Incorporating Purees into Baby Led Weaning

Yes. We sell purees. And we support Baby Led Weaning!

Here's our take on how our purees fit into a "baby-led" lifestyle.

"You don't have to choose a side! As with so many nutritional recommendations -- it's all about balance. You don't have to offer only purees. Nor should you feel the need to avoid purees altogether. A hybrid approach may be best for your family -- allowing baby to explore various foods and flavors, practice with a spoon and self-feeding, explore their food, pay attention to their hunger cues, and enjoy a range of textures that will help with palate development."

-- Katie Thomson MS, RD

We support BLW and whatever works for you and your baby! Exposure to a variety of foods and textures is what's important.

We absolutely love our purees -- super fresh and just like homemade! Prepared in small batches from organic whole foods that are gently steamed, roasted, and blended to perfection with healthy fats and fresh herbs & spices to encourage the development of an adventurous eater.

We offer a variety of textures from smooth to thick to chunky so baby can learn to eat from a spoon, enjoy various textures, and get ready for table foods.

But we are NOT here to say "purees are the only way." Who needs that?!

We believe that parents should do what works for them. Not all babies will successfully take to finger foods or self-feeding when they are ready for solids (typically around 4-6 months). And some babies will be ready to move past the puree stage pretty quickly (gasp!).

Top 3 Tips to Incorporating Puree + Baby Led Weaning:

- Use purees as a dip, spread or topping. Our "Avocado Greens" is a perfect, thick guacamole-like dip with avocado, green beans, white beans, barley, garlic & avocado oil. Tons of balanced nutrition to dip into!

- Use purees as a sauce base. Square Baby's "Apple Curry Chicken" and "Spinach Dahl" are incredibly yummy over rice, noodles, or quinoa.

- Try adding some table foods alongside a puree. Extra whole/smashed peas or salmon along with our "Salmon Mash" or small soft chunks of peaches along with our "Peachy Oatmeal".

Feel good knowing our Square Meals are totally balanced with veggies, fruit, whole & sprouted grains, proteins, healthy fats, and herbs & spices. But you could always add a few chunks of extra fruit, veggies, grains or protein to introduce more finger foods for a Baby-Led lifestyle.

WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT:

1.  Introduce baby to a variety of real foods and textures starting around 4-6 months.

2. Listen to your baby's cues.

Do not adhere to the "clean plate club". Listen to your baby -- if they are showing hunger cues, keep feeding them. If they are indicating they're full (spitting the food out or turning their head), then stop. Sounds simple, but it's so important. Overriding your baby's cues and overfeeding them could teach or encourage bad habits that may lead to obesity later in life.

3.  Help baby learn to eat from a spoon.

An occasional pouch is fine (we get it; they're super-convenient), but it's important to help your baby learn to physically eat from a spoon -- pushing food to the back of their mouth & swallowing.

4. Let baby touch and explore the food.

Allow your little one to grab the spoon and/or touch the food to explore different textures and foods.

5. Provide them with the proper nutrition to thrive and grow.

Remember that baby is going to need iron at about 6 months when their body's reserves have depleted. It's especially important for breastfed babies to get iron from real food (examples: meat/poultry, beans/lentils, peas, sweet potatoes, etc), fortified cereals, or even vitamin supplements.

6. Offer balanced meals from all the food groups.

Every "Square Meal" is balanced with veggies, fruit, whole or sprouted grain, and protein (yogurt, beans, lentils, salmon, eggs, or chicken bone broth)!

7. Introduce herbs, spices, and more adventurous foods & flavors to broaden their palate and set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Most Square Meals include a hint of fresh herbs & spices to encourage your baby to learn to eat like you do! Apple Curry Chicken (with coconut curry), Avocado Greens (with garlic), Harvest Feast (with cinnamon & cardamom), Spinach Dahl (with several Indian spices), and many more.

8. AAP recommends introducing allergens at 4-6 months to help prevent food allergies. 

Offering your baby wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts EARLY & OFTEN can actually help their immune system build up a tolerance and acceptance of these Top 8 Allergens.

9. Talk to your pediatrician about what's best for you and your baby.

Feel confident that no matter how many blueberries and peas get tossed at your face, our Square Meals alone will provide a complete, balanced meal and 100% daily nutrition. We also provide a variety of textures so baby can learn to chew & swallow as they progress through the Square Meal System.

Our "Square meal system" leaves room for finger foods and more

- Our Square Meals deliver 100% Daily Nutrition. So, any 2 meals/day for 6-8 months and any 3 meals/day for 8-12 months babies = 100% of their daily recommended servings of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein.

- We purposefully designed the meals to meet at least the minimum recommended servings of each food group for your baby (USDA provides ranges).

- This way, we're leaving room for additional foods to be added to the diet as we know many parents like to include fortified infant cereals into their purees & offer other table foods as they practice with finger foods.

Check out our 100% Daily Nutrition "Square Meal System" and how you can customize it for your baby at Square Baby.

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Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions by emailing us at hello@squarebaby.com or visiting squarebaby.com.

For support or FAQ, please visit us here.

~Katie and Kendall, cofounders

This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be used as personal, health, nutritional, or medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any decisions about your child's health or readiness for various foods.