There are a lot of options out there on the market, and while your baby is switching to a solid food diet, throwing food around and having fun, you don’t exactly have the time to do all the research. That’s why at Net Parents we wanted to give you a helping hand, and show you how to choose the right dishware for your baby. As always, you can rest assured we’ve done our research. We’ve looked at CPSC recall lists for baby bowls and even utensils. We’ve looked at potential hazardous materials and chemicals that should be avoided, as suggested by the FDA. We’ve then scoured the market for reviews, browsing through hundreds of different product reviews to bring you the best baby feeding bowls you can find today. We went above and beyond, and researched about safety and proper feeding procedures and tools, as well as sanitation habits and baby readiness. We wanted to help you understand the transition into solid foods and the need for baby bowls as dishware,  so you can learn everything you need to know. After our guide and reviews, you will definitely know what is required of you as a parent to help your child learn the best eating skills, and feel confident feeding a growing toddler in the most comfortable way.

Best Baby Bowls Feeding Guide

One of the first things you will want to learn is to read your baby’s signs. At some point around 4-6 months of age, they will start giving you ‘hints’ that they are ready for solid foods. This is when you will need to pull out those baby feeding bowls and dishware, so have them ready somewhere around the house well in advance. Up until then, the baby will be eating formula or breastmilk and that’s it. But, then they will start being able to hold their head straight, and sitting with support. These are good signs! They will start showing ‘chewing everything’ behaviors, putting their hands and toys into their mouths. They will also show great interest in what you are eating. Of course, check with your doctor before you do anything, but these signs will let you know that the baby is probably ready to be introduced to solid foods.

Start slow, and introduce your baby to each food one at a time, with a nice grace period of a few days in between. You can also start introducing baby cereal with formula or breastmilk, and help your baby learn how to sit upright and eat it. This should be super fun with all the toddler feeding sets we will show you. Make sure you use single grain cereal, and don’t add any salt or sugar to any of the foods. You can add some vegetables in chopped of mashed form and let them try it as finger food or use some utensils. Look at some of our mashing baby bowls, like the Nuk Mash and Serve bowl, to help make this process fun and interesting.

Make sure you look out for allergies that could happen, especially if it runs in your family. Have an anti-histamine on hand. Further, avoid cow’s milk and honey for the first year, as well as foods that can make your baby choke. These include grapes, meat chunks, and the like. At the end of the day, however, remember that you are teaching your child how to eat. So let them play, and encourage their exploratory instincts. Help them sit up straight and introduce as many colorful utensils and bowls, or other dishware, that can stimulate your child. We made sure to bring you a wide variety of kids bowls for that purpose. Don’t push your baby to eat new food. This process should never be painful. It should be fun, and as smooth as possible. If they refuse, just try again next time. Likewise, don’t force them to eat that extra bite, if the baby shows they are full. Just let it be. Remember, easy, fun, comfortable, and –unfortunately- messy.

In terms of cleanliness and sanitation, make sure you always wash your hands before feeding. Don’t put the dish of leftovers back in the fridge, or “double-dipping”. Discard of leftovers. Don’t share spoons with your baby, and make sure not to leave food that should be refrigerated outside for too long. Remember, “if in doubt, throw it out”. Some of our baby bowls are dishwasher safe, and that’s a great way to make sure they are clean. Otherwise, wash them by hand, without putting them directly in the sink (it may contain bacteria). It’s better to use a basin filled with soapy water, scrub, rinse, and air dry. Sometimes it can be useful to sanitize, using either boiling water, steam, or as a last resort, using 1 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water solution. Keep dried dishware in cleaned kitchen cabinets, and again, always wash your hands!

Best Baby Bowls At A Glance

Now that we are comfortable with our knowledge of the topic, let’s take a look at the products we reviewed. Here we designed a table for your convenience, where you can compare the different baby bowls and choose according to your needs and wants: