As parents, we all want our children to be healthy and happy. And one of the best ways to ensure their health is to encourage them to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, getting kids to eat their veggies can be a challenge. But fear not! Here are some simple practices to instill a love of veggies in your baby and make the transition to solid foods smoother.
1. Introduce Flavors Early Through Breast Milk
Did you know that your baby’s first taste of vegetables will be before they are even born? The results of one fascinating study show that third-trimester babies between 32 and 36 weeks could taste the veggies their gestational parent ate and even reacted to the flavors by smiling or frowning. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, babies are more likely to enjoy the foods their breastfeeding parent ate while nursing over new foods they were never exposed to.
“We know flavors from a mom’s diet are transmitted to her baby through breast milk,” says Julie A. Mennella, Ph.D., a biopsychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. “Babies can detect the flavors, and if they have experience with those flavors, they are going to be more accepting of the food.” The lesson? If you’re breastfeeding, start your baby’s love of veggies early by piling some on your plate.
2. Make Veggies One of Their First Foods
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s a good idea to introduce your child to solid foods starting around 6 months. You can add soft cooked veggies to the mix as soon as you want. Try starting with sweet- or mild-flavored vegetables, such as winter squash or carrots. Avocado is also a great food to introduce early because of its naturally baby-friendly texture.
Feeding a few teaspoons of veggies once a day for a week can help your baby get accustomed to the flavor. Then, gradually increase the amount until they eat half a cup daily.
3. Avoid Uncomfortable Side Effects
Veggies high in sulfur, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and beans, may give your baby a tummy ache because they can produce excess gas. If gas becomes a problem, you can wait to introduce these foods until your little one is older, or mix the vegetable with another vegetable, such as potato, to decrease its potency.
4. Ignore Those “Yucky” Faces
Yes, your baby will probably make a nose-wrinkling, brow-furrowing, why-are-you-making-me-try-this face the first time you serve them something unfamiliar, but that doesn’t mean your baby won’t eat it.
“That displeased look is a knee-jerk reaction,” says Dr. Mennella. “We found that babies continued to accept spoonfuls of veggies even after making those faces.” When your child does make a yucky face at their first bite of spinach, avoid making one with them. Keep your poker face to make trying veggies a positive experience. By your child’s fourth exposure, they may even want seconds!
5. Sweeten the Deal
To make veggies even more palatable, try serving them with sweeter-tasting fruit. Your baby may like green beans more when they are fed peaches shortly after green vegetables. “Babies learn to associate the sweet flavors from fruit with veggies, which may encourage them to eat more over time,” says Dr. Mennella.
“Babies are born with a natural dislike of bitter-tasting foods, which most green vegetables are. They’re an acquired taste, and your baby will learn to like them the more [they] eat them.”
6. Serve Veggies Daily
When introducing new veggies to your baby, it’s important to offer them consistently. By serving veggies daily, your baby will have more opportunities to become familiar with and eventually accept the taste of veggies.
Dr. Mennella recommends offering the same veggie for multiple days in a row, as it can take up to eight or nine exposures for a baby to become more accepting of the taste. You can also try serving veggies in different forms, such as pureed, mashed, or cut into small pieces.
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that babies have small stomachs, so you don’t need to serve large portions of veggies. Aim for about half a cup of veggies per meal and gradually increase the amount as your baby’s appetite grows.
7. Remember, You Need Vegetables, Too
As a caregiver, it’s important to set a good example for your baby by eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. Not only will this help you stay healthy, but it will also show your baby the importance of eating a variety of nutritious foods.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim for about 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits a day. Most adults fall way short of these recommendations.
To get all those servings in, try incorporating fruits and veggies into every meal and snack. For example, you could have a glass of 100% orange juice with a cup of berries in your breakfast cereal, baby carrots as a mid-morning snack, an apple or banana with peanut butter in the afternoon, and a large salad with dinner every night.
By eating a variety of fruits and veggies yourself, you’ll be setting a good example for your baby and making it easier for them to develop a love for veggies as they grow.
Introducing your baby to a variety of vegetables early on can help set them on the path toward a lifetime of healthy eating. While it’s normal for babies to make faces and be picky about their food, with consistency and patience, most babies will eventually develop a love for veggies.
To help your baby love veggies, try these simple practices:
- Introduce flavors early through breast milk
- Make veggies one of their first foods
- Avoid uncomfortable side effects
- Ignore those “yucky” faces
- Sweeten the deal
- Serve veggies daily
- Remember, you need vegetables, too
With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to instilling a love of veggies in your baby and making the transition to solid foods smoother.
