5 Must-Haves for Starting Solids

Amy Chow, RD, CDE
Apr 27, 2016
3 min read

***Don't miss out on my upcoming workshop on July 20th (waitlist), Aug 10th and Aug 26th for Raising Good Eaters - Starting Solids 101 with a Registered Dietitian, come join us and other moms in learning all about starting solids in a baby-friendly home environment, limited space left -> Register Here Now! ***

There are so many books and products out there for feeding your baby! It can get overwhelming to know what exactly you need for starting solids. Here is a guide from a new mommy perspective, hope it is helpful to you all new parents out there!

1. A high chair with a big tray

If you are going the self-feeding route (aka Baby-Led Weaning) at all, you want to make sure to get a high chair that has a big enough tray for your baby to smash/spread/drop food around so that the food doesn't all end up on the floor.

We have the Graco Tablefit Highchair at home; It has a big tray and a removable tray that goes on top which makes it much easier for cleaning, also a snack tray which we might be able to use a bit later! Another bonus feature of this highchair is that it slides right up to the table with 8 adjustable heights, great for those family meals :)

2. A waterproof, stain-proof bib with pocket

You will be using a lot of bibs, I find that the fabric ones are easily stained and they need to be washed in the laundry after a one-time use. I love the waterproof bibs such as this Tommee Tippee or the ones from Mally Designs that are super cute and has nice bonus features like the magnet closure and reversible sides (plus they are made in Canada). With these bibs, they can be rinsed after a meal/snack and ready to be used again !

3. Soft tip spoons / utensils

Even if you are going the baby-led weaning route, I find the soft tip spoons very useful for introducing baby to utensils, and for more liquid-form foods such as yogurt, cereal, soups. Love the Boon utensils as they have shorter handles, easy for baby to grab and adjustable to promote self-feeding skills (Use a sharper angle for early stages, straight for advanced stages) !

4. Straw cup or open cup with handles

At first, I was only using open cups to give water but I found it very challenging for my baby to learn and he was barely taking in any fluids. Although I was not concerned about his fluid intake because he gets all his needs from the breastmilk, I would like him to take sips of water with his food.

I tried using a straw and surprisingly, he knew what to do right away when I introduced it around 6 months; he would bite on the straw very often but he would sip from it time to time. Using a straw cup does not have the same concerns as a sippy cup; it can actually help with oral motor skills development and will not cause for dental caries because baby's teeth are not bathe in the liquid. I offer water with the straw cup and other fluids (ie. milk & smoothies) in an open cup; once my baby got the hang of a straw cup, he also learned how to drink from an open cup :D Experts suggest to avoid those non-spill cups altogether as they are very hard to sip from and increases the chance of dental caries due to the slow flow.

5. Popsicle molds

These are definitely my favorite especially for teething and the warmer weather :) They make delicious healthy treats for both the baby and mommy & daddy! I love these Munchkin Popsicle molds with the ring design at the end; they are so easy for baby to hold, easy for the popsicle to come out of the molds (just run cold water underneath for 2-3sec.) and sturdy enough for him to smash around without the Popsicle breaking off!

What are your must-haves for starting solids????

I would to love see some pictures of your baby starting solids, what an amazing milestone! Tag @amychowrd or #amychowrd for a chance to have your pictures featured.