And just like that, your baby is almost six months old! Time has flown and now you’re getting ready for the somewhat daunting task of weaning.
No doubt you will have bought all the kit - a highchair; plates, bowls and cutlery; bibs; maybe a splash mat; perhaps some fancy blenders that help you prep baby food; some small containers to keep things in your fridge or freezer. But if you have all the gear and no idea where to start, you’ll probably need a weaning book.
Over the years, the process of weaning has changed. Some 30-plus years ago, babies were weaned at four months old, starting mainly with puree and baby rice. Now, the NHS recommends that the right time is more like at six months. And as opposed to mainly pureed foods fed with a spoon - now some parents prefer to go down the “baby-led weaning” route or essentially letting babies feed themselves from the get-go. Others combine the two. Whatever route you decide, doing some reading is useful before you embark on getting your baby to love solids.
Most weaning books include information about the pros and cons of both methods, while others also include meal plans or day-by-day guides as to what to feed your baby (think… spinach one day, broccoli the next). There are options that give guidance and tips on what to do if your baby doesn’t take to solids straight away and how to encourage them to love food for life.
With veganism or plant-based lifestyles on the rise, flick through the selection of vegetarian and vegan books on the market, which are particularly useful if your family do follow either diet. Another great resource is the NHS Start For Life website.
Here is a list of some fantastic books that will help equip you with all the knowledge you need to get ready to wean.
Shop the best weaning books below
Plant Based Baby: A guide to feeding your baby on a vegan or vegetarian diet by Sally Hall
Parenting journalist Sally Hall was inspired to write Plant Based Baby during lockdown when she noticed there was a lack of resources for parents who wanted to raise their children on plant-based diets.
This vibrant, colourful book takes parents through the essential nutritional knowledge needed to raise your baby vegan, and also prepares them for how to explain why they have decided to do so to those who inevitably criticise. It’s also full of wonderful yummy recipes to show the nay-sayers how good plant-based can be.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
The Flavour-led Weaning Cookbook: Easy recipes & meal plans to wean happy, healthy, adventurous eaters by Zainab Jagot Ahmed
This book is especially good for families who want to - at least initially - go down the puree route as it has numerous bright, vibrant options that all look delicious. The concept of this book, as the title indicates, is that introducing flavours such as herbs and mild spices early on will create adventurous eaters long term.
So it includes lots of early weaning recipes with flavours such as vanilla, cardamon, ginger and mint running through them. The book guides you from the first flavours through to some lovely family recipes for the whole family to enjoy.
Buy now £15.63, Amazon
Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett
This is the Bible of baby-led weaning, written by the woman who is generally considered to have coined the term and started the movement - Gill Rapley. It is less of a recipe book and more of a book about the theories and science behind baby-led weaning, which changed how a lot of parents decided to introduce food to their babies.
A former health visitor and midwife who has a PhD in the field, much like most of the other authors on this list, Rapley was inspired to wean differently through watching her own children - and finding they were happier when they were in charge. A must-read for people who are seriously considering the baby-led approach.
Buy now £13.35, Amazon
Intuitive Weaning: For calm mealtimes and happy babies by Jo Weston
Written by mother-of-three Instagrammer Jo Weston, this book is a fantastic pick for families with multiple children and parents who are worrying about how to wean their youngest while coping with the mayhem of having other little people to cater for at meal times.
Intuitive Weaning is essentially following what your baby wants - be it to adopt a baby-led approach, spoon-fed or a combo of both - but ensuring that works for your family. With its ethos that you have to go with a weaning approach that is realistic, it will be a hit with most families. The recipes are also fabulous, quick and often inexpensive - which is an added bonus.
Buy now £14.78, Amazon
Little Veggie Eats: Easy Weaning Recipes for All the Family to Enjoy by Rachel Boyett
Another great option for families who either want to eat less meat or don’t eat it at all. This is a lovely, colourful book packed full of 60-plus lovely meat-free recipes. It is particularly strong in the snack department and has page after page of delicious dips, crackers, healthy cakes and other pick-up-and-go options.
Every dish is free from refined sugar and packed with wholesome ingredients. Boyett is another top Instagrammer - so follow her for more inspiration beyond the book.
Buy now £12.55, Amazon
How to Wean Your Baby by Charlotte Stirling-Reed
This is a fantastic book that really holds parents’ hands through weaning - step by step. The first half of the book will prepare you for weaning and offers a 30-day guide of what to feed them, starting with vegetables in both puree and finger-food form and moving on to more complex foods and combinations. The second half is dedicated to family-friendly recipes to add to your arsenal of weekly meals.
Stirling-Reed is a child nutritionist who has worked on a number of celebrity-backed weaning books. She also runs a number of tutorials and is a great mum to follow on Instagram. Her follow-up book - How To Feed Your Toddler - is packed with great family meals and tips on how to manage food refusal and other fun eating phases.
Buy now £14.76, Amazon
Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel
This is probably the essential weaning book. Written in 1991 and since translated into 25 languages, Karmel created this book in memory of her first daughter Natasha who died of a rare viral disease. You really don’t need to buy another book if you pick up this as it’s filled with information about how to approach weaning, what foods to explore and which to take with caution.
It contains everything from lovely, tasty purees through to hearty full-family suppers. And what’s more, there is an app packed with over 650 recipes that are added weekly offering much-needed inspiration for parents desperately seeking something different to feed their families.
Buy now £12.95, Amazon
What Mummy Makes by Rebecca Wilson
If you look past this not particularly progressive title, this is a great recipe book filled to the brim with wonderful meals from breakfasts to snacks and dinners. The idea behind the book is that you only need to cook once for you and your family - no multiple meals for multiple mouths causing you more stress and costing more money.
Each recipe comes with a guide as to how many it will cater for - two adults, two little ones etc. And having tried several, they are delicious and usually gobbled down by adults and children alike. Wilson also has other books - including Fast Family Food and Family Comforts plus the What Mummy Makes Family Meal Planner - all of which are worth spoiling yourself to once you’re out of the initial weaning stages.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon
Grow your family by Adam Shaw
This is more of an all-encompassing family feeding guide than just a weaning book. It is full of wonderful, hearty and nourishing meals for women in various stages of pregnancy, through to simple but delicious food suitable for new, tired parents with no time or patience to make fancy suppers.
It also includes a great section on weaning, followed by some wonderful recipes for new eaters, suitable for children from eight months up. If you are looking for an all-in-one option, or have limited space on your bookshelf, this is the one to pick.
Buy now £9.50, Amazon
