Today we’re sharing an honest review of Feeding Littles courses for infants and toddlers/kids.
One of my absolute favorite stages of motherhood was transitioning my kids to solid foods. Watching them discover and explore new foods, textures, and tastes was so fun–and FUNNY at times, too!
However, I had no idea where to begin when starting solids. What food should I try first? How do you teach your baby to eat it? How do I keep my baby safe from choking or allergies?
On Instagram one day, I stumbled upon Feeding Littles, a parenting account focused on a method of starting solids called “Baby-Led Weaning” or “Baby Self-Feeding.” Run by a registered dietician and an occupational therapist/feeding specialist, Feeding Littles (FL, for short) offers two courses to teach parents how to feed their children: an Infant Course and a Toddler & Kid course.
I’ve taken them both, and feel like they really equipped me with the tools I needed to successfully transition my children to solid food and to establish better eating habits as they’ve grown. Here’s my full review, hope it helps!
Xo,
Megan
What is the Feeding Littles course format?
Both courses are video-based and have approximately 2-3 hours of consumable content. All topics are broken down into videos ranging in length from 3 to 30 minutes. It’s really great to be able to go through the course at your own pace or to easily go back to a specific topic that you want to watch again.
The really cool thing about these courses is that Feeding Littles gives you 3 different mediums to access the content:
- Watching videos
- Listening to just the audio, podcast style
- Reading the full course transcript
This is great because people are usually either a visual or an auditory learner, and they’ve accommodated both learning styles into these courses. I just really appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into that!
And the purchase of either course comes with admission to the Feeding Littles private Facebook group. This is a group of other FL client families where you can ask questions, get recipe/meal ideas, and receive encouragement from other parents in this same stage of life. They’ve created a great little community in there!
Feeding Littles Infant Course Review
In the Infant Course ($79), you are introduced to the concept of Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) as it contrasts to the more traditional method of first introducing purees.
BLW is more about starting solids by offering babies the same foods you eat every day but modified (i.e. cut, cooked, or offered) in physically and developmentally safe and appropriate ways.
I was cautious of this new method and very afraid of my baby choking on “normal” foods. But FL does a phenomenal job of explaining all the precautions to take and how to set your baby up for a successful transition.
For example, BLW safety is not just about how you prepare the food, but also how baby is positioned in the high chair. FL even recommends specific high chairs or DIY hacks to the high chair you may already have to position baby for optimal safety and success. I felt super confident in executing the BLW method after learning all the best tips and tricks.
As it should, the Infant Course provides tons of ideas and suggestions for first foods to try with your baby. But it also covers so many of what I would consider bonus feeding related topics such as weaning off formula or breastfeeding, transitioning from bottles/sippy cups to straw cups, and safely introducing common food allergens.
Feeding Littles Caregivers added bonus
Another fun and thoughtful feature that the Infant Course provides is an actual handout that you can give to grandparents, daycares, or other care providers in your “Village” who may be skeptical of BLW.
It explains the BLW science and philosophy and kindly asks those other caregivers to be on your team with the feeding method that you have chosen for your family. I think this is such a wonderful asset to include to help give families the language and confidence to advocate for this individual parenting decision.
Fun Fact: Megan McNamee, the registered dietician half of Feeding Littles, teaches a 2 hour in-person version of the Infant Course at Modern Milk in Scottsdale. Access to the online course is included in the cost of the live class, but it was such a treat to see and meet Megan in person. She’s a doll, and the East Valley is so lucky that we get the opportunity to see her present all this content in person!
Feeding Littles Toddler & Kid Course Review
The Toddler & Kid Course is the complement of the Infant Course, building on the BLW foundations and geared to children ages 1-10.
This “next step” course, while also providing information on proper nutrition for growing children, focuses on two main pillars: helping you combat or prevent picky eating, and raising intuitive eaters who have a healthy relationship with food.
The Kid Course gives so much science and evidence based information on why picky eating develops and how to manage it, suggesting dozens of age-appropriate techniques to help combat food selectivity while still ensuring adequate nutrition. What I absolutely love about FL’s methods is that it teaches you how to encourage your child toward adventurous eating, but never to force or bribe your child’s eating behaviors. Their mantra is “You provide the food, the child decides what and how much to eat.”
Feeding Littles feeding philosophy
FL provides so much inspiration to develop a mentally healthy eating philosophy that views food as neutral and eating as both a necessary but also enjoyable part of our lives. For example, they have one module specifically dedicated to fostering a balanced and neutral perspective on sugar and desserts.
Their philosophy has greatly healed my own personal relationship with food, and I hope that I am passing on to my children a much healthier and realistic tone surrounding this topic.
I appreciate the obvious love and care they put into this content to help combat the diet culture mindset from which our generation is so desperately trying to break free.
And, like the Infant Course, the Toddler & Kid Course includes over 100 meal and snack inspirations, sample eating schedules, tips for creating a healthy eating environment, and the same “It Takes a Village…” script and handout to share information with grandparents/other care providers.
The course truly covers every potential eating issue or concern including bonus modules on sensory/oral-motor issues and allergies/special dietary restrictions.
All in all, I very highly recommend both Feeding Littles courses! They have greatly impacted the way I feed not only my kids, but my whole family. I’m so grateful for the knowledge and encouragement that Feeding Littles provides!
Don’t miss their amazing family cookbook and their one-of-a-kind lunchbox inspiration cookbook coming later this year!
If you’re looking for more course reviews, don’t miss my review of Taking Cara Babies sleep course review here.
