Did you know that babies can begin learning to drink from an open cup at around 6 months of age?
But what goes in that open cup is pretty important...and it can include purees.
“Purees?!...” you say?
...YES indeed!
Purees are an important texture for babies to master (...they’re just not the ONLY texture babies can eat!).
So here's the hack....
Whilst you can help your baby master purees with a pre-loaded spoon approach, babies can also practice drinking purees out of an open cup.
One of my favourite purees to practice with is homemade pumpkin soup. Just roast the pumpkins for about 45 minutes until they’re soft and blend with some no-added-salt broth for a simple soup. Your baby can practice self-feeding with a preloaded spoon or pour the soup into an open cup.
Now, you might be thinking, "Why do feeding specialists recommend giving purees or breastmilk/formula out of an open cup but not water for earlier eaters?"
Well, they suggest water is a thin liquid, which is harder for earlier eaters to swallow. It takes up valuable room in your baby's stomach, and there's absolutely no evidence that infants need any free water.
But don't be afraid to start thicker liquids out of an open cup for your little one!
By age 1, they can start drinking out of an open cup on their own, albeit with some spillage!
Feeding specialists highly recommend using an open cup with your baby, and if you use it with your IKEA highchair and covered placemat, it'll catch any spills and make it super easy to clean up.
So go ahead and let your baby become an open-cup drinking pro!
Curious about which purees to start experimenting with? Simply download our FREE Baby's First 100 Foods tracker here.
