Looking for some easy and healthy meal inspiration for baby-led weaning or finger foods for toddlers? Here are ten balanced meal ideas — all are baby-approved!
Over the past few months, our family has been on one BIG food adventure. It all started when we began introducing solids to our little guy at the 6-month mark.
To be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure what to feed him at first, but I knew that I wanted to give the baby-led weaning method a shot (you can read more about BLW here). Beyond doing some reading and watching some webinars on BLW, I figured I’d simply put my nutrition knowledge into action and hope for the best. Not much can prepare you for that first time you offer your baby solids, not even five years of studying nutrition in university.
For me, it has been all about trial and error and offering him a variety of different textures and foods from all of the different food groups….and applying some key principles which I discussed in my post last week on “5 Tips for Planning Healthy Meals for Babies.”
We’ve been fortunate that he’s been a really good eater and up for trying anything since day one. He’s like his mommy and daddy and just really loves food!
Although we try to feed him what we’re eating on a daily basis (with some adaptions, of course), there have been a few go-to meals that have been on our menu rotation for him because they’re easy, balanced and healthy!
I’ve compiled some of my favourite easy baby-led weaning recipes, including ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner in today’s post. It’s almost like a baby-led weaning menu (dream come true, right)?! Hopefully you’ll have success with these meals and recipes too!
You can check out some of these baby-led weaning meal ideas, recipes and preparation tips below!
Baby-Led Weaning Meal Ideas
Meal Idea#1: Dis-assembled Breakfast Sandwich
- Spinach & Zucchini Frittata Finger
- Mashed avocado thinly spread on Ezekial bread, toasted and cut into strips
- Baked sweet potato strips (or try these Mashed Sweet Potato Fritters)
- A piece of cheese cut into thin strips
Tips: I like to prepare a batch of the frittata fingers and store them in the freezer. It’s a great way to incorporate harder-to-serve vegetables like spinach and zucchini. Simply thaw the frittata fingers out in the fridge or microwave. They make such an easy meal when you’re in a pinch.
Similarly, you can bake a sweet potato or cook it the microwave in advance for a quick and easy vegetable to serve on the side throughout the week.
I also like to use Ezekial bread since it’s lower in sodium than most breads, contains higher amounts of fibre and because it’s sprouted, the vitamins and minerals tend to be better absorbed.
Meal Idea #2: Salmon Dinner
- Flaked salmon fillet served with a squeeze of lemon juice and dill
- Quinoa flakes
- Steamed broccoli
- Diced mandarin orange, with seeds and pith (white stringy pieces) removed
Tips: I like to serve salmon 2-3 times per week since it’s such a great source of omega-3s, which are necessary for a healthy brain, heart and eyes. Just be sure that you remove any bones before serving to baby.
If you don’t have time to cook quinoa on the stove for baby, I like to put two tablespoons of quinoa flakes in a bowl with about three tablespoons of water and cook it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. It creates a thicker and mushier quinoa with a similar consistency to oats which is perfect for babies to grasp when feeding themselves.
You can also add shredded cheese or finely chopped veggies, such as baby spinach, shredded zucchini, or small pieces of cooked broccoli or cauliflower to the quinoa mix too. To switch it up, you can also try out these Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites or Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes.
Meal Idea #3: Meatballs & Veggies
- Beef meatballs
- Spaghetti squash, chopped
- Baby spinach and mushrooms, finely chopped and sautéed in olive oil
Tips: I keep the meatballs simple and mix ground beef with a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a teaspoon of thyme, and an egg, but you could also use a recipe such as these chicken quinoa meatballs or these easy freezer meatballs and just omit the salt in baby’s portion.
For the spaghetti squash, spinach and mushrooms, chop them finely so that baby can grasp, chew and easily swallow them. Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of olive oil to incorporate some healthy fats — it helps them to better absorb those fat-soluble vitamins!
Meal Idea #4: Chicken Noodle Soup
- Shredded Chicken
- Small pieces of sliced carrots, quartered
- Small pieces of diced celery
- Whole-grain fusilli or rotini pasta
Tips: Soup is one of my favourite things to serve baby since the vegetables, protein and grains become really tender when cooked in broth. I like to cook up a batch of this healthy chicken noodle soup at the beginning of the week for a quick and easy lunch or dinner for the whole family.
I generally put some small pieces of shredded chicken, cooked carrots, celery and pasta on baby’s tray for him to eat with his hands and let him take sips of broth out of the bowl or cup (that’s his favourite part)!
Meal Idea #5: Eggs & Toast
- 1-egg omelette, cut into strips (or try this scrambled egg for babies recipe)
- Ezekial bread toasted, with thin layer of almond butter
- Fresh raspberries
Tips: Omelette strips are my go-to meal when I’m in a rush and don’t have time to make anything elaborate. You can either use a mini 5-inch frying pan, or for a super fast trick, mix the egg with a fork in a microwave egg cooker and pop in the microwave for about one minute. Once cool, simply cut into strips for baby and serve. You could even serve with melted cheese on top for some extra calcium and protein!
I like to cut the toast into strips so that it’s easy for baby to grasp with his palm. By toasting and putting almond butter on the strips, I find it makes it easier for him to break down with his mouth, despite not having many teeth.
Meal Idea #6: Yogurt Power Bowl
- Full-fat Greek yogurt
- Frozen blueberries, thawed
- Sprinkle of Hemp Hearts
- Drizzle of almond butter
Tips: This yogurt power bowl is our go-to breakfast. When I discovered our baby had a sensitivity to oats, I needed to come up with an alternative breakfast that was quick, easy and healthy.
I love using frozen blueberries that are thawed because they tend to be juicier and softer and sweeten up the yogurt naturally. Plus, you can buy a big bag of them and don’t have to worry about fresh ones spoiling in the fridge. A yogurt bowl is also a great vehicle for serving some healthy fats like hemp hearts and nut butters to incorporate some extra calories.
Sometimes, I’ll let baby dig his hand in there and pick out the yogurt-coated blueberries, while other times I’ll preload the spoon and let baby feed himself (Which can be quite messy. Be forewarned – that yogurt may end up on the floor…and on the wall). If we’re really in a pinch and want to minimize the mess, I’ll feed it to him (not technically BLW, I know, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do). Read more about the best yogurt for babies here!
Meal Idea #7: Pancakes & Fruit
- Mini Banana Egg Pancakes or Baby Pancakes with Baby Oatmeal
- Sliced strawberries
Tips: These pancakes are perfect for little hands and mouths and only require an egg, banana and a bit of coconut flour, which is optional. Make up a batch of these pancakes and store in the fridge or freezer for a really quick meal or snack.
These pancakes also make a great meal to serve on the go that’s relatively mess-free. See ‘How to Cut Pancakes for Baby‘ for visual examples of how to serve pancakes up depending on a baby’s age and stage of development!
Meal Idea #8: Falafels & Pita
- Falafels
- Mini whole-wheat pita thinly spread with hummus (try this Sweet Potato Hummus!)
- Fresh tomato strips
Tips: My husband and I are huge fans of falafels, so I make them on a fairly regular basis. I blend all of the ingredients (minus the salt and baking soda) in the food processor and use the mixture to form a few smaller patties for baby. I’ll then add the salt and baking soda to the remaining mixture for my husband and I for some extra flavour.
Serve to baby along with some thin strips of whole-wheat pita (I like to use the mini ones) with a thin layer of hummus and tomato slices or quartered cherry tomatoes.
Meal Idea #9: Meatloaf muffins & Veggies
- Turkey apple meatloaf muffins
- Baked sweet potato fries (minus the salt)
- Roasted peppers (drizzle and baked with olive oil)
Tips: I always have a batch of these turkey apple meatloaf muffins on hand. These things are a LIFE SAVER. I like to make up a batch once every couple of months and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Simply thaw a couple of them out (depending on how many your baby will eat) and serve along with some baked sweet potato fries and roasted peppers.
As an added bonus, you can cook them all in the oven at the same time and serve throughout the week for an easy meal.
Meal Idea #10: Veggie Mac & Cheese
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
- Roasted cauliflower drizzled with olive oil
Tip: I like to make the sauce for the butternut squash mac & cheese and freeze the sauce in individual compartments in an ice cube tray or these Souper Cubes. For a super quick and balanced meal, I cook up some noodles, pop out one of the sauce cubes, thaw it out and mix it in with the noodles. It also works great with this carrot pasta sauce!
As a bonus, you can also mix the sauce with vegetables or meat to add some extra flavour and moisture.
Looking for more healthy Baby-Led Weaning recipes, tips and meal ideas?
Get a copy of Healthy Baby Foodie!
And while’s you’re at it, check out these posts for feeding little ones!
- Tips for Getting Started with Baby-Led Weaning
- Baby-Led Weaning: 5 Tips for Planning Healthy Meals For Baby
- 20 Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas
- 12 Healthy Kid’s Breakfast Ideas
Looking for more delicious recipes?
Check these out:
New mama here with an 8 month old! Been struggling to think of ideas. Thank you so much for this! Especially love the pictures!
Oh I’m so happy that you found it helpful! I totally get that it can be so hard to come up with meal inspiration some days.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, I have a lot more ideas in my book “Healthy Baby Foodie.” You can grab a copy here! :)
https://hauteandhealthyliving.com/healthy-baby-foodie/
This blog is amazing. First time mom with a 10-month old and frazzled trying to find healthy meal ideas that can be pre-made and packed for daycare. We just made the mini-banana muffins and he scarfed two cakes worth of strips. Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Emily! I totally know how overwhelming it can be to find healthier options that you can make in advance for little ones. I’m so glad that you found this post to be helpful and that your little guy enjoyed the recipes :)
This blog is wonderful! Is there a certain way you need to cut the pancakes and mini muffins for a baby who is 8 months?
Thanks so much Melissa! Glad you found it to be helpful! I would recommend cutting the pancakes into finger-like strips about the size of your pinky finger. For the mini muffins, you could cut them in half or thirds or in an appropriate size that your baby can hold it with his or her palm and transfer it to his mouth. Once baby gets a little bit older and establishes his or her pincer grip, you can serve it in smaller bite-sized pieces about the size of a chickpea. Hope that helps!
I’m curious why you would leave out baking soda. Is it bad for a baby? My daughter is 11 months and we have been doing a mix of BLW and purees. I just made some baby pancakes last weekend that had a bit of baking soda and baking powder.
Also, wanted to add that I love these ideas! Sometimes the ingredients are difficult to find, as I am living in South Korea, but most are easy to find. Thank you for the post!
Hi Mary! It’s not necessarily that baking soda is bad for a baby per say, but it’s made up of sodium bicarbonate which is really high in sodium. For babies under a year, the recommended sodium intake is less than 400mg, which is quite low, since it can be hard for their kidneys to process. It certainly is a personal preference whether or not you choose to use baking soda or other higher sodium ingredients in your cooking. At the end of the day, if you’re adding a little bit of baking soda to pancakes, it’s probably not going to amount to much if the baby is only having a pancake or two, it’s just something to be mindful of when preparing foods for baby. Hope that makes sense!
What a great blog you have. It is everything I was looking for :) I didn’t know how to start so i read a guide by Susan Urban „How to introduce solid foods to your baby.” which is really good and I can recommend it for sure to every one who are as green as grass about baby food but there are no meal ideas. I’m subscribing you now and going to kitchen :)
Thanks so much Hazel! I’m so glad that you found the meal ideas to be helpful! These are all meals that I’ve given to my baby and he downs them like a champ, so I thought it might be nice to share for other new moms out there :) Hope your baby enjoys them too! Thanks for subscribing!