WITH BOTH OF my two boys, it felt like we were just getting into our stride with breastfeeding when suddenly, they hit 26 weeks and it was time to introduce solids.
But whether you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding, combination feeding or formula, entering the world of weaning – and all the choices available – can feel pretty daunting. What’s the best high chair? What bowls will keep them from flinging food to the ceiling? What do I really need to buy?
I was so daunted with my first child weaning that I met up with two other lovely mums who I met on an Irish baby led weaning group, and they talked me through some basic kit essentials and starting recipes.
I felt a bit stumped trying to figure out what meals would work for our whole family, so for food pointers I absolutely love Baby Led Feeding, My Fussy Eater, My Kids Lick The Bowl, My Lovely Little Lunchbox, and Annabel Karmel.
In the spirit of paying it forward, here’s everything I found handy, product-wise, when getting started with my little foodies…
1. A sturdy highchair: preferably one with a dishwasher-safe tray
If money had been no option, I’d have bought a Stokke Tripp Trapp – easy to clean, sleek design and grows with the child but since it retails at around €200, it felt like a splurge too far. Instead, we opted for Ikea’s award-winning (and distinctly more wallet-friendly) ANTILOP highchair – and I love it. Now into its fifth year of service and its second child, and it’s still going.
It’s easy to clean because the seat and tray are dishwasher safe. Unlike many other brands, it isn’t the size of a small armchair, which makes it easy to store. And you can either use the tray or have baby up at the table. For €15, it’s hard to beat.
2. Plastic tablecloth: wipe-clean and cheap as chips
One of the simplest and cheapest purchases I’d recommend is a plastic tablecloth. Cut it into smaller squares and pop under the highchair or seat. That way, food isn’t falling directly onto the floor so it can be offered again, saved for later, or easily cleaned away.
3. Silicon suction tray: meaning no plates are needed
I have yet to discover a suction bowl that my kids couldn’t prise from its moorings, but I bought a mat (like this one) and it’s been fab. Not only does it keep things separate on the tray (something both my boys seemed to favour) but, with the recent news that most restaurant high chairs have more germs on them than a public loo, it’s a good option for eating on the go.
4. Silicon mini-muffin trays: for easy portioning
There are few things that I’ve used as much as my mini-muffin tray, from freezing portions of yogurt into buttons for my teething tot to suck on, to making baby-sized sweet and savoury snacks. Mum-of-three and author of The Baby Led Feeding cookbook, Aileen Cox-Blundell agrees: “Silicon trays don’t stick and last forever. They’re also great for freezing baby sized portions of sauces, dips and soups, too.”
5. Freezer bags: handy for batch cooking
Batch cooking is your best weaning friend. Freeze portions in the muffin tray, then pop them into a freezer bag for individual meals down the line.
6. Shape cutters: to make veggies and fruit more appealing for your picky eaters
Here’s a weird fact: my boys, ages one and five, will still eat cucumber when it is cut into star or heart shapes, but not when chopped in sticks. Go figure. Shape cutters can help your kids muster a little extra enthusiasm for foods they’d otherwise ignore.
7. Long sleeved bibs: for damage control
You’ll probably still be wiping avocado from their crotch and washing bolognese out of their hair, but a good long-sleeved bib definitely helps minimise the damage. These bibs from Dunnes are cheap, cute, and don’t come with the dreaded pocket of doom that some bibs have.
8. A reliable grater and blender: for disguising veggies
Yes, it would be marvelous if your child delighted in the sight of a bit of courgette, but alas, this isn’t always the case. But with a bit of cunning (like a grater and a blender) you can hide courgette and carrot in pizza sauce, avocados and spinach in smoothies, and carrots in ice-lollies – and no child need ever know.
1. Chicco Booster Seat: recommended by a friend with a tiny kitchen/dining area
A great (but often overlooked) option is to forgo the highchair altogether. “High chairs take up so much space, especially when you have a small dining room, so I found our Chicco Booster Seat amazing,” says Cox-Blundell. She explained:
It straps onto a regular chair so your baby is sitting right up at the dinner table with the rest of the family, It’s also super quick to clean and you can bring it anywhere as it folds down.
2. A baby food masher: not just a gimmick, promise
There’s a wealth of dedicated baby weaning clobber out there and frankly, a lot of it is probably unnecessary. But don’t dismiss it all – some can genuinely make life easier – like a baby food masher. “A really useful item I bought in my weaning haul was this Annabel Karmel by Nuk Masher and Bowl set,” says Niamh O’Reilly from The Mammy Blog.
It was super handy to mash everything from bananas, to avocados, to veggies in a flash – instead of getting out a big masher or processor. It’s particularly good when you want to introduce a little more texture down the line, rather than just purees. In fact, I still use it to mash avocados to this day if I’m ever making guacamole!
3. A spoon that will check food temps: to minimise the risk of burning
Many parents are afraid of burning their baby’s mouth with food that’s too hot, which prompted the Irish company Mummy Cooks to launch the ThermoSpoon to ensure what you’re sticking in baby’s mouth isn’t too hot, particularly when it comes to milk, first foods and purees.
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