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Whether you’re looking for the best baby spoon or other best-selling essentials for starting solids, you’ve come to the right place!
As a feeding specialist and mom of two, I’ve spent hundreds of hours trying out a wide variety of baby utensils and tableware. From baby spoons, to suction plates, baby-sized cups and more, I’ve tried it with my kids or kids I’ve worked with.
Over time and across many meals, I’ve discovered the best baby utensils for self-feeding. And the best part is, all of these products are plastic-free! You can feel good about these non-toxic utensils when starting solids with your little one.
These are my top picks for feeding babies and why.
Price: $10 for set of 3 Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 9 months +
This set of plastic-free baby spoons is also made of 100% food-grade silicone. They’re great baby utensils for self-feeding, as babies can easily grasp them with their fists.
You can introduce these baby spoons around 9 months of age as your little one starts to scoop. Use these spoons when feeding mashed, soft solids or foods like yogurt. Around a baby’s first birthday, scooping starts becoming more independent.
Price: $6 for pack of 2 Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 4 months + (introduce as a teether); 6-9 months + (use as a teether/spoon combo)
I consider these some of the best baby utensils because they’re double-sided. Whichever side your baby raises to their mouth, they can get food from it.
These clever baby spoons are larger in size, so little ones can practice lifting a heavier utensil as they self-feed. They also have a guard in place to help prevent excessive gagging. Because they’re made of silicone and have textured ends, these baby utensils double as teethers.
Price: $9 for 4 utensils Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 9-12 months + (baby will use spoon independently before the fork)
These silicone baby spoons are another good option. More than that, it can be hard to find plastic-free forks, but this set of baby utensils delivers!
These are a great size and have an anti-choke barrier to keep your baby from shoving them back too far in their mouth. You get good value for your money with four utensils under $10.
Price: $9 for 4 utensils Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 12 months + (fork use becomes more independent after mastering the spoon)
This set of baby utensils from Nuby is also a great plastic-free option for your baby. The silicone makes the fork and spoon sturdy yet soft as your little one learns to self-feed.
They’re a perfect size for tiny hands. Best yet, they’re affordable! A total dupe of ezpz’s silicone fork and spoon set at less than half the cost.
Price: $20 for 3 plates with lids Material: food-grade silicone
Non-toxic baby suction plates we love! These are so affordable and made of silicone. They have a 4-point suction which helps them really stick to that high chair and prevent unnecessary messes.
I love that they come with lids making them ideal to pack for daycare or other childcare. They’re also dishwasher safe which makes life easier.
This silicone mat actually sticks really well! It’s a great size for most high chairs and it divides food so your baby can clearly see their choices.
Whether you’re baby-led weaning or starting to practice self-feeding, this is a great option for baby tableware. Plus, it’s great for toddlers, so you’ll get a lot of use out of it!
Price: $39 for 4 plates Material: non-porous porcelain with silicone sleeve
I love Elk & Friends ceramic plates. The silicone boots on the bottom are great for protecting the porcelain and keeping it from chipping. You can pop these into the dishwasher and they wash up well. They’re also microwave safe.
The shallow dividers are great if your little one prefers food to be separated. They also help your baby see the foods in front of them easily. These are a great baby plates that will last throughout babyhood and toddlerhood.
Price: $15 Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 6-12 months +
It’s not a suction plate, but baby suction bowls are an unsung hero when starting solids. The raised rim of the bowl makes it much easier for your baby to self-feed and scoop.
I love Olababy’s suction bowl because it has a strong suction and comes with a lid. It’s a travel essential for feeding babies and toddlers!
Price: $17 Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 6-12 months +
This is a great option for a baby’s first bowl. The bowl is just high enough to keep food contained but allow your baby to practice scooping and feeding themself with ease. It’s a baby bowl that supports baby-led weaning, too.
The placemat around it suctions to most surfaces and helps reduce the mess on the high chair. To make it even better, it’s easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
Price: $14 for bowl and lid Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 6-12 months +
Lalo’s suction bowls are another great option for babies. It suctions securely to flat surfaces and comes with a lid for taking on the go or storing leftovers.
If you want to skip the suction, Lalo makes regular bowls with a rigid core. We’ve had ours for over 3 years and love the quality and size.
Price: $11.50 Material: food-grade silicone Age recommendation: 4-6 months +
There are so many cups for babies. But let’s not forget, babies need to learn to drink from an open cup! Drinking from an open cup increases jaw strength and is essential for oral motor development.
While Olababy makes my favorite cup for learning straw drinking, Ezpz makes one of my favorite open cups for baby. It’s made of silicone and super tiny – only holds 2 ounces! The weighted bottom is great, too. For a more affordable option, Nuby makes a dupe!
As a reminder, always make sure your little one is ready to start solids and can sit upright in the high chair before offering an open cup.
Wondering what you really need to feed your little one? Discover all my favorite feeding products – including spoons, forks, tableware, and travel feeding essentials.
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Most parenting resources come from a single expert's perspective, but development doesn't really work that way.
You can't fully understand feeding without input from both a dietitian and a feeding specialist. You can't properly address milestones without OT, PT, and SLP perspectives working together. That's why every Eat Play Say resource is created collaboratively by our entire team — giving you the most comprehensive guidance possible, all in one place.
MS, SLP
Founder of Eat Play Say, Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist, Play Expert, Mom of 2
Jordyn Koveleski Gorman
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and toddler speech-language, play, and feeding development, and curating a team that provides expert help that feels like a reassuring text from that one mom friend
EDUCATION: Jordyn received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Bloomsburg University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first true smile, it’s the sweetest!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, oral motor dysfunction, starting solids, infant and toddler speech, treating oral motor disorders
EDUCATION: Jessica received her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University in 2015 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2017
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “Baby’s first wave! What a fun first communication gesture!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, starting solids, infant and toddler speech development
EDUCATION: She received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2014 and a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “My favorite baby’s first is their first true smile that just warms your soul knowing they are smiling at you. My other favorite is their first word. I love watching their language explode!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Bilingual development (Spanish-English), supporting multilingual families, infant and toddler speech
EDUCATION: She received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology with an English-Spanish Specialization from Marquette University in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “It’s the first slobbery kisses for me!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and pediatric nutrition including breastfeeding, formula feeding, and starting solids. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition.
EDUCATION: She received her BSc in Biology in 2014 from Life University, and her BSc in Dietetics from Life University in 2019.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: ”The first time they say ‘mama!’”
This checklist was created with input from a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist and has been downloaded over 20,000 times by parents worldwide. Learn the important milestones to pay attention to, and keep it in your digital back pocket during the baby + toddler years!
Comprehensive Milestone Checklist for gross motor, fine motor, and speech-language milestones for 0-36 months,