First Foods: Baby Led Weaning With My Vegan Child

When my daughter was born, I was so excited to make my own “baby food”. In preparation for pureeing my own organic fruits and vegies, I registered and received the Baby Bullet complete food prep system and the steamer. I grew up seeing babies spoon fed out of jars, I did the same thing with my baby dolls when I was little, so this was obviously the only option, so I thought. One day someone opened my eyes to the wonders of Baby Led Weaning (BLW). BLW is basically by passing the purees and going right to age appropriate solid foods. This does not necessarily mean you will be handing your six month old a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but you will be introducing fruits and vegetables, whether your child is vegan or not, that are the appropriate size and texture.

When To Start BLW

Recent studies show that children are not ready for food of any kind until six months of age. This is also the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. This is in large part due to the fact that your babies intestines have not matured enough to function fully prior to six months and that not every child has the ability to swallow food correctly before this time due to their tongue-thrust reflex. Other signs of readiness include:

Children should able a to sit up and hold their head up on their own before introducing any first foods.
Loss of tongue-thrust reflex where babies will push food right out of their mouths.
Your child is willing and able to chew.
Your child is developing a pincer grasp where they can pick up food with their thumb and forefinger. The pincer grasp is not usually mastered until 9 months or older, so I used finger sized foods until that time.
Your child is showing interest in food and may try to grab at food.

Please note that children may do some of these things prior to six months, but it is not recommended that you introduce solid or puree foods to your child until they are at least six months of age.

What Should Your Child Eat

Some people are comfortable giving their children anything off their plate when they start BLW. I chose to start with a progression of fruits and vegetables when we first began this adventure. Some of my little ones first foods included cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, avocado, cucumber, steamed carrots, boiled potatoes, and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. The biggest consideration was making sure that the food we gave our daughter was the correct size and consistency.

Size: Food should be cut finger length so your child can easily grasp the food in the beginning. If your child has mastered the pincer grip, you can use smaller pieces. Using finger-sized food makes it easier for your child to pick up and hold their food, and it eliminates frustration that can turn a happy mealtime into a meltdown.
Consistency: First foods should be soft. Think steamed vegetables and ripened avocado or melon. As we progressed through BLW with our daughter, we began introducing foods such as strips of toast with avocado and spiral pasta, like fusilli.

Once the pincer grasp was taking form, we started introducing a wider variety of food, including brown rice, peas, beans, and legumes. We also introduced spoon fed foods that she could feed herself, like applesauce, oatmeal, and coconut or soy based yogurt.

Gagging & Choking

Never leave your child alone while eating. BLW can be a little nerve wrecking in the beginning when your child is mastering the art of chewing and swallowing. There were definitely moments where we thought we were going to have to yank her out of her chair and perform the Heimlich because she was choking. What she was actually doing was gagging, which is very common in the beginning of BLW if you start at six months. This is due to the fact that a babies gag reflex is much closer to the front of their mouth than ours. With gagging, baby will make a sound of either coughing or gagging that indicates they are trying to get the food out of their mouth. As hard as it is, it is better to not intervene. By trying to get the food out of their mouths, the food can slip into their throats and cause your child to choke. Your child can naturally get the food up and out when they are gagging, and will usually be unfazed and start right into eating the next piece like nothing ever happened. Meanwhile, you are sitting there with your heart pounding wondering how many years that one moment took off your life.

Choking is another ball game all together. When a child is choking they do not make a sound because the airway is blocked by the food that has gotten stuck in their throat. This is one of the main reasons why you should never leave your child alone while eating. Choking is another reason why becoming infant CPR certified is great for parents, so you know how to react if this situation occurs. Choking is not common in BLW, but it can happen. Avoiding foods like nuts, whole grapes, and popcorn are ways to keep your child safe while eating.

BLW is not for everyone, but it was a perfect fit for our family. We started when our daughter was six months old, and she has done great with it. I attribute her good eating habits to BLW. At 20 months old, she enjoys hummus on pita, avocado on toast, lentils, beans, brown rice, tortillas, mangos, vegetable sushi, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. She also eats smart dogs, quinoa burgers, guacamole, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and bagels. We have introduced a wide variety of vegan, plant-based foods to her over this past year, and although her tastes run in waves, she eats a wide array of healthy foods.

BLW takes patience, a good sense of humor, and an understanding that beginning foods are really for experimenting and tasting. In the beginning, I always nursed my daughter before we sat down for a meal so I knew she was still getting the most important nutrition form me, and so that she wouldn’t get hungry and frustrated while exploring new tastes and textures. Keep your camera handy for all of those cute, and sometimes messy, new food moments, invest in a drop cloth to go under your child’s highchair, and enjoy watching your child discover new things.

Love, Laughter & Light,