Cole has been eating solids for almost 4 months now and both he and I have been loving it. As a holistic nutritionist myself, I was so excited leading up to Cole taking his first bite of food because I love food and all of the amazing benefits a whole-foods diet can offer. I chose to take a baby-led weaning (BLW) approach when introducing solids to Cole and he took to it really well. It also allowed me to not have to spend a ton of time on food prepping (i.e. not having to cook his meals, then puree his meals, then spoon-feed him his meals, etc.).

Essentially, BLW is a method of feeding that allows babies to self-feed themselves finger foods.

There are so many great benefits to BLW aside from it being a bit easier on the mama, and I will be covering this more in-depth in another post, but for now I would love to share a recipe with you that both mama and baby can eat. For me personally, I really love eating meals together as a family, and being able to make the same thing for Cole and myself has made that really easy. Even if he can’t eat exactly what I am eating, I am always able to use several of the ingredients in my meal and give them to him to eat.

An example of this would be a breakfast burrito where I put eggs, avocado, sweet potato, goat cheddar and black beans in a wrap for myself and then I would give Cole sliced fried egg, avocado and sweet potato.

This buckwheat porridge recipe is one of my favourites to make Cole and I, especially since it’s winter right now where I live, and a warm bowl of porridge in the morning is just so cozy! The recipe is similar to my banana bread oatmeal, which I made a ton in pregnancy and also right after Cole was born, but it has a few swaps such as subbing in activated buckwheat for oats.

Activating buckwheat does require a little bit of planning the night before, but it is so worth it because it makes it much easier to digest, which is especially important when feeding babies as they have immature digestive systems, and it also makes the nutrients more bioavailable.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe and find that it makes cooking for both yourself and your baby a little bit easier since you can both eat the same thing. I would recommend this recipe for those following the BLW method who have babies that are 8 months or older. If you are following the puree method, then you can add the fully cooked recipe to a food processor and puree until smooth. Regardless of the feeding method you are using, if for any reason you are unsure about a particular food in this recipe, always check with your baby’s primary care provider for guidance.

If you like this recipe as well as the idea of cooking one recipe for both mama and baby then you are in luck because I am working on a free recipe ebook called “Mama + Me” that I will be releasing in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! And if you sign up for my newsletter you will be the first to know when it becomes available for download. I can’t wait to share!

Mama + Me Buckwheat Porridge

— makes 2-3 baby servings (depending on appetite) + 1 mama serving —

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat groats
2 cups filtered water
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 cups homemade coconut milk (recipe follows)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
1/4 cup blueberries (For mama's bowl only. Use blueberries with your baby only if you have given to them before using an age-appropriate preparation method, as they are a choking hazard due to their round and firm shape)

Method

Place buckwheat groats in a bowl and cover with the 2 cups of filtered room temperature water. Add in apple cider vinegar, cover with a tea towel and place the bowl in a warm, dry place overnight, or at least 12 hours. In the morning, drain and rinse the buckwheat groats.
In a medium pot, add the drained and rinsed buckwheat groats, homemade coconut milk, mashed banana and cinnamon, and bring to a gentle boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Turn off heat, cover with a lid, set aside, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Once 5 minutes has passed, you can serve it up into bowls with a small splash of coconut milk on top.
For your own bowl (mama's bowl) add blueberries on top, if using.
Before serving to your baby, always make sure the temperature of the food isn't too hot for them to eat.
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

I would recommend this recipe for those following the BLW method who have babies that are 8 months or older. If you are following the puree method, then you can add the fully cooked recipe to a food processor and puree until smooth. Regardless of the feeding method you are using, if for any reason you are unsure about a particular food in this recipe, always check with your or your baby’s primary care provider for guidance.

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Homemade Coconut Milk

— makes 2 cups —

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups warm filtered water
1/4 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon

Method

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high for 3-5 minutes, until creamy.
Using a nut milk bag, strain the milk into a bowl, squeezing the pulp to ensure all of the liquid has been removed. (The coconut pulp can be kept to use in baked goods).
Store milk in the fridge for up to 4 days, giving it a quick shake before serving as the milk will separate since there are no preservatives.