A little while back I wrote a post about my favorite baby-to-toddler feeding products because I got a lot of questions about what I used as I transitioned Miles to solids. Since he’s been eating solids, I’ve been trying to try out a ton of different products to see what I like so I can better share my thoughts with you.
For full disclosure, some of these products were sent to me from the brands directly. I wanted to be able to try a variety of things so I could share what I liked BEST with you. All thoughts/opinions on these products are 100% my own. I never accept product in exchange for positive reviews – you’ll always get my honest thoughts! Anything that was gifted will be marked with an asterisk.
Cups
We use three cups for Miles. He has a straw cup for water, sippy cups for milk, and then an open cup for practice using an open cup.
Open Cup
When I started introducing solids I would put 1-2 oz of water in this ezpz cup after Miles ate and let him drink from it. He was already naturally grabbing for our cups so he understood the concept. At first, I’d encourage him to hold it but would have to also steady it. Eventually, he could do it on his own (but mind you, 80% of the water still ended up on the floor).
Now that Miles is older, I try to let him have this open cup 1x a day with a meal and he does great with it! I’ve used a few other open cups for toddlers/babies but this one has been the BEST I’ve tried. It’s just the perfect size for his hands and slightly weighted so it is easy for him to place down.
Sippy Cup
360 Miracle Cups is what we use for milk. When I weaned Miles from bottles I went to these which seemed like an easy transition. They are super easy for him to drink from and very little spilling happens (unless he throws it.) If you’re planning to travel with them at all in the diaper bag or to daycare, I highlllyyy suggest the tops that go with them. I also just bought him the WildLove ones (SO CUTE). They also have stainless steel ones without the handles.
Straw Cup
We have the Secura strainless steel straw cup and it’s our go-to for water. I wash it every night and fill it with water in the am. It’s great for on the go and since it’s stainless steel I don’t feel as weird about his water sitting it in all day like I would with plastic. We also have the Contigo straw cup. It claims to be spill-proof but trust me, the little guy can figure it out if he wants. I use it for more at home drinking.
Plates and Bowls
EzPz Happy Mat* – The first plate I used from ezpz was their mini mat, designed for new eaters. It claims to stick to the table, but Miles always figured out how to pick it up so I kinda was “eh” about it. But, now that he’s a toddler and more efficient eater, I have been using the EzPz Happy Mat and REALLY like it. It’s a sectioned plate with a placemat built-in, which makes mealtime super simple (and cleaner). The built-in mat also makes it harder for him to pick it up (not that he doesn’t try). I like that I can fill the sectioned areas but there’s still room to throw a few things onto the placemats part too. Overall, it’s really convenient.
Ezpz Happy Bowl* – This is the same concept as the Happy Mat with the placemat built-in, but it’s a bowl. Perfect for mac and cheese night.
Béaba Plate* – Béaba also makes a line of plates of bowls that suction to the table. Overall, I find they suction better than ezpz, but Miles still can pull it off if he wants. My favorite product from them is their suction plate. I like it because it’s like a big open plate, but with tall sides for containment. I just find it super versatile for all different kinds of foods from pasta to toast and eggs to cheese and fruit. Their bowls are great too for snack time.
Utensils
When Miles was still learning how to use utensils I LOVED our Grabease set. The handle is short and perfect for small hands and they had a little guard to prevent them from overstuffing the utensil. They also come with a little carrying case which makes it good for being on the go,
Once he mastered those a little more, I really liked the EzPz mini utensils*. They were narrow enough (oddly enough many toddler utensils are too wide for their little mouths). They are non-slip nylon that’s easy to grasp but strong enough for piercing and scooping.
Chairs
Lalo Highchair – We really enjoy this highchair. It not only looks really nice in the dining room, which doesn’t hurt, but it’s also SO EASY TO CLEAN. The only thing I wish it did was I was the tray could push closer to Miles when he ate. But overall, we prefer it to the past highchair we used.
Learning Tower– We LOVE our learning tower. It allows Miles to stand at counter height in the kitchen so he can help out with cooking. It’s a LIFESAVER. Miles used to spend all cooking time hanging on my leg, and now that he’s at my level he happily can see the action. We also eat meals at it sometimes.
