Best Buys-Starting Solids

This is the most requested best buys guide yet!

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Choosing a highchair-

My number one sanity saving tip is choose one that is easy to clean! Avoid chairs with squishy seats that have folds where food can easily get trapped. A tray that lifts off easily, lays flat on a bench top and is dishwasher safe (plastic with no wood or metal pieces in the tray) is ideal. Removable straps are great as you can machine wash them, but these are hard to come by. A footrest can help some children feel more secure and this eat better. However, i actually found it made no difference to my children so i wouldn’t stress too much about it. You can get after market ones that fit on easily to most chairs if you end up needing one.

Ingenuity chair

Although we have a big highchair too, we use this chair most of the time.
What i love-
The tray comes off and easily fits in the dishwasher
The seat can also go into the dishwasher but i find it gets less dirty than the big highchair as the tray fits closer to baby’s body and thus less food makes contact with the seat.
It is super portable and ideal to travel with! We take this away with us on holidays, to friends houses and on picnics.
It converts into a booster by attaching to a regular dining chair. You can use it without the tray by pushing it close to your dining table.
When used on a solid floor baby’s feet sit flat on the floor, eliminating the need for an additional footrest.
Easy to hose down
When your toddler outgrows it, it is super easy to store ready for additional future children or visitors.

Ikea Antilop

There is a reason these are at every cafe!
What i love-
Tray come off and goes straight into the dishwasher
Straps are grey rather than white which you will thank your lucky stars for after babies first staining bolognese!
Super cheap so you could always donate and re-buy for future children eliminating the storage issue.
Easy to hose down
Aftermarket footrests are cheap and easily sourced.

Footrest

If your baby seems uncomfortable in their chair, isn’t eating well or is getting distracted by their legs, you may need a foot rest.
This wooden footrest is made of bamboo and is height adjustable. It is installed by o-rings underneath/above the device. The o-rings can be installed at various heights on the chair to adjust the footrest height. It fits perfectly on the Ikea Antilop and maybe even the Kmart chair too.
Other accessories such as inserts, tray covers and food catchers can also be found here.

What about Cutlery?

When choosing cutlery there are many factors to consider. There is definitely no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Here is a quick summary of my recommendations.

Traditionally weaned babies-

If you’re opting to start your baby off on purees you are going to want a spoon with a long handle a small, shallow bowl, soft or rounded tip and a curved neck.

The curved neck here is key, not for the ease of spoon feeding but rather, the longevity of the spoon. Your baby will only be spoon fed for a very short time and you want to be able to keep using those spoons after that. A curved neck will enable your baby to more easily pick up a loaded spoon off the tray themselves.

My favourites-

Big W cheapies

They actually no longer sell the ones we use which is a shame but these look similar. When placed flat on the table only the bowl and end of the handle touch the table. This means young babies with palmer grasp can grab a hold of them easily. Despite what their name suggests these are not deposable and can be used time and time again.

‘Baby Led Weaning’ or combo fed babies-

Babies who start on finger foods will often also eat puree’s off preloaded spoons. The ones above are ideal for the first few months of solids. Around 9-10months most babies will move away from pre-loaded spoons and will be able to start self scooping (with assistance). This is when we switch to our grabese cutlery.

Grabese cutlery

The shallow flat bowl and rounded handle make scooping easy. The fork is usually best introduced around 12 months old. Unlike similarly shaped silicone cutlery sets these ones actually stab the food easily which means less frustration for your little one. One baby outgrows these they made fantastic scoops for sensory play and also fit beautifully in school Lunchboxes!

Toddler cutlery-

Between 18-24months is a great time to introduce a spoon with a more typical bowl (deep, stainless steel), a longer sharper fork and a first knife. I have two faves for this age group, we have them both and love them. I just couldn’t decide!

Doddl

This cutlery set is very easy for toddlers to grasp and manoeuvre. It is durable, dishwasher safe and a fave in our house.

Grabese 2.0

These beautied are BPA-free, phthalate-free, lead and pvc-free and dishwasher safe. They have grooved finger guides for finger placement which encourages proper development of vertical grasp.

Kid cutlery-

From around 24months onwards toddlers can usually use standard cutlery with ease. Buying a durable set that will last you until they are ready to use adult cutlery is a must.

Gingerberry

We love this cutlery set because it supports ittle ones in working towards full independence at meal times. The unique, ergonomic design of the utensils naturally teaches the child to handle cutlery correctly. The soft contoured finger guides encourage your child to hold the utensils accurately and with confidence.The handy spoon rest on the underside of the spoon, helps to position the spoon for easy hold and prevents the spoon from sliding into, or around the bowl.

Stanley Rogers

For the little ones who want to have "“grown up” cutlery just like mummy and daddy, this one is for you. These are beautiful stainless steel sets that look very much like adult tableware only smaller. They come in lots of designs such a princesses, dinosaurs or animals. Maisie loves hers!

To bib or not to bib-

What a silly question…. always bib!

Here are my tips for saving their clothes and your sanity-

Tuck a dry wash cloth into baby’s collar before putting on their bib or smock
Roll up long sleeves as far as they will go before putting on a smock
If your baby is small or has a skinny neck you can use a clothes peg to adjust the neck of your smock
Use a catchy bib on top of a smock
Place a tea-towel on their lap before clicking the tray on
Opt for bibs and smocks that do not need to be machine washed every time (plastic, silicone etc over fabric)
Use wet wash clothes for clean up then throw them straight into the washing machine
Feed breakfast in their PJs then change into day clothes after their meal. Feed dinner right before their evening bath. Reserve “clean” or “mess free” foods for lunches.
Use a bowl of water to dip babies fingers in after mealtimes or carry them to the sink and run their hands under the water. This is much easier than trying to get out every molecule of smooshed food from between those tiny fingers.
use a tray cover for staining foods such as spaghetti bolognese or beetroot

Here are or favourite bib options-

Not all ‘catchy’ bibs are alike

These are by far our favourite ‘catchy’ bibs. What i have learned over the years is not all of these style bibs are alike. Some so not catch food well, some do not fit the neck quite right, some dump food out when baby leans forward, some are stiff and uncomfortable, some have scoops so big that baby can barely see the food in front of them and some have little grove that are a pain to clean.
That being said, these are the best we’ve found by far! Made by Little Rae Lane they are super soft, easy to clean and fit well on any shaped bub. Highly recommend! We have 2 and that is plenty. I give it a quick once over in the sink after use then hang it on our facet to dry. We use one at home and have the other in our nappy bag (it rolls up nicely into itself).

Our go-to smock for 6-18month olds

These target smocks are our go-to for a few reasons. They are cheap at only $10 a pop (we have three which we rotate and find that that is enough). I give it a once over in the kitchen sink after use then hang it on the facet to dry. In summer i find it dries quickly but in winter we have to alternate between two as it takes a little longer. I put them through the washing machine after a few days of use for a thorough clean. The wrist elastic is nice and tight which stops food getting in and it doesn’t stain (unlike the ikea ones!) The waterproof fabric extends down the arms (unlike the Kmart ones) keeping them nice and dry. The neck was a little large for my skinny boy when he was younger but this was easily solves by placing a peg at the back.

Smocks for 18m-5yrs

After 18months toddlers tend to get a lot less messy when they eat… yay! At this time we tend to make the switch to art smocks. These are thinner and more comfortable as your toddler grown. They are also super cheap and have a tie back which allows them to fit any sized child. They are machine washable and can be repurposed to be used in arts and crafts right up to the age of 5 or older!

Tidy-Tot

When ever we have a super messy or staining meal such as spaghetti bolognese, out comes the Tidy-Tot! The smock velcros to the tray; no more gaps for food to squeeze through! They tray suctions to your usual highchair try and is wide enough that little hands struggle to send food overboard.
Contains the mess!
Prevents food dropping to the floor
Easy clean, wipe clean tray & machine washable bib
Fits most highchairs and booster seats
We’ve even taken this to restaurants to safe their carpet! It folds up small and comes in a travel bag.

Bowls and plates-

Plastic, silicone and bamboo. They each have their pros and cons and what will work for one family may not work well for another. Here is a general rundown-

Plastic/melamine Pros and Cons-

Cheap
Durable
Usually dishwasher safe
Easy to find, buy and replace
Can contain harmful chemicals that can leach into food when microwaved. Always cook things in a different bowl then transfer it across
Some have suction bases which are super strong and removable!

Silicone Pros and Cons-

Durable
Usually dishwasher safe
Can be microwaved and free of harmful chemicals (but can absorb chemicals from dish soap)
Easy to find, buy and replace
Some have suction bottoms (some suck well, others are useless)
Can be expensive
Can develop a soapy taste after washing that can transfer to food and cause fussiness. There are lots of “hacks” to remove or avoid this but in my experience these only last for a short time before the issue arrises again. Silicone tableware, as a result, will often need replacing every 2-3 months. Some brands are definitely better in this respect than others.

Bamboo/plant based Pros and Cons-

Durable (but can break if dropped from a height)
Usually dishwasher safe (not the wood-look bamboo varieties- as cute as they are, i do not recommend these at all! The plastic-look ones are better)
Free of harmful chemicals- can be microwaved
Can be expensive
While the wooden varieties can be sources with a suction bottom these types can take on tastes of foods, are difficult to wash and have to be “treated” regularly. The more practical plastic look varieties do not have options for a suction base as of yet. Massive hole in the market!

Stainless steel and glass pros and cons-

Free of harmful chemicals
super durable
Will not absorb food tastes or develop a soapy taste like wood and silicone
Can be expensive
Usually dishwasher safe
Stainless steel obviously cannot be microwaved and glass can become hot when microwaved
Suction base options available but hard to find

Some of my favourites-

Silicone suction bowl

My favourite part of this bowl is the fact it has a lid! Perfect for pre-making overnight oats or chia pudding ready for the morning!

Melamine suction bowl

The best suction bowls we’ve come across are these peter rabbit ones! Added bonus the suction base comes off so it can be used for older children too!

Plant-based bobo&boo dinnerwear

Free from nasties these are a great option. We have these at home and love how wide and flat the base it… no more accidental tipping! These guys also make plates and cups which are wonderful too.

Divided bowl/plate

On occasion we use a divided bowl/plate. I am careful not to use it too regularly as i dont want to encourage pickiness with food touching. However for certain meals it come in very handy! The one we have is this silicone LRL one. Ours came with a lid, similar to the bowl above which is fantastic for storing leftovers! It also has a suction base which works super well!

Suction plate

This suction plate sticks well! it has a slight lip making it suitable to use as a shallow bowl when bubs are first learning to self scoop as well.

Stainless steel with suction

This plate will not absorb tastes and odours from dish soap or spices making it superior to silicone in that respect. The suction base is also strong and detachable.

Cups and water bottles-

Ideally babies from 6 months should be given the opportunity to learn to drink from an open up. This helps with motor skills and oral development. After they have mastered an open cup you can move onto a straw cup.

Here are my recommendations-

Doidy Cup

This two-handle cup is slanted so baby is less likely to flood their face with water. You can hold the bottom to help them learn how far to tilt while they hold onto the handles. This cup was originally designed for special needs children but is absolutely ideal for young babies first learning how to use an open cup!

Tiny cup

These tiny cups are perfect for little hands. Fill to the top so that they don’t have to over tilt to get water. the body is made from non slip silicone and the base is slightly weighted, making it less likely to fall over and spill as baby places it back down onto the table after drinking.

Convertible cup

This cute little invention converts from an open cup into a straw cup, eliminating the need to purchase both.

First straw cup

Things to look for in a first straw cup include-
no valve (bite valves force an unnatural sucking position and are tricky for little ones to learn).
No straw weights (not only are these hard to clean properly but they can confuse babies who learn that its ok to tip straw cups)
Squeezable body (give it a little squeeze to push some water up and out of the straw the first time you give it to baby. This will teach baby that there is water in there that they can suck out).
This Bug&Co cup ticks all the above boxes and as an extra bonus can be uses as an open cup (remove the lid) or snack cup (interchangeable lid).

Smoothie cups

From around 15months i start introducing smoothies to my littles. These are our favourite smoothie cups. They come with both a metal straw and a silicone straw for younger children. They are insulated, dishwasher safe and best of all you can buy matching adult ones so everyone in the family can enjoy their smoothies together!

Drink bottles 2yrs+

After 2, our favourite drink bottle has got to be camelback ones. They are durable, leak-proof, dishwasher safe, stain resistant and spare mouthpieces are easy to find.

Lunchboxes and bags-

Once solids are underway you’ll soon find its a never ending marathon of prepping, feeding and cleaning up! Sometimes you will need to be prepared with lunches on the go. What i have learned is you get what you pay for in lunchboxes! When Maisie was a baby we went though so many cheap lunchboxes which either warped in the dishwasher or broke very quickly. We upgraded to a yumbox and i wish wed done it sooner! They are so durable its actually ended up cheaper in the long run!