Prenatal vitamins are so important before, during, and after pregnancy. Growing a baby takes lots of nutritious foods, vitamins, and minerals. While pregnant, it’s important to eat a variety of real wholesome foods that have these essential vitamins on top of taking prenatal vitamins.

Prenatal vitamins are made to have specific vitamins and minerals that are vital for when you are pregnant. These vitamins and minerals keep you and your growing baby healthy.

What vitamins do you need in a prenatal?

There are lots of vitamins and minerals that are important to have in a prenatal vitamin. These 11 vitamins are the most  essential during pregnancy for mom and baby. It’s important to find a prenatal that has all these vitamins or find one that has most of these vitamins. When finding the best prenatal vitamin for you, it’s It’s best to find one based on you needs and which nutrients you have a harder time getting in each day. 

Here is a listed the top essential prenatal vitamins to have and the benefits they give you and your baby during pregnancy. 

#1 Folate 

This vitamin is one of the most important to take before getting pregnant and during pregnancy. Doctors recommend taking a prenatal vitamin 3 months before getting pregnant. The reason for this is almost all prenatal vitamins have Folate (or folic acid) which is an essential vitamin to help with normal neural tube development.

The recommended dose is 600 mcg per day. Any vitamin supplement from 400 mcg – 1 mg is a normal range.

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Heart health
  • Healthy red blood cells
  • Immune support
  • Mood imbalances

Baby:

• • Normal neural tube development
  • Mouth development
  • DNA and red blood cells support
  • Cell division

Is Folate and Folic Acid the same?

These two vitamins are similar but aren’t the same. Folic acid is a synthesized version of this vitamin and requires your body to convert it into an active form to be used. Folate is from many whole foods: leafy greens, beans, eggs, citrus fruit, avocados, and beef liver. Having folate in a vitamin supplement is better for your body. Find more information about folate vs folic acid in this article. I recommend finding a prenatal with folate instead of folic acid. Here are some of my favorite prenatal brands.

#2 Iron 

Iron is essential for growing a baby. Most people are iron deficient, so getting enough iron while you are pregnant is crucial. 

The recommended dose is 27 mg per day. Never take more than 120 mg of iron, taking more can be toxic for your body. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Essential vitamin to make extra blood for you and your baby
  • Carries oxygen from your lungs

Baby:

• • Needed to make babies’ own blood

If the prenatal vitamin you are taking doesn’t have iron, it’s important to calculate how much iron you consume in your diet from food to make sure you are getting enough iron. 

#3 Calcium

Calcium is essential for babies bone development and for helping moms get pregnant. 

The recommended dose is 1000 mg per day.

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Healthy blood pressure and bones
  • Muscle relaxation for growing your baby
  • Production of healthy hormones
  • Cardiac function

Baby:

• • Forming/strengthening bones and teeth
  • Necessary for heart, muscles, nerves, and hormones.

Most prenatal vitamins don’t contain enough calcium.

The good news is that most foods do contain calcium so if you have a diet high in calcium you’ll be fine taking a prenatal with none or less calcium in it. For example, drinking 1 cup of cow’s milk will give you 300 mg of calcium. If you know you don’t get enough calcium daily check out these prenatal brands and find one with the recommended calcium amount. 

#4 Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a vitamin that gets over looked, but essential to have in your body daily for you and your baby. This vitamin is needed to absorb calcium and phosphorus. It’s important to take a vitamin D supplement as well as get this vitamin from the sun. During the colder months this vitamin is even more essential for a healthy pregnancy. 

The recommended dose is 600 mg per day.

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Absorbs calcium + phosphorus
  • Immune support
  • Keeps a full-pregnancy
  • Healthy blood pressure

Baby:

• • Cell division to grow baby
  • Forming bones and teeth
  • Lungs and respiratory function
  • Immune support

#5 Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for mom and baby and there is so many benefits from this vitamin. 

The recommended dose is 770 mg per day. However, never take vitamin A supplements that are 1500 mcg. Too much of this vitamin can be toxic and harm your liver, gives you headaches, vomiting, and more.

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Skin and vaginal tissues
  • Development of placenta
  • Milk supply
  • Manages hormones
  • Pregnancy support

Baby:

• • Facial development: eyes and ears
  • Helps full-term gestation and healthy birth weights

#5 Vitamin B12 and B6

These two Vitamins: B6 and B12 help balance blood sugar and absorbing magnesium. It’s also essential for neural tube development for baby. 

The recommended dose for B6 is 1.9 mg per day and for B12 is 2.8 mcg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Helps nausea
  • Balances blood sugar and gives mom energy
  • Helps absorb magnesium
  • Helps with protein

Baby:

• • Neural tube development
  • Nervous system development
  • DNA and red blood cells
  • Healthy skin

#6 Choline

Choline is important in developing the babies nervous system. Being deficient in choline has been linked to children with lower cognitive function. (Learn more in this study)

The recommended dose for is 450 mg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Keeps metabolism healthy
  • Liver function
  • Manages healthy blood pressure

Baby:

• • Neural tube development
  • Brain development
  • Helps DNA synthesis
  • Transporting omega-3 DHA from mom and baby. 

Most prenatal vitamins have none or very little choline. About 90% of women aren’t getting enough choline in their diets. It’s crucial to find a prenatal that has this vitamin to get the recommended dose or eat a diet high in choline. Choline is found in meat, fish, and milk. Here’s some of my favorite prenatal vitamins that have choline. 

#7 Omega 3 (DHA)

The recommended dose is 200-300 mg per day. 

Here are the benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Supports bones
  • Helps mood
  • Immune system healthy
  • Prevents pre-term labor

Baby:

• • It helps develop the eyes and brain
  • Develops nervous system

Most prenatal vitamins have none or very little omega-3. Most women lack getting enough omega-3s. Omega-3s are found in salmon, tuna, sardines, and anchovies. While you are pregnant make sure you are eating enough food with omega 3s to get the recommended amount each day. If you don’t get enough in your diet, it’s important to find a prenatal vitamin with omega 3 or a supplement. Here are some of my favorite prenatal vitamins that have omega-3s. 

#8 Vitamin K

The recommended dose is 10 mg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Bone health 
  • Helps prepare for birth
  • Normal blood clotting
  • Needed to absorb vitamin D3
  • Blood sugar balance

Baby:

• • Strengthening bones and teeth
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Normal blood clotting

#9 Riboflavin (Vitamin B1)

Riboflavin helps your baby in so many ways while your baby is developing. It helps with bone, nerve, and muscle development. 

The recommended dose is 1.4 mg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Gives energy
  • Manages stress levels
  • Metabolism
  • Healthy neurological functions

Baby:

• • Motor skill development
  • Cardiovascular function
  • Cognitive function
  • Neurological development

#10 Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

The recommended dose is 1.4 mg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Healthy stress response
  • Healthy mood postpartum
  • Healthy immune system 
  • Energy production
  • Antioxidant for metabolism 

Baby:

• • Helps with growth and development
  • Energy production
  • Healthy thyroid, skin, heart, and immune system. 

#11 Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is amazing at boosting immune system for you and your baby. This vitamin is also needed for babies development. 

The recommended dose is 85 mg per day. 

Here’s benefits that mom and baby get from this vitamin:

Mama:

• • Immune support
  • Prevents cell damage
  • Prevents mental health
  • Iron absorption
  • Healthy metabolism

Baby:

• • Healthy immune system
  • Cell division for growing
  • Builds tendons, bones, teeth, skin, blood vessels, and cartilage. 

About Alli

This is the second article of a two-part series on prenatal vitamins.

• Part one: 11 essential vitamins and benefits during pregnancy
• Part two: In this article, I’ll give a breakdown of what essential vitamins and amount are found in each brand to help you know which prenatal is best for you.

Prenatal vitamins benefits

Prenatal vitamins are so important before, during, and after pregnancy. Growing a baby takes lots of nutritious foods, vitamins, and minerals. While pregnant, it’s important to eat a variety of real wholesome foods that have these essential vitamins on top of taking prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins are made to have specific vitamin and mineral needs for when you are pregnant to keep you and your growing baby healthy. 

Essential vitamins to have in a prenatal vitamin

These 12 nutrients that are important during pregnancy. To help you know which prenatal vitamin is best for you. Here is the recommended daily amount for the most important vitamins.

• Folate: 600 mcg
• Iron: 27 mg
• Calcium: 1,000 mg
• Vitamin D: 600 IU
• Vitamin A: 770 mcg
• Vitamin C: 85 mg
• Vitamin B6: 1.9 mg
• Vitamin B12: 2.6 mcg
• Choline: 450 mg
• Omega-3s (DHA): 200 mg
• Thiamin: 1.4 mg
• Riboflavin: 1.4 mg

Which prenatal vitamin is the best?

Every prenatal vitamins have different amounts of nutrients in them. It’s important to make sure to get the full daily recommended vitamin amount so if your prenatal multivitamins don’t contain the full vitamin or mineral make sure to eat food that completes the vitamin need.

I’ve been doing lots of research on what essential vitamins are needed for pregnancy and which prenatal vitamin brands are best.

These prenatal brands are all made with whole foods and have no sugar, artificial dyes, or preservatives.

Here are 7 best prenatal brands:

1. Garden of Life Prenatal Vitamins 

3 tablets per day

Folate: 600 mcg (recommended 400 mcg)

Iron: 13.5 mg (recommended: 27mg)

Calcium: —— (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 22.5 mcg (recommended 600IU)

Vitamin A: 1,300 mcg (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 120 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 6 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 2.8 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: —– (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s: —– (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 1.7 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 1.5 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 140 mcg

Includes ingredients for a stomach soothing blend: lemon, tomato, ginger, and peppermint leaf. Perfect to help ease morning sickness during the first trimester.

To note: This prenatal vitamin doesn’t have any calcium, omega-3s, or choline, These vitamins are essential to still get the recommended amount daily. In my previous post, you can learn how important these vitamins are. However, if daily you get enough of these vitamins from real foods than this prenatal vitamin will be great for you. 

Price: These vitamins cost $0.88 per day

2. Honest Prenatal Vitamin

1 tablets per day

Folate: 1105 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 27 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: 200 mg (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 1400 IU (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: 1,200 mcg (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 60 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 30 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 8 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: —– (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s: —– (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 2 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 1.7 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 300 mcg

To note: This prenatal vitamin doesn’t have any omega-3s or choline. These vitamins are essential to still get the recommended amount daily. In my previous post, you can learn how important these vitamins are. However, if daily you get enough of these vitamins from real foods than this prenatal vitamin will be great for you. 

Price: These vitamins cost $0.66 per day

3. Ritual Prenatal Vitamin

2 capsules per day

Folate: 1000 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 18 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: — (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 2000 IU (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: — (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: — (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: — (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 8 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: 55 mg (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s: 350 mg (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: — (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: — (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 300 mcg

Price: These vitamins cost $1.26 per day

4. Naturelo Prenatal Multivitamin

3 capsules per day

Folate: 800 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 27 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: 255 mg (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 20 mcg (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: 1,040 mcg (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 120 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 3.4 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 4.8 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: 100 mg (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s: — (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 1.6 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 1.4 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 55 mcg

Price: These vitamins cost $0.66 per day

5. MegaFood Baby & Me 2 Prenatal Multi

2 capsules per day

Folate: 1020 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 18 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: — (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 15 mcg (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: 1,040 mcg (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 100 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 8 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 8 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: 300 mg (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s: — (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 2 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 2 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 300 mcg

Price: These vitamins cost $1 per day

6. Actif Organics Prenatal Vitamin

1 capsule per day

Folate: 800 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 30 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: 200 mg (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 400 IU (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: 5,000 IU (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 60 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 2.5 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 2.5 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: 50 mg (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s (DHA): 200 mg (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 10 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 10 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 300 mcg

Price: These vitamins cost $0.50 per day

7. Needed Prenatal Multi

8 capsules per day

Folate: 918 mcg (recommended 600 mcg)

Iron: 13.5 mg (recommended: 27 mg)

Calcium: 200 mg (recommended: 1,000 mg)

Vitamin D: 100 mcg (recommended 600 IU)

Vitamin A: 1500 mcg (recommended 770 mcg)

Vitamin C: 300 mg (recommended 85 mg)

Vitamin B6: 40 mg (recommended 1.9 mg)

Vitamin B12: 200 mcg (recommended 2.6 mcg)

Choline: 400 mg (recommended 450 mg)

Omega-3s (DHA): 200 mg (recommended 200 mg)

Riboflavin: 20 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Thiamin: 5 mg (recommended 1.4 mg)

Biotin: 350 mcg

Price: These vitamins cost $3.50 per day

$40 on Amazon for 90 capsules

Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I’m sharing these products because I use them, trust them, and cannot recommend them enough. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

About Alli

Water is one of the most important substances to maintain a healthy body. We need water to live and for our bodies to function. It’s important to drink enough water each day. A good general range is to drink half your weight in water. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you’d need at least 70 oz of water each day. 

Here are the top ten benefits of drinking water. 

1. Water helps aid digestion

Water is necessary for breaking down the food that you eat every day. After breaking down the food, it allows for the vitamins and minerals within the food to be absorbed into your body. Water is also needed for swallowing foods and allowing food to travel throughout the digestive tract.

2. Helps absorb nutrients

Nutrients are vital to your bodily functions and immune system—they give us the energy to go throughout the day. Drinking more water paired with a healthy diet will help your body absorb nutrient-rich foods quicker and more efficiently.

3. Weight management

Drinking more water is a great way to manage your weight. Sometimes our hunger cues get confused with being thirsty instead of hungry. Drinking plenty of water balances your appetite and helps you not overeat. Water also helps you from drinking calorie-heavy sodas and soft drinks.

4. Prevents sicknesses

Your body is constantly working to prevent sickness. Viruses may enter your system at any moment, and water allows your body to be working at full capacity. When you drink more water, it prevents dryness in your mucus membranes so that they can catch any virus trying to enter your system. Water also helps add oxygen to your bloodstream so that plenty of oxygen can get where it needs to go.
When you do happen to get sick, it is important that you drink plenty of water to help fight the sickness. A lot of fluids are often lost through fevers, vomiting, and runny noses. Water is also a great body temperature regulator, so while you are warmer than you should be, water may help aid in bringing your temperature back to normal.

5. Keeps your brain healthy and functioning

Your brain, just like any other muscle, relies on sufficient water to function properly. Water helps flush out metabolic waste that accumulates in your brain. It also is a key player in new cells generated within the brain.
Another great result of drinking more water is that it balances hormone levels. When stress and anxiety are building up, be sure to drink as much water as you can. Water helps to regulate these stress levels and bring you back down to normal.

6. Water keeps your skin healthy

Your skin needs water to stay hydrated and healthy. Skin cells rely on sufficient water to regenerate and stay healthy.

7. Flushes out toxins

Your body is built to separate the toxins from good nutrients for your body. Your liver and kidneys are hard at work separating these toxins and they need water to help flush them out. This is yet another key reason why water helps you stay healthy, by keeping your kidneys and liver functioning properly.

8. Prevents constipation

Constipation is the result of a lack of water in the digestive tract. Drinking plenty of water should aid you in returning to a digestive balance again.

9. More energy

Water helps you absorb key nutrients that bring your body energy. Without water, your body couldn’t easily absorb the nutrients it needs to stay moving. During a workout, water is essential. Water helps you keep going, reduces fatigue, and prevents muscle cramps.

10. Regulates your body temperature

Water is a natural temperature regulator. This is one of the most important roles of water in the human body. You want to keep your temperature right around 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Drinking plenty of water will aid your body in staying right around that benchmark.

About Alli

Here are some of my favorite travel snacks to pack that will fuel, nourish, and give you energy for your trip.

It’s so important to have nourishing real food snacks while traveling for you and your family! Most of these options listed below are found in most grocery stores. Always remember to read the ingredient list on the store brought packaged foods and pick brands that make their product using real whole foods rather than filler unnourishing ingredients.

Fresh fruit and vegetables 

These fruits and veggies are the easiest to pack and don’t spoil. 

1. Apples – I love packing a couple of Honeycrisp or pink lady apples for my trips.

2. Cucumbers – This vegetable is easy to snack on. I love buying mini cocktail cucumbers or buying a couple of cucumbers. 

3. Clementines or oranges – Such an easy fruit to bring and so important to get lots of vitamin C to keep your immune system up. 

4. Sliced Carrots – I personality like sliced carrots since they make it easy to dip in hummus, but any carrot will work. 

5. Mini Bell Peppers – Another great vegetable to bring is mini bell peppers. I love dipping these in hummus too or eating plain. Mini bell peppers are also a great vegetable to keep your immune system up. 

6. Snap peas – These are so yummy to have on hand, especially when you are craving something crunching. 

7. Seedless Grapes – I love to remove all the stems from the grapes, clean the grapes, and then add to a glass container. It makes eating grapes on the go so much easier.

8. Celery – Eat with natural nut butter or plain

Protein Snacks

Snacks high in protein satisfy your hunger. It’s important to snack on snacks high in protein to boost your metabolism and give you energy for your vacation. 

1. Nuts & Seeds – Pack your favorite nuts and seeds. I pack almonds and pumpkin seeds. 

2. Grass-fed Beef jerky – Try and find jerky that has natural ingredients, grass-fed and has no sugar added.

3. Hard-boiled eggs – Make sure to hard-boil your eggs a day before your trip.

4. Mini RXBARS Protein Bars – these protein bars have simple wholesome ingredients. I love packing tons of these. They have lots of flavors my favorite is the chocolate sea salt bars.

5. String cheese – Easy to snack on and high in protein and calcium.

6. Jelly/Nut butter sandwiches – Check ingredients on your jam and nut butter. Make sure all the ingredients are real food ingredients. I love making homemade jam and homemade nut butter.

7. Greek yogurt cups – Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt and is more nutritious plus nutrient-dense to keep you full. Try and get yogurt that is made with whole milk since non-fat yogurts have added sweeteners and fillers to make up for the lost flavor. Fat is so important for your brain and keep you full. I love buying Maple hill greek yogurt, stonyfield greek yogurt, voskos greek yogurt, chobani. Check out this article about all the benefits to greek yogurt and different yogurt brands.

8. Hummus – I love buying plain hummus but there’s a lot of different hummus flavors that you can pick from. Make sure to check the ingredients.

9. Chia seeds – I added these to my yogurt and flavored water to add protein, omega 3s, and fiber.

Homemade Travel Snacks

The day before a trip, I love to make these healthy homemade snacks and pack them for our trip.

1. Kale Chips recipe

2. Sourdough crackers recipe

3. Carrot oat cookies recipe

4. Apple chips recipe

5. Banana oatmeal cookies recipe

Other healthy packaged snacks

1. Mamma chia – I love these chia seed squeeze snacks. They are fiber-rich, high in omega-3s, and helps your gut. Plus there is no added sugar and all the ingredients are made with real food. They also have tons of flavors to pick from. I love the blueberry acai or strawberry banana. My little girl loves eating these.

2. Fruit & vegetable strips – I love buying products that include fruit and veggies. These fruit and vegetable strips are so good. Make sure the ones you buy are made with wholesome ingredients and have no artificial flavors, sugar, or artificial colors. 

3. Gogo squeeze fruit & veggies – These are amazing for kids and I like eating them too. They have fruit and vegetables in them and they taste great too. Plus no added sugar or unknown ingredients. Here’s the link to the brand I get.

4. That’s it mini fruit bars – These fruit bars are made with pure fruit. Thats the only ingredients. They taste so good too. I buy mine from Costco but amazon sells that’s it bars too.

5. Bare baked banana chips – I love banana chips. This banana chip brand is my favorite. The only ingredient is bananas.

6. Boom chicka pops sea salt popcorn – You can make homemade popcorn to bring or buy a Boomchicka popcorn that has wholesome good ingredients.

7. Bare baked apple chips – Another great fruit chip is apple chips. I love snacking on these at home and on vacations. Here’s the link to my favorite apple chips.

8. Crunchies freeze-dried fruit – I love adding freeze-dried fruit to my greek yogurt for a snack or breakfast. Or even snacking on these plain. Here is the brand I like buying. They have tons of different freeze-dried fruit to pick from.

9. Brads Crunchy kale chips – Great to get some leafy green in a crunchy chip snack. I love eating kale chips. Here are two of my favorite brands: Brads kale chips or Rhythm kale chips.

10. Sliced fresh fruit cups – Check ingredients to make sure there is no added sugar, high fructose syrup, and more.

Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I’m sharing these products because I use them, trust them, and cannot recommend them enough. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

About Alli

From all the best spoons, bibs, high-chairs, bowls, and more!

It’s such an exciting time when your baby turns 6 months and you get to start introducing solid foods to your baby.

There are tons of baby feeding items to pick from. To make this baby-led transition easier and smoother you’ll need items that make everything simpler and products that are the best. I rounded up my top favorite must-have baby feeding items and accessories that worked great for my new little girl, Liv.

Check out these great baby feeding items! I’ve also included my favorite products to make homemade baby food. Hope this list helps make this new transition stage easier and exciting for you. 

1. Ikea High Chair + Mango Co. Ikea High Chair Footrest

This Ikea’s high chair is the absolute best! Everything is made with hard plastic making it incredibly easy to wipe down and clean. The chair is quick to set up or takedown. Most high chairs are really pricey. I loved that this one cost less than $20 dollars but still is an amazing highchair that is functional and modern. If you don’t have an Ikea near you, you can buy this Ikea chair on amazon but it’s more expensive.

The only cons about this chair is it doesn’t come with a footrest. Footrests are so important for babies so they are comfortable and are able to concentrate on eating. So if you buy this chair, I recommend buying this footrest that perfectly goes on the Ikea high chair and you can adjust it for your baby’s height.

$20 on Ikea

$130 on Amazon

2. Chicco Caddy Hook-On Chair

This is by far the best portable high chair. It easy to set up and works great on almost all tables. It secure and babies love sitting in it. It has rubber arms to grip the table but not scratch it. It folds flat which makes it easy to travel or store. The seat cover is removable so it’s easy to clean. I love to bring this chair when I visit friends and family or go on a vacation.

$50 on Amazon

3. Ava + Oliver Silicone Bibs

I love these silicone bibs. It makes feeding your baby so much easier. First, the bottom open pouch catches food and saves your baby clothes from getting stains or drips.

Second the silicone bib material is easy to clean. You can either wipe it, wash it with soap and water, or put it in the dishwasher. Also, this bib is BPA and phthalates-free. It’s hands down the best baby bib. 

$20 on Amazon

4. NatureBond Baby Food Feeder/Fruit Feeder

I love these Baby Food Feeder, it makes starting solids so less stressful since they are designed to only let small juice/pieces out so your baby doesn’t get a large chunk of food and chocking (honestly, this is my biggest mom fear with feeding little ones).

You can put avocado, banana, strawberries, blueberries, green beans, or anything else in this feeder. It’s perfect to let your baby start to taste new foods and practice gnawing on food.

$8 on Amazon

5. Color Changing Baby Spoons

These color-changing baby spoons are a life savor. The spoon will turn white if the baby’s food is too hot, helping you know if you need to wait for the food to cool down before feeding it to your baby. The spoon has a soft tip for baby’s mouths. They are BPA and phthalate-free. They can be washed in the dishwasher.

$12 on Amazon

These Munchkin White Hot Safety Spoons are also a great option and will also turn white if the baby’s food is too hot. This spoon is made with soft materials for baby’s mouths. They are BPA and phthalate-free. They can be washed in the dishwasher.

$6 on Amazon

6. Mama Bear Weighted Straw Sippy Cups

These Sippy Cups are so great. They are perfect to help transition 6+ month babies from drinking from a bottle to a cup. They have a flexible weighted straw at the bottom, so no matter how your baby tilts the bottle they will still be able to get liquid out. The cup also has a spill-proof spout, removable handles, attached lid, dishwasher safe, and is BPA free.

$10 on Amazon

7. Silicone Baby Food Freezer Storage Trays

These freezer storage trays are the best if you are planning on homemaking your own baby puree food. I always make a large batch of homemade baby food, and I pour the baby puree into this storage tray, freeze it, and easily pop them out and add to a gallon zip lock bag.

$10 on Amazon

8. Wee Sprout Glass Baby Food Storage Containers

These baby glass jars are so worth it! Cost around $30 dollars and comes with 12 jars with lids plus a dry eraser marker to label. Its better for your health to heat up food in glass rather than plastic.  They are 100% BPA, Phthalate, PVC free. They are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe. Air tight screw lids that keep food fresh.

$30 on Amazon

9. Refillable Baby Food Pouches

These Reusable Baby Food Pouches are great to get if you like to make homemade baby food or if you are on the go and want an easy mess-free snack. I love these pouches because they are easy for kids to squeeze. They are reusable and eco-friendly, plus they are BPA, PVC, and Phthalate-free plastic.

I love making a big batch of puree baby food, filling them up each pouch up, and then and putting them in the freezer to use later. Whenever you need one for your baby just defrost them in warm water and feed them to your baby. It’s so simple. I also love making a healthy green smoothie or fruit smoothie and pouring some into these pouches for my baby to enjoy!

$10 on Amazon

10. Baby Plates with Silicone Suction

This Avanchy Bamboo Baby Plate is perfect for a 9+ month and older child. Having a suction bottom makes it so there is no food flying when a baby throws their plate. Also keeps the plate from tipping over. This bamboo plate is plastic-free, BPA-free, PVC-free, Lead-free, and Phthalate-free. It also comes with a baby spoon that is great for self-feeding babies and has a nice soft tip for babies teeth and gums. 

$20 on Amazon

These Suction Plates with Lids are also are great baby plate option. They come with three plates that have lids and suction to a table or high chair. The lids make it so conveinted to store leftovers and be able to serve it to your baby or toddler when they are hungry again. These plates are also 100%

$22 on Amazon

11. Reusable Storage Bags (BPA Free)

I love these reusable ziplock bags. They are eco-friendly and saves you money. I love storing my pre-frozen homemade baby food cubes in these. To keep everything organized I label the bag with the name and date by writing on scotch tape.

Another reason I love these bags, is they work great to add snacks in like crackers, sliced peaches, blueberries, and more for my baby to eat on the go. I love how easy they are to clean.

$15 on Amazon

Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I’m sharing these products because I use them, trust them, and cannot recommend them enough. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Have a favorite feeding baby product that wasn’t listed?     Put it in the comments below, I’d love to check it out and try it! 

About Alli

Are you looking for some fun ways to add more vegetables to your day, you made it to the right place! Here are 12 simple ideas to get more veggies into your diet. Hopefully, these ideas will inspire you to find different ways to increase your vegetable intake each meal.

Did you know that most of us don’t eat enough vegetables each day? About 90% of Americans don’t enough of vegetables in their daily diet. Eating more vegetables each day is so important for our bodies.

Here are some reasons why we need vegetables in our diet

Here are twelve easy and tasty ways to eat more vegetables

1. Add two large handfuls of spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie

Smoothies are perfect for a nutritious breakfast or snack. For an even more nutritious meal make a Green Smoothie by adding large handfuls of leafy greens to your smoothie. Green smoothies are loaded with leafy greens, that you won’t even taste but your body will appreciate the nutrients.

If you want to get even more creative add frozen cucumbers, zucchini’s, beets, avocado, and blend into smoothies.

2. Swap pasta noodles for Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini noodles are a fun way to get more vegetables in your diet and you’ll be surprised by how tasty they are. Remember this swap isn’t to remove carbs (whole-grain carbs are so important for our health) but instead it’s switching things up to get more vegetables in a meal. Most fad diets are telling people to remove carbs from their diet rather than telling people to focus on adding more vegetables in their diet. Which is so much more beneficial for our minds and health by looking for ways to improve our diet rather than restricted and label something as “bad”.  This swap is an easy way to pack almost two servings of vegetables in one meal.

Here are some fun zucchini noodle recipes:

• Zucchini Noodles with Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter

3. Make Zucchini Lasagna

Similar to swapping for zucchini noodles, you slice zucchini to make lasagna noodles.

Here’s my favorite zucchini lasagna recipe:

• Healthy Zucchini Lasagna

4. Eat Saute Kale

There’s nothing better than saute kale. If you haven’t tried it you are going to love it! It’s so simple and fast to make. Plus it’s great to eat with a side of eggs in the morning or as a side for any meal. All you need is kale, olive oil, and garlic powder.

5. Add finely chopped vegetables to sauces

Adding vegetables to your sauces and dressings is a great way to sneak in more veggies in your diet, especially if your kids hate vegetables. One easy way is when you are cooking marinara sauce, finely chop some vegetables like onions, carrots, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, and more. Then stir them into the sauce and saute for a little bit for the veggies to soften.

6. Make a Loaded Vegetable Soup

A great way to get lots of vegetable servings at once is to eat a vegetable-loaded soup. Vegetable-loaded soup is a great way to boost your fiber, vitamins, and minerals for the day. You can experiment with your adding a variety of your favorite veggies and cooking veggies in broth.

Here are a few vegetable soup recipes for you to try:

• Vegetable Loaded Soup

7. Make pizza crust with Cauliflower

Cauliflower works great to use as pizza crust as a way to get in more vegetables. You can grate the cauliflower head and then follow this recipe to make your cauliflower crust.  Another way is to place the cauliflower head on a cutting boarding and cut the cauliflower in half from the middle. Then, cut each half into 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch thick slices. Lay the slices out on a pan and add your pizza toppings onto of the slices. Also, add some yummy chopped veggies to your cauliflower pizzas to get even more veggies in.)

8. Make Cauliflower Rice

Another great way to eat more vegetables to swap your rice for cauliflower rice. Cauliflower is high in folate, potassium, and vitamin K, vitamin C. To make cauliflower rice, add cauliflower florets to a food processor with the chopped blade. Then turn on until all the cauliflower is in nice small rice size pieces.

Also, you can make other rice vegetables from broccoli, carrots, zucchini, beets, and sweet potatoes.

9. Snack on veggies

The best veggies to snack on are carrots,  snap peas, mini bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumbers. These veggies all taste great with hummus if you are wanting to add some extra protein to your diet. If you are serving veggies for kids and want to make the veggies more fun to snack on, cut them into fun shapes.

10. Dehydrate veggies for a crunchy snack

I love using a dehydrator to make healthy snacks. To eat more veggies, start dehydrating your favorite veggies. You can add your dehydrated veggies to soups or eat them as a crunchy snack while you are on the go. Dehydrating a variety of veggies is a great way to eat more veggies.

Here’s a yummy dehydrator recipe to try:

• Kale Chips

11. Add vegetables to your scrambled eggs or oatmeal

I love adding chopped bell peppers, spinach, kale, or diced tomatoes to my eggs. They add a yummy flavor and a great way to pack in some veggies. For oatmeal, I love adding in shredded carrots or shredded zucchini and adding in some cinnamon. It tastes so amazing and is a simple way to sneak in some veggies.

12. Make a salad that’s topped with tons of different vegetables

Salad is a wonderful way to get a variety of vegetables in. Have fun experimenting with lots of different veggies and creating your own vegetable-packed salads.

Here are some vegetable-packed salads to try:

• Healthy Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Harvest Quinoa Bowl

About Alli