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

Cashew

A pile of oats before they have been prepared for a baby starting solid foods

Oats

A pile of lentils before they have been prepared for a baby starting solid foods

Lentil

two heads of broccoli on a table before being steamed for babies starting solids

Broccoli

#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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WILL THEY JUST STOP THROWING FOOD ALREADY?! ⠀⠀

WILL THEY JUST STOP THROWING FOOD ALREADY?!
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When it comes to food throwing, you have to chase the why to change the behavior. Is your baby dropping food by accident? Testing gravity? Tired? Full? Frustrated with trying to pick it up? Figure out the why and get to the root of the problem. Now, what to do in the moment:
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For Babies:
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1️⃣ Don’t react. Leave the food on the floor for a minute. Let your baby realize that when they drop food, it goes away (cause and effect).
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2️⃣ After a minute, and without emotion, say, “Is your food on the floor? That’s what happens when we drop food on the floor. Let’s pick it up. Food belongs on the table.”
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3️⃣ Pick up the food and replace it so your baby can try again. Verbally remind them in a pleasant voice that food belongs on the table. Replace fallen food 2 or 3 times; anything more can cause your baby to feel pressured to eat or lead to a game.
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For Toddlers:
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➡️ If they don’t like the food: Calmly teach them to move it to the side of the plate or the tray by saying, “Food belongs on the table. You can move it here if you don’t want it.” Creating a “discard” plate – a special plate for unwanted food can be helpful.
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➡️ If your toddler is full or bored: Ask, “Are you done? Are you full? Because food is for eating. All done? Okay, lunch is over now. We’ll have more at snack time.” And remove the meal with a smile.
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➡️ If your toddler is testing you: Feign indifference! Calmly say that food is for eating and ask if they are done. Give them 1 to 3 chances and don’t be afraid to end the meal.
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No matter what you do, remain calm. Create a positive eating environment free from drama, shame, or punishment. When in doubt, put on your coaching hat and see what teachable moment is presenting itself. 🤍
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #foodthrowing
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #startingsolids #blw #blwtip
#whatififeedmytoddler #montessoribaby #parentingtips

That time we went to get lobster rolls in our jamm

That time we went to get lobster rolls in our jammies 😍
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I’m missing the carefree days before covid. When I’d let my babies run around barefoot. When restaurants were open. And when we could just, on a whim, wake up from nap and go get a snack from a cafe.
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Don’t get me wrong, I’m intensely thankful that no one in my family has gotten sick. We had a couple of scares but we are healthy. And I’m grateful we have kept our jobs. But I’m emotionally burned out from the constant vigilance.
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Anyway, I hope you all are able to have some semblance of a carefree summer day this weekend. ☀️🍉☀️
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#SolidStarts #AdieandMax #1000foods
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #montessoribaby #100firstfoods #babyfoodideas #babieseverywhere #momofmultiples #babiesbabiesbabies #twins #brooklyntwins #twinsofinstagram #twinbabies

PSA: Trader Joe’s sells frozen artichoke hearts!

PSA: Trader Joe’s sells frozen artichoke hearts!
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Artichokes are a domesticated variety of wild cardoon—a thistle in the sunflower family native to the Mediterranean. The plant has been cultivated by humans for food and decoration since Roman times, and today there are more than 100 varieties that range in size and vary in color from pale green to deep purple.😍
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Nutritionally, artichokes are loaded with critical nutrients that developing babies need. Of note, the edible flower offers iron and vitamin C, along with copper, folate, magnesium, vitamins B and K, and zinc. To top it off, artichokes are a great source of antioxidants, healthy fats, and protein.
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Artichokes are available fresh, frozen, or packaged in marinades or water. Fresh or frozen artichokes offer more nutrition, but canned, jarred, or tinned artichokes in water are a great choice, too. Just be sure to check the labels: some brands add lots of salt and other preservatives that are not great for babies… or us for that matter...
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Preparation by Age:
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➡️6 to 12 mos: Whole, steamed artichoke hearts are fun for babies to hold and munch on. To serve, peel the artichoke petals, cut away the hairy fuzz (or choke), and remove any tough woody parts on the stem, then cook the heart until its completely soft. The heart can be served whole, sliced into strips, or mashed. As your baby develops their pincer grasp (👌🏼), offer bite-size pieces.
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➡️12 to 18 mos: Offer bite-size pieces of steamed or roasted artichoke hearts, either as finger food or with an age-appropriate fork. This is also a great time to fold artichoke hearts into grain dishes, pastas, spreads, and stews.
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➡️18 to 24 mos: Play time! At this age you can either go back up in size to the full artichoke heart for your toddler to bite from, offer small pieces, and teach your toddler how to scrape the petals. Using a different color plate as a “discard” plate may help your child understand that some parts of the leaf are for eating and some not.
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #1000foods
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood

40,000 babies! To celebrate reaching 40k in our co

40,000 babies! To celebrate reaching 40k in our community, all Solid Starts guides are 40% off with the code 40KBABY for the next 40 hours! This includes our All Access Pass. 🥂🍉🍦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #1000foods
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #babyfoodinspo #blw #babyledweaningideas #babyfoodideas #blwinspiration #blwfood #blwideas #blwmenu #babyledrecipes #blwrecipes #blwinspiration #blwtip #playwithyourfood #montessoribaby #100firstfoods #babyfoodideas #parentingtips #rdapproved #whatififeedmybaby #6monthsold #babymodel #whatififeedmytoddler

When it comes to meat, I like to go big at the sta

When it comes to meat, I like to go big at the start, then super small, and then back up in size to small pieces.
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This is because I have found that 9 to 12 mo old babies tend to get a bit too confident in their eating ability and try to swallow food—like chunks of unchewed meat—more readily than when they were younger.
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Truthfully, it would be far safer in my opinion to stick with the big piece of food that you started with at 6 months than to go to cubes of meat to early.
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I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense at first glance. And the feeding therapists on our team tend to be more bullish on food sizes for the 9 to 12 month range than I am, but when it comes to meat, my mama gut rules.
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👉🏼 How are you all preparing meat these days and how old is your babe? Shredding? Bite-size pieces? Where’s your mama gut on this major choking hazard?
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #1000foods #babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #babyfoodinspo #blw #babyledweaningideas #babyfoodideas #blwinspiration #blwfood #blwideas #blwmenu #babyledrecipes #blwrecipes #blwinspiration #blwtip #playwithyourfood #whatififeedmytoddler #montessoribaby #100firstfoods #babyfoodideas #parentingtips #rdapproved #whatififeedmybaby #brisket #solidstartsmeat

Want to know what you can't do? Spoon-feed 3 babie

Want to know what you can't do? Spoon-feed 3 babies. Just saying.😉
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Meet the Alvarado triplets rocking their ponies and cherries. Birth and video credit: @mrs_karenmarie.plusthree
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🍒🍒🍒
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#SolidStarts #FingerFoodFirst #1000foods
#babyledweaning #babyledfeeding #firstfood
#firstfoods #startingsolids #babysfirstfood #solidfood #babyfoodinspo #blw #babyledweaningideas #babyfoodideas #whatififeedmytoddler #montessoribaby #100firstfoods #babyfoodideas #babieseverywhere #triplets #multiples #somanybabies #momofmultiples #tripletbabies #babiesbabiesbabies

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