Doesn't like veg, sweeten with apple or plough on?

[Manc451]

Hi, I'm in my first week of weaning (slightly before the six months but he was crying when I ate, trying to get my food and the Hv didn't think it would hurt). He's happily munched toast and small amounts of puréed apples (I'm going for a mixed approach so he gets something down him and gets a feel for chewing), but veg purées aren't going down so well. Should I carry on with them or would you mix in some apple and gradually reduce? Thanks

Such early days! Just try a variety of things, including finger foods. I wouldn't get into sweetening things to make them palatable, no - the argument for that would be if you just need to get something into him. But at his age he's getting all he needs from milk.

Try him with pretty much anything, really - DD's early favourites included mushrooms cooked in butter, tofu, avocado chunks, roasted aubergine.

I would just keep offering but also stop offering sweet things until he'll eat the savoury.

Try some sweeter veg purees - carrot, parsnip, sweet potato and butternut squash spring to mind.

I wouldnt' sweeten them - its still so early and they do say it takes 10 offerings for a baby to truly decide they dont like something.

I'd continue offering stuff and do it in different forms other than purees (e.g. roasted parsnip sticks, sweet potato sticks etc) He might just not like veg purees just now (next week might be totally different!)

Ok fab thanks, I'll maybe keep trying. It didn't seem to be quite as bad today. Will try butternut squash etc as well, good idea, and maybe reduce the apple if it's still not a hit. Interestingly, gave him a broccoli piece for the first time and he munched it!

My DS loved eating brocoli 'trees' when we were first weaning him!

Agree: don't sweeten the food with apple. Just keep offering different things and he will get the hang of it. At the moment it's just about him getting used to different flavours and he might prefer the sweeter fruit. But he's probably not really 'hungry' for food yet as he's having lots of milk.

As he naturally starts to reduce his milk intake over the next couple of months, and up his food intake you might notice he starts coming to the table (as t were!) more hungry and happily noshing down on the savory stuff!

Would also say, once he turns 6 months you can start trying all sorts of savory food, not just veggies. So he might like stuff like small pasta shapes in homemade cheese sauce, scrambled eggs with grated cheese on top, baked beans (low sugar and salt version), pasta with tomato sauce and tuna, etcetc....if you think about it, just vegetables on they're own aren't very interesting!

I'm with mrscog I don't give fruit at first until they are eating savoury reasonable well. All of mine love broccoli too will eat a plateful if they get chance! :)

Thanks so much for the advice, I backed off on the apple and mixed the carrot with baby rice - instant hit, he's just munched a couple of ounces. Same with butternut squash. I think it was just pests instance and that bit of rice/milk making it more familiar :)