Feeding your baby solid foods is such a fun milestone, but enjoying it with a busy family schedule can be complicated. Check out my tips for savoring every moment as a parent.
You guys, Liam is almost five months. FIVE MONTHS! Like what?! He has been such a big eater, I wasn’t able to keep up enough for nursing. Since we’ve transitioned to formula, I have also been looking forward to feeding him solid foods.
We do a semi-homemade approach to baby food: mostly self-pureed, but some store-bought. I will gladly take a little help from the store for time intensive foods like butternut squash. As he gets older, he will eat mostly table food that we have at dinner, but to introduce items, we use baby food. They didn’t have the squeeze pouches when the other girls were younger and I am loving the convenience of them!
As a budget shopper, the Parent’s Choice line from Walmart is a breath of fresh air. They offer top-quality products at a fraction of the price. Liam’s formula (which is a sensitive variety to help with reflux) is less than $14…almost $10 off from other brands. $10 is a lot for our budget, especially when Liam flies through formula…the almost $50 we save monthly can go towards other things our family needs.
Aside from awesome formula deals, Parent’s Choice has an organics line of baby food that is still cheaper than other name brands. I am always impressed with their unique flavor combinations and variety. Best part: you can order right from their website and get it delivered to your door in 2-days…no membership required. Since our time is super limited right now, convenience is KEY! I also enjoy Walmart Grocery Pickup for days that I’m running errands: you pull into a parking space and someone brings out your groceries right to your car. In the winter, this will be such a blessing with Liam!
I’ll be honest, squeezing in Liam’s meals to our hectic schedule took a bit of an adjustment. Sometimes it will take him 20-25 minutes to enjoy his meal and we don’t always have that during the week. I have found letting him sit at the dinner table with us, but eat his solid meals at less busy moments of the day has been very helpful.
For example, he’ll drink a bottle after waking up and then sit in his highchair with a teether or rice husk (the Parent’s Choice apple flavored ones are his fav!) while the girls eat breakfast and I prepare lunches. After school morning drop-off, we return home and Liam will enjoy his morning oatmeal with bananas. It is a much less hectic time and I can actually enjoy feeding him.
Same situation later in the day: Liam eats sweet potatoes or his favorite Root Veggies & Apples squeeze (poured into a bowl) after I pick the girls up from school while they have a snack. At dinner time, he joins us at the table and plays with some toys. I feel it’s important for him to be with us for the family meals, but it’s complicated to try to spend some quality time with the girls, hearing about their day and feed Liam.
As he gets older, I know our schedules will align, but right now this is what works best for us. With more than one child, coordinating schedules can be complicated and finding what fits for your family is always important.
Other tips for early stages of solids with a busy family schedule:
- Use frozen veggies you have on hand or are also feeding your family to puree–no need to buy additional items for your baby. When we eat peas for dinner, part of the cooked ones go into the food chopper for Liam. Walmart also has great priced frozen veggies, no coupons needed!
- Stock up on baby food pouches for convenience during busy times. On the go, these are lifesavers. Just pack a bowl and spoon in a baggie, plus a bib in your diaper bag. Also pack rice husks and snack puffs in your purse for running errands.
- Find a style of feeding that’s right for your family and schedule. Interested in more self-led feeding? Try it! Don’t want to bother with homemade food? That’s okay. As with anything parenting related, you do you!
What tips do you have for feeding your baby solids? Have you tried the new varieties of Parent’s Choice Organic baby food squeezes?
Thank you Ashleigh and Baby Liam for TRANSITIONING TO SOLID FOODS WITH A BUSY FAMILY SCHEDULE post and adorable images. Love the idea of saving time by using frozen veggies and snack puffs. Tip: try fresh avocado. (YUM)
What’s Baby Liam’s favorite snack?
Thank YOU for reading 🙂 We love fresh avocado! He tends to like it with a bit of mashed banana. His favorite foods so far are carrots, sweet potatoes and frozen berries in his mesh teether.