What is the flexible approach to solids?
Some parents choose the conventional/puree approach and others experiment with Baby Led Weaning. Both methods can work great when the parents are guided by their baby’s unique development.
And guess what? It is also okay to mix both!
Using the flexible approach in a responsive way may be the most feasible solution for busy families.
📣 How to introduce babies to solids using the flexible approach?
🥦 Once a baby is ready for solids at around 6 months, offer some stick-shaped finger foods for self-feeding practice.
🥄 Alongside the finger foods, you can serve some nutritious (iron rich) purees/mashed foods, feeding the baby with a spoon or letting them eat them with fingers.
🍓 It’s ok to include both purees/mashed foods and finger foods in the same meals, but it’s best to serve them as separate “courses”, so your baby does not get confused. Some parents choose to serve purees at lunch when the baby is more likely to eat alone and leave finger foods for dinner when the whole family is together and the baby can be exposed to the family food. Or you may decide to offer your baby some puree first and then serve a few pieces of finger food to practice self-feeding skills. However you decide to combine finger foods and purees, do not stress if your baby chooses to eat little or nothing of either. Solids are for practice and learning only when you are just starting out.
🫐 Feel free to skip purees/mashed foods, especially if the baby is more interested in self-feeding finger foods. If offering purees/mashed foods to your baby, move away from smooth purees after a couple of weeks. Instead of pureeing food, mash it up so it has a thicker, coarser texture.
🥜 Introduce key allergens as soon as you start solids, with the focus on dairy, peanuts and eggs. Introduce other allergens if your family eats these foods on a regular basis or if your doctor recommends so because of your baby’s high risk for developing food allergy.
🥖 Serve finger foods at least once a day. The easiest way to do it is by sharing meals with your baby.
🥣 Flexible approach to solids focuses on baby’s development
This responsive approach is recommended by major health organizations such as WHO, AAP and ESPGHAN and has been shown to help babies stay attuned to their babies and reduce the risk of developing feeding problems later in life.
With the flexible approach, the main focus is on the development of self-feeding skills at the baby's individual pace and in a safe way. Whether with mashed food or finger foods, babies should never be pushed or enticed to eat more or restricted from eating larger amounts.
Until next time,
Easy Bites
WHO. Complementary Feeding. Report of Global Consultation, Geneva, 10–13 December 2011. Summary of Guiding Principles. Available online: https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/ComplementaryFeeding.pdf (accessed on 15 March 2022).
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Is Your Baby Hungry or Full? Responsive Feeding Explained. Available online: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Is-Your-Baby-Hungry-or-Full-Responsive-Feeding-Explained.aspx (accessed on 15 March 2022).
Fewtrell, M.; Bronsky, J.; Campoy, C.; Domello, M.; Embleton, N.; Fidler Mis, N.; Hojsak, I.; Hulst, J.M.; Indrio, F.; Lapillonne, A.; et al. Complementary feeding: A position paper by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Committee on Nutrition. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr.2017, 64, 119–132. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
