The Best UK Baby Weaning Books for 2025
If you’re embarking on your baby’s weaning journey, we’ve gathered the top books to guide you with confidence. Each offers a unique angle, whether it’s practical tips, tasty recipes, or expert insights, so you can choose what suits your family best. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with How to Wean Your Baby by Charlotte Stirling-Reed, our top pick for its clear, all-encompassing approach. Rest assured, every recommendation here is a solid choice, ensuring you can’t go wrong.
#1 How to Wean Your Baby by Charlotte Stirling-Reed
This Sunday Times bestseller from 2021 tops our list as a comprehensive weaning guide. Written by nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, it provides a step-by-step plan for introducing solids, championing a veggie-first approach to encourage healthy eating habits, complete with a catchy tagline: “Help your baby love their broccoli as much as their cake.” With a 30-day roadmap, nearly 50 family-friendly recipes, and shopping lists, it’s rated 4.8/5. Parents love its clear recipes and confidence-building advice, though some comment that the portion sizes seem unrealistic, varying widely by baby, and note it lacks depth for tougher challenges like prolonged food refusals. View on Amazon
#2 What Mummy Makes by Rebecca Wilson
Ranked second, this recipe-driven gem, named Wordery’s 2020 Food and Drink Book of the Year, introduces the brilliant concept of “Cook Just Once for You and Your Baby.” Featuring over 130 recipes suitable from six months, all preppable in under 30 minutes, it eliminates the need for separate meals by uniting family and baby at the table. Rated 4.8/5, it earns praise for its fast, tasty dishes, like butter chicken, that appeal to all ages, with handy adaptation tips like blitzing or mashing. Most reviews confirm its practicality shines, making mealtimes a breeze for busy households. View on Amazon
#3 Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett
Written by Gill Rapley, the pioneer of Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), this book promotes babies self-feeding solids from the start, joining family meals to explore diverse flavors at their own pace while continuing milk feeds. Parents appreciate its inspiring real-life stories and clear explanations, which boost confidence and excitement for BLW, with one reader saying it “answered all my questions.” However, some find its strong bias against spoon-feeding preachy, feeling it dismisses mixed feeding approaches, and others note a lack of practical recipes, suggesting its companion cookbook for more hands-on guidance. View on Amazon
#4 Baby-Led Feeding by Jenna Helwig
From US author Jenna Helwig, this UK edition encourages skipping purees for wholesome, self-fed solids to foster independence and healthy eating. Offering over 100 recipes, from simple veggies to family meals like chicken meatballs, it blends BLW flexibility with safety tips and readiness cues. Readers rave about the delicious, adaptable dishes and empowering advice, with one parent thrilled their baby “gobbled up sweet potato fries.” Some readers, however, find it repetitive or overly basic, and some UK readers struggle with American-centric ingredients and tone. View on Amazon
#5 Wean in 15 by Joe Wicks
Expanding his 15-minute fame, Joe Wicks delivers 100 quick, healthy recipes, many ready in 15 minutes or less, for weaning from six to twelve months, with expert input from Charlotte Stirling-Reed. Covering purees, finger foods, and dishes like salmon bites, it’s veggie-led and family-friendly, with tips on allergens and fussy eating. Parents adore its vibrant photos, confidence-building structure, and tasty options like mini turkey meatballs, but some find recipes, like quinoa risotto, too complex or pretentious, and others wish for more basic prep guidance for first foods. View on Amazon
#6 Weaning Made Simple by Annabel Karmel
From the UK’s leading children’s cookery expert, this guide blends traditional and BLW methods with over 100 recipes, from purees to finger foods, plus up-to-date advice on nutrients, allergies, and milk transitions. Featuring meal planners and actual-size food visuals, it’s praised for practical tools and tasty family hits like five-veg Bolognese. Some, however, feel overwhelmed by its nutrient focus, calling it intimidating, though its balanced approach earns kudos for not pushing a single weaning style. View on Amazon
#7 Annabel Karmel’s New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner
This expanded classic from Annabel Karmel offers over 200 recipes, doubling the count of Weaning Made Simple, making it a trusted companion from weaning through toddlerhood. It’s ideal for those wanting a long-term resource, with clear instructions and nutritious variety. Fans value its comprehensive scope, but if you’re a new parent focused solely on starting solids, Weaning Made Simple is fresher and more concise. View on Amazon
#8 Young Gums: Baby Food with Attitude by Beth Bentley
This vibrant guide by food blogger Beth Bentley mixes over 60 baby-led and spoon-fed recipes, like Rainbow Ragu and Sweet Potato Cookies, emphasizing flavor over blandness with one-pan ease. Its “one family, one meal” ethos and fun approach win fans, with parents loving the simplicity of dishes prepped “one-handed” on busy days. Some, however, find its casual instructions, like “a splash of milk,” too vague, making it better for adventurous cooks than precision seekers. View on Amazon
#9 Feeding Toddlers: The Complete Guide to Maintaining Nutrition and Variety with Easy Family Meals by Simone Ward
Released in April 2024, this book by London-based mom Simone Ward targets toddlers aged one to four with over 70 simple recipes, like Peanut Noodles and Zucchini Fries, plus a month of meal plans. Building on her Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy, it tackles picky eating and sugar introduction with practical tips. Readers laud its ease and educational value, with one calling the meal plans “a lifesaver,” though it’s less weaning-focused given its toddler emphasis. View on Amazon
#10 Ella’s Kitchen: The First Foods Book (The Purple One)
With over 130 recipes from purees to meals, this colorful book includes expert tips, meal planners, and a pull-out progress chart. Its everyday-ingredient recipes and engaging visuals, like bright pictures and stickers, delight new parents, earning it high marks for inspiration. Some, however, find the recipes too time-consuming for busy schedules, suggesting it’s less practical for those needing quick fixes. View on Amazon
Still can't decide which book to pick?
-
If you feel overwhelmed and aren’t sure where to start...
We suggest How to Wean Your Baby by Charlotte Stirling-Reed as it covers all approaches. This Sunday Times bestseller isn’t biased toward BLW alone, providing a step-by-step plan with recipes and a 30-day guide that balances purees and finger foods for a confident start. -
If you just want a straightforward book for BLW...
We recommend Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. It’s the original BLW book, offering clear, practical guidance for beginners who want a simple, focused introduction to the method without extra fluff. -
If you specifically want a recipe-driven book...
We recommend What Mummy Makes by Rebecca Wilson. It’s packed with easy, family-friendly recipes tailored for BLW, perfect for parents who are committed to the approach and want practical, tasty ideas to get started. -
If you’re on a budget and want an affordable option...
We suggest Baby-Led Feeding by Jenna Helwig. It builds on their original book with over 130 budget-friendly recipes, ideal for parents who want BLW guidance without breaking the bank. -
If you love visuals and need a highly illustrated guide...
We recommend Ella’s Kitchen: The First Foods Book (The Purple One). While not exclusively BLW, its colorful design, recipe variety, and finger food ideas make it a visually appealing choice for parents who thrive on engaging layouts and inspiration. -
If you’re a busy parent needing quick meals...
We suggest Wean in 15 by Joe Wicks. It focuses on fast, no-fuss recipes and time-saving tips, perfect for those juggling a hectic schedule while wanting to stick to BLW principles.
And remember, you don’t absolutely need to read a book. If you find videos easier to follow, we’ve put together a curated list of the best weaning videos, along with great influencers to follow for recipe ideas.