In the blink of an eye, your little one is six-months-old, starting to wean, and is ready for solid food. At this stage, exposing your baby's taste buds to a variety of food with different tastes and textures is an important step because it builds the foundation of having a healthy, balanced diet in the future.
But how should you prepare food for your baby when first introducing solids? What are baby-led weaning benefits? What kind of food should you get? Will you go the traditional weaning or baby-led weaning route?
As a new parent, you might be unsure of what to look for when buying your baby's first solid food. Don’t worry! We are here to help you figure out baby-led weaning benefits and what to check when buying your's baby first solid food.
Baby-Led Weaning Benefits And Criteria Of Buying And Preparing First Baby Solid Foods
Whether you're going traditional or following baby-led weaning benefits, the criteria is the same when it comes to choosing the first baby food to prepare. Here are a few things to consider:
Quality Ingredients
- First baby solid foods should be made from whole foods containing a wide range of vitamins and minerals that are important for overall development.
Nutritional content
- Avoid added salt and sugar. Added salt and sugar can accumulate quickly. Too much salt may be harmful for babies’ immature kidneys as the kidneys are unable to get rid of the excess salt. Meanwhile, too much sugar will hinder babies’ teeth development. It can also cause a baby to develop a ‘sweet tooth’ from a young age, which is not ideal for building the foundation of a balanced diet.
- Avoid artificial ingredients (colouring, preservatives, flavouring) because these can trigger allergies and irritation, potentially impairing future development of babies.
Ease of preparation
- Parents often juggle caretaking and working. Looking for products which require minimal preparation time while delivering maximum benefits for your baby frees up a lot of time and you can rest assured that your baby’s nutritional needs are fulfilled.
Best First Solid Foods for Your Baby
We have collated the top baby first solid foods with our search based on said criteria above
[product-comparison-table title="Best First Baby Solid Food"]
Give your baby only the best with Hakubaku Baby Noodles, Japan’s Number 1 baby noodles brand! Made from premium Japanese wheat and 3x filtered water, it does not contain any salt, colouring or preservatives, so it is suitable for babies six months and older.
The small 1" (2.5cm) size and soft texture of the noodles are perfect for little hands to hold and eat.
Hakubaku Baby Noodles offers fuss-free preparation. You can easily cook it in a single pot and it is ready in minutes. It is packed in a resealable self-standing zipper pouch, so simply use what you need and store away the rest.
One pack contains up to 20 servings.
Hakubaku Baby Noodles come in 2 varieties: Plain and Flavoured. Both use similar premium wheat, with the flavoured range having the addition of natural powdered ingredients such as 5 vegetables, 5 grains and purple sweet potato to boost the taste and nutrition.
Highlights
- Vegan
- All natural ingredients
- No added salt
- Fuss-free preparation
- Convenient packaging
- Suitable for 6 months and up
Check out some simple recipes prepared with Hakubaku Baby Noodles below:
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Get the first bites right with First Bite Organic Baby Rice Noodles! It uses non genetically modified, organic ingredients, so it is free of artificial colours, flavours and additives.
Get all the natural goodness from the vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds nutrients packed within.
You can prepare First Bite Organic Baby Rice Noodles in a variety of ways: Boiled in water, stir-fried or served as a cold dish.
Available range: Kale, Broccoli, Yam root, Goji berries, Mixed vegetables
Highlights
- 98% organic rice flour
- Halal
- Gluten-free
- Vegetarian
- Suitable for 7 months and up
Little Freddie Simply Baby Rice offers a smooth introduction to solid foods (literally!). It is easy to swallow with a fine consistency and gentle flavour.
The snack contains Vitamins A, D and essential minerals instrumental in development of cognitive and muscular function.
It is made with 99% organic rice flour, adheres to the EU standards, and it is also certified organic by Organic Farmers and Growers (OF&G).
Highlights
- Smooth, creamy consistency
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Organic
- Suitable for 6 months and up
HiPP Organic Noodles with Creamy Vegetables is the ideal product to introduce your baby to chewing. It contains delicate chunks of nutritious vegetables which allow babies to practise chewing without causing a choking hazard.
Made without added salt, flavourings, thickening agents, colourings and preservatives, the 100% organic ingredients are steamed gently to bring out the natural taste and preserve key nutrients.
One of the key nutrients is Omega-3 fatty acid, which is key for development of the brain and the nervous system.
Suitable for babies 8 months and older, HiPP Organic Noodles is a complete healthy nutritious meal for babies to enjoy.
Highlights
- No added salt - for a pure, natural taste
- Omega-3 fatty acid for brain and nervous system development
- No added flavourings and thickening agents
- No added colourings and preservatives
- Non-GMO
- Suitable for 8 months and up
Introduce your baby to self-feeding via baby-led weaning
Baby led weaning benefits not just the baby but also the parents and is becoming an increasingly common mealtime practice. It basically allows your little ones to take charge of their eating habits once they are ready.
It involves your baby learning to feed themselves under supervision of caretakers. There are numerous benefits linked to baby-led weaning including:
- Development of fine motor skills: Hand movements like pinching and grasping are common techniques that babies can hone while learning to pick up food.
- Learning to listen to hunger and satiety cues from young: It is important for every child to be in-tune with their bodily cues and it should be cultivated as soon as they are able to ingest semi-solid foods.
- Improve chewing: Baby-led weaning offers the opportunity for babies to practise chewing soft foods, rather than simply swallowing pureed food.
- Exposure to the variety of food: Giving babies the autonomy to pick up foods on their own allows them to explore the taste and textures of foods.
- Build the foundation of healthy eating: When mostly exposed to wholesome and nutritious foods, this will set the foundation for a balanced diet in the future.
Want to start the process but not sure how? Preparing suitable food for baby-led weaning can take up a lot of time, especially for busy parents juggling work and caretaking. But fret not!
There are baby foods specially formulated with nutritional content to make sure your child’s needs are met with minimal preparation, saving you loads of time.
We listed the top baby foods most suitable for baby-led weaning below:
Airy and light, HiPP Organic Rice Cake makes a great snack for your baby. The round shape of the rice cake makes it easy for your little one to grip and enjoy.
It contains 100% organic ingredients, and is also fortified with Vitamin B1, which is important for the development of the nervous system.
Rest assured that HiPP Organic Rice Cakes are made with high quality ingredients because the HiPP organic seal surpasses the EU requirements for organic quality.
All flavours are derived naturally from fruits, so there's no added artificial flavourings.
Flavours: Natural, Blueberry, Raspberry
Highlights
- Rich in vitamin B1
- No added sugar
- Gluten-free
- Easy to hold
- Suitable for 8 months and up
Happy Baby Organic Yogis snack for a happy baby! These delightful freeze-dried yogurt drops are certified organic product by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), and they deliver probiotics for gut health while having no gelatin and artificial flavours.
The irresistibly goodness melts instantly in your mouth and your little one is sure to enjoy the burst of fruity flavours. It contains milk proteins for overall development.
In addition, your little one can pick up the bite sized droplets with ease and hone their dexterity.
Flavours available in the 2 ranges:
Happy Baby Organic Yogis: Mixed Berries, Banana Mango, Strawberry
Happy Baby Organic Greek Yogis: Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Purple Carrot
Highlights
- Non-GMO ingredients
- Probiotics for gut health
- Halal
- Gluten-free
- BPA-free packaging
- Suitable for the crawling baby
Take One Baby Bites are oven-baked rice rusks that dissolve easily and are the perfect snack for teething babies. They are made from superior quality rice and contain no artificial preservative, colouring, flavourings.
It does not have any milk, egg, nuts, corn or wheat so it is safe for children with allergies related to those ingredients.
Each serving is individually wrapped so you can conveniently grab the quantity needed and go. Take One Baby Bites are designed to be easily dissolvable, minimising mess when your little one is enjoying it.
Flavours: Original, Carrot, Vegetable
Highlights
- GMO free
- Trans-fat free
- Gluten-free
- Halal
- Suitable for children with peanut and egg allergies
- Suitable for 6 months and up
Get the best of both fruits and vegetables with Plum Organics Super Puffs! Certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Oregon Tilth, these super puffs are made with nutritious non-GMO fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. Each serving provides 14 vitamins and minerals to support overall development.
It is designed for self-feeding, so your little ones can pick up these nutrient-packed snacks with ease. It dissolves quickly into a burst of tasty goodness, hence keeping your baby happy and satisfied.
Flavours: Blueberry with Purple Sweet Potato, Strawberry with Beet, Apple with Spinach, Mango with Sweet Potato
Highlights
- Organic, non-GMO ingredients
- 14 vitamins and minerals
- Encourages self-feeding
- 4 tasty flavour combinations
- BPA-free packaging
- Suitable for 6 months and up
Price Comparison
Here's a price comparison table for first baby food to give whether you're going traditional or following baby-led weaning benefits:
