

Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro
Katie Ferraro
Is your baby ready to start solid foods but you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused about baby-led weaning? Babies can eat so many more foods than we give them credit for and you don’t have to force-feed or spoon-feed to get them to eat real food!I’m Katie Ferraro, Registered Dietitian specializing in infant feeding and baby-led weaning. I’m a college nutrition professor and mom of 7, and my goal is to help you start solid foods safely using baby-led weaning.On this podcast I share practical tips on safe food preparation and starting solid foods, as well as in-depth interviews with other feeding experts. Listen to learn how you can get your baby to safely enjoy real food so that you can start enjoying mealtimes again too!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 10, 2025 • 17min
Meat: How to Prepare Meat Safely for Baby-Led Weaning
#19: Are you scared to offer your baby meat? Meat offers a variety of taste, texture and nutrition experiences, but it can be hard to make meat safe for your baby to eat. In this episode I’m sharing my favorite cuts of meat for baby-led weaning, how to make them safe and the best gateway meat to start with if you’re freaked out to feed your baby meat.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which cuts of beef and pork are safest for babies…and why we don’t do steak or pork chops 2. How to make your burgers not fall apart so your baby can pick them up 3. How to choose the fattier cuts of meat which are safer for your baby to swallowShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/19Links from this episode: • ezpz: Get all the ezpz feeding gear you’ll be offering this meat out of and use code BABYLED for 15% off at ezpzfun.com. • ProgramBaby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to this Topic • Episode 165 - Lamb: How to Safely Prepare Lamb for Baby-Led Weaning • Episode 175 - Pork: How to Safely Prepare Pork for Baby-Led Weaning • Episode 176 - BLW at the Butcher: Identifying Ideal Cuts of Meat for Babies with 4th Generation Butcher Cara Nicoletti • Episode 177 - Red Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat • Episode 178 - White Meat Your Baby Can Safely Eat • Episode 219 - How to Sous Vide Meat Safely for BLW with Iliana Cruz • Episode 223 - Ground Meat: How to Safely Offer Ground Meat for Babies • Episode 283 - Meat: 5 Cuts of Meat I Never Offer Babies • Episode 383 - Beef: How to Safely Offer Beef to Babies • Episode 342 - BBQ Meats Your Baby Can Eat with Barbecue Pitmaster Taylor Carroll🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 6, 2025 • 18min
Daycare: How Can I Get Caregivers on Board with Baby-Led Weaning?
#18: How do you do baby-led weaning if your baby goes to daycare? Daycare might say they only do purees, or they won’t offer finger foods. In this episode I share effective strategies for helping your daycare or childcare provider understand baby-led weaning and how and why your baby can safely self-feed even when they are away from home.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How to talk to your daycare about baby-led weaning…even if they say they “don’t do it” 2. What to cover in your pre-feeding daycare meeting…and how you SHOW them this works 3. Which foods to send to daycare and which other ones you do at home insteadShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/18Links from This Episode: • Download the free feeding guide Daycare: How to Be a Baby-Led Weaning Advocate at daycare here: https://babyledweaning.co/resources • CPR: Take this online infant refresher CPR course and use code KATIE10 for an extra $10 off: https://courses.thrivetraininginstitute.com/pages/babyledweanteam • ezpz: Get all the ezpz feeding gear you’ll be sending with food to daycare and use code KATIE10 for 10% off at ezpzfun.com • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to this Topic • Episode 3 - How to Prepare for Baby-Led Weaning: A Guide for Parents & Caregivers • Episode 22 - Grandparents, Spouses & Partners: Getting Others on Board with BLW • Episode 222 - Best BLW Advice from Parents & Caregivers Who Have Been There!🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 3, 2025 • 18min
Feeding Schedules: How Often Should I Feed My Baby?
#17: How often should babies eat solid food? And do they eat before they have milk or after breastfeeding? Finding a schedule for starting solid foods can be tricky but in this episode I’m sharing my exact feeding schedule for babies in 3 different ages and phases of baby-led weaning.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. How to schedule solid foods so most of your baby’s nutrition will come from food by age 2. How often your baby should be eating solid food in phases 1, 2 and 3 of baby-led weaning 3. When to move your baby’s milk feeds behind solid foods…it’s sooner than you think!Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/17Links from this episode: • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to this Topic • Episode 185 - 6-7 Months Old Babies: Sample BLW Feeding Schedule • Episode 187 - 8-9 Months Old Babies: Sample BLW Feeding Schedule • Episode 189 - 10-11 Months Old Babies: Sample BLW Feeding Schedule • Episode 191 - 12 Month Babies: Sample BLW Feeding Schedules • Episode 211 - How to Schedule Milk Feeds with Solid Food for Baby-Led Weaning🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 snips
Feb 27, 2025 • 28min
10 Easy Starter Foods for Baby-Led Weaning
Discover 10 easy and safe starter foods for baby-led weaning, perfect for infants around six months old. Learn how to transition from basic options like avocado and banana to introducing meat safely. The conversation includes practical tips for encouraging diverse eating habits while ensuring safety during mealtime. Enjoy a funny anecdote about traditional breast pumps contrasted with a modern, ultra-slim design aimed at busy moms. This lively discussion is packed with insights to make feeding your little one a fun experience!

Feb 24, 2025 • 15min
Egg: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potentially Allergenic Food
#15: What if your baby is allergic to eggs? The only way to know if your baby has an egg allergy is to offer them egg. In this episode I’ll share some easy ways to make eggs safe for babies so your baby can start learning how to safely eat eggs.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Which part of the egg contains the potentially allergenic protein: the egg white or the egg yolk? 2. How to safely prepare eggs so your baby can pick them up and self-feed 3. Why an egg ladder can help reintroduce eggs if your baby previously reacted to eggShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/15Links from this episode: • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners Other Episodes Related to this Topic • Episode 49 - Eggs: 7 Easy Ways to Safely Offer Your Baby Eggs • Episode 124 - Using an Egg Ladder for Babies with Egg Allergy with Carina Venter, PhD, RD • Episode 397 - Hard Facts on Soft Yolks: Are Runny Egg Yolks OK for Babies?🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive BLW community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 20, 2025 • 24min
Peanut: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potentially Allergenic Food
#014: How do you know if your baby is allergic to peanuts? The only way to know is to offer your baby peanut. In this episode I’m sharing 3 easy ways to safely offer your baby peanut with tips on how to reintroduce peanut early and often to help lower the risk of peanut allergy.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Whether or not your baby is at high risk for peanut allergy 2. When to start offering peanut protein and how often to reintroduce 3. 3 easy ways to make peanuts safe for your baby to eat once they start solid foodsShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/14Links from This Episode: • Puffworks Baby Peanut Butter Puffs use affiliate code BLWPOD for 15% off at checkout, click to shop here • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to This Topic • Episode 136 - Peanut Butter Puffs for Safely Introducing Peanuts to Babies: A Conversation with @puffworks Founder Greg Murphy • Episode 274 - Baby Has Skin Reactions to Milk, Egg and Peanut: What Should I Do Next? with Carina Venter, PhD, RDN • Episode 366 - Oral Immunotherapy: Helping Babies Become Less Reactive to Allergenic Foods with David Stukus, MD • Episode 380 - Why Doctors STILL Aren't Talking About Introducing Allergenic Foods with Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 17, 2025 • 19min
Cow's Milk Protein: How to Introduce Your Baby to this Potentially Allergenic Food
#013: What if my baby has a milk allergy or can’t eat dairy foods? The only way to know if your baby is allergic to cow’s milk protein is to offer them that food. In this episode we look at milk allergy and how to prevent it, including the easiest way to offer your baby this potentially allergenic food and why it’s particularly important for exclusively breastfed babies.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. The one single thing you can do to lower your baby’s risk of cow’s milk protein allergy (...which is the most common pediatric food allergy) 2. Why exclusively breastfed babies especially benefit from early introduction of milk foods 3. How to pick the best type of yogurt for self-feeding and why you can totally skip baby food yogurtsShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/13Links from This Episode • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to This Topic • Episode 285 - Are Plant-Based Milks Safe for Babies? • Episode 286 - Is My Baby Dairy Intolerant? Food Protein Induced Allergic Proctocolitis (FPIAP) with Marion Groetch, MS, RDN • Episode 368 - Using a Milk Ladder for Babies with Dairy Allergy with Carina Venter, PhD, RD🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 2025 • 17min
Why You Don’t Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between Offering New Foods to Your Baby
#12: You do not need to wait 3-5 days between offering new foods to your baby. In fact, waiting that long can actually slow down your baby’s progress and prevent diet diversity. In this episode we look at the research that supports quicker introduction of new foods; it is safe to offer 1 (or more) new food(s) per day and this approach can help reduce the risk of severe picky eating and help your baby learn to safely eat and like real food.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why waiting 3-5 days between new foods can slow down your baby’s progress 2. How to safely offer 1 (or more) new food(s) per day…and why this is safe 3. When to sequence the introduction of allergenic foods to observe for reactionsShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/12Links from This Episode • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to This Topic • Episode 70 - The Evidence Behind Baby-Led Weaning with Amy Brown, PhD • Episode 84 - Why You DON'T Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between New Foods with Carina Venter, PhD, RD🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 10, 2025 • 18min
How to Introduce Allergenic Foods to Your Baby
#11: What if your baby has an allergic reaction to a food? The only way to know if your baby is allergic is to offer them that food…but there are some safety guidelines you want to know about.In this episode we’ll look at the recent research and updated guidelines that support early introduction of potentially allergenic foods and then how to safely prepare those foods to help lower your baby’s risk of food allergy.Listen to this episode to learn: 1. What the Top 9 allergenic foods are and how you can use real food to introduce them to your baby 2. What to do if your baby has an allergic reaction to food…and why they are unlikely to die from that 3. How to safely introduce all of the Top 9 allergenic foods in the first 9 weeks after starting solidsShownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/11Links from This Episode • Puffworks Baby peanut and almond puffs for introducing 2 separate allergenic food categories (peanut and treenut) are available for 15% off with affiliate discount code BLWPOD - shop here • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginnersOther Episodes Related to This Topic • Episode 58 - What do I do if My Baby Has an Allergic Reaction? with Ron Sunog, MD • Episode 227 - When Does the Food Allergy Prevention Window Close? with @allergykidsdoc David Stukus, MD • Episode 380 - Why Doctors STILL Aren't Talking About Introducing Allergenic Foods with Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS.💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 6, 2025 • 21min
5 Feeding Mistakes Most Parents Make...and How You Can Avoid Them
#010: We all make mistakes when we start learning something new - and the same goes for starting solid foods. In this episode I’m sharing 5 common feeding mistakes (full disclosure: I’ve made ALL of these)...and how you can avoid them!Listen to this episode to learn: 1. Why bringing a hungry baby to the table doesn’t work and how to schedule solid food with infant milk 2. Why waiting 3-5 days between new foods is totally unnecessary and will actually slow your baby’s progress 3. How to introduce 5 new foods per week so that your baby learns to eat and like real food from their first bites Shownotes for this episode can be found here:https://www.babyledweaning.co/podcast/10Links from This Episode: • Download the 15 Foods Never to Feed free feeding guide here (https://babyledweaning.co/resources) . • Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program with the 100 First Foods™ Daily Meal Plan, join here: https://babyledweaning.co/program • Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners free online workshop with 100 First Foods™ list to all attendees, register here: https://babyledweaning.co/baby-led-weaning-for-beginners Other Episode Related to This Topic • Episode 12 - Why You Don’t Need to Wait 3-5 Days Between Trying New Foods 🌱 🌱🌱🌱 🌱Not sure about which foods to offer your baby next? Get your copy of my original 100 FIRST FOODS list on my free online video workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS💯 💯 💯 💯 💯Want guided help on how to make all of the 100 FIRST FOODS™ safely for your baby? My program BABY-LED WEANING WITH KATIE FERRARO has a 100 FIRST FOODS daily meal plan and everything else you need to start solid foods safely with baby-led weaning. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.👀 👀 👀 👀 👀Be sure to follow @babyledweanteam on Instagram and our Baby-Led Weaning YouTube channel for more information about helping your baby transition to solid foods safely.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏If you learned something from this episode and like this podcast, your review means the WORLD to us and helps other parents find this important evidence-based infant feeding info. Click here to leave a review on Apple podcasts or rate this show on Spotify podcasts and thanks for being a part of this amazing and supportive baby-led weaning community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


