From Baby Food To Table Food

Making the transition from nursing or bottle feeding to baby food is such a fun milestone. I absolutely love to watch my baby explore all the wonderful flavors and textures this world has to offer. The transition that is always a little tough for me is the one from baby food to table food.

I received compensation and samples for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own. 

I still enjoy letting my baby explore and experiment with this new found love of food, but it presents its own set of challenges. The biggest challenge for me is helping them explore their independence without completely losing control. After making the switch with each of my three kids, I have learned a few things that help.

Pre-Game- I ALWAYS give my little one some food they can explore and try in their high chair while I make dinner. I do it for a few reasons. One, it keeps them busy. Two, it fills their stomach a little before the meal comes and keeps them from shoving as much food in there mouth as they can. Three, once our food is done and my baby sees it, she has her eye on the prize and nothing will stop her.

Eliminate the Guessing Game- How much food made it in her mouth and how much of it ended up on the floor. Babies will eat when they are hungry and until they are full, but I find some peace of mind knowing at least part of what went in their mouths was filling!

Let Them Do it- Most tantrums in toddlerhood stem from the need to be in control. They are figuring how their bodies and minds work and they want to do it themselves. Let them! As a parent, I control when we have meals and what types of foods are available. My children get to decide how much they want to eat of it. Give them food that are appropriately served and prepared for their age and them let them do it. Sometimes that means more food ends up on them or the floor than in their mouth, but I just have to let that go!

My go-to way to solve these problems are to start my toddler off with a Simple Truth Organic Fruit and Veggie puree pouch. No spoons, no dishes, no fuss. I strap my girl in her high chair and she loves to have a “sucka food” as my kids call them. At 14 months she can feed herself a pouch with zero mess and I know she is putting healthy food in her tummy, not just fluff.

My favorite thing about Simple Truth’s Organic Baby Food Pouches is the ingredient list. Check this out:

So great to see real ingredients. My second favorite thing is how affordable they are!

After my daughter has eaten a baby food pouch she is ready to eat the table food the rest of us are enjoying at dinner. She is a little more willing to have help from me because she has already been in charge of something. She eats more slowly and doesn’t shove a ton of food in her mouth. 

You can find these fantastic pouches in a variety of flavors at your local Kroger store. Find them on the baby aisle! We love to choose Simple Truth!

What do you look for in a food pouch?