Introducing Solids: How London’s Baby Food Delivery Services Make It Easy

Milestones are a big part of you and your baby’s journey together and introducing solids is one of the most significant ones that babies reach within the first 6-12 months!

It usually happens around the 6-month mark as you slowly start to wean your baby off formula or breastmilk onto normal “solid” foods. It helps your baby get the nutrients they need to grow and develop. It also allows them to explore new textures and tastes and learn how to eat independently.

Babies develop very quickly at this age and for many parents, it can become slightly overwhelming dealing with all the changes happening at the same time.

That’s why services like baby food delivery companies have become increasingly popular in places like London where there are many different options to choose from to help ease the stress of introducing solids to your baby!

In this blog, we’re going to look at how introducing solids is made easy by these baby food delivery companies in London and other important things to look out for when approaching this exciting milestone!

When to introduce solids to your baby

Understandably, you might be wondering first – “Is my baby ready to start eating solids yet?”…

Well, we have written a bit more in-depth about this topic here if you want to read a bit more detail, but let’s summarise the important things to look out for here.

The NHS recommends that most babies are ready to start eating solids at around 6 months of age, but There are three key signs to watch out for around this age.

• They can stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady
• They can coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
• They can swallow food (rather than spit it back out)

Watch out for some baby food companies that advertise their food to be suitable for 4+ months! This is not in line with NHS recommendations and should only be done under medical advice.

What is a baby food delivery service and can you use them for introducing solids?

Great! Now you know whether your little one is ready to start weaning or not… but are you ready…?

Weaning can be a daunting and challenging process for several reasons.

How do I introduce allergens safely?

What can I not feed my baby?

How do I know they’re getting the right nutrients?

What if I do it wrong and their future relationship with food is jeopardised?

What if I don’t have the time to do it properly and cook every meal myself?

These are all common things that parents ask themselves during this time! And is one of the reasons why many turn to baby food delivery services like V&Me in London.

So what actually are these baby food delivery services?

Most baby food delivery services in London aim to try and ease the stress and workload for busy parents. Baby food is not the same as adult food, so having to deal with cooking different meals for themselves, a baby, (and potentially older children!) is almost an impossible task without turning into a full-time chef.

They are particularly common among working parents who don’t want their child’s nutrition to be sacrificed by going back to work after maternity or paternity leave.

Most work on a subscription basis, which allows you to have regular baby meals delivered so you can skip on the planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning that would usually come with cooking the meals yourself.

Are they suitable for the very first weeks/months of introducing solids?

It very much depends on the type of baby food delivery company you go for. Most will have options for the early stages of weaning but here are some things to look out for when looking at different options to start your weaning journey with.

• First of all, ensure that the baby food has been planned by some sort of paediatric expert.
• Start with simple, single-ingredient blends or finger foods. Bitter vegetables are the best to start with compared to sweeter-tasting things like fruit or sweet potato. This helps your baby get used to the taste of healthy vegetables and can make them less likely to be fussy eaters later in life.
• Watch out for allergens in the early stages of solid food introduction! Introducing allergens should be done in a controlled environment and ideally introduced one by one so you can track the source of any allergic reaction.

What does the first month of introducing solids look like in practice?

As we mentioned above, the first couple of weeks of introducing solids can be made up of fairly simple vegetables while they get used to the physical act of picking up, putting in their mouth, swallowing and holding down food.

But very quickly you’ll find that your baby is ready to move onto different ingredients, flavours and textures and it can end up being hard to keep up with their curiosity levels without turning into a full-time baby chef at home!

In V&Me’s Ultimate Weaning Kit menu, babies are already ready to move on to eating meat, allergens and more by their third week of weaning. You might be surprised how quickly they can move on to more “complex” meals at that age!

What do you actually get with the Ultimate Weaning Kit?

V&Me’s Ultimate Weaning Kit is the first of its kind in the UK and London. It’s the only baby food delivery service to offer a fully paediatric planned weaning menu that includes over 70 different meal varieties served in both puree and finger food.

What it comes with:

5 weeks of expertly crafted, dietitian-planned finger foods and purees cooked fresh by our chefs, delivered straight to your door twice–weekly.

Your Own Feeding Set + Diary

You’ll get a personalised weaning diary to keep track of your little one’s progress, plus a V&Me feeding set to help make mealtime a breeze and keep mess to a minimum!

Exclusive Expert Access

Unlock exclusive members-only content with our knowledge hub, live expert advice, and tailored support from our team of paediatric dietitians.

How to sign up?

If you’re a London parent and you want to join the growing number of mums and dads getting fresh baby food deliveries to their doorstep, click the link below and get your first delivery now!

We are now delivering to almost all central London postcodes, including popular areas like Westminster, Herne Hill, Parsons Green, Chiswick, Shoreditch, Fulham, Camden Town, Putney, Brixton, and Kennington.