You’ve probably heard a mix of information about how and what to feed your baby. And maybe it’s left you a little confused about the best way forward. 

But in case you haven’t heard this, let me be the first to tell you: there is no ONE right way to feed your child.

I’d go so far as to say there isn’t even a BEST way. There are so many factors to take into consideration when choosing the approach that works best for your baby and family.

That being said, the approach that’s gained major popularity in recent years is baby-led weaning. 

I love many things about baby-led weaning, and I’ll tell you why in this post. But remember, you don’t have to stick to just one particular approach when feeding your baby. 

Many parents, myself included, choose to incorporate a mix of solid foods and purees, spoon/pouch feeding and self-feeding in the early months. 

Related: Looking for my Two-Week Baby Led Weaning Meal Plan? Get it here!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon/Target affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. 

A Beginner’s Guide to Baby-Led Weaning

What is baby-led weaning? 

If you’ve never heard of baby-led weaning (BLW) or don’t know what it means, let’s start there! Baby-led weaning is a feeding approach that suggests introducing safely prepared versions of whole foods to babies as opposed to pureed baby food. 

There is a baby-safe way to introduce most of the foods that we regularly eat! 

If you’re like, “Kacie, that seems wacky. My 6 month old cannot eat chips and queso.” 

You’re right. There are most definitely exceptions (although my daughter definitely tried queso earlier than I care to admit- ha!). I’ll cover those exceptions later in this post. 

But for the sake of the definition: baby-led weaning means that babies learn to eat the foods that we eat from the very start of solids introduction at around 6 months old, with a few safety modifications and considerations. 

Benefits of baby-led weaning

There are a few potential benefits associated with baby-led weaning that are important for parents and caregivers to know. Despite all this, know that babies can be healthy and eat well regardless of whether you choose baby-led weaning or not!

Number 1: You are combatting picky eating from the start

Early introduction to multiple textures and flavors may combat pickiness. Now this isn’t foolproof. Picky eating is actually caused by a multitude of reasons, including temperament, which we don’t have control over. You can feed two children the exact same way, and one may end up pickier than the other! 

So while we know that introducing kids to variety in texture and flavor may help combat picky eating tendencies, please don’t hear me say that you can guarantee yourself an adventurous eater. 

If you’ve been around here a while, you know that I had a very picky eater. I have a nutrition degree, I have all the information and experience – and I still wound up with a super picky eater! My goal is to help parents do the best they can but not put so much pressure on themselves. Feeding your baby purees won’t cause them to be picky eaters. And baby-led weaning won’t fully prevent them from being picky. 

Number 2: Baby is happier at meals

Many babies really enjoy baby-led weaning. Fair warning, it is MESSY to let your 6 month old feed themselves yogurt with their hands or some baby utensils. But most of them really enjoy it. You don’t have to fight them to get a spoon in their mouth, or sit there feeding them instead of eating your own meal. I’m all about making mealtime fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable for all. Letting them feed themselves can be really freeing for you.

Number 3: Baby follows hunger/fullness cues

Baby decides when they are done eating. One of the most important parts of feeding baby is respecting their hunger and fullness cues, so they can listen to their body’s needs at mealtimes. This absolutely can be done when an adult spoon feeds the child, but fullness is often misinterpreted by adults as them being difficult at the meal. When baby closes their mouth, turns their head, or bats food away, these are signs they are done eating. With baby-led weaning, you’ll see that baby stops feeding themselves when they have had enough.

Number 4: Less prep

Less prep! Baby-led weaning can help make it so that you don’t have to prepare ENTIRELY different meals for you and your baby/other children. Maybe they aren’t eating your entire soup or quinoa salad from the get-go, but they can eat safely prepared components of it. Anything that lightens up my prep in the kitchen is something that I’m a fan of! 

Also, in baby-led weaning, there’s sometimes….no prep. For example, fruit is a favorite of early eaters everywhere. Sometimes offering fruit in baby-led weaning is as simple as handing baby a big old strawberry or half a peach. It doesn’t get lower prep than that! 

Number 5: Easily introduce common allergens

Make it easier on yourself to introduce the top food allergens. You know it’s important to introduce baby to common allergens like nuts, eggs, fish, etc. When you’re only doing purees, it can be harder to regularly include those foods in baby’s diet. It’s way easier to simply scramble some eggs for the family and put some on baby’s high chair tray, than think about blending up cooked eggs and spoon feeding that to baby.

Learn about introducing top allergenic foods to baby here.

BLW signs of readiness

Wondering when your baby should start baby-led weaning? 

A quick Google search will give you the range of 4-6 months old. But that’s a big range! The consensus among experts is that for most healthy, full-term infants, waiting until around 6 months to introduce solid foods provides the best balance of benefits and risks.

There are some signs of readiness that you can look for if you are nervous about baby being ready to self-feed from a developmental perspective.

• Baby can sit (with assistance or on their own) with good head and trunk control
• Baby can bring hands and items to their mouth
• Baby shows interest in food

Sign #1: baby can sit with good head and trunk control

They don’t need to be able to sit entirely independently, but they shouldn’t be flopping over or slumped when seated in the high chair. That can put them in an unsafe position for eating/swallowing. 

Sign #2: Baby can bring hands and items to their mouth

We want to see some general coordination with bringing their hands to their mouth. You’ll probably start to notice at this age that toys (and leaves and dog hair and anything they can find on the ground) go straight to their mouth! Babies explore the world with their mouths, and that’s a good thing! It’s also a sign that they’re refining those skills to help them self-feed. 

Sign #3: Baby shows interest in food

When your baby is ready for solids, you’ll also probably notice that they become very interested in food. You’ll probably notice them:

• watching you while you eat,
• reaching for your food,
• opening their mouths as if to ask for a bite,
• and/or getting fussy when they don’t get what you have

Those are all signs that they’re getting ready to eat solids on their own! 

Some pediatricians might “okay” the start of baby-led weaning anywhere from 4-6 months. I (and most dietitians I know) would probably land on a start date closer to 6 months. We don’t have a good body of evidence to suggest that it’s beneficial to baby to start much earlier than 6 months.

The World Health Organization also suggests babies have no other food or beverages besides breastmilk (or formula) for the first 6 months of life. 

When baby is ready, what should you feed them?

If you’re currently thinking about baby’s first foods, go to this post: The Ultimate Guide to Baby’s First Foods.

BLW schedule

When is best to feed baby solids? It really depends on what works best for you, so don’t stress if you can’t feed them at a “regular” meal time. I’ll give you some general guidelines to follow to help you figure out what to do at each stage.

Baby-led weaning schedule at 6-7 months old:

How many meals: 1 to 2. Start with just 1! Advance to 2 when you feel ready.

When to feed solids: After bottle or breastfeeding, and whatever time of day works best for your schedule. This could be in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

Try to avoid offering solids when your baby is really hungry or right before a nap so they’re not fussy and frustrated while practicing a brand new skill. I usually suggest offering food after a milk feed so they’re satisfied and have some bandwidth to play and practice. 

How much food to serve: There is no specific amount they have to eat. Let them decide when they are done eating. It may only be around 1 tablespoon, but it could be more. There is a wide range of normal amounts to eat at this stage (and every stage, really). Even if it doesn’t seem like they actually really consume anything at this point, that still counts! It’s more about practice and learning at this point.

Baby-led weaning schedule at 8-9 months old:

How many meals: 2

When to feed solids: You can start to increase the length of time to about one hour after bottle or breastfeeding. It doesn’t have to be a full hour! I just like to have some space after milk feeds so they come to the table a bit hungry and interested in food.

How much food to serve: Start with about 1 tablespoon of each food you are serving. Aim to serve an iron-rich food, an energy-rich food, and a fruit/vegetable at each meal. Give baby more if they want more. We have a free meal plan that you can get here!

Baby-led weaning schedule at 10-11 months old:

How many meals: 3

When to feed solids: At this age, you’ll move toward feeding baby at regular mealtimes: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll still have around 4-6 breast or bottle feedings, and I would start to think of those feedings as like snack times in between meals as you get closer to 12 months.

How much food to serve: You’ll still stick with about 1 tablespoon of each food, or 2-3 tablespoons if it’s a mixed dish (like a veggie omelet strip or a baked banana oatmeal bar). If baby is still wanting more, it’s okay to give more!

What to do about breastmilk and/or formula?

If you’re unsure how to fit everything in once you start solids, this page is very helpful in breaking it all down. It is a lot to figure out so it makes total sense if it all feels a bit overwhelming!

BLW for beginners

If you’re starting solids for the first time, give yourself a ton of grace! You and baby are both beginners! There is no perfect way to do this and every baby learns at his/her own pace.

If you want to do BLW but are intimidated by the whole process, I suggest you start with some of the least intimidating foods.

Lots of “solids” we consume are ALSO purees. So if you’re not comfortable offering whole pieces of foods right away, start with some of our favorite pureed foods. These are things like applesauce, yogurt (I like plain Greek yogurt), guacamole (or just mashed avocado- nothing too spicy!), hummus, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, etc. 

One of the key aspects of baby-led weaning is that baby is feeding themselves. So you’re not “doing it wrong” if they are eating something from a spoon. Simply letting them put the spoon in their mouth by themselves is helping them learn! And they DO need to learn to eat pureed textures. So this is all positive.

If you are on the go and need to feed your baby, or if you aren’t comfortable with caregivers offering solids to your baby, baby food pouches are an incredibly convenient and amazing option. It’s okay to use these sometimes too!

Here are my favorite baby food pouches to buy: 50 Best Baby Food Pouches

Sometimes when you read or hear about baby-led weaning it can feel like purees or pouches are never okay. And that’s simply not true! Baby will still benefit from exploring different foods and textures even if you don’t do that at every single meal. Sometimes they just need to get fed – and that’s fine, however you are getting the job done.

Check out all my favorite gear for BLW beginners here! 

First BLW foods

My personal preference is to start with soft foods that can be easily mashed like banana, (roasted) sweet potato, or avocado. You don’t HAVE to start here, but I do find it to be a great place to start since these are nutritious foods, and a nice soft texture. I would pre-load a spoon (these are my favorite for starting solids) and put it in baby’s hand so they can feed themselves.

If you’re wanting to start with the more traditional BLW prep (so not pureed foods), here are some excellent first BLW foods:

• Avocado wedge rolled in hemp seeds or ground up cheerios for grip
• Pre-loaded spoon with yogurt and mashed berries
• Quartered banana (about 2 fingers width; fun fact- bananas actually split into vertical thirds- just about the right size for BLW- very easily when you press a finger through the top pushing down)
• Roasted (no skin) sweet potato wedges
• Squashed blueberries or raspberries
• Whole large strawberries with green stem removed (baby will suck on it)

When it comes to the top allergens, we want to introduce them early and often in BLW! It’s totally okay (and actually recommended) for some of baby’s first foods to be the top 9 allergens.

There is no reason to wait a week between allergen introductions. I do recommend introducing them one by one so that if there was a potential problem, you’d be able to easily identify which allergen might have caused it. Here is a deep-dive post I wrote with everything you need to know about introducing common food allergens to your baby. 

BLW ideas

Here are a few more of my favorite ways to start baby-led weaning. Save these BLW recipes and ideas for when you get into the groove!

• Use toast (cut into 2 finger widths) as a vehicle for spreads: 7 Healthy Toast Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

• Add an egg into their oatmeal
• Build a yogurt parfait with fruit, nut butter, and even some hemp, chia, or flaxseed sprinkled in! 
• Scrambled eggs with a dollop of ricotta 
• Veggies steamed until soft with olive oil or avocado oil
• Pancakes or BLW muffins: try these simple BLW banana pancakes!  

• Mango pit: You can offer your baby the mango pit with some flesh still attached. I’ve found that it’s easier for them to hold onto and there is no choking risk since they can only bite off small pieces from the pit itself! 
• Baked salmon: Salmon’s naturally soft and flaky texture is great for new eaters to be able to pick up and manipulate in their mouths. It’s also a killer source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids and tons of other nutrients! 

Check out these posts for more ideas on what to feed your 6 month old and best foods for your 8-10 month old! 

BLW snacks

On-the-go eating with BLW can be harder because it is messy. Letting babies explore different preparations of food can lead to quite the clean up, which may not be ideal for dining out. 

Know that babies don’t need snacks with solids before their first birthday. So if they’re in need of something in between meals, it’s preferable to offer breastmilk and/or formula.

But sometimes you are out and about and NEED to give baby some food. And maybe breastmilk or formula isn’t an option at the moment. Pouches can come in super handy here! Some of my favorites are from Cerebelly and Serenity Kids. They have found a way to mix veggies, fruits, and even meats into delicious combinations that kids love. I love that they’re not *only* fruits. And I love that they are made with great ingredients, include tons of vitamins and minerals, and usually have a great, heart healthy source of fat in them. See more of my favorite baby food pouches here!

Lots of people also like baby puffs for on-the-go this age. They usually are for babies who are crawling and accustomed to chewing foods (so more like an 8 month old, not a 6 month old). Puffs are totally fine to offer, but they are pretty scant on nutritional value. I think of them more as something that can help baby refine their pincer grasp. They can also keep them entertained at the table while you’re waiting for your food. 

Curious about Cheerios? See: When Can Babies Eat Cheerios and Finger Foods?

The same goes for yogurt melts. Not a ton going on nutritionally, but also fine to offer in conjunction with more nutrient-dense foods.

You can also make a batch of BLW pancakes or muffins and pack them up in some reusable bags, throw them in your diaper bag, and snack away!

What to avoid in BLW

When you’re thinking of how to start baby-led weaning, it’s important to be aware of choking hazards. And that’s probably at the top of your mind! No matter what stage of eating your baby or toddler is in, there are choking hazards to be aware of. Babies’ airways are about the size of a straw when they start eating, so things that are hard, small, and round can cause problems. Think peas, beans, blueberries that aren’t squished, etc.

Particulate foods can also be hard- like rice and quinoa. So although they’re wonderful foods for kids, they will be tricky for new eaters.

If you need information and visuals on how to prepare different foods for different age ranges, I highly recommend you check out Solid Starts. They’ve created an incredible database that walks you through how to safely offer tons of foods! 

Foods to avoid with baby-led weaning

Honey

Babies under 12 months old should not have honey. Honey can contain botulism spores that their systems aren’t yet capable of fighting. Honey shouldn’t be an ingredient in anything you make, even if it’s cooked, until after their first birthday. (Did you accidentally give baby honey-nut cheerios or something else with honey baked in? Don’t panic. Check this info for what to do.) 

Added sugar

We also want to avoid added sugar (before age two, actually!). The occasional item that is made with a sauce that has added sugar or a piece of bread that has a few grams of sugar isn’t a big deal. But we don’t want to serve them sweets just yet. As much as we can, we want their calories to be as nutrient-dense as possible. And for developing palates, we don’t want to promote a really strong preference for super sweet foods. 

Artificial Sweeteners

It’s best to avoid foods or recipes with artificial sweeteners for baby. This even includes the more natural ones like monkfruit and stevia. Artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar, so I don’t want baby to adapt to super sweet tastes early on.

Sodium

It’s wise to limit sodium for new eaters. If you’re cooking a meal for the whole family, remove baby’s portion before salting the dish. Avoid high-salt cheese when possible and opt for the lower sodium options like fresh mozzarella and ricotta. Deli meat can also be high in sodium, so I skip that for the younger ages and serve it sparingly as they grow!

It can be tempting to offer them bites of your food, and I generally would say that if it’s a home cooked meal, a few bites here and there is okay. But I would avoid doing this at restaurants, since food there is prepared with a lot more salt than you would use at home.

What to Order for Your Baby at a Restaurant

Cow’s milk (as a drink)

Hold off on cow’s milk as a drink until age one. They are getting all they need from formula or breast milk at this age. Cow’s milk can be used as an ingredient in all sorts of BLW dishes, but they don’t need to transition to it as a drink until after one (or ever! Did you know that?).

Babies don’t require any extra fluid on top of what they’re getting from formula or breastmilk, but you can offer sips of water here and there to help wash the food down.

I recommend avoiding cow’s milk in a bottle and only serving it in a cup once they turn one.

Powders or supplements

And finally, skip any protein powders or food supplements like protein bars. Babies can get everything they need from their diets and don’t require any extra protein supplements to meet their nutritional goals at this age. 

BLW and choking

It may sound counterintuitive to give a baby a big piece of solid food. 

How will they chew it? 

Can’t they choke? 

I know it doesn’t seem like it makes a ton of sense.

But studies show that there is no increased risk of choking in baby led weaning as compared to other feeding methods. 

In fact, the self-feeding that occurs during baby led weaning may actually reduce choking! How? 

The brain-body connection that occurs from picking up food and putting it into their mouth (instead of food being put in their mouth for them) can help their brain prepare and essentially map their mouth. This is how babies can hone their innate chewing reflexes to manipulate food safely.

And no matter how you choose to feed your baby, make sure they’re sitting up in their high chair with their feet supported. This supports ergonomic and safe chewing and swallowing. Avoid feeding baby in the stroller or car seat where they’re reclined and you can’t have eyes on them at all times.

It’s a good rule of thumb to always supervise baby 100% of the time while they’re eating. Choking is usually silent so you won’t hear it from the next room. Stay within arms reach. If you have to go to the bathroom, you take them with you! I know it’s annoying but it can be lifesaving!

Picky eating prevention

There are a few things I look back on and wish I did better as a first time mom. So let me save you from having to learn the hard way! 

1. Offer a variety of tastes and textures. I wish I branched out more with flavors so my son would have tasted a bigger variety before entering the picky phase.

2. Encourage playing with and exploring food with hands. I hated the mess and tried to keep my son eating neatly. But the mess is how they learn to like a bigger variety of foods! Even when they are toddlers and beyond, it’s really great for them to play with their food to accept more variety!

3. Be okay with imperfection. Not all kids are going to love zucchini and broccoli right off the bat. In fact, most don’t. I wish I stressed less about what vegetables my child was or wasn’t eating. I wish I was able to enjoy the process with them more! 

Feeding babies, toddlers, kids, a family- it’s hard, important work! You’re helping set the table (literally and figuratively) for their relationship to food and their bodies. That’s a big responsibility! Let’s do the best we can. And let’s also come to the table with enjoyment and gratitude so they learn to do the same!