Whether you are transitioning your baby from purees or doing baby led weaning, these quick, easy, and healthy breakfast ideas are sure to help introduce your baby to a wide variety of flavors and textures while ensuring that they are getting the nutrients they need during this critical time. Proper nutrition during the first 1000 days is extremely important for optimal brain development, lifelong health and eating habits. In fact, there is strong evidence that food preferences and the variety of foods eaten during the first 1000 days remain consistent throughout life! I’ve learned from speaking to many moms that breakfast is the most challenging meal of the day when it comes to offering variety to their baby. Not to mention that typical American breakfasts are loaded with sugar. So if you find yourself in a breakfast rut, I hope this post gives you plenty of ideas!
Helpful Resources
Here are some in-depth resources to help guide you in exposing your baby to a wide variety of flavors and textures while ensuring that they get the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.
Purees vs. Baby Led WeaningBest First Foods for Baby Led WeaningTop iron rich foods for babiesTop foods for 8 month old babyFinger Food Ideas for babyBaby led weaning essentials
Easy Baby Led Weaning Breakfast Ideas
Eggs
Eggs are such a wonderful finger food for babies. They are nutrient-dense with so many essential nutrients that babies need, including iron, zinc, and choline, which is critical for proper brain development. They are also affordable and super versatile! To learn more about the benefits of eggs for babies as well as find answers to top questions and easy recipes, check out my ultimate guide to eggs for babies.
Oatmeal
Quick and easy to make, oatmeal is such a hearty way to start the day. There are endless ways to customize it with all kinds of toppings, making it the perfect vehicle for introducing your baby to a variety of foods. You can also bake it or make it the night before and enjoy cold (hello overnight oats!) Here are some recipes to try!
Muffins
Muffins are so great to have in the freezer at all times for a quick breakfast! Here’s a whole collection of tried and true baby AND toddler muffins! Simply thaw in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning as is or slightly warmed.
Chia pudding
This is the perfect make ahead breakfast that you can whip up in under 5 minutes! Here’s the basic recipe as well as 6 fun flavors to get you started! Chia puddings are also great for relieving constipation.
Pancakes
Cook a big batch and freeze for an easy breakfast! You can offer these pancakes halved, or as strips. And make every bite count by serving with various toppings, such a yogurt, mashed avocado, peanut or nut butter, hummus, etc.
Waffles
Another great make ahead option and a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your baby’s diet.
French toast
This may blow your mind in the best way possible! Rather than the classic sweet version, try adding vegetables! This savory vegetable French toast is such a great way to use up whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand! But if you’d rather go the sweet route, this 10 minute is the answer.
Toast
If you’re tired of the usual toast toppings like peanut butter, jam (you must try this sugar free strawberry jam!) and butter, here are some ways to take your toast game to the next level! Simply cut into strips or bite sized pieces depending on your baby’s age.
Yogurt
I like to alternate between Greek and plain yogurt and serve with all kinds of toppings. It’s also a great way to boost flavor and nutrition in so many recipes. Learn what the best yogurt for babies is as well as plenty of simple ways to serve it to your baby.
Finger Foods for Baby
Serve any of the above main course options with easy-to-pick-up finger foods, like vegetables and fruits, to help round out the meal. I’ve started a “How To” series that dive deep into each food that are wonderful to introduce from early on. I share when to introduce, how to prepare/cook and serve the food to your baby so that it’s safe with maximum nutrition. I will continue adding new foods moving forward so be sure to come back for more ;).
Breakfast Ideas for 9 months (real-life examples)
These are all examples of my son’s breakfast around this age. We actually didn’t start doing breakfast until around 8.5 months. To briefly share our journey, we started solids at around 7.5 months (6 months adjusted age) and lunch was the meal we started with as that’s the time of the day when my son was most interested in food. Here’s our baby led weaning journey recap. I don’t cook much in the morning. It’s usually whatever’s in the fridge. The only time I turn on the stove is when I’m making eggs. Around this age is when he started eating 3 meals per day. On average, he ate about 60% of what you see on the plates.
Oat balls w/chopped roasted veggies + avocado + roasted kabocha (w/cinnamon)Banana Date Bread + whole fat plain Greek yogurt w/flaxseeds & cinnamonRoasted spaghetti squash + shredded chicken + roasted purple sweet potatoesSavory baked oatmeal bars with vegetables + scrambled eggs + ripe pearsMexican lentil muffin + whole fat plain Greek yogurt (w/chia seeds) + banana (w/cinnamon)Steel cut oats (w/banana, flaxseeds, cinnamon) + curried zucchini + avocado
Breakfast Ideas for 10 months
All the baked goods that aren’t linked are from my first ecookbook – Baby Led Weaning Beginner Bites. Whenever I baked, I made sure to freeze half (this is my FAVORITE method) so I could build my freezer stash. Then I could easily pull them out and thaw in the fridge overnight to enjoy first thing in the morning!
Oat balls w/sardines + chopped veggie + salmon quiche Zucchini & sweet potato muffin + avocado + pearsLentil walnut bake + banana slicesPumpkin bread w/almond butter + banana + scrambled eggsBeet pancakes + avocadoMango coconut chia pudding + baked almond coconut bar + leftover steam roasted veggies
Breakfast for 11 month
Pumpkin oat bread with thinly sliced pear + almond butter, roasted broccoli and kabochaScrambled eggs w/curry powder + oat balls (w/almond butter and flaxseeds) + steam roasted broccoli with whole fat plain Greek yogurtBroccoli and spinach quiche + leftover veggies (beets, yellow squash, broccoli) + whole fat plain Greek yogurtBeet hummus, Oat balls (w/almond butter and flaxseeds) + avocadoLeftover turkey + vegetable omelette w/beet hummus + whole fat plain Greek yogurt (w/flaxseeds) + banana + roasted purple sweet potatoesBanana date bread with almond butter & chia seeds + scrambled eggs w/oregano + roasted beets and yellow squash .
Additional Tips
If you’re looking at these meals and thinking: “Wow that looks like a lot of work!” Would you believe that each meal you see above took me less than 10 minutes to put together? The key is meal prepping. Cook a large batch of vegetables, oatmeal or other whole grains. Bake and freeze muffins, pancakes, and other nutritious baked goods. Simply repurpose throughout the week. “That doesn’t look like breakfast at all!” I highly encourage you to rethink breakfast. It doesn’t always have to be cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, etc. And our babies sure don’t mind gnawing on a beef strip first thing in the morning. So take advantage of dinner leftovers! It’s a great opportunity to expose them to more foods they’re not innately drawn to, like vegetables. “But I’d much rather do cereal, yogurt, _____ for breakfast” That’s ok too! Whatever works for your family. What I highly encourage of you is to again, focus on variety! Instead of having oatmeal with the same toppings, switch things up! Here are some awesome topping suggestions.
How much should a baby eat for breakfast?
This is one of the most common questions I receive. And the answer is it depends on your perfectly unique child. Babies are born with an innate ability to self-regulate, and while it’s so tempting to take control and push them to finish their plate, the best thing we can do is to follow their lead. There are so many factors that can affect their appetite. They may be sick, teething, going through a growth spurt, feeling tired, excited, etc. Therefore, consider their intake on a weekly basis rather than daily. As long as you are consistently offering your baby 2-3 meals by 9-10 months and continuing to offer breastmilk/formula, your baby should be getting adequate nutrition. Still worried? If your baby is growing and following their normal growth curve, you guys are rocking it! You do want to make sure they’re getting enough iron so be sure to include an iron-rich source with each meal! Related post: Best Iron-rich Foods for Babies
Baby Led Feeding Journey Program
If you are in need of step-by-step guidance for feeding your baby (and the rest of the family) simple, nutritious meals while saving you time, energy, and sanity, this program is for you!
