Beans for Babies: A Simple First Finger Food
I’m not a nutritionist, but I am a mom, and some of the best ideas I’ve come across in parenting have come from other moms like me: busy, doing their best, and looking for simple ways to care for their families well without losing their minds in the process.
You already know that beans are important to us. Not just because we grow them, but because we eat them almost daily. Whether it’s packing lunches or throwing dinner together between dance and gymnastics lessons, I often find myself thinking: what would we do without beans?
And yet, I know our rhythm with beans isn’t the norm. So this is my low-key PSA: beans for babies might just be a life saver. I’m not saying that to sell you something—there’s just something satisfying about giving a good recommendation and hoping it makes someone else’s life a little easier.
As of this week, we have a 7-year-old, a 5 ½-year-old, and a very new 1-year-old. Beans have been part of each of their diets from the very beginning. Feeding babies comes with its own challenges—there’s so much information out there about what’s good, what the infamous "they" tell us is bad, what’s safe, how much things cost, and (a big one for me) how much effort it takes to cut everything into those tiny, baby-safe pieces.
There may be other foods that fit the bill, but for us, beans (and bananas) have been the top two. This doesn’t mean I’m above baby food—we’ve done that too—but at some point, they need to try the real stuff. Beans keep them regular, don’t need to be chopped up, and are often the easiest win on the plate. They’re also naturally full of protein and iron.
Which Beans to Try First?
Once your baby is ready for solids, beans can be a simple, wholesome first finger food. Our doctor said that was around 5 or 6 months but, definitely ask yours to be sure.
The truth is most beans can work for babies as long as they’re cooked soft. Make sure they’re soft enough to mash easily between your fingers. Here are a few types we’ve especially enjoyed using:
Great Northern Beans – Mild, tender, and white (bonus: the broth doesn’t stain little faces).
Black Turtle Beans – Small and soft. A little messier, but a baby favorite.
Rojo Chiquito Beans – Tiny, flavorful, and easy to pick up.
Buckskin Beans – Creamy and versatile, small enough for little hands.
Mayocoba or Pinto Beans – Familiar, mild, and easy to mash or serve whole.
We usually have two kinds of beans ready each week: a big batch of our everyday seasoned beans and a batch of plain, unseasoned beans. The seasoned ones go into most of our meals, and the plain ones are what we reach for when making dips or blending into smoothies for the grown-ups. When our babies are just starting solids, we stick with the plain version. As they grow, we start adding simple flavors like garlic or herbs—our chiropractor swears by garlic for keeping kids healthy, and I’m happy to take that advice because garlic is delicious.
I also cook the pot just a minute or two longer when I know the baby will be joining us. The extra time makes the beans especially soft and easy for her to gum. We serve them warm or cold, and they’ve become a go-to food no matter the meal. We know you can freeze small portions for later, but honestly, we go through beans so quickly that we’ve never needed to.
If you've ordered from us, keep an eye out for the email with a special video—our oldest daughter made a little demonstration showing how we cook and serve beans in our house. It’s sweet, simple, and she worked hard on it.
Fun fact: Kevin’s very first agronomy job was with Gerber, working with the vegetables that became baby food. It’s fun to think how that early experience connects to what we’re doing now—still caring about how little ones eat, just in a different way.
Share Your Bean Babies
We’ve shared plenty of photos of our own little ones eating beans—but it would truly give us a thrill to see yours. If you try serving beans to your baby, tag us @SheridanAcres so we can cheer you on.
