Vegan Baby Food Ideas
2 February 2023
Starting solids is a highly anticipated time for most new parents. However, this step can feel overly complicated due to the numerous advice parents have received from family and friends with different opinions.
Feeding children should be a time of enjoyment and excitement, not stress. In this article, I will cover the basics of introducing solids to your baby and end with some great vegan baby food recipes you can incorporate.
When should I start giving my baby solid plant-based baby foods?
It is recommended to introduce plant-based baby foods other than breast milk or infant formula when they are about 6 months old and no younger than 4 months. Introducing foods earlier than that can increase the child’s risk of illnesses, causing problems like necrotizing enterocolitis, diarrheal disease, and allergies.
Signs that your child is ready for solid foods:
- Sits up independently for at least 60 seconds
- Is able to control head and neck
- Shows an interest in food – for example, they look at what’s on your plate
- Open their mouth when you offer them food on a spoon
- Baby is losing the tongue thrust reflex: Swallows food rather than pushing it back onto the chin
The best times of the day to introduce solids
When introducing solids, it’s good to offer solids when both the baby and you are happy and relaxed. This is often after a feed of breastmilk or formula, and they will have room in their tummies to taste new foods after a feed. Keep in mind that your baby’s appetite will vary from day to day.
Signs of hunger include:
- Getting excited when they see the food you are getting ready
- Leaning towards you while sitting in the highchair
- Opening their mouth as you feed them
Signs that your baby is no longer interested include:
- Turning their head away
- Getting distracted and not focused on food
- Refusing to open their mouth
- Pushing the spoon away
How much food should I offer when I introduce solids?
In the beginning, try offering 1-2 teaspoons of food once a day. Your baby might have a small taste but probably won’t swallow much. However, by 12 months, you should be able to feed your baby three small meals a day, plus breastmilk or infant formula.
Tips for raising Vegans
First, start the weaning process. There are three basic routes you can choose to go down:
Purees or spoon-led weaning
Spoon-led weaning (SLW) can start from 4 months. It is wise to start with simple, one-ingredient baby food while progressing to mashed/chopped textures. This method is commonly labeled stage 1, 2, or 3 based on the texture and number of ingredients:
- Stage 1: smoothest texture and typically one ingredient (4 to 6 months).
- Stage 2: thick purée of solid food mashed into a pulp by combining more than one ingredient (6 to 9 months).
- Stage 3: thick blended foods with chewable chunks or small cut-up pieces of easily chewed table foods referred to as ‘finger foods’ (10-12 months).
Baby-led weaning
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a way of introducing foods for your baby that allows them to feed themselves from the start of the weaning process and explore at their own pace. You skip the purees and go straight for soft, solid BLW vegan foods (like bananas).
This is usually introduced at 7 or 8 months when babies show interest in food. Many parents who have tried BLW have noticed their babies eat anything and everything as they introduce solids first.
The mixed method
This combines both of the above – spoon-led weaning and finger foods simultaneously. This is great for parents looking to feed their baby but also want to encourage independence.
Foods to avoid
Your baby may be ready to eat solid foods, but that does not mean they are prepared to eat everything. Here are some foods they should steer away from.
- Wait until your child is 4-5 years old before giving nuts, as it is a choking hazard.
- Do not cook your baby low-fat, low-calorie, or high-fiber dishes. Babies need foods high in energy to grow.
- Limit salt to 0-1g daily as their kidneys cannot process it.
- Steer away from anything with added sugar and water down fruit juices.
- Avoid GMO products, as they can elevate the risk of your baby developing allergies and resistance to antibiotics.
5 Commercial vegan baby food ideas
Commercial baby food is a processed product sold to consumers and usually consists of pureed fruits or vegetables that feed children roughly 6 – 18 months of age. Here are some recommended commercial plant-based vegan foods:
Beech-Nut foods
This affordable baby food is an all-around fan favourite available at most local grocery stores and through amazon. This brand focuses on non-GMO fruits and vegetables with simple ingredients and no artificial additives. The product line includes cereals, vegan baby food jars, pouches, and snacks.
NurturMe
NurturMe is a tummy-friendly brand with a full line of certified organic, non-GMO, and kosher baby food products. Many products provide extra vitamins, such as vitamin D from organic cremini mushrooms, B12, and more.
Once Upon a Farm
Once upon a farm is a vegan, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, BPA-free, and kosher brand with a “vegan” label on every food item. The products offer a variety of flavours that make great vegan baby snacks.
Baby Gourmet
Baby gourmet is a well-known baby food brand available at many grocery stores. They have many vegan baby snacks, but you will have to look at the ingredient to ensure that you are not choosing products containing non-vegan ingredients.
Earths best
This organic and non-GMO brand has many products, including kid and toddler foods. Their expanding product lines contain a variety of plant-based baby food you can choose from.
10 vegan baby food recipes
1. Carrot purée (4+ months)
This homemade vegan baby food recipe is easy to make using only organic carrots and water. You can replicate this recipe with pumpkin, zucchini, or sweet potato. Additionally, You can make these in batches and freeze them to have them ready for whenever!
Get the recipe here.
2. Broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower purée (+6 months)
This is an excellent mild-flavour puree to start with when introducing solids to your baby that is full of essential nutrients.
Get the recipe here.
3. Mashed avocado (+6 months)
Avocado is a perfect first food for a baby! Healthy fats are essential for their development and provide great texture and taste. You can replicate this recipe with bananas or other fruits and vegetables with the same consistency.
Get the recipe here.
4. Baby teething crackers (+6 months)
This homemade vegan baby food recipe is great for BLW which only takes 30 minutes to make, and it is a great vegan baby snack to have on the go.
Get the recipe here.
5. Aubergine and red pepper curry (+7 months)
Aubergine, peppers, onions, potato, and tomatoes make up this veggie-packed curry that can be served with whole wheat pitta for BLW or feed to your baby if they are SLW.
Get the recipe here.
6. Overnight oats for your little ones (+6 months)
These overnight oats are great for busy moms with little time to make breakfast. This recipe has a creamy texture, full of healthy fat, plant-based protein, and iron.
Get the recipe here.
7. Baked tofu nuggets (+9 months)
This vegan baby food has a yummy marinated tofu base with a simple vegan batter to make the outside slightly crispy. These tofu nuggets are protein-packed, making a great plant-based baby food.
Get the recipe: here.
8. Baked vegan mac and cheese (+10 months)
This vegan baby food can get messy but guaranteed that your little one will love these! This recipe is made of only 8 ingredients, and you can use bite-size pasta or blend it whether you are BLW or SFW. The recipe instructions include adding salt, but we advise you to keep this dish unsalted for your baby.
Get the recipe: here.
9. Banana and carrot baby cookies (9+ months)
This vegan baby snack uses only 6 simple ingredients and makes a great on-the-go snack. This can be given as early as 6 months if you are BLW or after 9 months if SFW. You can also modify this recipe to add more seasonings of choice, like cinnamon, from 10 months forward.
Get the recipe: here.
10. Vegan zucchini meatballs (10+ months)
Made from a base of chickpeas and seasoned with basil, oregano and garlic, this 10-ingredient plant-based baby food recipe only requires 20 minutes of your time!
Get the recipe here.
Let’s get cooking!
I hope that this article brought you some clarity on transitioning your baby to solid foods. I assure you, preparing vegan baby food will get easier with practice.
If you need help with this transition, please reach out to a vegan child dietitian for personalized services to ensure your baby is getting the best vegan nutrition.
