards such as:

• Whole grapes
• Whole blueberries
• Loose corn kernels
• Whole nuts and seeds
• Hot dogs and sausage links
• Dried fruit like raisins
• Popcorn
• Raw baby carrots
• Raw apple chunks
• Sticky nut butters

No matter how you choose to introduce your child to solids, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the infant-specific Heimlich maneuver. Finally, as a precaution, always stay with your baby when they eat, and make sure they're sitting up.