Tips on Introducing Solids & Dealing with Picky Toddlers

How to start introducing solids to your little one can be a little daunting! 

I remember vividly navigating James' (almost two) first foods and I am just now getting to start introducing solids with Bekah who just turned 6 months!

But before we go any further on how to start introducing solids chat, I want to define a few things:

Now, lets continue!

With a lot of info at our finger tips, deciding what to feed your baby when we start introducing solids can be a big decision. 

A lot of you shared if you did baby led weaning or not and what your baby's first foods were! A lot of people do BLW with whole foods like fruits, chicken, some vegetables.  Others have done purees and even did a combo of the two. 

With James, we did a combo of BLW and purees (because of convenience!) His favorites were always bananas and corn on the cobb. 

The good news is, there is no "right way" when it comes to start introducing solids and whatever you decide to do is completely up to you! But there is a "right way" when determining if your baby is ready for solids!

So, here are some readiness signs for starting solids:

So, whatever route you decide to take when your baby is ready for solids - be sure your baby has mastered these above skills first! 

This will lead to successful and safe feeding with your baby!

Interested in joining the Bloom by Infant Insights membership that houses a wealth of resources like solids information? If so, check that out here! 

So, you start solids with your sweet baby...

And then your toddler becomes picky... 🤪

I just KNEW James (almost two) would be THE BEST EATER. I mean, we did 100 foods before one, and baby-led weaning (BLW), so.......

But the truth is most toddler go through some sort of picky stage. And a lot of you can relate! Some kids did BLW and ate everything and now they only want cookies all day!  I am just thankful to know I am not alone... Some of you said that your toddler's favorite foods at the moment are just a handful of foods like oats, cheese, yogurt, fruit or pizza. James' favorite foods consist of: bread, pasta, cookies...all the carbs. LOL. I really can't blame him! 

But the goal for our toddlers is to eat as best as possible, even if they are picky! Some great Instagram accounts for healthy toddler recipes are @YummyToddlerFood, @SolidStarts @101BeforeOne @RealLittleMeals @LittleLunchesCo. Recently, I purchased the Yummy Toddler Food recipe book based on your recommendations, so I am excited to give it a try!

At the end of the day, as soon as I feel like we have caught our stride, our kids throw us for another loop. I just buckle up, and try to enjoy the ride! Also, I remind myself that James (hopefully) won't be eating only carbs when he's an adult. Because let's be honest - that wouldn't be socially acceptable!

Hang in there mama!

Interested in a free resource on toddler portions, menus, and more? Check out this resource on healthchildren.org.

Thanks for reading 🫶