Starting my daughter on solid baby food was very intimidating to me. I didn’t know when or what to start with. There is an overwhelming amount of information and opinions out there regarding best practices for starting solids.
Because my daughter was breastfed, I didn’t feel the need to rush into starting her on solid food. I thought she was getting the nutrition she needed. She was gaining weight and had sufficient wet diapers.
I introduced purees when she was about 5 and half months old. It has been a slow and steady journey getting her to solid foods. She is becoming a much better eater now, but still only has 2 teeth and is very weirded out by certain textures. Finding foods she likes and that are safe has been quite an experience!
Now that she is eating more, I am constantly on the hunt for new solid baby food ideas. So, I thought I would share 5 meals for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner that Hadleigh is currently loving.
I also wanted to touch on what our feeding routine is currently like. Now, I say routine instead of schedule because every single day is different and we don’t do everything at a consistent time. You can read more about our daily unscheduled routine here.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you buy something I link below I get a small commission. But don’t worry, you won’t pay a penny more! Read my full disclosure policy here.
Related post: Mom + Baby Morning Routine
Solid Baby Food Ideas
Breakfast
- Whole wheat rice cake with peanut butter
- Scrambled egg whites with cheese and spinach
- Banana pancakes with chia seeds
- Fruit: her favorites are bananas, peaches and blueberries
- Baked sweet potatoes and apples with cinnamon: dice potatoes, slice/peel apples, add cinnamon, bake on 350 for 20 minutes
Lunch
- Sliced avocado & hard boiled egg: egg slicers are a life saver
- Whole wheat pasta with olive oil or coconut oil and a pinch of salt
- Steamed veggies: her favorites are broccoli, carrots and peas
- Sliced beets & cheese squares
- Ravioli with tomato sauce
Snack
- Gerber puffs: favorite flavors are sweet potato and banana
- Snap pea crisps: her all-time favorite snack EVER
- Black or pinto beans
- Banana with peanut butter
- Hummus (either with snap pea crisps or by itself)
Dinner
- Baked eggplant with tomato sauce: find out how to bake eggplant here
- Ground turkey mixed with refried beans, corn and tomatoes
- Cheese and spinach quesadilla with whole wheat tortilla
- Cauliflower rice with peas and carrots
- Baked sweet potatoes with black beans
- Veggie pasta
We are still experimenting with foods almost daily, but these were just some tried and true meals she has loved so far. We also try giving her water in a sippy-cup with meals (but she isn’t a huge fan yet). Our favorite cups we have been using are these Munchkin cups.
Some of my favorite bowls to use for feeding Hadleigh are these Munchkin suction bowls. They stick to her highchair table so she doesn’t have the urge to throw it on the ground!
Related post: Weaning Tips + Schedule
Feeding Routine
We are still nursing about 2-3 times a day. But, it is more for comfort since I have significantly dropped in supply and she’s picked up solid foods. She also gets a 4oz bottle of formula 3 times a day.
Below I have included our feeding routine with some general time frames. These times change daily, but typically only vary by about an hour. Don’t forget to check out our full routine if you are interested in more details.
6:00am: 4oz bottle
6:30am: solid food breakfast
7:00am: nurse
9:30am: 4oz bottle after nap
11:30am: solid food snack
1:00pm: nurse
1:15pm: solid food lunch
3:00pm: solid food snack
6:00pm: dinner
6:30pm: 4oz bottle before bed
I am always on the lookout for new baby food ideas. Drop your favorite recipes for your little ones in the comments!
I think little Hadleigh has a more defined palette than I do! Thanks for the ideas!
Author
Haha! We try! Thanks girl.
These are great ideas thank you for sharing!
I do wonder if these meals are pre prepped or if you make them on demand. If pre prepped, how long are they usually safe in the fridge? Do you find this time consuming and stressful ?
People say the baby will eat what you eat but I eat either a smoothie or salad for lunch and that’s not really something I can share with my daughter. I’m not much of a cook either so I feel like a total fish out of water.
Author
Hey Lindsey!
Some of the meals are prepped, others are super easy meals that you can just prepare when she’s ready to eat. My favorite non-prep meals are the Birds Eye veggie noodles you can find in the frozen isle at your local grocer, avocados, beets, black beans, etc.
Easy meals to cook that take little prep are whole wheat pasta noodles, quesadillas, baked sweet potato.
I normally discard meals after 2-3 days depending on if there is meat or not. If there is meat I only keep it in the fridge for an extra day.
I make smoothies often for myself too and share them with her and she loves them! Thats another way to sneak in veggies too. The only time it is stressful is when she’s going through a picky stage, but it just takes some creativity! You got this mama.
Hope this helps 🙂