Introducing your baby to common allergens, early and often, helps set them up for a future of food freedom. Here’s how Ready. Set. Food! can help with this during baby-led weaning.
Landmark clinical studies, and several sets of crucial guidelines, affirm how important it is to consistently feed baby common allergens. Introducing your baby to common allergens, early and often, helps set them up for a future of food freedom – a future where they’re free to keep eating a variety of yummy and nutritious foods throughout their life, including allergen foods.
But 9 top allergens (cow’s milk, egg, peanut, almond, cashew, walnut, soy, wheat, and sesame) account for around 90% of childhood food allergies. Safely preparing and introducing these 9 foods completely on your own can be challenging, especially on top of making sure baby-led weaning foods are safe and healthy for baby. And that doesn’t even factor in the need to introduce these foods multiple times per week, for several months like the guidelines and studies recommend.
Fortunately, Ready. Set. Food! makes introducing allergens to your little one easy, no matter how you choose to start their solids journey. It’s easy to mix Ready. Set. Food! Stage 3 Mix-Ins with the meals you serve baby, or mix up our Organic Baby Oatmeal for your little one, to keep feeding them 9 top allergens. But did you know that Ready. Set. Food! can help you with your baby-led weaning journey in lots of other ways? Here’s how:
Benefits of Ready. Set. Food! For Baby-Led Weaning
Ready. Set. Food! is an awesome addition to your baby-led weaning journey, because our system:
- Lets you introduce allergens to any baby as early as 4 months of age, in line with medical guidelines
- Eliminates time-consuming prep – allergens are prepared in a baby-safe way and already mixed into our products
- Introduces the amounts of allergens that guidelines recommend
- Is fully organic, with no added sugar and no artificial ingredients
- Makes allergen feeding easy: just add our Mix-Ins to food, mix up our Oatmeal, or serve our Puffs
- Has flexible feeding options that encourage baby to try a wide variety of foods
- Is recommended by over 1,000 pediatricians and allergists
Ready. Set. Food! Products And Baby-Led Weaning
During baby-led weaning, you can mix and match different Ready. Set. Food! products, for yummy variety as you feed baby. Once baby is consistently eating solids, pick any or all of these delicious choices to feed baby 9 top allergens (milk, egg, peanut, almond, cashew, walnut, soy, wheat, and sesame):
- Stage 3 Mix-Ins: Mix these versatile packets with any of baby’s favorite foods, and give baby the allergens they need
- Organic Baby Oatmeal: The only baby cereal with 9 top allergens comes in lots of delicious flavors
- Organic Puffs: A first-of-their kind yummy snack with 9 top allergens inside (for babies 8+ months old and accustomed to chewing solids)
What are some ways to use Ready. Set. Food! during baby-led weaning?
Yes, baby-led weaning is focused on giving baby finger foods that they can feed themself. But you can still mix Ready. Set. Food! into finger food recipes, to give baby both self-feeding experience and exposure to important allergens!
And if baby is 8+ months old and developmentally ready, Ready. Set. Food! Organic Puffs are the perfect baby-led weaning snack!
We’ve included several ideas below.
Using Organic Puffs during Baby-Led Weaning
Ready. Set. Food! Organic Puffs are the perfect snack to use for baby-led weaning, as they're fully organic, contain no added sugar, and are made for baby to pick up! Give baby a serving of Organic Puffs on their own as a snack. Or, use them as part of a BLW meal, such as:
- Chicken strips, avocado slices, and Puffs
- Clumps of ground beef, sweet potato pieces, and Puffs
- Mango strips, chopped kiwi, and Puffs
- Smashed cooked beans, shredded cheese, and Puffs
Pair Puffs with any fruits, veggies, and proteins on our Best Finger Foods for Babies list!
Note: Our Organic Puffs are designed for babies who can crawl without their tummy touching the ground, and are accustomed to picking up and chewing foods with their jaw.
Using Stage 3 Mix-Ins During Baby-Led Weaning
You can mix Ready. Set. Food! Stage 3 Mix-Ins into casseroles, pancakes, hummus, yogurt, chicken salads, avocado salads, and much more for baby-led weaning. The possibilities are nearly endless! Read on for some recipes and combos you can use for inspiration.
Using Organic Baby Oatmeal during Baby-Led Weaning
You can also mix up Ready. Set. Food! Organic Baby Oatmeal as part of baby-led weaning. Try adding in any diced soft fruit, especially if you're giving baby our Original Organic Baby Oatmeal.
After all, baby-led weaning doesn't mean avoiding all foods that get eaten off a spoon – it just means picking finger foods over baby purees.
Baby will need to eat from a spoon at some point in their life, even if you're doing baby-led weaning. They need to use a spoon to eat foods like oatmeal and yogurt, which people of all ages enjoy!
You'll still give baby control over the meal by responding to their hunger and fullness cues when feeding oatmeal off the spoon. Continue to feed them when they're hungry, and stop when they're full.
If you prefer to stick to finger foods only at this stage, we have some finger food recipes below that incorporate Organic Baby Oatmeal and fruit.
Ready. Set. Food! Baby-Led Weaning Recipes
Looking for more ways to incorporate Ready. Set. Food! into baby’s meals? Try recipes like these:
Rockin’ Rotini
Ingredients
- Whole-wheat rotini pasta (corkscrew pasta)
- Veggies to puree into a sauce (try butternut squash, sweet potato, or avocado)
- 1 packet of Ready. Set. Food! Stage 3 Mix-Ins
Instructions:
- Prepare the rotini. Overcook it slightly so it's soft.
- Prepare a sauce for the rotini by pureeing veggies of your choice.
- Mix Ready. Set. Food! Mix-In into the sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the rotini.
- Serve the rotini alongside shredded veggies of your choice.
Easy BLW Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted shredded chicken
- ¾ cup plain yogurt with no sugar added
- A drop or two of lemon juice
- 1 packet Ready. Set. Food! Stage 3 Mix-Ins
- Whole-wheat bread
Instructions:
- Combine the chicken and yogurt together to make chicken salad. Add a few drops of lemon juice.
- Stir the Ready. Set. Food! Mix-In into the chicken salad.
- Spoon the chicken salad onto small rectangles of whole wheat bread and serve.
Ready. Set. Food! Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 2 packets of Ready. Set. Food! Stage 3 Mix-Ins
- 1 ½ cups (195 grams) whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cups (295 ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and RSF! Mix-Ins together in a medium bowl.
- Warm the milk in the microwave or on top of the stove until lukewarm.
- Whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. (By warming the milk slightly, the melted butter mixes into the milk instead of turning into small lumps).
- Heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Pour the milk mixture into the well.
- Use a fork to stir until you no longer see clumps of flour. It’s okay if the batter has small lumps – it’s important not to overmix the batter.
- Lightly brush the skillet with melted butter.
- Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to spoon the batter onto the skillet. Gently spread the batter into a 4-inch circle.
- When the edges look dry, and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top surfaces of the pancake, turn over. This takes about 2 minutes.
- Once flipped, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked in the middle.
- Cut the pancakes into strips.
- Let cool, then serve with fruits of your choice that are prepped for baby-led weaning.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 cups green beans
- 2 Tbsp unsalted Butter
- Pinch onion powder
- 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar
- (4) packets of Stage 3 Mix-Ins
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Boil 3 cups of water, once boiling, add green beans and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Remove from heat, strain and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter. Once melted, stir in Stage 3 packets and stir gently until uniform (about 1 min).
- With the heat still on, mix in mushrooms, onion powder and sour cream- stir until uniform and let cook for 1 min.
- Add in green beans and stir to coat. Turn off heat.
- Immediately transfer mixture to a baking dish and spread into the dish evenly.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top and bake for about 18 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Let cool and serve. This recipe makes 4 servings.
Ready. Set. Food! Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Ready Set Food Organic Baby Oatmeal (we recommend Pumpkin Cinnamon flavor, but you might also try our Peanut Butter, Banana Apple, or Peanut Butter Banana flavor)
- ½ cup flour
- 1 Tablespoon hemp hearts
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Dash of cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 egg
- Splash of vanilla
Instructions:
- Combine all the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients.
- Chill the mixture for 30 min.
- Place on a baking sheet with a cookie scooper.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes.
- Serve alongside fruits or veggies prepared for baby-led weaning.
Ready. Set. Food! Oatmeal Crepes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons RSF! Organic Baby Oatmeal (we suggest using Banana Apple, Peanut Butter Banana, or Daniel Tiger Peanut Butter Strawberry flavor)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup organic milk (whole or low-fat) or organic unsweetened milk alternative
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together RSF! oatmeal, eggs, maple syrup and milk until combined.
- Prepare a small pan (6”) with non-stick coconut or avocado oil or spray. Heat over medium heat.
- Pour ¼ cup batter into the pan to coat the diameter.
- Let cook until bubbles in batter appear – about 2 minutes.
- Using a spatula, carefully flip the crepe and allow it to cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Carefully remove crepe with spatula and set on a plate to cool. Repeat steps 2-5 until batter is used.
- Fill the crepe with the filling of your choice (see suggested fillings below)
Suggested fillings:
- Mashed bananas and smashed blueberries
- Cooked apples, cinnamon, and unsweetened coconut cream
- Thick peach or mango puree
Can I swap and combine Ready. Set. Food! products?
Once you're regularly feeding baby Stage 3 Mix-Ins or Organic Baby Oatmeal (meaning they've been introduced to the 9 top allergens), you can swap and combine Stage 3 Mix-Ins, Organic Baby Oatmeal, and our snacks (including our puffs) as often as you like.
This means you can feed baby Organic Baby Oatmeal one day, Organic Puffs the next, and Stage 3 Mix-Ins the following day, and baby will still get the needed exposure to the 9 top allergens.
It's also ok to include more than one serving of Ready. Set. Food! products in baby's diet per day, alongside a variety of nutritious foods from all food groups. We’ve included some ideas on how to do this below.
A Week of Ready. Set. Food!
Here's what a sample week of using Ready. Set. Food! might look like during baby-led weaning. Feel free to swap around ideas or add your own, to keep feeding baby 9 top allergens in the easiest ways for your family.
One RSF! product per day
Day 1
- Easy BLW Chicken Salad with RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In for lunch or dinner
Day 2
- Bowl of RSF! Oatmeal with diced soft fruit for breakfast
Day 3
- Rockin’ Rotini with RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In for lunch or dinner
Day 4
- RSF! Oatmeal Crepes for breakfast (served with fruit of choice)
Day 5
- RSF! Puffs with a “BLW taco bar” (chicken, smashed beans, shredded cheese, and avocado slices) for lunch or dinner
Day 6
- RSF! Pancakes for breakfast (served with fruit pieces of choice)
Day 7
- RSF! Puffs served alongside ground beef clumps, cooked sweet potato strips, and cooked carrot strips, for lunch or dinner
Two RSF! products per day
Day 1
- Breakfast: RSF! Pancakes (served with fruit pieces of choice)
- Snack: RSF! Puffs and veggie strips
Day 2
- Breakfast: RSF! Oatmeal Crepes with fruit
- Lunch or dinner: Chicken quinoa casserole with an RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In packet mixed into baby’s portion
Day 3
- Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt with diced fruit pieces and RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In
- Lunch or dinner: RSF! Puffs served alongside ground beef clumps, cooked sweet potato strips, and cooked carrot strips
Day 4
- Snack: RSF! Oatmeal Cookies
- Lunch or dinner: Avocado salad with shredded carrots, finely diced cucumber, Greek yogurt and paprika, with an RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In packet added
Day 5
- Breakfast: RSF! Organic Baby Oatmeal with diced fruit pieces
- Lunch or dinner: RSF! Puffs with a “BLW taco bar” (chicken, smashed beans, shredded cheese, and avocado slices)
Day 6
- Snack: RSF! Puffs and veggie strips
- Lunch or dinner: Shredded turkey curry with coconut milk, with an RSF! Stage 3 Mix-In packet mixed into baby’s portion
Day 7
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
See the FDA Peanut Allergy Qualified Health Claim at the bottom of our homepage.
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If your infant has severe eczema, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts.