How to make weaning easy and fun: The HiPP way
I can not believe it is nearly time to start weaning my little baby in a couple of months. This time, we are doing it the HiPP way, with the help of the fantastic weaning hamper we were sent. Here are some of my top tips on making weaning easy and fun, that is, feeling HiPP! It's all about feeling confident in yourself and not stressing about it, just have fun with experiencing new things with your baby. If you want to join the fun, you can win a similar weaning hamper too, just check the end of the post.
Please note, this post is sponsored by HiPP Organic.
Last time I weaned was five years ago, yikes, it's been a long time. Back then we bought a lot of HiPP Organic as I loved their environmental and organic ethos. I loved there were no added preservatives or colours, it was just pure food, something I might make in my kitchen, except of course a lot quicker and more convenient as I could just pick it up in the supermarket. This time, we are going right back to feeling HiPP and confident again!
Our weaning journey is due to start soon. In preparation I have checked the latest weaning advice, and will also use some of the experience I had with my first child to make the process as easy and fun as possible. HiPP Organic has written a handy guide for these signs I will be keeping my eye out for. Some of the signs include being able to sit unaided and being able to coordinate eye-hand-mouth movement well - and once I feel confident these happen, will try some foods on her then.
How to make it fun:
- Start with savoury vegetables. Babies are accustomed to sweet things (their milk is super sweet!) so their taste buds are in for an early and interesting surprise. HiPP Organic has many savoury jars suitable for early tasting - I'm liking the sound of the Tasty Vegetable Risotto for example.
- Remember to charge your camera and capture those great first expressions after tasting their first savoury foods - it is bound to be fantastic!
- Try to relax and feel confident about the weaning journey. Most of their diet is still going to be milk so focus on offering different taste sensations rather than quantity. If they refuse their food, again, breathe deeply and just try the next day again. Have fun exploring new things together.
- Where possible, let them try to hold the spoon too, at least for a bit. Dip them in purees, and let them taste it themselves. It's messy but never mind - it is a fun learning experience for them.
- Offer babies some finger foods - small pieces of soft banana or a well-cooked broccoli works well. With my first daughter we started off with rice cakes as they are easy to hold and dissolve in mouth.
- Baby rice is easy on their tummies, and you can mix it with their usual milk, making it a very familiar taste for babies.
How to make it easy:
- There are so many different varieties and combinations of flavours available from HiPP Organic - pick up a few, and mix and match them! I found it so easy to pick up a few pouches and jars. Sometimes I would offer a single flavour and sometimes mixed.
- Once you start them off with simple purees, start increasing a mix of flavours. I found it quite good fun to make some simple purees myself, and then pick up from the supermarket the more complex, or the ones that I could not bother to faff with! I might make something like an avocado mash myself, and then pick up a HiPP Organic jar of a more interesting recipe, such as Tasty Vegetable Risotto or My First Sunday Dinner.
- In the interest of making it easier for you and your baby in the future, start them on lumpier textures as soon as they are used to purees. You don't want them to be too accustomed to silky smooth textures (like it turned out with our very picky first-born...).
- In a rush to go out somewhere fun? Pick up a jar to take with you, or even pick it up on the way. You can spoon out what you need, and save the rest for later. Glass jars are also recyclable.
It's a fun journey to take with your little one, and just reminds you how quickly they grow. Soon they will be joining you at the dinner table and sharing the same meals, and you'll learn their likes and dislikes.
Our weaning hamper includes a variety of sweet and savoury jars of various textures, a few pouches, baby rice and cereal, setting us well up for the start of the weaning journey. Another fun thing is also that you can Feel HiPP in the bath now too - with the HiPP bath products. We loved that they were free-from allergens and ultra sensitive - just what you would want with your baby.
What are your top tips for weaning your baby?
Enter below for a chance to win a similar HiPP weaning kit (contents may vary) - UK entries and over 18 only.
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In my opinion, baby led weaning is the way forward because it involves offering your baby a range of foods and allowing them to self-feed when they are ready.
ReplyDeleteStart with less sweet vegetables like mashed swede. If you start with sweet vegetables like carrots they're less likely to try others.
ReplyDeleteWean your babies when you feel they're ready, not simply when the authorities think you should, my eldest son was ready at 10 weeks, so early I was told off, but the sleep I gained was special and needed!!
ReplyDeleteI don;t have any tips (I don't have children). I would love to win for my baby nephew who is starting solids now
ReplyDeleteStart with savoury fresh and steamed pureed foods and avoid introducing sweet foods for as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteTry soft foods like bananas and mashed up meals and have lots of bibs on hand!
ReplyDeletePatience and perservering - keep trying until you suceed
ReplyDeleteMac and cheese or butternut squash always goes down well
ReplyDeleteMy daughter got on really well with rusks broken up in to milk so made it thicker. Then I was given a baby blender, so I would blend vegetables, then went on to blending our dinners for her.
ReplyDeleteMake your own foods for your baby then you know what ingredients your baby likes.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any tips,(past my sell by date now) this would be for grandson
ReplyDeletedont be afraid to add flavour my son loved cheese and spinach mixed together and lots of other fab vegetable options and now he loves his veg more then his meat :)
ReplyDeletenot started weaning yet, but baby loves hipp organic milk, just looking for ideas
ReplyDeleteTry and vary foods as much as possible to give them lots of different tastes
ReplyDeleteTry soft food first don't worry if they don't eat it
ReplyDeletehave load of patience keep try
Wow would love this for my baby girl
Banana custard!
ReplyDeletetry little and often
ReplyDeleteBanana & Courgette together
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win this. No weaning tips unfortunately as we are just about to start in a few weeks time .Very nervous!
ReplyDeletebe patient and let your baby tell you when they are ready to eat classic showing interest in your food
ReplyDeleteMash up foods you would usually eat that way you don't get a fussy eater later on and you can enjoy family meals together don't make it so difficult on yourself :)
ReplyDeleteMash up foods you usually cook that way you can all enjoy family meals without a fussy eater. And don't stress babies dont need fruit n veg with fancy names stick to what you eat to make it easier
ReplyDeletedon't give up, as baby will keep spitting out the lumps as she/he will get used to them
ReplyDeleteButternut squash i just love it and my son loved it as well
ReplyDeletePatience and perservering - keep trying until you suceed 💜
ReplyDeletePlenty of patience and just relax, they'll be eating you out of house and home before you know it
ReplyDeleteNever try to rush weaning, your baby is normally fine on just milk upto 6 months
ReplyDeleteHave to have patience when trying different foods. I started with brocoili and parsnips.
ReplyDeletespinach avocado pea and apple mash - so flavoursome, my little one loved it
ReplyDeleteStart on soft food like banana or rusk x
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves broccolli mash, my tip would be to make up batches of baby dinners when you are doing a sunday roast and freeze them, I always just make up extra veggies and potatoes and blend them up, of course its great to get some of the jars for on the go or for a nice change but its also good to save a bit of cash, we need all we can get when little monsters are involved
ReplyDelete