Feeding Essentials for 6-12 Months: What You Actually Need
Starting solids somewhere around 6 months is one of those milestones that's equal parts exciting and terrifying. Your baby is going to wear more food than they eat for the first few weeks. That's normal. Here's the gear that makes it less chaotic.
The High Chair
You need something easy to clean. That's the number one priority, above aesthetics, above features, above everything. The IKEA Antilop ($20) is the gold standard because it's smooth plastic with zero crevices. You can literally take it outside and hose it down. If you want something nicer looking, the Stokke Tripp Trapp is excellent but it's $250+ and still needs cleaning after every meal.
Bibs That Actually Work
Cloth bibs are cute and completely useless once purées are involved. Get silicone pocket bibs with a food catcher at the bottom. They rinse clean in seconds and catch the stuff that misses baby's mouth (which is most of it). We like the Mushie silicone bibs for everyday use.
Spoons and Utensils
For parent-led feeding, the NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensil is great for first purées because baby can dip it and bring it to their mouth. For baby-led weaning, you'll want preloaded spoons like the ChooMee FlexiDip. Either way, get spoons with short, wide handles that tiny hands can grip.
Plates and Bowls
Suction plates and bowls that stick to the high chair tray will save you from cleaning food off the floor (as much). The ezpz Happy Mat is the original, but honestly any silicone suction plate works. Just know that determined babies will eventually figure out how to rip them off the tray.
The Stuff You Can Skip
Baby food makers (a regular steamer and blender work fine), fancy baby food storage systems (ice cube trays and freezer bags do the same thing), and any utensil marketed as "self-feeding" for babies under 8 months. They're not coordinated enough yet and that's totally fine.
Food Prep Tip
Batch cook on Sundays. Steam veggies, blend or mash them, freeze in ice cube trays, pop the cubes into labeled freezer bags. You'll have 2 weeks of baby food ready to thaw in about an hour of prep.