Starting solids is always a fun milestone to hit. Your baby is moving on to a new stage of their babyhood and you can interact together on a whole new (and delicious) level. We have all of the things that make heading down this new gourmet exploration path easier for both mum and bub, come see what they are!
Are you and your bub ready to launch into starting solids? Check out these hints, tips and products to make the transition smoother than pureed pumpkin!
How do I know if it’s time?
Most babies will start showing signs that they are ready to eat foods at around 6 months of age. Food should not be introduced to your baby before they are 4 months old. Having said that, it’s still tricky to know exactly when is the right time to start solids with your baby, so start out by looking for their cues:
- If they’re VERY interested in what you eat, watching you intently or trying to grab at your food – that’s a good sign!
- Your baby has good neck and head control and can sit upright when supported by yourself or furniture (not falling to the side or forwards).
- Also, see if your baby opens their mouth when you approach them with a spoon. A bit like a baby bird, that’s a solid hint that they’re ready to give a gourmet adventure a go!
- If they’re waking up hungry or wanting more milk feeds during the day, they may benefit from starting solids.
Expect a false start on the first try
It’s no secret that babies can be fickle … and it’s no reflection on your cooking, but babies are VERY likely to reject food on their first attempt. And if they do, that’s perfectly ok, they’re still learning! Leave it and try it again another day. For more success, try offering food to your bub AFTER a breastfeed or bottle so they’re happy, well-rested and not ravenous. Try to be relaxed too. I know sometimes it’s easier said than done, but you’ve got this mama!
Starting solids – what’s on the menu?
As long as the food is nutritious and has the right texture, it’s really up to you what you choose for your baby’s first foods. You can start with single ingredients (rice cereal, purees of apples, pears, potato, peas, meat) before creating epic flavour blends and working up to a mashed texture. For fun, keep a record of what foods your baby has tried and how they reacted to the taste.
But beware…
Some foods aren’t suitable for babies under 12 months. These include honey, raw egg, whole nuts, hard uncooked vegetables, fruit juice, cordial, reduced-fat milk and raw milk.
10 products for starting solids with your baby
Childhome Evolu 2 High Chair
PRICE: $299.95
WHERE TO BUY: Danish by Design
Show us a more fabulous high chair, we’ll wait. In a fabulous collision of brilliant function and eye candy, the Childhome Evolu 2 High Chair ticks ALL of the boxes for aesthetics and design form.
Brilliantly easy to clean, this Eames-inspired modern and practical high chair design will fit seamlessly into any home, no matter your style, especially with several colour choices available including an all-new sleek black and a gorgeous natural and mint combination.
But the Childhome Evolu 2 High Chair doesn’t stop at just looking good. This gem is designed to seat your child from six months up to six years, thanks to its amazing adaptability. You can lengthen the legs (Long Leg Set available separately) to suit kitchen island height, as well as shorten the legs to fit at a kids’ table, excellent for toddlers and young children.
Perfect for being seated at the table with the family, the Childhome Evolu 2 High Chair includes a handy footrest, five-point harness, a safety bar, plus the option to convert to a low seat. Other accessories available separately include an easy-to-clean tray with a dishwasher-safe silicone placemat, neoprene cushion, newborn seat, newborn cushion and storage basket to customise your super stylish new high chair.
MUM CENTRAL READER OFFER: SAVE: 15% OFF all Evolu 2 High Chairs and accessories CODE: MUMCENTRAL15 OFFER ENDS: 31st March 2022
Beaba Babycook Neo
PRICE: $499
WHERE TO BUY: BEABA
Just like having an extra set of hands in the kitchen, the Babycook Neo cooks your little one’s meals in just 15 minutes or less! And doesn’t it look AMAZING!
Not only a time-saver but a dishes saver too, the beautifully sleek Beaba Babycook Neo is a countertop appliance that makes up to 1250ml of food at a time. It steams, cooks, blends and reheats and defrosts, all in one. Make up a batch of your child’s favourite in the Babycook Neo, pop leftovers in the fridge or freezer, then simply defrost and reheat in the Babycook Neo when required.
Forget pots, pans, sieves, blenders and microwaves – the Beaba Babycook Neo does it all. You don’t even need to watch over it thanks to the patented steam cooking system automatically turning off when your bub’s food is cooked just right. Simple to use, you can create everything from fine, silky smooth purees to chunkier blends, all at the press of a button.
MUM CENTRAL READER OFFER: SAVE: 20% OFF full-price items CODE: MUMCENTRAL20
Catchy – the high chair food catcher
PRICE: $49.95
WHERE TO BUY: Catchy
Consider your floors SAVED with this genius high chair food catcher – Catchy!
No more ruined or stained carpets and no more ending every meal with a mop and bucket – Catchy saves you from constantly cleaning your floors with every meal that goes flying from the highchair. It’s an absolute game-changer and must-have for every parent!
An innovative food-catching device, Catchy attaches to a highchair and cleverly catches food and liquids that slip from your little one’s grip. Designed by parents for parents, it makes mealtimes a little more enjoyable when you’re not stressing about blueberry stains on the carpet, your dog eating falling grapes or the surrounding food mess you’re going to have to clean up.
Catchy is super easy to install (no tools required) and is made from non-toxic, food-safe material so that you can safely reoffer foods that would have been otherwise contaminated by the floor such as slippery banana! Designed to be reused with every meal, cleaning up the Catchy is super easy, just wipe over with a damp cloth and you’re done. If only cleaning up your baby after a meal was as easy!
Lion the Label Baby’s Mess-Free Dinnerware Feeding Set
PRICE: $54.95 (currently on sale, RRP $120)
WHERE TO BUY: Lion The Label
Containing everything you need to serve you bub their first meals, it’s easy to see why Baby’s Mess-Free Dinnerware Feeding Set is Lion The Label’s top-selling and most popular set for parents!
Baby’s Mess-Free Dinnerware Feeding Set contains a cool silicone bib with handy scooped bottom to catch food and debris. There’s also a silicone antiflow-over cup lid that fits a variety of cups, making any cup you have at home a sippy cup. The gorgeous silicone plate with three divided compartments is not only strong, but it’s also microwave safe and drop resistant.
The silicone spoon and fork set is cute to boot and designed for little hands learning to feed themselves safely. There’s even a coordinating silicone and wooden teething ring to entertain your bub while they wait.
Making meal time easy and stress-free, cleaning up is easy, silicone can be popped straight into the dishwasher – even the bibs. Available in several gorgeous colours, Lion The Label isn’t joking when they say “You cook, we serve”!
Little Bellies Organic Baby Bowls
PRICE: $2.25
WHERE TO BUY: Woolworths and Coles
The folk at Little Bellies make sure your baby is getting nothing but the best quality foods in their own little belly. The Organic Baby Bowls is for babies from 6+ months (Simple Spoonfuls) and 7+ months (Tasty Textures), perfect for tiny taste buds at the very beginning of their lifelong food journey.
The Little Bellies range of quality, baby grade organic veggie, fruit and grain purées help introduce budding eaters to their first flavours and textures. Spoilt for choice, parents can choose from Organic Veggie Bowls, Organic Jumble Bowl, Organic Smoothie Bowls or even an Organic Fruit Bowl – all perfectly portioned and ready to be devoured!
Little Bellies use BPA free, recyclable and reusable clear bowls (and not pouches) to encourage interactive spoon-feeding between adult and child, plus they allow little ones to see, smell and touch their food, which is an important part of learning about food and an integral part of your baby’s development. A fantastic time-saver for busy parents, head to your local Woolworths and Coles to get your hands on delicious Little Bellies Organic Baby Bowls!
Tommee Tippee SuperStar Cups
PRICE: From $11.95
WHERE TO BUY: Big W and Tommee Tippee
Don’t waste another second looking for the perfect cup, Tommee Tippee is the holy grail in cups for kids and has you and your little one’s hydration covered. These adorable three cup options are all 100% leakproof thanks to INTELLIVALVE technology and each spout is made with BACSHEILD antibacterial technology, reducing bacteria by up to 99.9%.
Suitable for babies aged 6 months, the Tommee Tippee Trainee Sippee Cup is specially designed for your baby’s first sips! Tommee Tippee Sippee cup help your baby to develop tipping and sipping skills – while preventing messy spills. Bite proof, drop proof and throw proof this cup is easy for littlies to hold, lift and sip.
For active older babies (aged 12 months+) a larger 390ml Tommee Tippee Sippee Cup is perfect for keeping littlies hydrated all day as they keep busy with an endless cycle of crawl, walk, play and run!
Tired of sharing your water bottle? Let your little one have their own! The Tommee Tippee Sportee Bottle is a toddler-friendly water bottle with a big kid look. An easy-to-grab handle makes it a cinch for toddlers to carry their own drink and you can be assured they can’t tip it out for fun, remember, it’s 100% leakproof no matter how much they shake it!
Available at tommeetippee.com.au and Big W.
Nibble and Rest Woodsi Footsi High Chair Footrest
PRICE: $24.95
WHERE TO BUY: Nibble and Rest
Your baby’s legs and feet are super cute hanging from their high chair but this could be contributing to poor eating / fussy mealtimes. Babies absolutely need support for good sitting posture, stability and comfort when eating. If your high chair doesn’t have a footrest, here’s exactly how you can do that!
The Woodsi Footsi High Chair Footrest is just the ticket for helping to promote correct posture and stability while sitting and during mealtimes by positioning their feet 90 degrees from their legs. It also means that your little one will be sitting comfortably and feel supported in their chair so they can concentrate on the task at hand – eating, exploring their food and increasing their fine motor skills.
The ultimate high chair accessory which is quick to install with no tools required and looks super smart made from eco-friendly bamboo. This popular height-adjustable footrest is designed to fit the IKEA ‘Antilop’, Target ‘Snacka’, Kmart ‘Prandium’, Big W ‘Uno’ and Mother’s Choice ‘Breeze’ highchairs – they pair perfectly!
MUM CENTRAL READER OFFER: SAVE: $5 OFF CODE: MUMCENTRAL
Mess Me Not Smock
PRICE: from $52.95
WHERE TO BUY: Mess Me Not
When is a bib not a bib? When it’s a Mess Me Not Smock, that’s when. Capable of taking on even the messiest of eaters, this innovative smock puts an end to soaking and scrubbing clothes and grubby high chairs!
Designed by a clever Aussie mum, the Mess Me Not Smock ticks all the boxes and is the ultimate game-changer at mealtimes. Easy to put on, quick to take off and unlike a traditional bib, the Mess Me Not Smock protects your little one’s clothing from neck to toe, all while keeping the high chair clean and free of crumbs and discarded food too! Once mealtime is done, simply toss it in the washing machine for an easy cleanup.
Available in two sizes to fit 6-18 months and 18 months to 3 years, these smocks really do go the distance! With long sleeve, short sleeve, prints and solid colour designs available, you’ll be wondering how you ever got by without a Mess Me Not Smock on your tot!
MUM CENTRAL READER OFFER: SAVE: 15% OFF CODE: MUMCENTRAL
OXO Tot Baby Blocks food storage
PRICE: From $29.95
WHERE TO BUY: The Stork Nest
Keen to get in the kitchen and make your own baby food to wow your bub’s teeny tiny tastebuds? You’re going to need some pint-sized, perfectly portioned food storage!
You can portion, store, freeze, heat and serve all from the same storage container with the OXO Tot Baby Blocks food storage range. With capacities ranging from 60ml to 175ml, you simply fill, store and grab them when you need them!
Available in plastic, silicone or glass, OXO Tot Baby Blocks food storage are microwave and dishwasher safe, airtight, watertight and leak-proof for safe storage and spill-free outings. The individual containers (blocks) nestle together on a freezing tray and can be stacked on top of each other to save space. Clear lids and container bodies allow you to see what’s inside, and measurement markings make portioning a breeze. All that’s left to do is get busy in the kitchen!
Bubs Organic Apple and Barley Lactose-Free Toothy Rusks
PRICE: $4 for a box of 12
WHERE TO BUY: Bubs Australia
Starting solids at around 6 months often coincides with teething and a great snack (combined with teething aide) are rusks!
We love Bubs Organic Apple and Barley Lactose-Free Toothy Rusks, they’re naturally flavoured with organic apple, contain organic multigrain and are fortified with iron. They’re also hard baked to help your bub develop not only healthy little teeth but strong jaw muscles too. Handy for keeping in your baby bag when a snack on the go is required!
Finally, expect gut and nappy changes
Yep. The nappies are something else when your bub starts solids. What goes in must come out. And then there are little pockets of uncomfortable gassy air too. Here’s a great video from Solid Starts on how massage can relieve your bub of gassy pain and make them more comfortable.
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There you have it, folks, all of our favourite things to kick off starting solids in 2022! For more information on starting solids and weaning, check out these posts below.
