Easy First Foods and Meals When Following an Infant-Led Feeding Approach

When you’re navigating the world of infant-led feeding, or baby-led weaning, the key is to offer a variety of nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods that encourage your baby to explore textures, flavors, and self-feeding skills. Infant-led feeding puts your baby in control, letting them decide how much to eat and helping them develop healthy eating habits early on. Offering foods that follow an infant-led feeding approach from the start also fosters development in areas of sensory regulation and reduces picky eating into toddlerhood. If you’re ready to dive into this exciting phase, here are some simple foods and meal ideas to make infant-led feeding a breeze.

To start, what is “infant-led feeding"?

Infant-led feeding is similar to baby-led weaning and is all about letting your baby take the lead during mealtimes. Instead of spoon-feeding purees from the start, you provide whole foods cut into safe sizes and shapes for your baby’s age and developmental stage. Purees can still be offered to your baby, but independence in feeding is a main focus of this approach. This approach encourages independence, but also improves motor skills and sensory regulation, and helps babies learn to regulate their appetite on their own. Whether you’re just starting your starting solids journey or looking for more inspiration, the following easy foods and meals are perfect for parents looking to take an infant-led feeding approach to solids. 

Let’s start with safe foods for starting infant-led feeding

When beginning infant-led feeding, safety is paramount. Always cut foods into sizes and shapes that minimize choking risks. Start with soft, easy-to-hold options that your baby can gum or chew. These foods should pass the “squish test”, which means they can be easily mashed between your index finger and thumb. These foods also should be hand held size, approximately a finger length and 2 fingers thick. Here are some great first foods:

1. Avocado Slices
   Avocado is a nutrient-dense option that’s naturally soft. Slice it into thick wedges your baby can easily grasp. If it’s too slippery, roll the slices in crushed oats or finely ground nuts for added grip. NOTE: When introducing allergens, like nuts, be sure to monitor any reactions over the course of 1-2 days and avoid introducing any other high allergen foods in those couple days following.
2. Banana Halves
   Bananas are naturally sweet and easy to mash in the mouth. TIP: Cut the banana in half, and leave half of the peel on the halved banana. This will help baby grasp the fruit more easily.
3. Steamed Vegetables
   Lightly steam matchstick carrots, sweet potato, broccoli florets, or zucchini sticks until soft. These are colorful, nutritious, and fun for babies to explore during infant-led feeding. NOTE: Monitor feeding at all times! Never walk away from baby while they are eating.
4. Soft Proteins
   Offer shredded chicken, flaked fish (be mindful of bones), or fried, or scrambled eggs for protein-packed options that fit the infant-led feeding philosophy. NOTE: Safe sizes are easily squished, hand-held sizes, or small pieces no bigger than your pinky finger nail.

Here are some meal ideas that follow infant-led feeding 👇 

Once your baby is comfortable handling single foods and they have been introduced to a variety, you can start offering simple meals that combine different flavors and textures. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

1. Mini Breakfast Platter

• Scrambled eggs

• Avocado slices

• Toast strips spread with nut butter (thinly) 

This is a healthy balanced plate and can be easily prepared for your baby! These ingredients can also be combined into a sandwich for yourself making this meal enjoyable for everyone!

1. Toasted Muffin with Fruit

• Toasted english muffin with avocado spread

• Whole, mashed blueberries

• Diced strawberries (no bigger than your pinky finger nail)

This is SUPER easy to make and perfect for your baby’s breakfast solid!

3. Deconstructed Tacos

• Strips of soft tortilla

• Mashed black beans

• Small chunks of cooked ground beef or shredded chicken (no bigger than your pinky finger nail)

• Avocado slices

Allow your baby to mix and match ingredients for a fun and interactive meal. Combine for yourself into a taco and enjoy with rice served on the side.

4. Meat and 2 sides

• Chicken breast cut into a hand-held size, or beef roast shredded into small pieces

• Mashed potatoes with an easy-to-grasp spoon

• Broccoli florets

This is a perfect meal that you can enjoy right alongside your baby! Mix and match the meat & veggies as you please!

A few tips for making infant-led feeding easier

Prepare foods in advance and modify your meals for your baby

Planning is key for infant-led feeding success. Steam vegetables, cook grains, and store ready-to-eat snacks in the fridge so meals come together quickly. Additionally, when making meals for yourself, consider what your baby can eat. This allows you to eat healthy, balanced meals and cuts down on the workload!

Embrace the mess at mealtimes

Infant-led feeding is messy—but that’s part of the process! Infant-led feeding is an AMAZING sensory activity for your baby! Use a Catchy under the high chair, undress your baby, put them in a bib with sleeves, and let them enjoy exploring food freely.

Offer water at mealtime

Provide a straw cup with water alongside meals to encourage hydration and help your baby practice drinking skills. This also encourages weaning skills that are needed later in infancy.

Stay calm if your baby rejects the foods

It’s normal for babies to reject certain foods, especially during the early stages of infant-led feeding. Keep offering a variety of options without pressure, and trust that your baby will eat what they need. Sometimes it can take 10 times for your baby to accept a new food and just your baby TOUCHING the food is progress! Be consistent and your baby will begin to accept new foods.

There are some foods to avoid when taking an infant-led feeding approach…

While variety is amazing for your baby starting solids, some foods should be avoided during infant-led feeding due to safety concerns or potential allergies. Keep these off the menu:

• Whole nuts or large chunks (choking hazard). INSTEAD: Offer very finely chopped nuts.

• Honey (risk of botulism in babies under one year old). INSTEAD: Sweeten recipes with agave nectar if they call for honey so they will be baby-friendly.

• Salted or sugary foods (babies’ kidneys can’t handle too much sodium). Your baby can have some salt, but salt intake should be very minimum. This goes for sugar as well.

• Uncooked or undercooked eggs and meat (risk of food-borne illness). INSTEAD: Prepare these foods safe sizes and fully cooked.

How does infant-led feeding benefit both baby and parent?

Infant-led feeding doesn’t just benefit your baby; it’s a game-changer for parents too. It encourages you to trust your baby’s instincts and simplifies meal prep since you’re not blending or pureeing foods. Plus, family mealtimes become more enjoyable because your baby eats what you eat—just in a baby-friendly form. Not to mention the amount of money you save on avoiding the pre-packaged baby food purchases!

For example, if you’re making grilled chicken and roasted veggies for dinner, you can set aside small portions of soft veggies and chicken strips for your baby. This saves time and helps your baby learn to enjoy the same foods as the rest of the family. It’s seriously a win win!

Some challenges may present themselves…

Infant-led feeding can be intimidating at first, especially if you’re worried about choking or meal rejection. Here are some tips to help you feel confident:

• Learn about safe food preparation: Familiarize yourself with how to cut and cook foods to minimize choking risks. Find that information inside this free guide here.
• Watch your baby’s cues: Trust your baby to eat the right amount for their hunger. It’s normal for intake to vary daily. NOTE: Your baby may not eat a ton at first. This is okay as your baby is getting all of their nutrients from breast milk or formula before age 1. FOOD BEFORE ONE IS FUN.
• Be patient: Infant-led feeding is a journey. It takes time for babies to learn how to handle food effectively, so celebrate every small milestone. 
• Gagging is NORMAL. Your baby will gag, most likely, a ton when they first start solids. This is normal as their oral reflexes are integrating and gagging allows them to keep themselves safe during feeding activities. 
• Never leave your baby unattended at mealtime. This is imperative to keep your baby safe during feeding activities. Be sure all the necessary things you need are set up prior to the feeding session.

Infant-led feeding is a fantastic way to introduce your baby to the world of food while fostering independence, exploration, and healthy habits. By offering a variety of easy foods and meals, you’ll help your baby explore different textures and flavors while making mealtimes enjoyable for everyone. Remember, the goal is to make eating a positive and stress-free experience. With patience and creativity, infant-led feeding can be a rewarding adventure for you and your little one.