Best buys for starting solids

After preparing baby food for my 3 kids, I have noticed that some products are more helpful than others.  Here are my top product picks that I wouldn’t be without, with a baby of solid eating age.

Breville Mini-wiz

My mum gave me a Mini-wiz and I use it all the time.  It’s a small bender/processor and the perfect size for making baby food.  When I make our dinner, I just throw some extra cooked veg in the mini-wiz, blend it up and the baby’s dinner is prepared too.  I think the ‘Magic Bullet Blender’ might be just as effective, but I have never used one.  Making your own baby food at home is so much cheaper than store bought, pre made baby food and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time a preparation either.

Tupperware Cool Cubes

These are ridiculously expensive at $41.45 for a set of 2, and I have only just recently bought some as I usually go for more economical products.  However, so far I have found them to be excellent at storing baby food in the freezer.  When I have food left over from the Mini-wiz, I put the excess into the Cool Cubes and this allows for small portions to be frozen separately.  I have used cheaper, normal ice trays in the past, but the Tupperware version are really good quality and feature lids (to keep the food hygienic and healthy) and buttons underneath each cube so that each portion of food pops up easily and individually.  The lid allows me to put a little note or sticky label on top so I know what food combo is in there.

K&D Design Kids booster feeding chair

The first time around, we got conventional high chairs, but as the kids got older, we started looking for something that would enable them to sit at the table with us.  We found this booster feeding chair, and it’s excellent.  It’s a booster seat that fits to your dining chairs.  It suits from babies first starting on solids and can be used like a high chair with the tray attached. I am currently using mine this way for our 7 month old and she first used it at age 4 ½ months. We bypassed highchairs all together with her and started straight into the booster seat. The benefit of a booster that sits on a dining chair is that your baby is at a more comfortable level for sitting down and feeding.  I can comfortably sit and eat my own dinner and feed my baby at the same time, because she is at just the right height. Or for older solid eaters, the tray can be removed and the chair can be pushed up close to the table.  This encouraged our older children to learn table manners (although we are still working on that one).  It has 3 different height levels so you can lower it as the baby grows and needs less height assistance.  It’s compact and portable and we have taken ours to visit relatives and out for dinner. If I had my time over, I wouldn’t even bother buying high chairs.  This is cheaper than most high chairs and can be used for longer too.