This guide was created through a collaboration between La Petite Crème and Bébé Foodie, two brands that share a similar approach to early care. Both brands share a belief in calm, consistent routines that respect babies’ development, whether those moments happen at the table or during everyday care rituals.
During a baby’s first year, feeding is less about how much they eat and more about how they learn to eat, through simple ingredients, thoughtful repetition, and pressure-free exposure.
In many French approaches to early feeding, the focus is less on choosing a method and more on understanding how babies develop over time. Rather than labeling feeding as spoon-fed or baby-led, attention is placed on how textures evolve, how skills build, and how food is offered in ways that support development. That’s why we think of the first year of solids as three main flexible stages, not to define how babies should eat, but to reflect how feeding naturally progresses as babies grow, whether your baby is spoon-fed, self-feeding, or doing a mix of both.
Together, Bébé Foodie and La Petite Crème created this guide to offer practical recipes, texture guidance, and serving ideas that support babies throughout their first year, one stage at a time.
All of the recipes and stage-based guidance shared in this guide are also available in the Bébé Foodie app, where meals and textures are organized by stage to support babies’ development over time.
Stage 1 (6-7 Months): Just getting started
Where babies are developmentally
This stage is about introduction, not intake. Babies are learning what food is, how it feels in their mouth, and how mealtimes fit into their day. In France, this phase is often approached with simplicity, smooth textures, single ingredients, and repeated exposure without pressure. There is no BLW vs. purees; it’s just feeding.
Most babies are just beginning to sit with support, bringing objects to their mouth and coordinating their tongue and jaw movements. Chewing skills are minimal, and swallowing is still reflex-driven.
Feeding Focus at this stage
Whether you’re offering purées, finger foods, or a combination of both, the focus during this stage is exposure: new tastes and the experience of eating itself.
Texture & format options
Why smooth textures matter early on
If you are starting with purées, smooth textures are often the most approachable starting point because they:
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Are easy to manage with early swallowing skills
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Allow babies to focus on flavor without texture overwhelm
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Can be gently thinned or thickened as needed
In a French-inspired approach, smooth textures aren’t a phase babies need to “get through.” They’re simply one way to support early eating skills, often offered alongside very soft finger foods as part of natural texture progression.
This stage is approached with single ingredients and simple combinations that evolve over time and are repeated to build familiarity. There’s no need for elaborate recipes; variety happens gradually.
Purées can be offered on a spoon or preloaded for babies to explore independently, supporting early self-feeding without pressure.
Purée examples (smooth + gentle)
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Vegetable purées such as sweet potato, carrot, or pea
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Fruit compotes with apple, pear, mango (solo or mixed with yogurt if dairy is included), or avocado
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Grain-based options such as oat cereal mixed with fruit purée, thinned as needed
Tip: You can thin purées with water, breast milk, or formula to reach a texture your baby manages comfortably.
If you’re offering finger foods at this stage
Early feeding isn’t about choosing between purées or baby-led approaches. It’s about offering babies opportunities, when they’re ready, to explore a variety of tastes and textures in ways that support their development.
At this stage, some babies may also be ready to explore very soft finger foods, with a few important considerations.
When offering finger foods at this age, they should be:
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Very soft (easy to squish between fingers)
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Shaped into large, graspable pieces, at least the size of two adult fingers
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Cooked thoroughly to reduce choking risk
At this age, babies are using a palmar grasp, meaning they grab food with their whole hand rather than pinching. Foods should be long enough to hold and soft enough to gum.
Finger food examples (soft + beginner-friendly)
These foods are appropriate when cooked until very tender and offered in graspable shapes:
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Vegetables such as steamed zucchini sticks, very soft carrot sticks, or very soft broccoli florets
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Fruits like banana spears or ripe avocado spears (rolled in crushed cereal for grip)
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Soft protein foods such as scrambled egg strips
Offering finger foods alongside purées is a gentle way to introduce variety without choosing one approach over another.
How much do babies typically eat at this stage?
During Stage 1, amounts are small, and that’s expected. Milk (breast milk or formula) remains the primary source of nutrition at this age. Expect babies to eat a few spoonfuls to a few tablespoons per meal in the first few weeks, increasing gradually over time.
Stage 1 - What’s on my baby’s plate?
Potato Leek Puree
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Best For: Babies 5 months+
Ingredients
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2 leeks
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2 potatoes
Directions
1. Place the potatoes in a steamer basket in a saucepan filled with 2 inches of water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook for 6 minutes.
3. Add the leeks to the steamer basket and cook for an additional 6 minutes.
4. Purée in a blender until smooth.
This recipe, along with other Stage 1 meal ideas and serving suggestions, is available in the Bébé Foodie app, where foods are organized by stage to support early texture exploration.
Stage 2 (8-9 Months): Finger foods & texture progression
Where babies are developmentally
By 8-9 months, many babies are becoming more active participants at the table. Sitting is more stable, hand-to-mouth coordination improves, and early chewing movements begin to emerge.
This is the stage where texture progression becomes especially important. Babies benefit from moving beyond completely smooth purées to foods that are thicker, slightly lumpy, or mixed, always soft, but no longer uniform.
Feeding focus at this stage
You don’t need to rush textures, but avoiding them altogether can make transitions later on more challenging. Progression is about exposure, not forcing bites.
In a French-inspired approach to feeding, this stage often emphasizes variety without overwhelm, with simple ingredients gently combined and offered consistently so babies can build familiarity and confidence.
Texture and format options
Purée & mash examples (thicker, lumpier)
These textures help babies:
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Practice chewing motions
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Learn to manage small pieces safely
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Transition toward more complex foods over time
Examples include:
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Chunky applesauce with cinnamon
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Mashed avocado with yogurt or tahini
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Mashed sweet potato with olive oil
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Lentil mash (slightly textured)
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Mashed banana with oatmeal
Think spoonable, but not perfectly smooth.
Finger foods at this stage
Finger foods become more central during Stage 2, as babies begin to develop a pincer grasp.
At this stage, finger foods can be:
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Cut into small, soft pieces
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Slightly firmer than Stage 1, but still easy to mash with gums
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Offered alongside spoons for mixed self-feeding experiences
Babies may alternate between feeding themselves and accepting spoonfuls, this back-and-forth is completely normal.
Examples include:
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Soft meatballs or patties, broken into small pieces
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Pasta shapes with thin sauce
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Soft roasted vegetable cubes
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Tender shredded chicken
Variety across meals matters more than variety on a single plate.
How much do babies typically eat at this stage?
Appetites often increase during Stage 2, but variability is still normal. Milk remains an important part of the diet, though solid foods start to play a larger role. Most babies are eating 2 or 3 meals a day and somewhere between 10-16 oz/day, which is about ½-1 cup of food per meal.
Stage 2 - What’s on my baby’s plate?
French Lentil Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Best For: Babies 9 months+
Ingredients
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1 cup Lentils
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1 Carrot
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1 Onion
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1 Celery Stalk
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1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
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1/4 cup Olive Oil
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1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Directions
1. Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 13 minutes.
3. Add diced carrot, onion, and celery and cook for 6-7 more minutes.
4. Whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, and seasoning for vinaigrette.
5. Drain lentils and toss with vinaigrette.
In the Bébé Foodie app, this recipe sits alongside other Stage 2 meals, with guidance on texture progression and serving formats as babies move beyond smooth foods.
Stage 3 (10-11 Months): More variety & family meals
Where babies are developmentally
By 10-11 months, many babies are ready to participate more fully in family meals. Sitting is usually stable, hand coordination is more refined, and chewing skills continue to improve.
This is a transition stage, not quite eating exactly what the family eats, but moving closer. Foods start to look more familiar, textures more varied, and meals more integrated into everyday routines.
Feeding focus at this stage
From a French perspective, this stage emphasizes consistency and continuity. Babies aren’t eating “special” foods forever, but gradually joining the rhythm of family meals.
Texture & format options
Purées & mixed textures
Purées don’t disappear at this stage; they simply evolve and become part of the meal. Examples include:
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Thick vegetable soups, partially blended
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Mashed beans with rice or quinoa
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Yogurt with fruit purée and soft chopped fruit
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Purées used as sauces over pasta or grains
Family-style finger foods
These foods mirror family meals while remaining baby-appropriate:
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Omelet squares
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Flaked salmon with avocado
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Soft roasted vegetable cubes
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Pasta with sauce and finely chopped vegetables
Serving a small portion of what the family is eating (when possible) reinforces familiarity and routine.
How much do babies typically eat at this stage?
By this stage, many babies are eating three solid meals a day, plus another small meal or snack. Portions are larger than earlier stages, though still variable.
Stage 3 - What’s on my baby’s plate?
Ham and Cheese “Coquillettes”
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Best For: Babies 9 months+
Ingredients
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10 oz of “coquillettes” (elbow pasta in english) or any small pastas such as orzo, alphabet pastas, rotini, tripolini or pastina
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A knob of butter
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½ slice ham per serving
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Half a portion of laughing cow cheese or 1 tbsp of shredded cheddar, gruyere or swiss cheese
Directions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until desired consistency.
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If using, cut the slice of ham into bite-sized pieces or shred it.
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Drain the pasta and add a knob of butter to melt.
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Combine the pastas with either the laughing cow cheese and mix well, or sprinkle them with the shredded cheese of choice.
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If using, sprinkle the shredded or bite-sized ham on top and serve!
This family-style recipe is available on the Bébé Foodie website.
Closing note
From first tastes to shared family meals, feeding during the first year is a gradual journey. By focusing on texture progression, simple ingredients, and calm routines, parents can support their baby’s development without pressure, one meal at a time.
The Bébé Foodie app brings together all of these recipes, stages, and expert-backed feeding guidance in one place, offering parents ongoing support throughout their baby’s first year of eating.
Written by Jenny Janov, MPH, RD
Pediatric Dietitian & Advisor at Bébé Foodie
Jenny is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 15 years of experience, specializing in pediatrics. She studied nutrition at UNC Chapel Hill and worked in hospitals and clinics across California, including UCSF and Stanford. Passionate about helping families, she guides them in making positive nutrition choices and setting achievable goals. As Bébé Foodie’s pediatric dietitian, she helps create expert-backed guidance for parents navigating their child's food journey. Now based in Bend, OR, she enjoys the outdoors, running, snowboarding, paddleboarding, cooking, and time with her husband and two boys.