Introducing solid foods is a necessary step for your baby’s growth and development. He is growing and milk cannot be the only source of feeding now. He needs solid foods to get all the required minerals and nutrients for a healthy future. When you introduce a variety of foods in the early stage of life, babies are more likely to try new foods even after growing up. Each food will provide a different nutrient and this will help your baby develop and grow healthily.
Introduce them to different food during weaning. It will help him to acquire different tastes. Remember, he is not going to accept a new kind of food at the first go. You will have to keep trying for more than 5-6 times and he may or may not accept even after that. Give him a variety of foods throughout the day and couple it with his favourite foods. This will encourage him to try new food.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals and should form a key part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Make him familiar with different vegetables and fruits since the beginning. This will help him acquire the taste early in his life and it will also avoid him from becoming a fussy eater later. You may want to start with boiled and smashed vegetables for him to digest and chew easily.
Be Patient
Learn to accept rejection. He is going to either make a face or turn away his face or simply spit out the food you give him at first. He is not comfortable with trying new things in the first go like any other human being. Keep your patience and keep trying. If rejected today, try again after a couple of days.
How to introduce new foods
Try following these tips to help your baby learn to love an array of flavors and tastes:
- Introduce new food when he looks happy and relaxed
- Don’t introduce new food when he is hungry. He will get frustrated and will be inconsolable after that
- Avoid offering new foods when he is full after the milk feed. Wait for some time. Offer in between milk feeds
- Offer small amounts of new food, and increase the quantity gradually
- Make food fun. Prepare the plate with multiple colors. Make shapes out of the food items and then feed the same.
- Eat with him. He is going to follow you.
- Introduce more than one food in a meal. Couple it with something he already likes.
- Try cooking the same food in different ways. Mashed, fried and roasted potato – all taste different
- Offer him different types of food over the day. If you offer him the same thing, he will gradually get bored
- You and your partner should eat with the baby. Family meals play an important role and your baby tends to eat more effectively with you being by his side.