Weaning- first food

[Waitinggame42023]

Im about to start weaning my baby, and I just wondered if anyone had heard this advice of a baby's first foods?

Our local health visitor service advises that not only should we avoid fruit for a while, but the very first food should only be a non-sweet vegetable. So no carrot/ parsnip/ peas/ sweet potato/ butternut squash etc. The only food I've heard suggested that fits this bill is broccoli. Apparently if their first food is sweet-tasting, they will only want sweet foods forevermore.
Has anyone else heard this? I see the logic, but it seems a little extreme- as surely if that's they case then you'd have avoid anything sweet-tasting for a long time to build up a taste for bitter flavours? Interested to hear everyone's thoughts and experiences!!

I was always told avoid fruit at first so that's what I did. But not about sweet veg. Tbh a lot of veg is sweet tasting and even the sweet ones are still healthy so I don't see the harm. DS is 7 months started solids at 6 months. I personally gave carrots first, a mix of puree and very soft carrot sticks. Then broccoli, butternut squash, parsnips, avocado, courgette, peas, sweet potato. His favourite food so far is avocado. He doesn't preference sweet over savoury, he's actually the other way round. He's now eating things like chicken mixed with veg, salmon with rice and veg. Fruits with yoghurt. But happy with all flavours. I guess babies will have their own preferences but once you keep offering varying flavours and not constantly sweet I reckon baby will be fine.

Sounds like really good advice, I'm glad they are saying this now!

I've heard the advice and think it makes sense but wanted to say please don't worry too much if your baby doesn't take to it.
My DS was fine with whatever was offered (remember we tried avocado first) but DD was a nightmare when we started weaning at 6m - rejected everything for weeks on end. I gave up offering just veg in the end and gave her what we were having for meals, including fruit. She eventually accepted some pear and after few days of that (delighted as I was that she was finally eating something) she branched out and now eats the vast majority of things cheerfully. Her favourites are meat and fish and she apparently loves all veg. Also I am told that I was weaned on to baby rice and bananas at four months (!) and I genuinely enjoy eating a healthy balanced diet.

Yes, have heard this too. Believe it was in the weaning book I followed with my DD and is relatively standard advice.

Yes I think I followed this advice too. Both my children had broccoli as their first food (to throw on the floor 😂). Think the first week or so also involved green beans, aubergine, courgette, avocado, spinach.

I mean, I pretty sure all children want sweets and chocolate once they get a taste of them, which they will one day. But they are not going to be forever scarred by having carrot at 6 months. My dc had Sunday lunch as their first meal (which included parsnips). They are 7 & 12 and love veg.

Generally, yes, I would offer savoury foods, but I wouldn’t panic about carrots and parsnips and peas. I’d steer clear of fruit purées and sugary porridge. Offer real food with lots of different tastes and textures, but don’t overthink it (weaning is already hard enough). Generally I’d take most things a HV says with a grain of salt.

I’ve heard this advice and followed it, but I did include carrots and peas (though I would t particularly think of them as sweet!) in week 2 or 3. There are plenty of non-sweet options though! Potatoes, courgettes, aubergines, avocado, cauliflower.

Apparently if their first food is sweet-tasting, they will only want sweet foods forevermore

Sounds like nonsense to me. My baby's first food was a banana. Then it was just whatever- broccoli, avocado, toast with peanut butter, eggs, yoghurt, steamed veg, soup...

He's 3 now and has a great diet.