Starting solid foods has traditionally followed a trajectory of spoon-fed purees that slowly advance to finger foods. Baby-led weaning, which has been gaining popularity in recent years, advocates for the opposite: go right to finger foods. Whether or not baby-led weaning is right for you boils down to this preference: should you skip purees?
A bit of context
Spoon-fed purees make sense as a universal rule of thumb when considering parents were once told to start solid foods as early as six weeks old (an outdated guideline that is no longer best practice). With current evidence and updated guidelines, starting solids is now more of a six-month milestone. Older babies can sit upright, reach for food, and bring it to their mouths. This makes adult-led spoon-feeding less relevant, as a later start means babies are more capable of self-feeding and exploring various textures.
Are there benefits to starting with purees?
Yes! While baby-led weaning de-emphasizes purees, it’s not to say that purees are bad. Purees can be a great beginner texture, offering your baby important sensory exposure to varying flavors. However, it will be important not to stall out on purees for too long, which becomes a time-opportunity cost to mixing up the texture. Babies benefit from a variety of flavors and textures as they build their chewing skills.
Are there benefits to skipping purees?
Widely-shared benefits of starting with finger foods include:
Advanced oral skills. Finger foods help babies learn to chew safely.
Less logistics. With baby-led weaning, babies can often eat what the family is having. There is no extra step of making pureed blends.
Is it safe to skip purees?
Baby-led weaning is not an “anything goes” approach to mealtime. A great deal of knowledge and consideration has been given to the size, shape, and texture of foods as they relate to choking hazards. Finger foods are only served to baby in a way that matches their oral skills. For example, raw chunks of apple or whole grapes would never be appropriate to offer. Instead, steamed, soft apple slices or quartered grapes could be offered.
While you might save time avoiding the blender with purees, you still have to learn how to safely modify and plate finger foods.
It’s not an “either-or”
You don’t have to choose between only purees and only finger foods. Many families merge the two and simply offer a bit of both from the start. Learning about baby-led weaning can be relevant for all families since a later start to solid foods inevitably means a sooner progression into varying textures!