These expert tips will encourage your little one to eat – and enjoy – veggies from the get-go
Introducing single veggie tastes followed by veggie blends early on in weaning gets tiny taste buds used to savoury flavours.
Try to offer a wide variety of tastes in the first few weeks of weaning, focusing on different vegetables. This will help your little one become more accepting of new foods, and more likely to become a good eater later on.
Start with single vegetables
In the first week give your baby single veggie tastes of broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and green beans. Try to focus on the more bitter-flavoured veggies first, as studies have shown this will support your baby to accept these flavours.
Follow with veggie combinations
Build up to a rainbow of as many different veggies as possible and once your little one is used to them as single flavours you can start to combine them.
At six months, your baby can try finger foods, too. Veggie pieces should be the size and shape of your index finger and cooked so they’re soft enough to squish easily. (Green beans are stringy so best served pureed.) Steer clear of giving your baby hard foods like raw carrot or food with tough and shiny skins.
Add flavour with herbs and spices
You could try tingling tiny taste buds by sprinkling different spices and herbs into your baby’s food for taste adventures (heat dried herbs through completely, purée the leaves of any fresh herbs and don’t leave woody bits).
Keep offering veggies
Of course, your baby might not like every new taste you present. Don’t be surprised if your baby screws up that little face at first – breastmilk is sweet, so savoury flavours may be a bit of a surprise but don’t give up!
You may need to offer a new taste on up to 10 separate occasions before your little one learns to love what you’re giving. Keep trying, but don’t force the issue. Try to make weaning a relaxed and happy time.
Make mealtimes a sensory experience
Research from Ella’s Kitchen shows that little ones who experience veggies using all their senses are more likely to eat them when mealtimes come around, and to have a lifelong positive relationship with food.
Here are some more sensory ideas to make your baby’s mealtimes fun:
It’s a rainbow - Presenting lots of colourful foods makes dishes look more appealing – and different coloured veggies will provide a variety of nutrients.
Story time - Make up stories and songs involving broccoli trees, cauliflower sheep and strawberry hedgehogs.
Pick me up - Give whole veg to your little one to hold – little fingers love to explore the textures and shapes. And encourage them to play with veggies outside of mealtimes, for example, while you’re cooking, which can help babies develop a positive relationship with them.
Family fun - Eat together whenever you can, to show your baby that mealtimes are sociable, chatty occasions. Make sure you set a good example by eating lots of healthy foods in front of your little one!
