Baby-led weaning (BLW) foods: Tips for beginners

What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is an approach to introducing solids where babies are given solid foods to feed themselves, instead of pureed foods fed by a spoon (spoonfeeding). This approach promotes independence at mealtimes, encouraging babies to explore textures and flavors with finger foods.

The BLW method was popularized by Gill Rapley, a public health nurse in the United Kingdom. Rapley believed skipping the puree stage fosters a positive relationship with food and supports babies’ natural development of motor skills.

It's worth mentioning that weaning doesn't imply weaning off breastmilk or formula. When babies begin eating solid foods, the majority of their nutrition needs should still come from milk. In this context, weaning refers to the gradual shift from an exclusive diet of breastmilk or formula to one with the inclusion of solid foods.

Babies can start pureed foods between 4 and 6 months, but BLW should begin at 6 months and when they show signs of developmental readiness.

Signs your baby is ready to begin BLW include:

• Sitting with little support
• Steady head control
• Watching you eat and showing interest in food
• Bringing objects to their mouth

Safe BLW shapes for babies

With the BLW approach, babies start with larger pieces of food. While it may seem counterintuitive, bigger pieces are easier for babies to grasp during the early stages of solid foods (between 6 and 9 months).

When introducing finger foods, the goal is to offer options that babies can easily pick up. For babies under 8 months, they rely on their palmar grasp (using their whole hand) to pick up and hold food.

When preparing food at this stage, cut foods into finger-shaped or long spear-shaped pieces. When cutting food into spears, use your pinky finger as a guide for length. If the food is cut too short, it might get trapped in the palm, making it frustrating to eat. The piece should be long enough so that when babies hold the food in their palm, the ends stick out for them to easily eat and enjoy.

When your baby is around 8 or 9 months old, you may notice them practicing the pincer grasp. The pincer grasp is the ability to pick up small pieces of food, with the index finger and thumb. At this age, you can start offering pea-sized pieces to help babies practice and strengthen this fine motor skill.

Avoid small, round foods like whole blueberries, chickpeas, or grapes as they can pose a choking risk. These tiny, circular items can block the airway and can lead to true choking.

Safe BLW textures for babies

Finger foods should be soft enough that you can easily squish them between your fingers. Examples include ripe bananas or avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, or moist pieces of chicken. Avoid giving hard, sharp, gummy, or sticky foods (like thick, globby peanut butter), as they can be choking hazards.

Examples of baby-led weaning foods for babies

Vegetables

• Oven-roasted sweet potato “fries”
• Lightly sautéed or roasted zucchini spears
• Roasted butternut squash sticks
• Steamed broccoli floret
• Steamed cauliflower floret
• Avocado spears
• Roasted carrot sticks

Fruits

• Super ripe pear spears
• Banana sticks
• Mango spears (coated in infant cereal to prevent slipperiness)
• Ripe peach spears

Proteins

• Omelet stripes
• Moist meatloaf strips
• Flaked salmon
• Greek yogurt (to scoop or self-feed with spoon)
• Mashed beans
• Moist pieces of chicken
• Shredded cheese

Grains

• Strips of lightly toasted bread with thin layer of nut butter
• Whole grain penne
• Oatmeal (to scoop or self-feed with spoon)
• Pancake strips
• Whole wheat muffin, halved

Baby-led weaning meal ideas

When babies start solids, they don’t need to eat an entire meal. At first, they’ll likely eat a couple pieces of food. As they approach 9 months and start eating more, you can begin offering meals with 2 to 4 different foods. Here are a few meal ideas:

• Hard boiled egg wedges with mango.
• Whole wheat pasta with pesto or tomato sauce and steamed broccoli.
• Meatballs (cut into halves or quarters) with whole wheat spaghetti and roasted zucchini.
• Avocado toast with scrambled eggs.
• Pancake strips with banana.
• Rice and mashed beans.
• Salmon with baked sweet potato and steamed cauliflower.
• Shredded chicken over quinoa with avocado spears.
• Half muffin with roasted carrots and moist chicken strips.
• Toast with nut butter and lightly mashed raspberries.
• Pasta with tomato-meat sauce.
• Yogurt with mashed berries and ground flaxseed.

BLW feeding tips

• Introduce solid foods 30-90 minutes before or after a milk feed, so your baby is hungry enough for solids but not too full from milk.
• Allow your baby to get messy with their food to encourage sensory exploration. To minimize mess and cut down on cleanup time, use an easy-to-clean highchair and consider using a splat mat or disposable tablecloth under the highchair to catch spills and crumbs.
• Babies are excellent at regulating their hunger and fullness. They naturally eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. Let them eat as much or as little as they want, and they'll give you cues when they're satisfied or still hungry. Hunger cues may include smacking their lips, sticking out their tongue, licking their lips, or showing interest in that uneaten sandwich on your plate. Fullness cues might involve turning their head away from the spoon, closing their mouth, or becoming fussy or irritable in the highchair.
• Babies don't eat a lot when they start solid foods. It's typical for them to only eat a few bites and then be finished with a meal. It takes time and practice for them to familiarize themselves with eating solid foods.
• When preparing family meals, set aside a portion for your baby before adding salt or sugar. Babies should avoid excessive salt intake because they have developing kidneys, and it may be difficult to filter out excess salt. It's best to steer clear of foods with added sugars to promote healthy eating habits.
• Do not feed your baby honey. Honey has a risk of contamination with a toxic bacteria known as clostridium, which can lead to infant botulism, a potentially fatal condition. Always check product labels for honey, including heated or baked products with honey.
• It's completely normal for babies to gag, make funny faces, or even spit out food during the first few days (or months) of starting solids. Babies who eat finger foods are more likely to gag, but that doesn't mean they're choking.
• If your baby isn’t responding well to baby-led weaning (BLW), don’t feel pressured to stick with this approach. Offering purees is also a valid and appropriate method. You can still make mealtime enjoyable and engaging by offering purees in a flavorful, baby-guided way.
• Make mealtimes interactive by eating with your baby so they can observe and learn mealtime skills from you and other family members.
• Choose a high chair with good support, including a backrest and footrest, to help your baby focus on eating without struggling to stay upright. This ensures they’re comfortable and can concentrate on the meal rather than trying to keep themselves balanced.