Weaning is when you start giving your baby other things to eat besides breast milk, like baby formula and mashed foods. These days, some parents give their babies unique food that is solid. Babies learn to feed themselves by using their hands instead of having someone feed them with a spoon. You want to stop giving milk from your breast to your baby and start giving them food that they can chew and eat.

If you want to stop giving milk to your baby from your breast, you should ask a doctor if it's safe. Feeding babies solid food too soon is not a good idea. Their stomachs are not fully developed, and it can lead to issues. What are some good foods for babies to eat when they start eating solid food that is good for them? This article has the answer you're looking for.

The Right Time to Wean

When your baby is 4 to 6 months old, it's good to give them different foods besides breast milk. Sometimes, your baby will make it known that they are ready for solid food by showing signs such as being hungry often or eating more milk than usual. It is the right time to start weaning your baby when your baby can sit up and hold still without moving their head. Your baby can now hold and examine things while learning to eat. Your baby will eat without making a mess or spitting out food.

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

With baby-led weaning, your baby can eat solid food on their own without you helping them. They learn about the food by touching it and looking at it with their hands. They understand by touching and looking at the food with their hands. Instead of having to eat soft food with the help of others, they can eat regular food on their own.

Early Weaning Problems

Stopping breastfeeding too early is not healthy for your baby, regardless of the reason. If your baby is born premature and you stop breastfeeding them too early, they might be more likely to develop health issues and allergies. This is mostly true for food allergies because their tummies can't handle solid food yet.

Top 10 Baby-Led Weaning Foods

If your baby drinks your milk, they might need more vitamin D to stay healthy. It's also necessary to learn which foods have iron so you can give them to your baby a couple of times every day. These ten foods are great for babies who are beginning to eat on their own because they are packed with lots of important nutrients and are easy to swallow.

1.      Banana

Give your baby a banana to hold while they eat the inside part. Giving bananas is easy because you can easily hold and squash them. You don't need to do a lot before you start. You can remove the outer layer and slice it into long pieces.

2.      Broccoli

Cook the broccoli in water and give your baby the green part to eat. Broccoli is a healthy food because it contains vitamin C, which makes your body soak up iron more easily. If you can break the stem with your fingers, then it's safe for your baby to eat. Give your baby something that is gentle to touch and can be squeezed without difficulty. They could struggle to chew and swallow their food.

3.      Cantaloupe

Cut the fruit in half lengthwise while keeping the skin on so your baby can hold it easily. Remove the outer skin and put pieces of coconut without sugar on top of the cantaloupe to keep it from moving.

4.      Beef

It's fine if your baby doesn't chew their food because they'll still get important vitamins like iron and zinc. Meat from cows, called beef, has a mineral called iron that our bodies require. Make sure to cook the food properly, neither undercooked nor overcooked. This will make sure the food is wet, which is very important for babies. Give your baby small pieces of meat that they can easily pick up and eat.

5.      Mashed Red Beans

Babies can eat beans easily because they can chew and swallow them without any difficulty. They have plenty of iron. Using a spoon can make it easier for you to eat food, put toppings on bread, or even give a baby some beans to play with.

6.      Avocado

Babies need good food so they can get big and strong in their first year. Avocados are healthy and belong to the fruit family. This fruit has healthy fats that your body needs. This food has important nutrients that can help make your body healthy, such as fiber, potassium, folate, copper, and vitamin E.

7.      Carrots

Babies need vitamin A to stay healthy and prevent illnesses. Carrots have a substance called vitamin A that keeps them healthy and helps them avoid getting sick. Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces as long as your fingers. Boil or simmer the carrots until they become tender.

8.      Eggs

Mixing them together means combining them or blending them. Cook and slice them into long pieces means to heat them until they are ready to eat and cut them into long strips. You can crack the yellow part inside the egg and put it on top of the bread. Let's talk about toast, which is bread that has been cooked until it is brown and crispy.

9.      Bread Toasts

Toast is a tasty food that pairs well with many other foods. Bread is healthy because it contains important things like iron. Choose bread with low salt and no added sugar. Don't eat bread with seeds or nuts.

10.  Apples

Foods with a lot of vitamin C can help babies get more iron from foods that have iron in them. If babies eat food by themselves, eating apples can give them a vitamin called vitamin C. Take the skin off the apples and cut them into pieces. Cook until they are soft.

Conclusion

How you make food for your baby will be different based on how old they are and how they are growing. Cooked food is better for your baby than raw food. You can check out the list of top ten baby-led weaning foods that you can give to your baby.