Graphic for post - Guide to Baby Food Stages - purees thru finger foods with baby led weaning. Images are a grid of bowls full of the different stages.

Learn everything yous need to know about Babe Food Stages in this piece of cake-to-read, comprehensive guide. Information technology explains the dissimilar feeding stages, going over what every stage — Stage ane, 2, and three, Finger Foods, and Baby-Led Weaning — is all about.

Graphic for post - Guide to Baby Food Stages - purees thru finger foods with baby led weaning. Images are a grid of bowls full of the different stages.

Medically reviewed past Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Babe Nutrient Stages

Are you finding the baby food feeding stages confusing?

Well, you are not alone!

Stages 1, two, three, table foods, finger foods, infant-led weaning… ahhh… assist! What does information technology all even mean? 🤯

Don't worry; I'm hither for you!

I broke downward each stage into an easy-to-digest (pun intended) guide. 👊

What is in this guide:

  1. Baby Food Ages
  2. When Can Baby Start Solids?
  3. Overview: Purees – Stages ane, 2 and 3
  4. Overview: Infant-Led Weaning or Finger Foods
  5. Stage one Purees
  6. Stage ii Purees
  7. Stage 3 Purees
  8. Baby-Led Weaning or Finger Foods
Lineup of spoon and a fork with different stages of baby food on it.

Babe Food Ages

  • Stage 1 Purees: 4-half-dozen+ months
  • Stage 2 Purees: 6+ months
  • Stage 3 Purees: 9+ months
  • Finger Foods: 10+ months
  • Baby-Led Weaning: vi+ months

WHEN Tin Babe Get-go SOLIDS?

When a infant can start on solids is adamant past their ain rate of development. Generally, it occurs between iv-6 months of age for purees and 6+ months for baby-led weaning. Some of the developmental milestones babies demand to reach in order to start solids include: if your babe has solid control of their head and cervix, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their oral fissure when you consume (encounter my guide here). Just remember, earlier you showtime baby on solids, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally prepare.

Spread of the different baby food stages one, two, three and baby-led weaning or finger food stage.

Purees – Stages ane, 2, and three

So, to start, Baby Food Purees are grouped into iii unlike stages — Stage 1, Stage Two, and Phase Three. Without a doubt, they all consist of baby food purees. But they actually range from single-ingredient smooth purees to chunky combination purees filled with soft-cooked foods. Here'southward a quick reference:

Stage Ane

  • the beginning stage of feeding
  • single-ingredient thin purees
  • polish and like shooting fish in a barrel to swallow
Phase One Products We Love
  • high chair
  • suction basin
  • spoons
  • bib with nutrient catcher

Stage Ii

  • slightly thicker
  • combination purees made upwardly of several different ingredients like fruits and vegetables
  • may also include yogurt, grains, and proteins

Phase 3

  • combination purees with soft-cooked chunks of food
  • perfect for babies that need to practice chewing and swallowing foods

A NOTE TO FIRST-Fourth dimension Baby FOOD PREPPERS

Hold on, is information technology your beginning time making bootleg baby nutrient? If you lot answered yes, then I suggest you outset this journey by reading my in-depthGuide on How to Make Bootleg Babe Food. The detailed commodity goes over all the essential information such as the all-time cooking tools to have on paw, condom storage, knowing when your babe is ready for solids, introducing purees, making the best first foods for baby, and more! You tin besides check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes.

Infant-Led Weaning or Finger Foods

Basically, Baby-Led Weaning and Finger Foods are the aforementioned types of food; they're just served to your baby at unlike times. Baby-Led Weaning is a newer approach to feeding your baby where yous skip the puree stages altogether. Rather, you serve baby chunks of cooked nutrient. Whereas Finger Foods, or sometimes referred to as Table Foods, are typically served to your baby afterwards they master Stage 3 baby nutrient purees.

In short, finger foods are served at 10+ months and baby-led weaning starts at six+ months.

You tin read more here: The Ultimate Guide to Finger Foods for Baby-Led Weaning.

Baby-Led Weaning Products We Love

  • loftier chair or clip-on chair
  • mat for under high chair
  • suction plate
  • self-feeding spoons
  • long-sleeved bib

Stage one baby food graphic - with single ingredient puree for baby.

Stage 1 Purees

Stage ane baby food is the first type of puree you will exist introducing to your baby. Made with a single ingredient and pureed until smooth, these simple purees are perfect for your budding eater. Also, they are nutritious and total of flavour!

  • historic period: 4-6+ months
  • unmarried-ingredient recipes
  • smooth texture
  • tin exist thinned out (similar to a thick soup but dripping off the spoon)
  • commencement bites can be fruits, veggies, or grain cereal

Here are a few tips:

  • beginning, offer your baby 1 puree at a time to sentinel for any allergic reactions
  • also, consider offer different colors of food and flavors to start developing their palette

Phase Ane Recipes

  • 15 Stage Ane Baby Food Purees (iv-6 months)
  • 4 Homemade Baby Cereal Recipes (4+ months)
  • 36 Healthy + Homemade Infant Food Recipes (4+ Months)
Stage 2 Baby food puree - a combination puree for 6 months and up.

Stage ii Purees

Meanwhile, Stage 2 purees volition make your baby'south mealtime more than exciting with multiple ingredients. This fourth dimension, you tin focus on exposing your baby to diverse fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins. Plus, you lot can also add spices and herbs to come up with flavory and unique flavor combinations.

  • age: 6+ months
  • combination of multiple-ingredient purees
  • smoothen texture
  • tin have a thicker consistency than stage one purees
  • neat way to betrayal your baby to a diversity of flavors and food colors
  • may include plain yogurt, grains, and proteins

Stage Two Recipes

  • xviii Stage 2 Babe Food Purees (That Baby Will Actually Swallow)
  • 15 Fast + Piece of cake Baby Food Recipes (made in under fifteen minutes!)
  • 18 Breakfast Ideas for Infant (6+ months)
Stage three baby food combination puree for 9 months and up.

Stage 3 Purees

In contrast, Stage iii is total of hearty meals with multiple-ingredient purees plus soft-cooked chunks of food. This stage is all nearly giving your baby time to learn how to chew and swallow small pieces of soft foods. Then the next step will be finger foods or table foods.

  • age: 9+ months
  • combination purees and soft-cooked chunks of food
  • also a great mode to expose your babe to various nutrient flavors and colors
  • features wholesome fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, yogurt, even spices
  • easy to brand — but pulse your own meal with a blender to plough it into a baby meal

Stage Iii Recipes

  • 18 Stage 3 Baby Food Recipes (Piece of cake, Delicious + Homemade)

Infant-Led Weaning or Finger Foods

As mentioned, Baby-Led Weaning is really a newer approach to feeding your babe where you skip the puree stages altogether. Instead, you serve modest chunks or strips of cooked nutrient right from the very get-go. Ultimately, you would be feeding your infant the exact food you are having at that meal.

However, finger foods tin be served to your baby after Stage iii.

To sum upwardly, finger foods and the food you lot serve to baby for Baby-Led Weaning are the aforementioned foods. But they are served at different times during your baby's eating journeying. Finger foods are served at 10+ months, while baby-led weaning starts at half dozen+ months.

If you lot want to learn more than, check out my Ultimate Guide to Finger Foods for Infant-Led Weaning.

  • baby-led weaning age: six+ months
  • finger food age: x+ months
  • both include chunks of cooked foods
  • tin be served in ii-three inch strips or chopped to pea-sized pieces

Think, avoid hard foods such equally hot dogs, popcorn, dried fruit, nuts, etc., that can be choking hazards.

Baby-Led Weaning (Finger Food) Recipes

  • 125 Infant Led Weaning Foods (Starter Foods + Recipe Ideas)
  • eight Baby-Led Weaning Repast Ideas for Babe + Toddler
  • half dozen Babe-Led Weaning Breakfast Ideas
Lineup of spoon and a fork with different stages of baby food on it.