Little One Eating Essentials
Encouragement and practical ideas for nourishing young children while cultivating joyful, peaceful family meals.
Introducing solids for the first time, watching little fingers hold a spoon, and tiny hands lift a cup to take a sip are such fun milestones. What I thought I needed to eat with little ones, and what I have found to be helpful, are very different. Below are the plates, cups, utensils, and travelware that have simplified our life and made it fun for our children to explore eating and drinking with, and then without, the help of Mommy and Daddy.
High Chair
Bibs & Placemats
Dinnerware
- Elk & Friends Porcelain Bowl with Silicone Sleeves
- We prefer to use ceramic and glass when able, and find that the silicone sleeves offer a great protective barrier against drops (and throws).
- Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Bowl with Silicone Suction Sleeve + Lids
- Great alternative if ceramic sounds too adventurous, and the lids help turn snack at home to either snack on the go or snack stored for later!
- Elk & Friends Porcelain White Plates with Silicone Sleeves
- Similar to the bowls, these have cleaned well, been easy to use, and the silicone sleeves have helped protect the plates from cracks and breaks when dropped.
Flatware
- Munchkin Polish Stainless Steel Toddler Fork, Knife and Spoon Utensil Set, 3 Piece
- We’ve tried a number of different utensils and appreciate that this is all stainless steel, cleans well, and is easy to hold and use.
- Elk & Friends Babies/Toddler Stainless Steel Spoons + Forks with Silicone Handle
- Another option that is a bit more economical (bundled price).
Cups & Bottles at Home
- Elk & Friends 8oz Glass Mason Jar Drinking Tumblers + Food Storage
- Handy for introducing straw drinking and helpful for keeping either leftover liquids in the fridge or repurposing as the kids get older to a snack vessel with a lid.
- Elk & Friends Stainless Steel 10oz Drinking Tumblers + Food Storage
- A great alternative if using glass is not your preference!
Travel
- PackIt Freezable Snack Box
- I found this while preparing for a trip. It keeps refrigerated snacks like cheese, yogurt, and organic applesauce cold and is incredibly easy to pack and travel with!
- The Simple Modern Kids Lunch Box is a good option if you need or want more space for snacks or lunch on the go.
- Simple Modern Kid’s Tumblers
- Our Littles like to bite straws. We’ve gone through so many silicone straws that initially cleaned well and seemed to work well … and then, CHOMP. The top was bitten off and tiny plastic pieces were exposed, just right for ingesting. These SM bottles are easy to travel with, clean, and the straws stand up to the bite!
- Yeti’s Jr. 12 oz Kids Water Bottle is another great option. We don’t have these but some friends do and love the functionality.
- Our Littles like to bite straws. We’ve gone through so many silicone straws that initially cleaned well and seemed to work well … and then, CHOMP. The top was bitten off and tiny plastic pieces were exposed, just right for ingesting. These SM bottles are easy to travel with, clean, and the straws stand up to the bite!
- Mushie Snack Cup
- Great for little hands and little snacks like Amara Smoothie Melts
May your day be filled with what is beautiful and good ~ Caitlyn
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