How to Start Baby Led Weaning

What Is Baby Led Weaning?

Baby-led weaning is an approach to introducing solid foods where babies feed themselves from the beginning. Instead of being spoon-fed purees, babies are offered soft foods that they can hold and eat independently.

In BLW, babies typically:

• • eat soft finger foods
• • sit with the family during meals
• • explore textures and flavors
• • continue drinking breast milk or formula

Many families combine BLW with traditional feeding methods, offering both finger foods and spoon-fed foods.

Signs Your Baby Is Ready for Baby Led Weaning

Most babies are ready to start solids around 6 months of age, but developmental readiness matters more than age alone.

Your baby may be ready when they:

• • can sit upright with minimal support
• • hold their head steady
• • show interest in food
• • bring objects to their mouth
• • lose the tongue-thrust reflex

If your baby shows these signs, you can begin introducing solid foods.

You can also explore first foods for babies here.

Best First Foods for Baby Led Weaning

When starting BLW, choose foods that are soft, easy to grasp, and safe for babies to chew with their gums.

Common first foods include:

• • avocado slices
• • banana sticks
• • steamed broccoli
• • roasted sweet potato
• • soft carrot sticks
• • scrambled eggs
• • soft fruits like mango or pear

See the full list of beginner foods here.

How to Prepare Foods Safely

Food preparation is one of the most important parts of baby-led weaning.

Foods should be:

• • soft enough to mash between fingers
• • cut into large pieces babies can hold
• • free of small hard pieces

For example:

• • bananas → cut into long sticks
• • avocado → sliced or mashed
• • broccoli → large soft florets

You can learn proper preparation here.

Example First Baby Led Weaning Meals

Here are simple first meal ideas:

You can find more ideas here: baby breakfast recipes, baby lunch recipesYou can find more ideas here:

Common Baby Led Weaning Mistakes

Many parents worry about making mistakes when starting BLW. Some common things to avoid include:

• • offering foods that are too hard
• • cutting foods into small choking-hazard pieces
• • expecting babies to eat large amounts early on
• • introducing too many new foods at once

Remember that early meals are mostly about learning and exploration.

❓Frequently Asked Questions