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Baby led weaning can be rough in the beginning.
The hardest part about it that I found was finding baby led weaning dinners for the whole family.
For the first couple months, I really just went between a few different meals for the twins and often just made my husband and I something else. Noodles, breakfast and baked veggies for the most part.
Or I wouldn’t think about what the twins would eat and they’d end up fussy for food and I’d run around the kitchen trying to figure out something for them.
But once I really got it down, I realized just how easy baby led weaning is. And ultimately what the whole point of it is!
If you’re new to baby led weaning, I would for sure do some research on the topic to make sure you’re ready for it. It’s a lot different than the old school 1st stage, 2nd stage and 3rd stage solids.
Instead, BLW dives right into real foods. With caution, of course. You still need to start with a few basics and work your way into meals from there in order to watch for allergies. I think our first foods were avocado, banana, and sweet potatoes.
I have some info on our baby led weaning journey in this post (click here) that also includes some must haves for baby led weaning.
But in this post, I am going to share an entire month of baby led weaning dinners for the whole family.
Before we get started with the list, I want to give you a few pointers in regard to BLW friendly foods:
- Make sure they’re soft(ish) foods. Test them in your own mouth first. Can you ‘chew’ it with your tongue?
- What about size? Is it small, but big enough that if they swallowed it whole they would choke (ie. blueberries, grapes)? I generally cut potential hazards in half, or long strips that they can hold and take bites off of (like watermelon).
- Remember allergies. If you have any allergies, mention them to your pediatrician. My pediatrician suggested us waiting until their year old appointment before trying tropical fruits because my husband is allergic.
- Gagging is totally normal.This is the scary part of BLW, but it’ll be okay. Caeden likes to stuff all his food in his mouth and try to chew it. It doesn’t work. He gags (which sounds a lot like he is choking) a lot. But all it is, is their gag reflux coughing back up the food. He has always spit it back out (and put it right back in his mouth). But Kendall on the other hand has choked and I was able to easily scoop the chunk of food out of her throat. You would be surprised what mama mode makes you capable of. All in all, that gagging sound is totally normal, just keep an eye on them. Never walk away while they’re eating.
If you have any other questions in regard to baby led weaning, I would suggest doing your own research and coming to your own personal conclusion. I am not a doctor, just a twin mom who has successfully introduced her infants to real foods.
What About the Best Baby Led Weaning Gear?
I am a huge fan of meal time with EzPz products! Honestly, their gripping mats are the ONLY ones that even my new toddler twins cannot rip off of the table. They are seriously a game changer for baby led weaning and the messes that would otherwise happen.
My favorites that we have had the chance to try out include;
ezpz Mini Mat
ezpz Mini Play Mat
ezpz Tiny Bowl
ezpz First Foods Set
Baby led weaning was the best decision for my family, and I am excited to share these baby led weaning dinners for the whole family with you!
30 Baby Led Weaning Dinners for the Whole Family
Pancakes (blueberry or banana is great!)
One of my favorites because it is minimally messy, and you can make a huge batch to save for snacks! My twins love frozen pancakes as a snack and teething relief!
French Toast
Another breakfast goodie that isn’t too messy!
Egg Scramble
I like to add ground sausage, diced tomatoes, avocado and a little cheese to mine.
Cinnamon Roll Bake w/Apples
Not the healthiest of options- but a total option! I make sure to give them a little with some sliced banana or other soft fruits. Soft cooked apples work too! Here is the recipe.
Tofu Breakfast Scramble
This is a creation one of my friends makes up for her daughter and she loves it! Great vegetarian option, or flat our nutritious option!
Breakfast Tacos
I make tacos for all sorts of occasions. My breakfast tacos generally have egg, maybe some ground pork, little bit of cheese and some sautéed veggies
Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese is my go to for a quick and easy night. As well as when we go out. It isn’t messy, and it’s easy for them to eat!
Quesadilla’s
I generally just make cheese quesadillas, however you could add in some soft veggies or ground pork to beef it up a bit!
Avocado Pasta Salad
This is one of my favorites! Perfect, well balanced finger food.
Mac n Cheese
Tacos
I make soft tacos, and generally make theirs up with refried beans, little bit of cheese and avocado
Spaghetti and Meat Balls
This is one of my twins favorites. Caution- it is CRAZY messy!
Soft Crust Pizza
The twins love pizza. Make it up however you like, but be cautious of the size of diced up ingredients you add on top.
Spinach Gnocchi
I made this recipe from Jessie of lifeasastrawberry.com the other day and barely any of their food touched the floor. They ate it all, and my meat loving husband even went back for seconds!
Tortellini
Keep it simple and just boil up a pot of tortellini!
Chicken Alfredo
Another one to just be cautious of the size of what you are cutting up. But my twins love Alfredo!
Beef andBroccoli
I like to pound the beef really well to tenderize before cooking so that it essentially melts in your mouth.
Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
I absolutely adore this recipe from galonamission.com!
Meatloaf
Baked Veggie Casserole
Be cautious of veggie size, but also make it fun! I like buying rainbow veggies and making our plates super colorful and baking up some sweet potatoes with it. Remember, cooked veggies are really soft and perfect for babies!
Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Nums the Word has my favorite recipe!
Lemon Broccoli Pasta
Perfect light summer night meal. Here is an awesome recipe from thefoodcharlatan.com!
Avocado Salad
Greek Salad
Swedish Meatballs
My family loves swedish meatballs. But it is another messy one for sure!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Here is a great recipe from gimmedelicious.com!
Slider Burgers
Babies and burgers does sound weird- but again I just keep theirs simple! I also split one bun between them so they aren’t eating so much of it.
Pull Apart Pizza Bites
You’ll probably want to make this recipe this week from sweetandsimpleliving.com. YUM!
Baked Sloppy Joes
This recipe takes the mess out of sloppy joes and I am here for it. Find it on sixsistersstuff.com!
Greek Pasta Salad
The last of the baby led weaning dinners for the whole family, and you won’t be disappointed! Just make sure to cut olives and tomatoes in halves 🙂 Check it out here on gimmesomeoven.com!
Doesn’t that sound easy?
That is a whole month of meals, all baby led weaning friendly, and likely things you already make often. Or maybe I gave you some new ideas to try for your family!
Either way, I hope this list makes BLW a little easier for you, as it should be! Baby led weaning is a fun (and messy) experience for the whole family. Don’t let it take over meal times!
Have any other baby led weaning dinner ideas for the whole family? Go ahead and share your recipes in the comments! I would love to incorporate them, or even make a second list created by YOU!
