Baby Led Weaning Recipes

I always thought I would be one of those moms who pureed all her babies’ food way ahead of time and had it labeled and had it perfect in the freezer and ready for my little ones. When I was pregnant with Ellington, my pediatrician told me about baby led weaning (“BLW”). She recommended it and did it with her kids. I read up on BLW and as soon as I heard that there was a food introduction method that cuts down on time slaving over a blender and putting it in small containers, I was sold. I love to cook anyway, so this made cooking for my kids a lot easier. Next, I had to figure out if I had to tailor any of my recipes to baby led weaning recipes.

The genesis of this post is that my godsister mentioned on a few occasions that she wanted to try baby led weaning with her son, my godson. She asked me a couple times, “but what am I going to cook?” I hope this list is helpful because it shows you that many things that you, as an adult, enjoy eating may be perfect to introduce to your little one as first foods. Get them having a foodie pallet at a young age!

This is a list of my favorite baby led weaning recipes that are easy for introducing your little one to foods. They are easy homemade and healthy items both you and your children will enjoy.All of these items are easy for your little to pick up and eat on their own – it gives them self confidence to do it and helps with their hand eye coordination. It also gives them an activity to do for a while so you can go do something else for a moment. The downside is of course it can be messy. But, for me, the trade offs were worth it.

Breakfast and Snack Ideas

Scrambled eggs
Quiche
Toast with peanut/almond butter or butter
Oatmeal (let them make a mess and have fun with it)
Pancakes, waffles and french toast (I personally spread PB on all these instead of syrup until about 1.5yo)
Sautéed apples or pears with cinnamon
Homemade muffins
Breakfast sausage (not processed – homemade or minimally processed)
PB&J
Raw – Avocado slices, pears, bananas, cucumbers (no skin), grapes (halved/quartered), watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, plums, peaches and nectarines

Lunch and Dinner Ideas

Pita with hummus
avocado slices (my kids like it with lime squeezed on top)
Cheese (try giving them a sharp cheddar or other cheese you enjoy rather than flavorless cheese sticks, which my kids didn’t like)
All types of wild fish baked or pan seared
Fish cakes (especially if your little isn’t quite into fish)
Chicken, beef and turkey (small pieces)
Lamb chops
Deli turkey rolls (with or without cheese)
Brown or white rice balls (we literally use a spoon and water to form them from rice and make them easier to eat)
Quesadillas (try adding beans, sautéed spinach or mushrooms and/or any meat)
Beans (black, pinto, red – they love to eat them one by one)
Quiche
Fritters (these black eye pea ones are delicious)
Turkey burger pieces or “fingers”
Roasted sweet or white potatoes
Baguette (they love to gnaw on it)
Olives
Pesto pasta with parmesan
Pasta primavera with peas and sauteed zucchini
Meatballs and pasta (penne shapes are easier than spaghetti)
Grilled cheese sandwich
Steamed, sauteed or roasted – Broccoli, carrots, butternut squash, zucchini, chayote, beets cauliflower, zucchini
Peas
Macaroni and cheese