Introducing your child’s first foods? Be prepared with this handy kit
Now the adventure really starts! Introducing solid foods to your little one is a lot of fun as they adjust to new tastes and textures, and you discover lots of new facial expressions you didn’t know your child had. We have put together a handy list of a child’s first food essential items to help with weaning.
Handy kit
- If you decide to start with purees, a blender or hand-held blender can make things a lot easier.
- Hand-held mashers and sieves are also good for purees — and they’ll give you a work-out!
- Plastic bowls suitable for the dishwasher, microwave, and freezer. The ones with suction cups on the bottom can help cover off the food-throwing phase.
- Small, smooth round-tipped plastic or rubber spoons — these are gentle on your child’s delicate mouth and gums.
- You might want to buy a spoon with a long handle for getting into jars.
- For the tech fans, you can get spoons that change color if the food is too hot, although you should still always double check the temperature first.
- Wipe clean plastic bibs can help cut down on outfit changes. Weaning is messy — little children like to play with food, it’s all part of the fun.
- Cloth bibs are handy to wipe up messy chops — buy a few though to rotate with the laundry.
- An apron to keep your clothes nice and clean.
- Ice cube trays to freeze portions of purees and freezer bags to store the cubes — great for batch cooking.
- Sippy cup or beaker. Free-flowing spouts (without a valve) helps to protect teeth. Be prepared for little spillages.
- Reusable pouches are great for when you’re out and about — fill them with your own homemade purees.
- Children’s bowls with tight-fitting lids are essential when you’re on the go with your little one.
- Larger plastic bowls for stage 3 weaning — ideally get a couple with dividing compartments.
- Children’s highchair — look for one with strong straps, which is easy to fold away, has easy to clean removable tray, covers, and cushions, and adjustable height settings for when your child grows. There are loads of high-quality, barely used weaning items on local Facebook groups and Freecycle if you want to try second hand.
- A feeding schedule stuck on the fridge to track what your little one has tried, and how often. It can take up to eight tries for your child to get used to a new flavour, so don’t give up.
- Children’s booster seat. For when your child is older, a child’s booster seat ties to your own chairs meaning you can enjoy mealtimes together.
- Messy mats or a shower curtain. Not essential but if your child is fond of throwing food, you may be thankful for one of these. Did we mention that weaning is messy?!
- Now you’ve got the kit, read our checklist on how and when to start complementary feeding.
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