Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning (2024)

I love these family recipes for baby led weaning as the great thing about blw is that you can feed your child whatever you’re eating for dinner but the less than great thing is that having a baby doesn’t suddenly fill your head with a million recipe ideas. Spaghetti bolognase again? (We had it again tonight, I feel your pain!)

I’ve shared a lot of stuff about baby led weaning here and today I’m sharing some gorgeous looking family recipes for baby led weaning.

There’s loads of fabulous recipes here but if you need some more inspiration I’ve also shared some of my favourite family recipe books for baby led weaning and if you check out the links at the bottom of this page you’ll also find loads of ideas for baby led weaning dinners as well as ideas for things your kid can eat if they don’t have any teeth yet!

Got a recipe your baby loves that you love too? Tell me about it in the comments as I’d love to share that too.

Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning (1)

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What You'll Find on This Page

Our Favourite Books for Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning

When we did baby led weaning with our kids there were two books that really stood out and that we referred to again and again.

The first was The Baby Led Weaning Cookbook which is a great resource and which we used loads of times and the second was The River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbookwhich includes a couple of purees too but I really enjoyed it.

A couple of newer baby led weaning family recipe books which have come out more recently are Annabel Karmel’s baby led weaning book and Real Food for Babies and Toddlers by Vanessa Clarkson – both of these look good but I haven’t tried them out personally, if you have let me know what you think of them!

The other must have for baby led weaning that I can’t recommend enough wasn’t actually a book but a specific bib – these ones were amazing as they collect a load of the food that your kids drop so it stops you having quite so much waste – or as much stuff to clear up from the floor!

I used mine with both my kids and they were great for slipping in my bag when we went out too.

Want more family recipes for baby led weaning?

As well as all the ideas below I’ve also got two posts that you’ll love – baby led weaning lunch ideas and baby led weaning dinner ideas, both crammed with delicious ideas by parent that they love as much as their kids do! Make sure you check them out.

Finger Food Snacks

Need inspiration for finger food snacks? I’ve made a little video with some of my kids favourites in it, you can check it out below!

Don’t Forget These Ideas!

Everyone knows that the early years of parenthood go pretty much hand in hand with extreme tiredness and I know that for me that meant being super forgetful too (in a room and you can’t remember whet you went there for? Yep, I hear you!) If you want to make sure you don’t forget any of these great family recipes for baby led weaning make sure that you bookmark this page or pin the image below so that you can refer to it when you need a bit of mealtime inspiration.

Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning (2)

Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning

Sugar Free Mom – Broccoli Cauliflower Quinoa Bites

Baby Led Feeding – Butternut Squash Creamy Pasta

Wings and Roots – Hidden Veggie Meatballs (website no longer available)

Hip2Save – Baked Broccoli Tots

The Healthy Foodie – Zucchini Fritters

It Happens in a Blink – Baked Chicken Nuggets

How Sweet Eats – Homemade Fish Sticks

B-Inspired Mama – Kids Cheesy Potatoes

Chocolate Covered Katie – Baked Mac and Cheese Cups

Our Little Miracles – Homemade Marinara with Meatballs

My Fussy Eater – Broccoli Cheese Frittata Fingers

Baby Led Feeding – Pizza Muffins

Twin Pickle – Vegetable Croquettes

Sarcastic Cooking – Spinach Avocado Mac and Cheese

Healthy Little Foodies – Sweetcorn Quinoa Fritters

A Healthy Slice of Life – Vegetable Quinoa Biscuits

Wings and Roots – Savoury Pancakes (website no longer available)

Baby Led Feeding – Baby-Friendly Chicken Tikka Masala

MoreBaby Led Weaning Meal Ideas

We love sharing ideas about baby led weaning because it can be so tricky to think of new ideas! Just click on the link above the links below to find more ideas tried and tested by other families.

20 Finger Food Ideas for Baby Led Weaning

40+ Foods your baby can eat before they have teeth

10 Baby Led Weaning dinner ideas your whole family will love

10 More Baby Led Weaning dinner ideas

Baby Led Weaning Recipes for the Whole Family

Family Recipes for Baby Led Weaning (2024)

FAQs

What is a good family meal for a baby? ›

Some ideas include casseroles, lasagna, soups, stews or a meal with chicken, rice, broccoli and veggies. Use a slow cooker. Chili, chicken noodle soup and lentil soup are all great options for a baby-friendly meal that can be made in the slow cooker.

How many meals should a baby eat during led weaning? ›

BLW may begin around 6 months, when the baby shows signs of readiness such as sitting up independently, loss of tongue thrust reflex, mouthing toys, and showing interest in table foods. To start BLW, ensure readiness and begin with one solid meal a day during family mealtime.

Can you puree family meals? ›

By age 1, babies should be eating the same foods as the rest of the family. It is good to start feeding your toddler modified versions of family meals beginning around 6 months of age. For example, if you are having roasted carrots at dinner, shred them for your young toddler and puree them for your baby.

What 3 meals should a baby eat? ›

From about 7 months, your baby will gradually move towards eating 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and tea), in addition to their usual milk feeds, which may be around 4 a day (for example, on waking, after lunch, after tea and before bed).

What is the 4 day rule for baby-led weaning? ›

That's where the four-day rule for baby-led weaning comes into play, where new foods should be introduced one food at a time and at a space of four days apart. For example, you might want to introduce avocado to the baby on Monday and then wait until Friday to introduce another food.

What foods should babies avoid during led weaning? ›

Foods to avoid
  • popcorn.
  • jelly cubes.
  • marshmallows.
  • boiled sweets (or any hard, gooey or sticky sweets, including cough sweets)
  • peanut butter by itself.
  • chewing gum.
  • ice cubes.

Do you skip purees with BLW? ›

Baby-led weaning (BLW) involves skipping the spoon-fed purées and letting babies feed themselves finger foods when starting solids.

Can a 6 month old eat family meals? ›

When your baby is around six months old you can start to introduce family foods. If you would like to attend a face-to-face or a virtual 'Introducing family foods workshop', please speak to your Health Visiting team or contact the Surrey-wide 0-19 Advice Line on 01883 340 922.

At what age do you stop pureeing baby food? ›

Stage 3 (typically 10-12 months old, but may occur sooner): At this stage, you can slowly replace purees with soft, chewable chunks of food, and offer your baby more finger foods that they can pick up and feed themselves.

When can babies start eating family meals? ›

By the time your baby is 12 months, they're ready to eat a little of what the rest of the family is eating but remember to be careful about foods that can cause choking.

What are the best meats for BLW? ›

Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb all offer exceptional nutrition for babies including protein, fat, iron, zinc, and other essential nutrients. If your baby is on a diet of only breastmilk (or formula), fruits, grains, and veggies, she might miss out on brain-boosting nutrients.

What are the best finger foods for baby-led weaning? ›

Good finger foods for babies include soft, easy-to-swallow foods like steamed veggies; soft fruits; whole-grain bread, pasta, or cereal; crackers; chicken; cheese; and scrambled eggs.

What does my baby want for dinner? ›

A few options to consider mixing and matching include: brown rice, fork-mashed black beans, shredded cheese, minced beef, avocado cubes, and pureed corn. These foods are good sources of fiber, B vitamins, iron, protein, and calcium–all essential to your baby's health.

What is the best first meal for baby? ›

Solid foods may be introduced in any order. However, puréed meats, poultry, beans and iron-fortified cereals are recommended as first foods, especially if your baby has been primarily breastfed, since they provide key nutrients. Only one new single-ingredient food should be introduced at a time.

What is an easy on the go dinner for baby? ›

4.) On-the-go Food options for babies and toddlers
  • Sandwiches. A super easy option, they can be a great way to give your little one a range of foods, so use a variety of fillings such as: ...
  • Pasta salads with a variety of fillings. ...
  • Potato tots. ...
  • Quiche or a frittata. ...
  • Crackers and Oatcakes. ...
  • Pitta Pizzas. ...
  • Veggie Muffins. ...
  • Baby scones.

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