When you are starting your baby on solids, it is important to introduce a first food you think your baby will like so they are more likely to accept it. However, it is important to remember that food you might like is often very different to what a baby will like as their first food.

As an adult, you are used to food that is much more flavoursome, and your taste buds are used to more salt, sugar and seasoning. For a baby who has only ever had breast milk or infant formula, to start them on a food with a strong flavour would be overwhelming, and more likely to be rejected.

Plain, smooth and soft

The Ministry of Health¹  says baby’s first solid food should be plain, smooth and soft. Baby rice cereal is a great first food for babies as it is not only plain in flavour, easy to digest and swallow, it can be mixed with breast milk or formula, so it tastes more familiar to your baby.

Once your baby is used to the flavour of baby rice cereal, to continue easing into solids slowly you can begin mixing cooked and pureed fruit or vegetables with the baby rice cereal along with breast milk or formula.

To avoid your baby rejecting more savoury flavours, why not try offering sweet and savoury flavours to your baby. Because breast milk and formula are sweet, your baby may be more inclined to sweet foods. Don’t be disheartened if your baby rejects vegetables to start with – persevere with all types of vegetables.

Try and try again

The main thing to remember when introducing your baby to new flavours is that a baby can reject a particular food a number of times before they decide to take it. Continue persevering with foods your baby has not accepted as it is likely they will take it at some point. A food diary can be useful to understand what foods you need to persevere of and what flavours your baby likes – it can also come in handy for any adverse reactions your baby has to solids.

Cooked and mashed apple, pear, potato, pumpkin and carrot are great flavours to introduce to your baby after baby rice cereal, as they are more complex than the rice cereal, but not strong enough in flavour that your baby is likely to reject it.

¹ www.health.govt.nz

See more:

• What Is The Best Age To Start Solids
• Why Isn’t My Baby Interested In Solid Foods?
• First Solid Foods