Top 15 Baby Led Weaning First Foods | The VegaNatural Mom (2024)

A list of soft baby foods to start your little one on as you begin the baby led weaning journey!

6 months of your little one’s life just flew by and now she’s ready to start solids! You decided you want to do baby led weaning but you’re unsure of the best foods to start with.

What are good baby led weaning first foods?

I’ve seen this question so often and that’s why I decided to write a post on this topic to help you out.

But before I get started on my list of top 15 foods, I want to briefly cover the signs of readiness for baby led weaning.

This is really important to check before beginning this journey.

Signs of readiness for baby led weaning

There are several factors that must be in place to know if your little one is ready for baby led weaning or not. These are based on recommendations from BabyCenter.

1. Your baby can sit up on his own.
2. He reaches for objects and puts them in his mouth.
3. Your baby shows interest in your food and tries to grab it.
4. He makes chewing movements.
5. He no longer has the tongue-thrust reflex where he pushes objects out of his mouth with his tongue.

Now, remember, your baby doesn’t need to show all of these signs in order to start with baby led weaning.

However, he should be showing most of these signs. If not, you can start with purees and revisit baby led weaning a few weeks later.

For more information and tips on getting started with baby led weaning, be sure to check out my eBook Baby Led Weaning Made Simple which guides you through the process and provides 10 bonus recipes!

15 vegan baby led weaning first foods

I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. Thanks.

We’ve covered signs of readiness and you determined if you and your little one are ready to start the baby led weaning journey. Now let’s get started with the top 15 baby led weaning first foods.

All of these foods that I’m about to mention are plant based.

No matter if your little one has dairy sensitivities or you’re choosing a vegan diet, these foods will be perfect to start with!

1. Steamed sweet potato with a dash of cinnamon
2. Steamed broccoli dipped in tahini
3. Steamed cauliflower dipped in tahini
4. Baked potato wedges with olive oil and garlic
5. Baked pumpkin slices with cinnamon
6. Steamed carrot slices with a dash of nutmeg
7. Banana slices coated in chia seeds
8. Avocado slices coated in flaxseeds
9. Ripe and soft pear slices dipped in hazelnut butter
10. Ripe and soft peach slices dipped in almond butter
11. Strawberry quarters
12. Steamed apple slices dipped in peanut butter
13. Mango slices
14. Melon slices
15. Raw tofu slices

Notice that many of these foods require steaming first. This is the best method for preserving the nutrients while softening the foods. My favorite steamer is this stainless steel steamer basket.

Another thing you will notice in this list is that many of the foods are served with a dip or coated in seeds.

This adds protein and fat to the foods. It also adds extra flavor.

Furthermore, it allows you to introduce allergens early on, such as sesame in tahini, peanuts in peanut butter, and hazelnuts in hazelnut butter.

Check out this guide to learn the best and safest way of cutting foods for baby led weaning.

All of these foods are perfect baby led weaning first foods for no teeth babies. Most babies at 6 months old don’t have teeth so it’s important that these foods are extremely soft.

An important thing to remember is that it may take many tries of giving the same food before your little one starts to like it.

You might notice that she spits it out immediately after tasting it. Or she may make a face or start crying. This is all totally normal!

Just imagine that you only drank milk for 6 months and suddenly, you’re trying so many new flavors. It’s overwhelming and takes getting used to.

As a kid, I hated avocado and zucchini. Now, as an adult, I love both of them. After tasting it many times, my preferences changed. I’m sure there are foods like this for you too.

For helpful ideas and honest reviews on 5 baby sippy cups, check out this post!

To wrap up

This list of 15 baby led weaning first foods should help you get started on a new amazing chapter in your little one’s life.

All of these foods are plant based and super easy to prepare!

Included in this post is also a list of signs to know if your little one is ready for baby led weaning. Check it out before embarking on the baby led weaning path.

For a free baby meal plan to help you get started, enter your details below and you’ll get it straight to your email!

15 baby led weaning first foods for getting your little one started on an amazing new journey!