https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:39:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635317 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 17:18:14 +0000 DesertDreams88 2635317@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you got a lot of great input above but I just wanted to say that we thicken at least one puree daily with oatmeal too and I don't think it's a big deal :) We are big fans of whole grains over here and don't believe in demonizing any part of the food pyramid. We never do just straight oatmeal with milk or cereal, but I think it complements fruit &amp; veggies well and balances out the sugars in fruit. </p> <p>Full-fat yogurt, applesauce, avocado, banana, and cottage cheese are all awesome because you can buy them in big sizes without baby food marketing/prices and some last awhile in the fridge. </p> <p>We also love teething biscuits for on-the-go.</p> <p>Lastly, if you want to thicken up / use up some stage 1 or 2 purees, we fill a small container with puffs or cheerios, pour the puree in, and then spoon-feed that. Kind of like chunky soup in terms of texture, and a good way to use up the early purees and puffs before they get stale. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635312 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:47:24 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2635312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can't reply to each of you individually right now, but you gave me some great food for thought. :wink: TY </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635240 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:13:42 +0000 hummusgirl 2635240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You really can't mess this up as long as you feed *something* and you have common sense about choking hazards (no raw apples when they don't have any teeth, of course!). Also keep things mostly unsalted. </p> <p>We did a combo of purees and table food. LO2 was basically exclusively on pouches from 6-9 months. Now at 10 months (with two teeth on the bottom), he eats:<br /> - Lots of fruit (whole bananas, apples sauteed with butter, water and cinnamon until very soft, strawberries cut up thin/small, applesauce by spoon and pouch, mango cut up tiny or gnawing on the pit)<br /> - Veggies cooked till very soft, often with butter or olive oil (frozen peas and carrots, green beans, broccoli, spaghetti squash)<br /> - Breads (plain noodles, tortellini with marinara sauce cut up small, lots and lots of puffs and mum-mums)<br /> - Proteins (black beans, salmon patties, ground beef in a taco skillet)</p> <p>Honestly, I think it's more a matter of luck and how the parents handle eating as the kids grow older that determines whether kids eat healthy/have a healthy relationship with food in the long-term. For that, I really recommend Ellyn Satter's Division of Responsibility in Feeding. It's basically what we do and so far both of our kids are willing, adventurous eaters (for the most part). She has some advice for infants here: <a href="http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/htf/5to9months.php" rel="nofollow">http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/htf/5to9months.php</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635211 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:24:02 +0000 peaches1038 2635211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started BLW at six months. At first, we gave large chunks and sticks of food to gnaw on and as he's gotten older, I give most things in smaller pieces so he can practice picking them up. We gave a variety of foods right from the start and did not worry about potential allergens. He loves eggs and peanut butter! We do pouches/appleasauce/yogurt sometimes and I spoon feed him several bites because we mix in his vitamin and probiotic and I don't want him to waste it. The rest of the pouch/applesauce/yogurt, he spoon feeds himself. I load the spoon for him on the table, he feeds himself and we are working on him putting the spoon back on the table instead of throwing/dropping it on the floor. It's messy but he loves feeding himself! He is a fantastic eater and I'm very glad we did it this way. Oh and we started with the munchkin miracle 360 cup at 6 months but it took him a long time to figure it out. Now we give water at every meal and snack at 11 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635193 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 12:35:33 +0000 nana87 2635193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started out really cautious, one food at a time (started with avocado mushed up), but then our pediatrician said that new research actually encourages introducing new foods more quickly than that. So we switched to just giving her anything! We mostly did purees--some homemade, some from jars or pouches (I liked happy baby brand for variety of fruits and veggies, and usually there were good deals from diapers.com on them)--but also did eggs pretty early on, and nut butter. Barely did any oatmeal and no other cereal. Rather, we had baby oatmeal and would give her that when we ran out of other purees but wanted to give her something, haha. I forget when we started giving her more blw chunks... I have a picture of her at about 8 months gnawing on bread, so by then! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635189 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 12:30:08 +0000 Anya 2635189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally winged it. No allergies in the family so we weren't worried about that. We didn't do any cereal or oatmeal. We did BLW and I intended to spoon feed as well but my LO did not tolerate being spoon fed at all! I guess because it was way more appealing to be able to feed herself once she got a taste of that. Between 6-9 months it wasn't super consistent, sometimes she'd have a lot of table foods in a day, sometimes not much at all. It depended on what we were eating that day. Around 9 months I'd say is when we were more consistent with giving food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. </p> <p>Anything not BLW friendly (like grapes) i put in the mesh feeder. Loved that thing! (The silicone kind!! The mesh fabric ones are gross) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635187 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 12:26:34 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2635187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think it's confusing for blw to spoon feed them as well. I winged it and was going for a combination of blw and spoon feeding I guess. It sort of ended up going in the direction that she would only feed herself so purées were limited until she could figure out pouches. Foods I started with: sweet potato, avocado, grated cheese, and hummus (because she ate some when I was eating it one day and loved it). She shunned all fruit-her choice and is only now at nearly one eating some fruits in their true form. She still hates bananas, not for lack of trying. She also refused baby cereals so I just didn't do them. </p> <p>I gave sticks of avocado and sweet potato in the beginning and then cut it into smaller pieces. Started a sippy cup with water at meals and just in the day. She likes water and will drink a lot. Now I'm doing homo milk at meals and breastfeeding, but that's just because I'm hoping she'll gain some extra weight. </p> <p>Another good food was boiled egg cut up into pieces. I found it less messy and easier for her to eat than scrambled eggs. I started with just the yolk for a week or two and then did the whole egg, this was around 7 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635169 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:57:57 +0000 brownepiano 2635169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did BLW but I soon just started giving him whatever we were having or some variety. One thing that he ate for breakfast forever was granola and yogurt. It was messy but we'd mix just enough yogurt in with the granola to make it stick together and he would eat it with his hands. I make my own granola that is just oats, molasses, and oil. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635116 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:38:17 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2635116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: scrambled eggs, high fat yogurt, pancakes, muffins. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635106 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:30:30 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2635106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumnleaves: you fed him by color? I already messed up. Lol. We started with string beans then squash and now peas. </p> <p>@oliviaoblivia: thank you for the link! What has been a good go to breakfast after oatmeal?</p> <p>@wheres_c: I wish we started solids for fun, but our ped wanted him to gain weight. :sad: obesity runs in my family, so I will definitely cut back on the cereal starting with tonight's dinner.</p> <p>@muffinsmuffins: @Mrs. Pickle: @snowjelz: Thank you for chiming in! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635105 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:27:59 +0000 snowjewelz 2635105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We skipped rice cereal and any grains. We did maybe 2-3 weeks of home made puree, then just moved onto BLW. Neither of us had allergies, so we weren't too concerned with foods like eggs. We'd also give some purees here &amp; there in a mesh feeder so she could feed herself. We gave a little bit of water with every meal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635081 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 09:53:12 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2635081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We wing it.<br /> I offer water in a sippy at every meal. We don't do much cereal. Only a little oatmeal in the beginning the stave off constipation.<br /> As soon as they get how to eat I have them on table foods.<br /> Recent research says that BLW babies choke no more often than spoon fed babies.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/health/baby-led-weaning-choking-1.3766463" rel="nofollow">http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/health/baby-led-weaning-choking-1.3766463</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635073 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 09:31:59 +0000 autumnleaves 2635073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Last time I bought 2 BLW books and didn't find them any more helpful than what I found online. Since then I read Jessica Seinfeld's book about how to get kids to eat veggies and I thought that was the best one stop shop for summarizing how to steam, roast, puree different veggies and fruits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635068 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 09:19:21 +0000 autumnleaves 2635068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We wing it. With DS1 I wanted to do BLW but he wasn't into that till 9 months or so so from 6-9 months it was purees. I tried making them but couldn't get them smooth enough for stage 1 or I would make them and then he didn't like it and no one else wanted puréed peas so we did more store bought purees. I think after a month we went to Stage 2 and then a month later Stage 3.<br /> With DS2 we started stage 1 a few weeks ago - oatmeal and orange foods and we are getting ready to start green stage 1s. It's a slow process with him. Sometimes I put Cheerios on his tray but he's not trying to pick them up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635057 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 09:01:45 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2635057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also felt like I was winging it and not doing it 'right'! We thought BLW was the way to go but DS was not having it. He would get super frustrated and get upset easily when he couldn't figure it out. So we brought in purées mainly...oatmeal cereal, fruits and vegetables I blended myself and froze, pouches or jars. We did a straw cup around 6 months and onwards with each meal and he picked it up pretty quick. We had his cup available throughout the day when he was more mobile. I would say maybe 10-12 months was when he really started eating bits of what we had so I just stuck to purées and spoon feeding, but would let him try with the spoon or his hands in a dish too. If he showed interest in our food, I would give him a bit to try off my spoon or fork. The veg you mentioned are all ones we did, and we didn't hesitate with fruits like applesauce, mango, berries, pears, prunes, etc. Yogurt mixed with fruit or cereal. Eggs and puffs or Cheerios too. I didn't find he was confused. I thought of it as helpful to have more textures, and different ways of getting the food (hands, spoon, etc) and I just let him lead more than I thought I would. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635055 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:55:42 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2635055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also felt like I was winging it with solids! I liked the idea of BLW, but wasn't comfortable giving DD huge chunks of food to gnaw on. The first couple weeks I would mash up whatever veggie we were having for dinner and mix it with a little breastmilk. I would spoon feed that to her. I would also put tiny bite sized pieces of the food on her tray for her to try to pick up and eat. She didn't get much in her mouth, but she sure tried! Within a couple weeks I stopped adding milk to the puréed food and just mashed it. Then I stopped giving her purées and just gave her bite sized pieces of whatever we were eating because she preferred to feed herself. I held out on anything other than veggies for over a month. Once she started eating breakfast I gave her baby oatmeal mixed with mashed banana. She still likes veggies just as much as fruit. At one year old she eats whatever I make and is really good at feeding herself. I've started giving her utensils to hold at meals, but she just uses her hands and plays with her fork or spoon. I don't think feeding has to be all one way or the other. I think there's nothing wrong with trying purées and BLW and seeing what your LO takes to. </p> <p>I gave DD water in a straw cup the first time I gave her solids. She drinks water with every meal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635053 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:51:43 +0000 wheres_c 2635053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh and yes, we introduced some water at that age. We didn't want to do sippys so we let him have a straw cup - he didn't really "get" the straw cup though so that part was more for practice. He got a small amount of water out of a bottle. We occasionally mixed in some apple juice at the advice of his pedi as he was super constipated </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635051 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:49:39 +0000 wheres_c 2635051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would avoid too much cereals - there's been links that introducing them early can lead to obesity later in life. I would use them sparingly. If he tolerates the first veggies, I'd introduce veggie combos and or second stage veggies.<br /> We did a combo of soft baby foods and purees. At this age you could maybe try some things like mashed avocado, mashed banana etc.<br /> Food before one is just for fun so I wouldn't stress it so much - it's still early! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wdyd-starting-solids#post-2635040 Tue, 11 Oct 2016 08:28:42 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2635040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When you introduced solids, what was your game plan? </p> <p>I still feel like I am winging it. </p> <p>LO is almost 6 months. He is on his 3rd First Foods veggie that we chunk up with oatmeal or barley cereal twice a day. He gets plain oatmeal or cereal in the morning. He is drinking 20-24 oz of formula a day. He feeds himself from his bottle pretty well.</p> <p>DH doesn't want to rush introducing fruits, so after the initial round of giving him one veggie for a few days I figure I would mix it up each feeding. For store bought puréed First Veggies I can only find peas, squash, string beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Are there others you have come across? </p> <p>LO is so interested in what we eat now and I am tempted to try BLW although DH is most comfortable with the purées for safety reasons. Did you BLW with sticky oatmeal/cereal? Is it confusing to babies to spoon feed and also BLW?</p> <p>I read 6-7 months is a good time to introduce a sippy cup during at least one meal. I also read once you begin solids you should give your LO a little bit of water. Did any of you do that? </p>