How to cut food for baby led weaning is one of the most important aspects of BLW. When introducing solid finger foods, we need to make sure they are easily grasped as well as safe to eat. Keep reading for some guidelines on how to cut baby finger foods and preparing food for baby led weaning.
Cutting Food for Baby Led Weaning
When I first started baby led weaning, cutting and preparing the food was the most daunting task. Too small, not soft enough, not the right shape – these all seemed like issues I would inevitably hit.
Thankfully, it was much easier than I thought!
I’ve compiled some tips and tricks for what to look for when making food for BLW and am sharing with you here today!
As always.- it’s smart to brush up on your baby first aid before beginning any type of solids.
General Guidelines for preparing food for baby:
- 1-2 finger widths
- Double the length of baby’s fist
- Soft enough to mush with gentle pressure from your fingers
Basically, you want it wide enough that the baby can pick it up, long enough that it comes out of their fist when they grab it, and soft enough to eat with no teeth.
To be extra safe, especially in the beginning, my personal guideline for softness was/is if I could smush it on the roof of my mouth with my tongue.
Read More: How to prepare for baby led weaning
How to cut foods for BLW:
It can vary by age how to cut finger foods for baby, as well as by item.
6-9 Months
Everything should be soft and in long sticks. This is because the pincer grip is not yet honed, so they need to be able to hold it between their 4 fingers and palm.
- For a banana, leave on the peel and cut down just enough to reveal the fruit.
- For avocado, cut a wedge and leave on the peel.
- With apples, cut into 8ths, remove seeds, and steam or bake until very soft.
- For carrots, peel and steam the whole carrot.
- For zucchini, squash, or cucumbers, quarters lengthwise. You can serve baked, steamed, or raw.
- When serving sweet potato, cut into large, thick sticks and bake or steam.
- For broccoli, cut the top and stalk to create a lollipop type vegetable and steam.
- For eggs, I like to make a quiche type thing in a pan then cut into strips. Another option is cutting a hard-boiled egg into 4ths lengthwise.
- Finally, with meat, cut into strips unless it can be shredded.
9-12 months
This is generally when the pincer grip starts to show, so try honing it with food! Cut food into small cubes. Still avoid whole nuts and seeds. (thinned out nut butter is great, though, as is a thin coat of nut butter on crackers or bread.)
- For blueberries, cut into 4ths. For large blueberries, cut into 8ths.
- For beans, gently smash individually with your finger.
- For grapes, cut into 8ths.
Remember that popcorn is recommended to avoid until the age of 4!
How to cut specific foods
To help you all, we’ve worked hard to create posts on how to serve specific fruits and vegetables for BLW. Here are some:
- Baby led weaning apples
- Bananas for Baby Led Weaning
- How to Serve Raspberries for Babies
- Baby Led Weaning Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes for Baby Led Weaning
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