Must-Have Baby Feeding Products: Top Picks and What to Skip

When I talk to parents struggling to introduce solids to their babies, one of the most common reasons it’s so hard isn’t what you’d expect. It has nothing to do with their baby, the food they choose, or the way they do things. But this mistake can make it almost impossible to succeed no matter how hard you try. It can inadvertently make your baby’s food seem disgusting to them, make it extremely difficult for them to eat, cause excess gagging, and even delay oral motor development.

If you’ve recently been into a baby store or looked online, you might have noticed hundreds of different feeding products on the market. The problem isn’t that there’s a lot to choose from, it’s that many of the products available actually make the process of starting solids harder, and some aren’t even suitable for babies at all.

So, in this blog, I’m going to help save you time and money by telling you which items to avoid and why and which items you need to make starting solids easier.

But before we start, I would really like you to check out a very useful book 20 Tactics to Get Your Toddler to Eat, which is available on Amazon both in paperback and Kindle versions.

Why Silicone Plates and Bowls Aren’t Ideal

This first product might be a bit controversial as I know many parents love them, but I don’t recommend Silicone plates or bowls. Now, before you leave, hear me out. Yes, they’re durable, safe, and easy to clean, but after using them for a little while, they start to smell. This is because silicone retains the odor of foods, no matter how well you clean it. If you have a silicone plate or bowl at home, get and smell it.

Now, the reason this is a problem is because the smells can be off-putting, especially for babies starting solids. Before your baby decides to eat any food, whether it’s new or something they previously liked, they will look at it and then smell it. Based on these two factors, they’ll decide whether or not they want to eat it. So if the plate or bowl smells, they’re going to think the food smells and they’re just going to refuse to eat it.

The Benefits of Bamboo Plates and Bowls

This is why I prefer bamboo plates and bowls. Bamboo doesn’t retain smells, which means your baby is more likely to eat the foods. They also don’t transfer heat, so the bowl and plate stays cool, even when you’re serving warm food, and they are really easy to clean. Plus, the suction bases work really well, which means you can place the bowl or plate in front of your baby with food on it and know that they’re not going to throw the bowl or accidentally knock it over, which is highly likely as their ability to grab things is a little bit uncoordinated in the beginning.

Also, the separate sections on a plate allow you to serve both juicy food like watermelon and dry foods without the risk of the juices seeping into and spoiling the dry foods. Now, while some babies don’t mind their foods mixing, for others, it can be a real turnoff. So having separate sections on the plate helps to minimize this issue and keep meal times pleasant for your little one.

The Right Spoon for Your Baby

Next up, we have the spoon. And while it seems like a simple tool, the design of a spoon can greatly affect your baby’s ability to eat from it. In fact, there are three types of spoons that I recommend you avoid, starting with spoons made from flexible material like silicone spoons. Although they’re safe and gentle for your baby to chew on, they bend.

Why Flexibility Isn’t Always Good

This isn’t ideal as your baby’s initial attempts at using a spoon involve a lot of trial and error. They’re going to accidentally hit their face lots of times before they manage to get the spoon in their mouth. And if the spoon is too flexible, each time they miss their mouth and hit their cheek, it’s going to cause the spoon to bend and the food to fall off the spoon before it even reaches their mouth.

Moreover, the flexibility of these spoons makes it difficult for your baby to scoop up the food because it bends. And this can be frustrating for your baby and make the learning process a lot slower.

The Problem with Wide and Deep Bowls

Next up, we have spoons with a wide bowl. These spoons can be tricky for your baby because their mouth is small, and the wide bowl makes it really hard for them to get the spoon in their mouth. And if they do manage to get it in, this wide bowl actually stretches the sides of their mouth, which can cause them discomfort. Plus, the large size of this spoon can actually trigger your baby’s gag reflex more because their gag reflex is located at the front of their tongue.

Furthermore, spoons with deep bowls can make it challenging for your baby to clear the food off the spoon. When your baby starts eating solids, they’re learning a skill called lip closure, which is where they press their lips tightly together. And this helps them clear the spoon properly and keep the food in their mouth while they’re eating. However, spoons with deep bowls can actually make that lip closure process a bit difficult.

Recommended Baby Spoon

My favorite choice for a baby spoon is the Munchkin White Hot Safety Spoons. Now these spoons are sturdy, so they’re not flexible. They have a narrow and shallow bowl, which means that they’re perfectly sized for your baby’s small mouth and allow them to close their lips completely around the spoon and clear the food. Plus, these spoons have a temperature-sensitive tip, which changes color if the food is too hot. And this provides a quick and reliable method to ensure that the food’s temperature is safe for your little one.

Choosing the Right Cup for Your Baby

If you want to get my full list of feeding products that I recommend for your baby to use now and when they become a toddler, make sure you download my free Mealtime Essentials Guide, which you can get by clicking the link below. This next baby feeding product is often the first choice for parents transitioning their baby from a bottle to a cup because they’re spill-proof and easy for babies to use. And while they might seem like the perfect solution, they can actually slow down your baby’s development in speech, language, and eating skills.

The Issue with Sippy Cups

I’m talking about sippy cups. If you’re not aware, sippy cups usually have a lid that snaps in place or screws on, and they have a spout that’s either hard and fixed or soft and flexible. And it’s the spout which is problematic. When your baby drinks from a sippy cup, they have to suck on the spout. And this sucking motion promotes an immature swallowing pattern where the tongue moves from the front to the back.

However, as your baby grows, they need to learn a mature swallowing pattern. In this pattern, the tip of their tongue touches the roof of their mouth just behind their top teeth, and it moves in a wave-like motion to push the food or the liquid to the back of the throat to then swallow. Unfortunately, the spout of a sippy cup blocks the tongue from moving this way, preventing the development of this mature swallowing pattern.

Why Straw Cups Are Better

That’s why many health professionals recommend skipping sippy cups altogether and going straight for an open cup or a straw cup. Personally, I prefer straw cups because they combine the convenience of being spill-proof with the benefits of promoting your baby’s oral motor development. Drinking from a straw cup helps to strengthen your baby’s lips, tongue, and cheek muscles. Unlike the suckling motion used with the traditional sippy cup, straw cups encourage your baby to use a more mature swallowing pattern.

My go-to straw cup for babies is the Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Straw Cup. What’s great about this cup is its weighted straw design. This feature allows your baby to drink from any angle, which is super helpful for those just learning to use the straw. Younger babies might not know that they need to actually tilt the cup or might not be coordinated enough to do it properly. And the weighted straw solves this by following the liquid, so your baby can easily drink from the cup without having to tilt it. This makes learning to drink from a straw less frustrating and a lot easier for your little one.

The Right Bib for Mess-Free Mealtime

This next baby feeding product is essential if you want to keep your baby’s clothes clean and avoid frequent outfit changes after every meal. And that is the bib. And while it might seem straightforward to pick one, not all bibs are created equal. In fact, there are four different types of bibs which can actually complicate mealtime rather than simplify it.

Why Some Bibs Aren’t Ideal

Starting with silicone bibs. While they’re easy to clean, as I mentioned earlier, silicone can hold onto odors from washing detergents and foods, which can be pretty off-putting for your little one. If your baby’s turned off by the smell of the bib, they might be less eager to eat. Next, we have bibs with catch-all pockets at the bottom. These are great for catching food, but there’s a catch, literally. For the pockets to be effective, there needs to be a gap between your baby’s body and the tray or the table. And this can be a problem. Babies need to be close to their food, and this gap can actually make it hard for them to reach their meals.

Next, we have bibs with elastic neck holes. These bibs are pulled over your baby’s head, and this process of pulling the bib over your baby’s head can not only be difficult for you, but it can be really distressing and uncomfortable for your baby. If putting on the bib upsets your baby, they may be less willing to try new foods or eat their meal. Moreover, after the meal, when that bib is smeared with food, removing it involves pulling it back over their head, causing that messy bib to rub against your baby’s face, which really isn’t pleasant. And it could make them even more resistant to mealtime.

Lastly, we have baby smock bibs. Now, while I find smock bibs great for toddlers, they’re not something I usually recommend for babies. And that’s because smock bibs are often designed to fit children from about six months of age to 18 months of age, or even up to two years of age. And because of this, they can be quite large for a baby who’s just six or seven months of age. This extra material can create a couple of problems.

Firstly, it blocks your baby’s view of their food, which might discourage them from eating if they can’t see what’s in front of them. Secondly, the excess fabric can actually hinder your baby’s ability to move their arms freely. And this makes it tough for them to reach their food and then bring it to their mouth as they have to maneuver around all that extra material.

Recommended Bib for Babies

For babies just starting solids, the simpler bibs like this one from Bubba Blue Australia are all that you need. These bibs are just the right size to keep your baby’s clothes clean without hindering their ability to see and reach their food. They have absorbent material on the front and waterproof material on the back, which helps to keep their clothes dry. A padded collar to catch all the drips and prevent rashes and secure press stud fastenings that are easy for you to do, but tricky for little fingers, which means the bib will stay on for the entire meal.

Now, one thing I will say is if you have the ideal plates, bowls, spoons, bibs, and cups, and meal times are still challenging, the problem might lie with the high chair. Many high chairs are too big for babies, causing them to slouch or get tired really quickly. And this can lead to your baby refusing to sit in the high chair, struggling to try new foods, or even having tantrums. However, by making a few small but significant tweaks to your baby’s high chair setup, meal times can be significantly easier.

Final Words

Choosing the right feeding products for your baby can feel overwhelming, but with the right information, it becomes much easier to make confident decisions. By focusing on safety, practicality, and your baby’s unique needs, you can avoid unnecessary or ineffective items and invest in products that truly make feeding time easier and more enjoyable. Remember, every baby is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Stay flexible, trust your instincts, and prioritize what feels right for you and your little one. With the right tools and a little patience, you’ll create a feeding routine that supports your baby’s growth and your peace of mind.