When you start feeding solids…
There used to be an expression “Food before one is just for fun”. We now know that isn’t the case. Research has shown that how babies experience starting solids actually has an impact on what foods they end up eating or rejecting.
After all, besides formula or breast milk, every flavor that passes your child’s lips now is brand new, so it’s a sensitive and important time for building familiarity to the flavors of healthy foods. New things can become familiar if they’re seen and tasted many times—and the foods that are familiar end up being the ones kids prefer.
2. Consider baby-led weaning
In baby-led weaning (BLW), babies are given “grasp-able” pieces of whole food to feed themselves. The pieces should be large enough that your baby can pick them up herself, like wedges of well-cooked sweet potato, large sticks of well-cooked carrot, large florets of soft, steamed broccoli, very ripe fruit like kiwi, a peeled banana, wedges of ripe avocado, and even pieces of soft, cooked meats, cooked eggs, and pieces of bread such as toast.
An important part of BLW is that you offer the food but your baby decides how much she eats and how quickly she eats.
Because babies are being introduced to different kinds of textures and table foods early on, it’s possible they may become more accepting of different kinds of foods as they get older. They may learn to like and prefer those grown-up table foods—and especially healthy whole foods like pieces of fruits and vegetables—more than a baby who is spoon-fed purees. Get information about BLW here.
3. Ignore Grimaces
If your baby wrinkles her nose when she eats pureed broccoli, don’t automatically assume she hates it. Researchers say that grimace is a common reaction to bitter flavors—but it doesn’t mean they don’t like the flavor or never will. That’s why you’ll sometimes see babies grimacing while still happily eating.
But if your baby is truly refusing a certain food, just try again another day.
4. Keep rejected foods in rotation
Research shows that babies will eat more of a particular fruit or veggie if they’ve tasted it at least 8-9 times. But research also shows that many parents give up after just 3-5 tries if their child doesn’t seem to like it.
Give your child a chance to experience a food and flavor repeatedly, because this builds familiarity and comfort–and what becomes familiar becomes preferred.
It may help to keep a list (on paper or your phone’s Notes app) of foods your baby has tried and how many times, so you can be sure to circle back.
5. Try different textures
Don’t stick with smooth purees longer than necessary. Babies who are kept on purees may have a harder time transitioning to new textures and accepting them.
In one study, 7-year-olds who weren’t given lumpy solids until after 9 months of age ate a smaller variety of foods and had more feeding problems than those who got lumpy foods sooner. Moving through textures gradually–from smooth to lumpy to soft finger foods–helps your baby become comfortable with the full range of what foods can feel like in their mouth.
