Weaning with veg

[Lalamum2]

Hi Everyone,

So I've been weaning my little boy who was really open to all foods. Literally loved everything I gave him and then he started teething real bad... Now I can only get the fruit in and not the veg! Has anyone got any tips? He has steamed soft carrots, parsnip, some potatoe but after a few minutes of looking like he's enjoying them he cries (I'm guessing the teething) and will push them to one side but with fruit he will just eat it like nothing's changed.

I really want him to be an adventurous eater and love food so any tips on how to re-address this or help him to explore food would be great!

Was he just on veg before? Fruit is a lot sweeter so maybe he just prefers the taste. I have found that a whole peeled uncooked carrot from the fridge helps to relieve some teething pain for my baby. Ambasol liquid from the chemist also helps her more than teething powder and gel. Maybe try to give him something to relieve the pain a little while before eating.

@locked2020 no he wasn't but he'd be like 2 meals veg to every fruit but now he just refuses anything that isn't fruit. He just sits in his chair with a clamped mouth making this awful grunting noise at me where as fruit his mouth is open leaning forward for the next spoon.

The teething's only started bad in the last few days so I didn't think about pain relief and then food, I'll give that a go thank you

Don't worry. They go through phases like this with weaning. Just keep offering lots of different things and he'll surprise you.

You could also try giving some chip-sized sticks of steamed or roasted veg, like baby led weaning style, sometimes they enjoy that as a kind of sensory experience more so than being spoon fed.

I'd offer less fruit and more of the sweeter veg to try and encourage more veg.things like natural yoghurt with a squished raspberry in is good too.. may add a new food in.

I would offer non-sweet foods with the meal, so starches (potatoes, pasta, etc.), meat/fish/etc. and veg. Then offer the fruit either as a snack, if you do snacks yet. Or as a pudding after the main meal, but not necessarily every meal. Most of us would eat more sweet stuff instead of the healthier non-sugary stuff if given the choice. I would also make sure the veg you are offering is seasoned well. Would you want to eat it? Soft boiled carrots don't sound very appetising. Roast them, sautee them, serve with butter, garlic, herbs, etc. Also put them in things - make a chicken pie with veg, or a pasta sauce with veg, or blended veg soup with bread and butter.

What fruit do you offer, how is it cooked, and what temperature do you serve it at? Carrots are sweet (as are sweet potatoes / sweetcorn etc) so if he’s rejecting it in favour of fruit it’s probably a texture issue.