Baby-Led-Weaning During the Holidays
It’s November, which means we’re about to be in the thick of holiday season! If you’ve got a little babe ready to start solids, it can be overwhelming knowing what is safe for them to enjoy and how exactly to serve your holiday favorites to them. If you need some one-on-one guidance, you can always reach out to a pediatric feeding specialist or postpartum doula with infant feeding experience, but here is a little baby-led-weaning guide for your next family dinner!
Before we dive into the good stuff, here are some safety tips to keep in mind:
Foods with common allergens like dairy, tree nuts, and wheat should be introduced by themselves first before being introduced in combination with other ingredients
Avoid honey and anything sweetened with honey until after 1 year of age
Reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses by avoiding cured, raw, rare, and undercooked meats as well as food that has sat at room temperature for longer than two hours
Pull the baby’s high chair up to the table, so they (and you) can feel included in the dinner festivities
What & how to serve holiday foods to your babies:
Turkey drumstick - Remove cartilage, loose fat, and skin to minimize choking risk, and make sure the bone is firm. Alternatively, you can remove all the meat to use just the drumstick as a teether, or offer strips of turkey meat the size of two adult fingers to allow your baby to practice gnawing and tearing. Drumsticks are a great baby-led-weaning option as babies can easily hold it and move it around their mouths.
Sweet potato/potatoes - Large wedges cooked until soft or mashed potatoes are great and nutritious options for your baby to enjoy! With sweet potato casserole, make sure to remove choking hazards like marshmallows or sugar crumbles. You can let baby scoop potatoes with their hands or let them practice feeding themselves with a spoon.
Green beans - Serve big, whole, cooked green beans to baby and let them explore the taste and texture. Green beans are rich in fiber, water, and multiple different vitamins making them an amazing and nutritious holiday option.
Cranberry sauce - While fresh cranberries are a choking hazard, most store-bought or homemade cranberry sauces are safe and a great way to introduce tart flavors to your baby. Make sure the sauce is cooked down until soft.
Pie - A bite or two of your favorite pie is a great way to make sure your baby is included in the best parts of the holiday season. As long as the desert is free of honey, a little sugar won’t hurt them! Offer some of the soft filling and allow them to scoop with their hands or explore with a spoon. Make sure to remove choking hazards like nuts, and thin sticky parts with water or milk. Avoid thick, firm chunks of pie crust as well, but feel free to crumble a little bit into the serving of pie filling you give them.
Happy solids, friends! We hope you have a safe and fulfilling holiday season full of delicious and nutritious favorites.
