What is baby led weaning?
Baby led weaning (sometimes called BLW) is a process of transitioning bub from exclusively breastfeeding to eating solids.
Traditionally this method bypasses the puree stage completely—meaning no mashed up banana or pumpkin.
Baby led weaning means your little one jumps straight to finger foods, learning how to chew (or more likely gum) their foods independently.
That being said you can use both methods together, it is about what works for you.
Benefits of baby led weaning:
According to research and devoted advocates of this method, BLW advantages include:
- Encouraging babies to become familiar with different textures and flavours, which may mean that they will be more open to a healthy, varied diet. Some studies have indicated that babies who are exposed to common allergens like peanut products and fish may be less likely to develop food allergies later in life. However, you should always be cautious when introducing allergen-prone foods—your paediatrician can give you specific advice on how to do so safely.
- Reducing the risk of childhood obesity by promoting appetite self-regulation. Rather than the traditional method in which parents spoon feed and babies may be encouraged to ignore feelings of fullness, baby led weaning lets little ones choose how much to eat based on their own hunger levels.
- Promoting fine motor skill development, by encouraging babies to practice manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination skills.
- Making life easier for parents, because your baby will mostly eat what you eat, there’s no need to make specialised puréed meals.
When to start baby led weaning:
In general, experts believe that the best time to start baby-led weaning is about 6 months of age.
This is a general recommendation because by this age, your baby can probably sit up by themselves, and grab and hold onto objects around them.
They’ve likely grown out of the tongue-thrust reflex (which would cause them to push foreign substances out of their mouth) and their intestines have developed the enzymes they need to properly absorb solid foods.
When it comes to baby led weaning, it’s in the name—let your little one lead by paying close attention to when they start showing an interest in your food.
A step-by-step guide to baby led weaning
Even without teeth, you’ll likely be surprised by your baby’s ability to chow down. After all, where there’s a will, there’s a way—and curious, hungry babies will find a way.
Here’s how to approach baby led weaning:
- Continue to nurse or bottle feed, since babies get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula in their first year of life.
- Keep it soft. The food’s texture should mush between your fingers—this is the best way to check if baby’s developing gums will cope. Stay away from hard or crunchy foods like apples or carrots.
- Prepare the baby led weaning foods properly. For 6-month-olds who are just beginning solids, offer thick strips or sticks of food that they can grasp in their fist and gnaw on from the top. Once they develop their pincer grasp—typically around 9 months—you can start cutting food into small, bite-sized pieces that are easy for them to pick up and eat independently.
- Eat together. This is one of the major advantages of baby led weaning. If you’re eating tuna and pasta, then baby can join you. This lets little one see you eating, and encourages them to do the same.
- Offer variety. Like adults, babies won’t like everything but give them a chance to try as much as possible by serving up foods with different colours and textures, while aiming to include one high-iron food per meal.
Best baby led weaning first foods
The idea behind baby led weaning is that most foods can be BLW foods, as long as they are soft and cut into small, manageable bites.
Your paediatrician can guide you on baby-led weaning starter foods, and give you advice if you have any concerns about how much or little your baby is eating.
Here are some baby led weaning ideas:
Fruits
- Sliced bananas
- Sliced strawberries
- Coconut strips
- Smashed blueberries
- Soft peach or nectarine slices
- Steamed and peeled apple slices
- Sliced avocado
- Steamed and peeled pears
Vegetables
- Steamed sweet potato
- Capsicum strips
- Wilted spinach or kale
- Corn kernels
- Steamed carrot strips
- Steamed green beans
- Sliced tomato
- Steamed broccoli
- Steamed zucchini
- Steamed beetroot
- Sauteed mushrooms
Proteins
- Hard boiled or scrambled eggs
- Shredded chicken
- Shredded beef
- Mashed beans or lentils
- Baked fish (make sure to remove any bones)
- Hummus
- Tofu strips
- Smooth peanut butter on a spoon
Grains
- Whole grain pita strips
- Whole grain English muffin strips
- Whole wheat pasta, cooked until very soft
- Whole grain pancake strips
- Polenta fingers
- Sticky rice balls
Dairy
- Plain yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Swiss and cheddar cheese
When it comes to baby led weaning meals, you don’t need to add salt, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, as they offer no nutritional benefits.
In fact, they can mask the natural flavours of foods—and research suggests that babies don’t have a preference for them anyway.
Regularly using salt or sugar can also lead to a long-term preference for salty or sugary foods. However, it’s perfectly fine to season meals with herbs and spices—your baby might even enjoy the extra flavour.
Common concerns and myths about baby led weaning
Of course, the most common concern is choking. It goes without saying that you should keep a very close eye on your little one as you start to introduce solids.
Bear in mind that gagging is common in the first months of solids—it’s a safety response to the food being too far back in baby’s throat, and it’s normal.
When babies gag, they’re handling the issue themselves, and it’s best to stay calm and wait for it to pass. Gagging may look like coughing, and they make a little noise.
On the other hand, a choking child will look scared, be unable to breathe, and make no noise, or gasp and wheeze.
To manage the risk of choking, you should:
- Avoid serving any foods that are choking hazards—particularly nuts, grapes, cherries, cherry tomatoes, raw vegetables, hot dogs, large chunks of meat or cheese, fish with bones, popcorn, granola bars, and pretzels.
- Never let your baby eat unattended.
- Keep baby sitting upright while eating, and don’t let them crawl or recline while eating.
- Watch carefully for allergic reactions, especially when serving fish or nut butters. Most experts agree that it’s in baby’s best interest to try common allergens at this age, but it’s still imperative to keep an eye out for signs of a reaction—this might mean hives, skin swelling, tongue swelling, sneezing, wheezing, throat tightness, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and stomach pains.
- Give all caregivers the same baby led weaning advice, so everyone is on the same page.
- Take an infant CPR class so you’re prepared if anything should happen.
Baby led weaning vs traditional weaning
Baby-led weaning (BLW) and traditional weaning take different approaches to introducing solids. With BLW, babies skip purees and spoon-feeding, instead feeding themselves soft, appropriately sized finger foods from the start. This method encourages independence, fine motor skills, and self-regulation of appetite.
Traditional weaning, on the other hand, starts with spoon-fed purees before gradually introducing lumpier textures and then finger foods. This approach allows parents to control portions and ensure their baby is eating enough, though it may take longer for little ones to transition to self-feeding.
Both methods can work well—it’s all about what suits your baby and family best. Some parents even choose a combination of both.
Baby led weaning recipes and meal ideas
When you’re looking for recipes, remember that all babies are different and the right recipes largely depend on your baby’s age.
As a parent, you’ll know how quickly they can change and there might be a big difference between appropriate baby led weaning recipes 6 months and appropriate baby led weaning recipes 7 months.
However, here are some general ideas.
Baby led weaning breakfast
- Banana Pancakes: For easy baby led weaning pancakes, mash 1 ripe banana, mix with 1 egg and a sprinkle of cinnamon, then cook in a pan until golden.
- Avocado Toast Soldiers: Spread mashed avocado on wholegrain toast and cut into strips.
- Scrambled Eggs: Lightly scramble eggs and serve in soft clumps for easy grabbing.
Baby led weaning lunch
- Zucchini Fritters: Grate 1 zucchini, mix with an egg and a little flour, then pan-fry in small dollops until crispy.
- Veggie Pasta: Cook soft pasta shapes and toss with mashed roasted sweet potato or a mild tomato sauce.
- Hummus and Veggie Sticks: Serve hummus with steamed carrot, cucumber, and bell pepper strips.
Baby led weaning dinner
- Salmon and Sweet Potato Patties: Mix cooked salmon with mashed sweet potato and form into small patties, then pan-fry lightly.
- Chicken and Avocado Quesadilla: Mash avocado onto a tortilla, add shredded chicken, fold, and grill before cutting into strips.
- Soft Meatballs: Combine minced beef or turkey with grated zucchini, roll into small balls, and bake until tender.
Baby led weaning snacks
- Greek Yogurt with Berries: Serve plain yogurt with mashed or soft whole berries.
- Cheese and Wholegrain Crackers: Offer small cubes of cheese with soft, low-salt crackers.
- Steamed Apple Slices: Gently steam apple slices until soft enough to squish between fingers.
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By John Zakharia
March 31, 2025
March 31, 2025
After years of working with digital products for both startups and larger organisations, John made a shift to focus on Nursery Furniture, cot, and the family business in general. Now, as a parent himself, the opportunity to support expecting parents is what truly excites him.
