Ford’s Eating Journey + Baby/Toddler Meal Ideas

02 07
fords eats meal ideas

Ford’s Eating Details

Mamas, it’s time to talk about feeding our little ones! This post is about 6 months of age to now (14 months). For me, it was a bit scary once we started solids, however it has turned into such a fun journey! I’m grateful Ford is now an excellent eater because the beginning of this adventure was a bit rough. I talk more about this in the Q&A section. If you missed my first two breast/bottle feeding posts, check them out here & here.

Remember moms, every baby is SO different. Find what works for your little one! Don’t compare yourself to everyone else.

I receive daily questions about Ford’s eating situation and how we transitioned to solids to what types of foods we are feeding him. So I wanted to answer all of them below. Leave a comment if you have another and I will get back to you!

I’m also sharing his eating station setup, schedule, a food list and meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Scroll down!


Baby Eating Q&A

When did you start solid foods?

We started introducing food at 6 months.

Did you start with spoon feeding Ford purées?

I initially wanted to solely do BLW per my doctor’s recommendation however when we started, it terrified me a bit! SO I decided to do a mix of purées paired with BLW until I felt like he was more comfortable swallowing. Seeing your child gag is frightening!! After researching it more, it’s totally NORMAL. I think it took me more time to get used to BLW than him 😉

Did you do BLW?

Yes. As mentioned above I did a mix of purées and BLW. I followed the Feeding Little program. This helped me understand what BLW was, why to do it and how to start it. Overall I found it to be very helpful. Feeding your child is a JOURNEY! If you’re new to this, get ready!

Were you worried about choking?

OF COURSE!! It was very scary at the beginning. Fortunately Ford hasn’t choked on anything. He gagged a lot in the beginning which is normal. Babies have a strong gag reflux so they DON’T choke. I was/am prepared to handle choking if it happens. They discussed it in the Feeding Littles program I did and I also watched YouTube videos.

How did you get him started using utensils?

When we started BLW at 6 months we introduced this pre-spoon. It was helpful for him to start learning how to use it and grasp it with his fingers. Yes, food gets everywhere! Buckle up, moms! Now he uses this spoon however food still is ALL over the place. I’m not really sure at what age they actually can get everything into their mouths!? LOL Currently I spoon feed him things like yogurt and then he uses his hands for solids.

What High chair do you have?

We have the OX Tot Sprout High Chair. It’s durable, has a removable tray/cushions, straps for baby, adjustable footrest AND is very easy to clean. Super important as food is EVERYWHERE 24/7.

Did you like the BEABA food maker to make Ford food?

Yes – I love my BEABA and still use it. It’s especially great to use at the beginning to soften foods like vegetables for BLW and make purées.

How do you handle the food mess?

With grace… LOL Actually my savor has been the mats from Gathre. It’s the perfect circle shape to place under the babies high chair. After Ford is finished eating I dump it in the trash and give it a wipe down. This mat is a GAME CHANGER!

Do you have him eat in just a bib and diaper?

In the beginning I did as it’s VERY messy! At about a year, I started to keep him in what he was wearing, roll up his sleeves and put a bib on.

Are you still giving Ford a bottle?

No. He went from breast feeding to formula bottles to no bottles fairly easy. We are very lucky! BUT we slowly reduced the bottle count as he was eating more food. We started this around 12 months. There was no program I followed. I listened to him and read his cues.

Are you giving him milk?

The short answer is, no. Once we stopped formula I tried goat and whole milk, he wasn’t having it. I gave him more real food and that’s what he wanted. Again, I followed his lead. I talked to my midwife about giving him milk vs. not. We discussed that when a child is not eating enough solid “real” food milk is a great way to supplement and get calories into baby. We do NOT have this issue – clearly! LOL Ford is consuming plenty and doesn’t “need” it. He gets enough nutrition and calcium in his diet. He may want to drink milk as he gets older… we will see.

When/how did you transition off of formula?

I discussed this a little bit above. We started to transition him off of formula around 12 months per my doctor’s recommendation. I knew it was time as he was getting plenty of nutrients from the solid foods he was eating. We slowly reduced the bottle count, removing the day feedings. He was getting one when he woke up in the morning and then one before he went to sleep at night. A few weeks after doing this he stopped eating his bottle at night. Ford was eating enough food during the day, and was not interested. About a month later I removed the morning bottle and replaced it with breakfast. We had no issues.

When did you give Ford a sippy cup?

I can’t remember the exact month (mom brain), but shortly after starting him on solids, we would offer water. It first began with a small open cup so he could learn what it was. We then transitioned to a sippy cup. He now has water around him at all times and understands what it is. We currently only give him water – no milk or juice.

How many times did you introduce foods before Ford liked them?

I would introduce food numerous times – maybe 3 or 4. He now will pretty much eat and/or try anything I give him. I’m always changing it up. I can tell which foods he likes MORE however I continue to try to give him new foods each week. I found it fairly easy to feed him as the season change and new produce would arrive at the grocery store. Below I have a food list for y’all to reference.

When did you introduce higher allergen foods?

Per my doctor’s recommendation, we started at around 6 months when he began to eat solids. We introduced ONE food at a time, at multiple eating sessions, to make sure he was OK before going to the next. These included: peanut butter, fish (which he loves LOL), dairy (cheese) and eggs.

Where does Ford hangout when you are cooking?

He typically hangs out with me in the kitchen. I strap him in his high chair and give him a few toys. As I’m cooking/prepping food, I usually hand him a few things to try. It’s interactive! LOL

What signs does Ford show when he’s “done eating”

Ford does a few things… [1] throws food on the ground 😉 [2] stretches back like his belly is full


Shop Ford’s Food Setup


Ford’s Current Eating Schedule

7AM breakfast

11AM lunch

1:30PM snack

4PM snack

6PM dinner


Food List

I wanted to list out all of the food items Ford eats on a regular basis. If the product is a specific brand, I linked it. Note, some of the produce items are seasonal. You can use this as a “shopping” list.

Grains / grain-like: sourdough toast, oatmeal, protein waffle, quinoa, lentil pasta, rice pasta mac and cheese, almond flour tortillas, potatoes,

Protein: eggs, salmon, ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, Serenity Kids pouches (high protein, LOW sugar – 15% off code: SBK15)

Fruits: avocados, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, apple sauce, kiwi, watermelon, pineapple, clementines

Vegetables: cauliflower, zucchini, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, asparagus, carrots

Dairy: plain greek yogurt, string cheese, shredded Mexican cheese

Other: almond butter, peanut butter, hummus, refried beans, tomato sauce, paleo puffs, frozen caulipower pizza


Meal Ideas

Breakfast/Lunch

oatmeal mixed with plain greek yogurt and berries

oatmeal mixed with peanut butter and bananas

waffle with almond butter, avocado cubes and fruit

sourdough toast with butter, avocado cubes and fruit

baby pancakes – recipe here

scrambled eggs, sourdough toast and fruit (Ford’s favorite)

scrambled eggs, steamed cauliflower and avocado cubes

chocolate banana smoothie – recipe here

sourdough avocado toast and fruit

Dinner

shredded chicken, quinoa mixed with hummus (easy to eat) and avocado cubes

almond flour cheese quesadilla (put meat inside for extra protein)

salmon, steamed cauliflower and roasted sweet potatoes

ground beef, refried beans, warm almond flour tortilla and squash

caulipower pizza and avocado cubes

spaghetti squash or lentil pasta with tomato sauce & ground turkey

Annie’s rice pasta mac and cheese and asparagus

Snacks – I mix a few of the below items

Serenity Kids pouches – click here for 15% off, code: SBK15

string cheese

paleo puffs

apple sauce

almond butter & bananas

clementines

chocolate banana smoothie – recipe here


baby meal ideas

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    COMMENTS

  1. So helpful!! I started making your banana pancakes when you posted a long time ago and they’ve been a staple in our house for months. I have a 1 year old so looking forward to trying more of these ideas! 🙂

  2. So glad u did this post! I have a 10 mos old and always trying to think of new ideas.. this just helped me a ton! Thanks!!

  3. I started to following you before baby Ford was born, and I have to admit now that I’m only here for him 😂 I was anxiously waiting for this post. Thank you so much for sharing!