Food plays a significant role in raising your little ones. Knowing when, how, and what to feed your baby in their first year of life is vital in creating the foundation for their health for the later years to come.
We’ve pieced together some adorable feeding accessories and tips for your babies to dip their spoons into.
Gearing up is a must, cute utensils are a plus. Studio Loco – Rainbow Placemat, $18.99
And so it goes, the four stages of baby grubbery:
- Stage #1. Ages 4 to 6 Months
- Stage #2. Ages 7 to 8 Months
- Stage #3. Ages 9 to 12 Months
- Stage #4. Ages 12 Months and Up
Each food stage acts as a building block needed to advance into the following food stage in order to reach the final objective of eating solid “big kid” foods at the dinner table. The development of oral and motor skills also contributes to the pace at which your baby accustoms themselves with the food that they are being introduced to within each stage.
Get the bibs ready, it’s gonna be a wild ride. Loulou Lollipop Bandana Bib Set, $16.99
Stage #1. Ages 4 to 6 Months
As the name Stage #1 suggest, the start of your baby’s eating journey should begin with single-ingredient purees that will allow your budding eater to familiarize themselves with the various food groups. Keep it simple: pureed fruits or veggies and rice cereal blended to a smooth consistency are ideal introductory meals for your little one to nosh on.
Stage #2. Ages 6 to 9 Months
Stages #2 and #3 are basically the same as Stage #1, just with increasing amounts of ingredients and consistency at which babies can slurp and babble upon. Multiple-ingredient purees are where it’s at from here on out. Parents can create various combinations of fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins alongside different spices and herbs that in return expose babies to unique and diverse flavors. A slightly thicker consistency for purees is welcomed and nourishing ingredients such as legumes, yogurt, and even fish can be included upon being made into a dense paste for babies to consume and digest. Through exposure to new foods, parents are able to distinguish any preferences or adverse reactions their babies may have to certain foods. Here are 18 Stage 2 Baby Food Purees.
Snuggle Hunny Kids – Snuggle Bib, $13.99
Stage #3. Ages 9 to 12 Months
Babies are ready to enter Stage 3 once they’ve developed the oral and fine motor skills that drive them to want to feed themselves, AKA turning their food into natural disasters. At this stage, moms, dads, and babies are able to eat similar types of foods together. Thicker chunks of well-cooked veggies, fruits, shredded meat, cheese, and pasta are some options for babies at this age. It may be messy, but it’ll be in your best interest to let them feast while they have the appetite for trying new things.
You might need another one of these bad boys to keep their clothes from looking like Pollock pieces. Loulou Lollipop – Silicone Bib, $13.99
Maybe it’s best to keep the fine China away from your little one for this round. Try something along the lines of silicone and not as easily shattered.
The Saturday Baby Divided Plate Set, $22.99
Stage #4. Ages 12 Months and Up
Room for one more? As your little one continues to grow and become more familiar with different flavors, they can begin to include soft-cooked pieces of “big kid” food into their diet. During this stage of incorporating solid table foods into your baby’s nutritional routine, food can be served into 2-3 inch strips of small bite-sized pieces.
Baby-led weaning can be a great pathway into shaping less picky-eaters and more foodies in your family, as the exposure helps normalize diverse foods and flavors into their palates. Any maybe… just maybe… you can manifest your way into turning your kid into something reminiscent of that angel kid named Grey on TikTok who’s the least pickiest kid on Earth.
Here’s another eating set option which mirrors something fresh off the counter of a burger joint, but upgraded in a fancy pastel type of way. Rommer Silicone Dinner Set, $49.99
This option is an entire kit with a bib and tray included! One-stop shopping in its baby form. The Mother – Tray Cover, Long & Short Sleeve Bib Sheet, $34.99
And as usual, trusting your own parental instincts is the best bet, especially when it comes to something as personal as the act of eating. Nobody’s gonna vibe with your baby like you do, so make sure to listen to your baby and to your heart, too.
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