A Baby Food
Revolution

Why Finger Food First?

image of food icons and the text 1,000 First Foods

1,000 First Foods

mage of 3 guide covers, including Top 10 First Solid Foods, 30 Foods to Never Feed Your Baby, and Weekly Meal Planner

Guides

Featured Foods

a cooked, whole lobster on a table before being prepared for babies starting solids

Lobster

a pile of raw lacinato kale on a white table before being prepared for babies starting solid food

Kale

fresh ramps on a table before being prepared for babies starting solid food

Ramps

a pile of cashews on a table before being prepared for babies starting solid food

Cashew

#FingerFoodFirst

Babies were born to eat. Around 6 months of age, most babies are able to feed themselves soft finger foods—even if they have no teeth. By offering finger food first, you enable your baby to set the pace, to practice critical skills, and to discover the joy of eating.

The best part? It’s easier.

Example of baby eating food with fingers.

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“I know what you are thinking. ‘I’m not raci

“I know what you are thinking. ‘I’m not racist. I don’t have a racist bone in my body. I have black friends.’ But that’s not enough. We need to do a whole lot more than post a black square on our feed. We need to try and change ourselves and give birth to a generation where racism is a thing of the past. Yes, I might be married to a black man but I need to do better myself. The change starts with YOU.” – Xia Isaacs, @onlyxiia
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Meet Xia Isaacs, mama of two and our next mom spotlight. Xia and I will be going live next weekend, but I couldn’t resist sharing her words with you now.
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Yesterday we announced that we are convening CEOs and influencers in the baby food and baby feeding space next week to discuss what commitments we can make as leaders move the needle on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Or, to put it bluntly, what we can do that goes beyond a black square and reposting educational resources on race.
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So far we have 15 confirmed CEOs and influencers who have stepped up—with enthusiasm—to participate. Have a favorite baby food or influencer and want to make sure they receive an invite from us? Tag them here and I’ll get an invite out to them. And for the baby brands following us, consider this your invitation to join us. DM if you want to be involved.
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And for the rest of our mamas, what will your "mommy moves" be on this? Share it. Own it. You might inspire another mama in doing so.
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xo Jenny
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#SolidStartsMom #BlackLivesMatter #momsunite
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #blackbabyledweaning
#newmomma #mynameismommy #mamabear #consciousparenting #blwinspiration #tiredasamother #uniteinmotherhood #momtruths #allthecoffee #motherhoodmoments #honestparenting #motherhoodintheraw #candidmotherhood #honestmomconfessions #feedinglittles #sahmlifestyle #momlifebelike #iammommy #momunity #realmoms #thisismotherhood #ohheymama #honestmommin #mommymoves

Resuming food posts today. If you missed our Stori

Resuming food posts today. If you missed our Stories, have a look as it covers an anti-racism initiative we are leading. In the meantime, we will continue to build the free food database to make this info accessible to all. ♡
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Chickpeas: You can introduce chickpeas as soon as your baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 mos of age.
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A staple food for cultures around the world, chickpeas go by different names: ceci beans, chana, desi chana, garbanzo beans, kadale kaalu, nokhod, sanaga pappu, and shimbra to name a few. Color, shape, and size varies but Kabuli chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are the most widely cultivated and recognizable.
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Nutritionally chickpeas pack a punch with concentrated amounts of key nutrients that babies to thrive, including folate, iron, vitamin B6, and zinc. Chickpeas also contain ideal amounts of many minerals, including copper which helps your baby’s body absorb iron.
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Chickpeas are considered to be an allergen in India and Spain. Furthermore, hummus contains sesame, an emerging allergen.
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Preparation by Age:
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➡️ 6 to 9 mos: Mash or flatten and encourage your baby to hand-scoop and/or offer a pre-loaded spoon. You can also make hummus and serve on its own or on other foods like avocado slices, toast, thin rice cakes, etc.
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➡️9 to 12 mos: Offer slightly flattened chickpeas to encourage your baby to practice the pincer grasp and explore other dishes with cooked chickpea in them. To reduce the risk of choking, flatten each chickpea slightly.
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➡️12 – 24 mos: The world is your chickpea! Experiment with different recipes and preparations as your baby’s chewing and swallowing skills become more advanced. If you feel comfortable, try offering whole chickpeas without flattening them.
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★Tip: Chickpea flour is a terrific gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.

Recipe for Sesame-Free Hummus on the website.
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #1000foods
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #100firstfoods #babyfoodideas #parentingtips #rdapproved #solidstartschickpea

I’m never going to have to tell him he can’t w

I’m never going to have to tell him he can’t wear a hoodie.
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Or that he needs to keep his driver’s license clipped to the sun visor in the car—and not the glove compartment.
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And I’m never going to have to wipe his tears because another kid told him his skin looks like poop.
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No. I’m never going to have to have these conversations with my children.
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. . .
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They say all babies are born good.
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Yet things change fast. As sweet as my children can be, more often than not they are indifferent to one another’s pain.
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Sure, there are moments where they share a toy or show some concern, but they also sleep through each other’s crying and distress, steal food from one another, and have shoved each other out of the way to get to my lap. And don’t even get me started on this sleeping angel above: one minute he’s kissing Adie sweetly on the cheek and the next he’s pushing her down the stairs.
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As a mother, you have an extraordinary power. EXTRAORDINARY. And frankly, you don’t have a lot of time to make that imprint.
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Raising a tolerant child is not enough. We need to raise children who are not only compassionate but who are INCAPABLE of indifference. Who feel each other’s pain. Who can’t look away.
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I’m never going to have to tell my child he can’t wear a hoodie. Or that he needs to keep his driver’s license clipped to the sun visor in his car—and not the glove compartment. I’m never going to have to wipe his tears because another kid told him his skin looks like poop.
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Will you?
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This post was inspired by the real stories and real worries by @_sofiaeats_ , @theswandreamsproject , and @nekole.amber — Thank you all for sharing so openly and vulnerably right now. ♥️

I have learned firsthand how powerful food can be

I have learned firsthand how powerful food can be as a gateway conversation to bigger issues.
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Like race.
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So I spent the morning creating a list of our favorite children’s books where food culture is the dominant theme. And to ensure that these beautiful stories get in front of more children, we will cover the cost of a selection of these books for 5 community members, no obligation. No need to tag anyone, no need to share, no need to follow, no need give an email. Just a commitment to read them to your babe. And for you, we’ll be including High on the Hog, the story of African American food by my colleague, Dr. Jessica Harris.

20 Books to Read on Food Culture:
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· Baby Goes to Market
· Freedom Soup
· Rainbow Stew
· Anna Carries Water
· Bi Bim Bop
· Fry Bread
· My Food, Your Food
· Thank You Omu
· Cora Cooks Pancit
· Lailah’s Lunchbox
· Dim Sum for Everyone
· Too Many Tamales
· Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji
· Amy Wu & The Perfect Bao
· Latkes, Latkes
· Hiromi’s Hands
· Duck for Turkey Day
· Pancakes to Parathas
· Bilal Cooks Dal
· Green is a Chili Pepper
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If you’d like to participate, just drop a comment (can be a simple emoji) below so we know you are interested. Open to all where Amazon delivers. Names will be drawn at random Sunday, June 7 at 3pm eastern.
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What you read to your child matters. And it’s never too early to start.
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p.s. @barefootbooks has some terrific recommendations that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Worth a follow.🤍
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#ReadTogetherBeTogether
#representationmatters #opentheirworld
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #KidLit
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #babyfoodinspo #blw #babyfoodideas #blwinspiration #blwfood #montessoribaby #blwinspiration #foodbooks #100firstfoods #bookstagram #parentingtips #raisingareader

Grateful to share that Aesha Ash of @theswandreams

Grateful to share that Aesha Ash of @theswandreamsproject and @gracefitstudio will be going live with us tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 8pm ET to reflect on her experience as a black mom and ballerina, and of course, all things food and feeding little humans.
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Aesha is a beautiful soul. She is a colleague and friend of mine from our days with the New York City Ballet, and has dedicated much of her life to supporting youth with the goal of conveying the message that beauty and talent are not constrained by race or socio-economic status.
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Huge appreciation to Aesha for making the space to join us at this sensitive time and hope to see you all there.
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xo, Jenny

Is bigger better when it comes to chicken for babi

Is bigger better when it comes to chicken for babies? The answer: it depends on your baby’s eating ability and your comfort level.
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Meat is a common choking hazard, and one that should be taken seriously. I personally still find chicken hard to chew—and I have MOLARS.
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When it comes to meat for babies, there’s a slightly terrifiying period of time—typically between 9 and 12 months—when your baby is able to tear pieces of meat off with their teeth but unable to chew it adequately. (If your baby was spoon-fed, this phase might start later or last longer.)
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This is why I shred chicken between 9 and 12 months. While our feeding therapists on our team tend to push back on excessive shredding or grating of food (or serving food in a way that wouldn’t normally be served), I find many parents just can’t stomach the stress of it—and that counts too. If you are stressed at the table, your baby is going to feel that.
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So I came up with this visual for how you can offer chicken that takes this all into account. But NONE of it matters if you are terrified. Trust your gut. You know your baby better than anyone else.
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Preparation by age:
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➡️ 6 to 9 mos: Offer whole drumsticks with the skin and loose bone or cartilage removed. You may also offer rectangular pieces cut to the size of an adult finger. As your baby gets better at picking up smaller pieces of food, you can move down in size, to matchsticks the size of an adult pinky finger. If a large piece gets torn off, stay calm, and give your baby the chance to work the food forward on their own.
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➡️9 to 18 mos: This is a good time to move down in size. Try serving shredded chicken and as you become comfortable with it, bite-size pieces.
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➡️18 to 24 mos: Serve small bite size pieces. If your baby has established good tearing, chewing, and swallowing skills, and if you feel comfortable, try moving back UP to a drumstick, skin removed.
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #babyfoodinspo #babyledweaningideas #babyfoodideas #montessoribaby #100firstfoods #parentingtips

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