#99: Why bigger pieces of food can be safer for baby led weaning

Baby uses palmar grasp to pick up finger foods for baby led weaning.

On this episode of the podcast, I’m teaching you about why the size of finger foods for baby led weaning is so important. There literally can’t be a “one size fits all” approach to preparing finger foods for your baby. Texture of foods and the development of various oral motor skills have to be considered as well. Understanding why larger pieces of food are often safer for your baby, not to mention easier for your baby to move around in their mouth, is key to seeing progression with baby led weaning, and in preventing choking. 

Whenever I show pictures of baby led weaning finger foods for 6 months, I hear from a lot of concerned parents that the large size of the foods will cause their baby to choke. When in reality, small pieces of food are more likely to be choked on – especially in the beginning. I think we have this picture in our head of our parents and grandparents, and maybe even us with our older kids, cutting up their food so they can eat bite sized pieces and more easily chew them. What we’re forgetting is that babies are brand new to this! They don’t know how to move that tiny piece of food around in their mouth, they don’t have molars to chew it with, or even know how to move their mouth in a way that would grind down that tiny bit of food. Older kids will because they have experience on their side! This is not to say that babies need teeth or to know how to do all those chewing motions to have finger foods – not at all (they have to start somewhere!). We just have to know how to prepare food safely for them, which is why often bigger pieces of food are perfect as baby led weaning starter foods

Listen in to hear more about how I recommend you prepare baby led weaning starter foods, and if there are any exceptions to the rule of offering larger sized pieces in the beginning.

Leave a review and win! 

Help The My Little Eater Podcast hit #1 on the charts and reach even more parents who may need some extra help when it comes to feeding their little ones!  All you need to do is head over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a quick review about what you loved about this episode, or a previous one. Thanks so much in advance for your continued support.

As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a 15 minute call with me where you can ask me anything about feeding. Just make sure to leave your Instagram handle so I can find you if you’re the lucky winner!



Listen on Apple Podcasts                 ♥ Listen on Spotify                 ♥ Listen on Google Podcasts


 

Additional Resources:

TEXTURE TIMELINE CHALLENGE: https://mylittleeater.com/texture-timeline-challenge-live

If you’re ready to jump into starting solids with your little one, and want to learn more about how to do baby led weaning and purees, or maybe you want to learn about spoon-feeding your baby, self-feeding, and when to stop purees, enroll in my Texture Timeline™ Challenge! It kicks off February 23rd, 2022 and runs for 5 days with live support from me every single day!

BABY LED FEEDING ONLINE COURSE: https://mylittleeater.com/baby-led-feeding/

Starting solids isn’t meant to be just another thing you have to stress over as a parent – it’s supposed to be fun! So, let me help you keep it that way and ensure you raise a baby who loves all food! My Baby Led Feeding Online Course will help you start solids with confidence, ensuring you have the knowledge to gently push your baby through textures to prevent picky eating and be healthy in all aspects!

If you’re looking to start solids with your baby, then you need to get the gear! Head over to Bumkins to grab some of my favourite feeding supplies, like their long-sleeved bib, chewtensils, or one of their first feeding sets – perfect for starting solids with your little eater! And make sure you use my code at checkout for 15% off your purchase.

BUMKINS DISCOUNT CODE (15% OFF): MYLITTLEEATER15

https://www.bumkins.com/

Skip To…

Why small pieces of food are difficult for a baby to handle (3:35)

Why you also need to consider the texture of finger foods (6:42)

Why some babies struggle with softer textures (10:10)

Why larger pieces of food may be more difficult to choke on (12:15)

SHARE THIS POST

meet edwena

Registered pediatric dietitian, mom of two picky-turned-adventurous eater, and the creator of the Texture Timeline™ – an exclusive tool to help move your baby through easy to more advanced purees and finger foods to prevent picky eating.

You may also like...

115 first foods list for baby

Baby's
115 First Foods
Checklist

60 Day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan

MLE app preview

My Little Eater App (for apple/android)

JOIN THE Free Workshop

Baby Led Weaning
(But Make It Purees!)

Get our proven, step-by-step plan for transitioning your baby from Purees to Finger Foods, texture by texture, so you can ease your fears about choking and gagging, all while helping your little eater develop their eating skills and an adventurous appetite.

Plus get The Texture Timeline™ Starter Guide for free when you stay until the end of the workshop. This tool breaks down the 4 phases, what kinds of foods to safely feed your baby during each phase, and when to progress to the next phase.

scared to transition to finger foods?

Scroll to Top