{"id":25743,"date":"2015-02-20T07:08:58","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T12:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=25743"},"modified":"2023-12-30T18:31:47","modified_gmt":"2023-12-30T23:31:47","slug":"baby-led-weaning-a-blended-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/baby-led-weaning-a-blended-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Led Weaning: A Blended Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is brought to you by a Healthy Slice of Life Sponsor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love getting emails from y’all and use them as a compass to guide me towards topics you find interesting. One of the most common topics I get questions about it baby-led weaning<\/a>. Obviously, we as parents care a whole lot about our children. How to introduce solid foods is a big question in many new mom’s minds, and concerns about safety is definitely a top runner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 6 months old, the gag reflex in babies is located further forward on the tongue. This acts as a natural safe-guard against choking, as the baby is more apt to gag (which is not choking) and spit out a food that he or she is not prepared to handle before it gets to the back of the throat. Because of this, learning to eat solid foods closer to 6 months of age can actually be safer than delaying it a few months when the gag reflex has moved further back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, I get a lot of emails asking if it is OK to take a blended approach to introducing solids. The answer is NO<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>I’m kidding (winky face).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is that you should do what makes the most sense for you and your family and for some moms, that means taking a blended approach between traditional spoon-feeding and baby-led weaning.<\/p>\n\n\n

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With Kaitlyn (and Hailey) I took a direct baby-led weaning approach, starting with baked sweet potato slices and steamed broccoli florets. However, Kaitlyn has experienced a spoon before, as I’ve helped her eat yogurt a few times, and she’s even slurped down a few purees (how many people are kicking themselves for not creating the genius little pouches or fruit and veggie puree? Just me?). I keep pouches in my purse at all times in case Kaitlyn needs a snack on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly I’m not opposed to more spoon-friendly foods and think that a blended approach to introducing solids can be a great method if it helps mom and dad feel more comfortable with the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever approach you take, I do think that sticking with whole foods is a great idea.  For that reason, I was impressed when Plum Organics<\/a> sent me their new line of Hello Meals to check out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are made entirely of real food, which you can see by reading the ingredient list or you can just look directly at the mix. Hello broccoli!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Plum Organics, a brand I trust and that I’ve used since Hailey was a baby, recently released a new option for babies that are 6 months and older called Hello Meals<\/a>. They are made with whole grains, real fruits and veggies and a hint of herb or spice. I’m talking REAL food like oats, quinoa, spinach, basil, pumpkin, chia seeds, banana and more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s simple to add a bit of hot water, stir and in a few minutes you have a complete meal for your baby that is certified organic and nutrient-dense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally I loved that there is still some texture to the meal too. If you are uncomfortable starting with a piece of steamed broccoli, I think this is a great middle ground, as your baby will still get to experience texture beyond a super smooth puree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On their website, Plum Organics has some great videos<\/a> showing how easy it is to mix in additional foods to create an endless combinations of nutritious meals from one of their 2 dinner or 2 breakfast combinations. I loved that concept and thought how great the mixes would be to keep on hand as a base for more advanced baby-led weaning meals, like muffins.<\/p>\n\n\n

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When I saw the Apple Cinnamon and Quinoa Oatmeal<\/a> pouch, I immediately thought of muffins. Easy to assemble, perfect for little hands to hold and packed full of goodness, including added protein and fat of an egg.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Three little muffins means that breakfast is covered for a day or two and I felt good knowing how these were full of real food<\/em>, nothing artificial.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Without any added sugars, these muffins are not very sweet, which I prefer for baby meals.<\/p>\n\n\nPrint<\/a><\/span>

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