What is American-style weaning?
It is a method of introducing solid foods to babies that is commonly used in the United States at the optimal time for nutrient absorption.
If parents introduce solids to their babies too early, before 6 months of age, it may not be suitable for their digestive system and overall development. This can increase the risk of food allergies and gastrointestinal issues. On the other hand, if parents introduce solids too late, babies may miss out on important foods and essential nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, iron, etc.
Specifically, American-style weaning is a method where parents adapt the introduction of solid foods based on their baby’s individual condition and cues. Depending on these factors, parents can choose which foods are most appropriate for each stage of their baby’s development. Gradually transitioning from diluted to thicker textures, from soft to firm… is an ideal weaning approach.
Key Points to Remember in American-Style Baby-Led Weaning
Introducing Foods to Your Baby Over a 3-Day Period
The first thing parents should seriously consider when practicing American-style weaning is the initial stage of introducing a single food to the baby continuously for 3 days. This is necessary to observe the baby’s reaction to that particular food and determine if any allergic reactions occur. By feeding the baby the same food for consecutive days, parents can accurately identify if the baby has any allergies to that specific food.
If parents want to introduce new and unfamiliar foods to the baby, it is best to do so in a relaxed and cheerful manner, creating the optimal environment for the baby to become familiar with the new food. Avoid creating psychological pressure that may make the baby fearful or reluctant to try new foods.
Appropriate Food Texture for the Baby
Choosing the right food texture will enhance the baby’s effective food consumption. These are important considerations when creating an American-style weaning menu for the baby at this stage.
Initially, introducing foods with a thin consistency, such as purees and baby cereals, will help the baby become accustomed to them. Gradually, as the baby becomes comfortable with eating, transition to thicker and firmer textures. Eventually, parents can prepare minced or chopped foods.
This is the basic approach to familiarizing the baby with different food textures. Avoid feeding the baby excessively liquid foods, as it may affect their chewing ability, and avoid introducing hard foods until the baby is proficient at eating softer foods.
Focus on Nutritional Composition of Each Component
Finally, it is crucial for parents practicing American-style weaning to pay attention to building a well-balanced weaning menu with nutritionally rich components.
In American-style weaning, nutrient-rich foods for babies include grains, fish, meat, poultry, and a variety of fruits and vegetables high in vitamins, such as tomatoes, carrots, beets, and potatoes, to make the meals more appealing and nutritious.
American-Style Baby-Led Weaning Menu for Each Stage
Stage: Babies from 6 months old
The first stage of introducing American-style weaning to babies at around 6 months old is the trial stage. During this stage, babies only need to consume easily digestible, low-nutrient foods with a similar consistency to breast milk or formula.
Rice Powder and Breast Milk

Rice Powder and Breast Milk.
Ingredients needed: Rice powder, breast milk, or formula.
Instructions:
Step 1: Take an adequate amount of water and bring it to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice powder and stir until the mixture thickens and turns translucent.
Step 2: Add breast milk or formula to the rice powder mixture, stirring well, and then turn off the heat.
This type of American-style weaning menu is suitable for babies who are just starting to explore solid foods.
Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Ingredients: Oatmeal baby cereal, breast milk, or formula.
Instructions:
Step 1: Soak the oatmeal in water, rinse it thoroughly to remove dirt, and then blend it in a blender until smooth. Strain the mixture to obtain the liquid, discarding the residue.
Step 2: Pour the liquid into a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens and becomes translucent. If the cereal becomes too thick, add breast milk or formula to achieve the desired consistency.
Nutrient-Rich White Porridge
Ingredients: Rice, various types of nutrient-rich seeds (e.g., almonds, cashews, walnuts), breast milk, or formula.
Instructions:
Step 1: Soak the rice in water, then cook it in a 1:10 ratio to make porridge. Strain the porridge 1-2 times to achieve a smooth consistency.
Step 2: Process the nutrient-rich seeds by grinding them in a blender with breast milk or formula until smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Mix all the ingredients together and feed the baby directly.
This is a popular dish in the American-style weaning menu for babies aged 6 months and older, which many parents have successfully applied in practice.
Stage: Babies from 12 to 24 months old
During this stage, babies can become familiar with more complex, coarser, and harder-to-digest foods compared to the earlier American-style weaning stage. Here are the specifics:
Beetroot Oatmeal
Ingredients: Beetroot, pure oatmeal, breast milk, or formula.
Instructions:
Step 1: Peel and wash the beetroot, then cut it into small pieces. Steam the beetroot until tender and mash it with a spoon while it’s still hot.
Step 2: Use pre-ground oatmeal or grind whole oatmeal in a blender until it becomes a powder. Alternatively, cook the oatmeal in water, strain it, and then blend it until smooth.
Step 3: Cook the mashed beetroot with oatmeal on the stovetop. When the ingredients are well-cooked, add breast milk or formula, stirring until you achieve the desired consistency suitable for your baby’s age and preferences.
Step 4: Scoop the porridge into a bowl and feed the baby while it’s still warm.
Oatmeal and Egg Porridge

Oatmeal and Egg Porridge.
Ingredients: Oatmeal, egg yolk, rice.
Instructions:
Step 1: Soak rice in water, then cook it in a 1:10 ratio to make porridge. Strain the porridge 1-2 times to achieve a smooth consistency.
Step 2: Pour the appropriate amount of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add oatmeal and stir well. Cook until the oatmeal is done. Then, add beaten egg yolk to the oatmeal porridge.
Step 3: Once the mixture is cooked, turn off the heat and feed the baby while the porridge is still warm.
Chicken and Sweet Potato Porridge
The American-style weaning menu is incomplete without chicken and sweet potato porridge, which offers complete nutrition and a delicious, easily digestible taste.
Ingredients: Chicken, rice, sweet potato, water.
Instructions:
Step 1: Soak rice in water, then cook it in a 1:10 ratio to make porridge. Strain the porridge 1-2 times to achieve a smooth consistency.
Step 2: Clean and rinse the chicken, then boil it in water until fully cooked. Remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred it into small pieces. For the sweet potato, wash it thoroughly, boil it until soft, then scoop it out and mash it while it’s still hot.
Step 3: Blend the sweet potato and chicken together in a blender until smooth.
Step 4: Scoop the porridge into a bowl and mix it with the sweet potato and chicken mixture. Serve the warm porridge to the baby.
After successfully consuming the above-mentioned weaning foods, the American-style weaning menu transitions to finger foods with the following options:
Steamed Carrots and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients: Egg, carrots, and potatoes.
Instructions:
Step 1: Wash and peel the carrots and sweet potatoes. Then, cut them into small, finger-sized pieces.
Step 2: Arrange the food on a plate and let the baby practice self-feeding by picking up and eating the pieces.
Orange Juice

Orange Juice.
Simple yet beloved by many children, orange juice is a popular American-style weaning option.
Ingredients: Fresh oranges.
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut the oranges in half and either squeeze the juice out or blend the oranges (after removing seeds and peels) in a blender until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the juice into the baby’s feeding cup and let them drink it after finishing their main meal.
Apple and Avocado Blend
Ingredients: Apple and ripe avocado.
Instructions:
Step 1: Separate the flesh of the avocado from
Step 2: Wash the apple thoroughly, then cut it into small bite-sized pieces. Put the apple pieces and ripe avocado into a blender and blend until smooth. Add breast milk or formula to the mixture and feed it to the baby.
Stage after 24 months
During this stage, the baby has become proficient in the American-style solid food menu and will be introduced to more diverse, complex, and textured dishes.
Dishes with higher texture: diced fruits, shredded meat, etc.
Ingredients: Various types of meat or different fruits.
Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the fruits and meats. Wash the fruits thoroughly, peel them, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. For the meat, cook it until tender, then shred it into small pieces for the baby to self-feed.
Step 2: Serve the self-feeding puree in a bowl for the baby to eat independently.
Shredded Chicken with Eggs
Ingredients: Carrots, cucumbers, sesame seeds, coriander, chicken breast.
Instructions:
Step 1: Wash and cook the chicken until it’s fully cooked and let it cool. Shred the chicken into small pieces. Rinse the carrots and cucumbers, then cut them into small pieces. Mix the cucumbers and carrots with salt, let them sit for about 15 minutes, and squeeze out excess water.
Step 2: Roast the sesame seeds until fragrant. Then mix the shredded chicken, cucumbers, carrots, and seasonings together until well combined.
Step 3: Marinate the mixture for 15 minutes, then sprinkle coriander and roasted sesame seeds on top. You can also add some lime juice for extra flavor.
Ground Meat Rice
The American-style solid food menu is incomplete without flavorful and nutritious ground meat rice. Here’s a recipe you can try:
Ingredients: Rice, ground meat.
Instructions:
Step 1: Cook the rice as usual, but make it slightly softer for easier chewing and swallowing.
Step 2: Rinse the meat and finely chop it. Marinate the meat with seasonings. Heat some cooking oil in a pan, sauté purple onions until fragrant, then add the ground meat and stir-fry until cooked through.
Step 3: Put the prepared ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Feed the baby directly.
Pork and Squash Soup
The last dish that parents should make for their baby in the American-style solid food menu after 24 months is pork and squash soup.
Ingredients: Butternut squash, pork, cooking oil, purple onions, baby-friendly seasonings.
Instructions:
Step 1: Peel the butternut squash, wash it, and cut it into small pieces suitable for the baby’s size. Rinse the pork and finely chop it, then marinate it with the baby-friendly seasonings.
Step 2: Heat some cooking oil in a pot, sauté the purple onions, then add the chopped pork and stir-fry until cooked. Add water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the butternut squash and cook until it becomes soft.
Step 3: Ladle the pork and squash soup into a bowl, let it cool, and feed it to the baby.
Some principles for introducing solids in the American style
Here are some basic principles to help your baby effectively and achieve good quality when introducing solids in the American style. Specifically:
Praise your child
When your baby starts with the American-style feeding or any other method, it is a process of familiarizing them with solid foods. You should create a cheerful and comfortable atmosphere where your baby can play, eat, and explore the tastes and textures of different foods.
Especially when your baby eats well and eats a lot, you should encourage and praise them, which will make your baby happier during mealtime. Your baby will feel joyful, making the process of introducing solids more enjoyable.
Avoid showing frustration when your baby refuses to eat
On the contrary, when building a solid food menu for your baby, it is best not to show frustration when your baby refuses to eat or cooperate. This helps reduce pressure on your baby during the weaning process. The food may not suit their taste or they may be tired, so you can try offering the food again next time.
It is best to introduce new foods continuously for three days to observe any allergic reactions and determine if your baby likes that particular food. Never show displeasure or scold your baby when they refuse to eat, as it can lead to reduced appetite, food aversion, and prolonged feeding difficulties.
Encourage self-feeding and finger foods
When introducing solids in the American style, it is important to consider your baby’s preferences and interests to build a suitable menu. Therefore, it is best to encourage your child to be independent, self-feed, and choose the foods they enjoy.
You can let your baby sit in a high chair and allow them to eat the foods they like while avoiding the ones they don’t. Through observation, you can understand your baby’s preferences and prepare the food accordingly.
Limit mealtime to around 30 minutes
The last important note to remember when applying this feeding method is to limit mealtime to approximately 30 minutes to develop quick eating skills, focus, and establish a habit that promotes good development of the digestive system.
Specifically, allow your baby to eat within that time frame to establish a routine. If 30 minutes have passed, you should clear the food, refrain from offering milk or snacks, and ensure that your baby eats a proper main meal to avoid hunger. These are basic principles for achieving good quality in the American-style weaning method, promoting your baby’s health and intelligence.
Thus, Goodheathplan has provided you with a simple and detailed guide to American-style weaning menus for each stage from 6 to 24 months. We hope this article has helped you understand what American-style weaning entails, the considerations when applying this method, and some important principles for effective feeding.

Johnny Jacks was born in 1985 in Texas, USA. He is the founder of Good Health Plan and is passionate about helping people improve their health and physical well-being. With over a decade of experience working in the healthcare industry, he currently works at Goodheathplan.com – a blog that shares knowledge on beauty and health.