Product Spotlight: Feeding Solids

meggyme

Give me your recommendations for bowls, spoons, bibs, favorite baby food brand, any baby food making gadgets and tools, etc.

Kenneylynn3

I love take and toss by the first years cups. I know they aren't spill proof, but they are my favorite sippy cup. I also prefer their spoons. As far as bibs go, any with snaps. I can't stand velcro bibs.

meggyme

So, I have to tell you all about these bibs. They're the only ones we've used for the last 2 years and they're still in pretty good shape. We got a bunch of cutesy bibs but they didn't have enough coverage or weren't long enough to tuck under the tray and wouldn't cover my DD. But these ones go on like an apron and tie in the back. They're waterproof, wipeable, mashine washable... they're amazing and they come in some really cute prints. Sometimes I find them on zulilly for about $5 less, but they are well worth the price just for not having to do a ton of stain treating on laundry. The brand is called Bapron

https://smile.amazon.com/BapronBaby/b/ref=w_bl_sl_ap_ap_web_18205781011?ie=UTF8&node=18205781011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=BapronBaby

ETA: as for bowls and other accessories, I don't think it really matters much. Any of the suction cup bowls/plates are going to be mediocre and honestly, my daughter just enjoyed the challenge of pulling them up off the tray.

mihaelams1

This will be long.

1. Bibs: We tried silicone, we tried one with sleeves, but nothing worked better than Bumkins (https://www.amazon.com/Bumkins-Waterproof-SuperBib-Friends-Chevron/dp/B01A628QL6). We had to restock a few times and we always got a pack of 3. 
2. Placemat: We have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Diner-Portable-Placemat/dp/B00P5USESU (looks like they don't make it anymore, but there are similar items on Amazon). We are still using it at home! It's great at keeping me sane
3. Food making gadgets: This thing is amazing: https://www.amazon.com/NUK-Mash-Serve-Food-Preparation/dp/B006Z6E8AG Once DS started solids, for breakfast I would get some soft fruits, mash them in the bowl, add some baby cereal to thicken it and feed directly from it. Great time saver in the morning.
4. Cups: First cup: https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Click-Weighted-Flexi-Trainer/dp/B00X8BREJS 
Keeping milk fresh on the go: https://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSPOUT-Striker-Stainless-Blossom/dp/B00TLNXIOC
Perfect for daycare, we still use them now at 3 years old: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MRZIGVG/ref=twister_B07L5G597N
5. Bowls and plates: Ikea makes good plates and cups (for later): https://www.amazon.com/IKEA-Children-Plates-Diameter-Height/dp/B00S0OR4PC  https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-101-929-56-BPA-Free-Tumbler-Assorted/dp/B00Q4O5S1C
We also have some suction bowls (3 different sizes) but the suction never worked well. 
6. Spoons:These worked well for being fed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LSL5ZK and these for self-feeding: https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Graduates-Cutlery-Assorted-3-Piece/dp/B00213DTT8
7. Food: Beech-Nut jars tasted like real food, so that's what we got as backup when he didn't like the food we made. Different brands of pouches for on the go, I usually got them in bulk at Target when they had promotions and discounts. Plus puffs, wafers etc. 
8. Pouch top: https://www.amazon.com/ChooMee-SoftSip-Silicone-Prevent-Cushion/dp/B00ERZ4AUA - again, for my sanity. I hate messes. Encourages self-feeding. 
9. Mesh feeder: https://www.amazon.com/Kidsme-Food-Feeder-Large-Green/dp/B00M6N5Z86 we used it for peanut butter and some fruits. 
10. Travel "high-chair": this worked really well: https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Cover-Portable-Chair-Black/dp/B00IHIENS2

lovesclimbing

We don't have much that's baby specific. We do have a set of basic baby silverware with rubber grips that I like. We started her out drinking from a cup but also have used a sippy cup a few times. No particular brand or anything, just whatever. Now, we have a basic set of cheap Walmart plastic cups that D uses. 

For bibs, I mostly use a kitchen towel wrapped around her neck and clipped in the back. It's so long and really keeps stuff off her clothes. We've also used a basic set of Carter's bibs that were gifted to us. 

For plates, we either put food directly on her tray or on one of our small glass plates, and we've just trained her to leave it on the tray and not play with it or lift it. She hasn't dropped one yet!

I have never bought any baby food, so I can't recommend brands. We have this super old school baby food grinder - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sears-Manual-Baby-Food-Grinder-Mill-White-Simple-Nostalgic-1970s/254022124819?hash=item3b24e60513:g:FREAAOSwcttcEAW- 
I like it a lot. Works great on everything but tougher chunks of meat. Easy to clean. It does give you an arm workout, though, but I prefer that to cleaning out a blender. I also like the texture it gives food. It's ground up, but it's not quite a purée like from a blender. Also, we frequently just mashed stuff with a fork if it was soft enough. 

I'm too cheap to buy prepared baby food, basically. I would steam veggies, grind them and then freeze them in ice cups trays. Once she was older, she eats what we eat. Whatever we're eating for breakfast or lunch or dinner gets mashed up or ground up or cut up and given to her. 

meggyme

@lovesclimbing we did baby led weaning too, so there wasn’t ever any baby food to buy. I think I had one box of baby cereal I bought but we hardly used any. I also used a potato masher to squish food unless I was making a bunch, in which case I just used my food processor.

mayoduck

@meggyme That bib print is so cute!!

navete

@meggyme Love those bibs; thanks for the recommendation! Have added a couple to my registry 😁

maggiemadeit

Not exactly a product, but solid food related. Like a few other moms have said, baby led weaning rocks. You don’t need to buy or make baby food, just give them little bits of real food. It’s easy and fun too! And safe, despite my mom’s constant choking concerns. 

meggyme

BLW is awesome. Like breastfeeding, you don't really have to bring anything with you when you go out places and when I would cook at home I would just wait to add any heavy spices or salt (after the initial food reaction/allergy testing sort of phase).

@mayoduck my mom just sent us that one for this baby. We also have the geometric fox print and the arrow print ones. The ties are starting to get a little worn, but they're still servicable 2 years after we started using them.