Do BLW babies really choose to eat healthily later on?

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We are doing BLW with DD (8mo) and have noticed that, although she (sometimes...) eats a lot, she seems to have a definite preference for the unhealthier end of the food spectrum (eg. sweet things like fruit as opposed to vegetables). She can spot broccoli a mile off and has become very good at carefully dropping it over the side of her tray

The impression given by the BLW book is that BLW babies end up automatically eating a healthy, balanced diet with no need for encouragement. But is this really the case? ie. will a toddler weaned using BLW really eat whatever's put in front of them? I would have expected that, just like adults, they'd prefer certain foods over others. And if so, as the BLW philosophy seems to be to let them eat what they like, how do you then get them to eat healthily?

No it doesn't. And tbh I find it amazing anyone believes it does. Just think about it- you gave your child finger food for the first 6 months or whatever. How on earth would that make them a healthy eater later on? It's so meaningless. I did BLW and is easy and it does seem to get them more interested in food sooner. But no way does it influence their future food choices.

I did BLW with my second child and she loves junk food and sweets. I did purees with Dd1 and she loves clean eating, kale and avocados. I did some food on the high chair tray and some spooned in for dd3 and she's utterly uninterested in food, it's fuel only.

Im afraid I think BLW is a load of rubbish. Model healthy eating and stay relaxed around food. If that means spooning it in rather than watching them rub shepherds pie into their hair, then so be it

Dd was a blw baby. She ate pretty well up to 18 months but after that has become quite picky about what she will eat. She's also never eaten anything particularly wet/mushy so won't eat mash, custard etc

My BLW baby is now 14m and likes to eat:
Pasta
Sausages
Toast
Fishfingers
Fruit

And gets very excited at the mere mention of chocolate.
That about it.
So no.

joke Tod be surprised how many parents don't teach that. The sodding "pudding club" amongst the upper middle class is still rife: a child is taught to eat everything or they can't have pudding. I shudder when we see it in action 😔

It's more important to encourage exercise and model healthy, sensible eating when they are older. I can't believe ANYONE thinks BLW has any effect on their eating habits at all.

Nope. Both my DC were breastfed then BLW, and both are fussy, but in different ways. The older one isn't fussed about sweet stuff and the only puddings he will really eat are yoghurts and ice cream. He won't eat veg, but likes spicy food.
The younger one is mad for sweet stuff and would eat chocolate and cake all day if allowed. She will eat veg and doesn't like spicy food.

The sodding "pudding club" amongst the upper middle class is still rife: a child is taught to eat everything or they can't have pudding.

The upper middle class don't tend to feed their children themselves, the nanny usually does it.

Agree that they will be fussy regardless. But it does help with not overeating and with putting the control where it should be i.e. With the child.

I BLWed all three. Twins now almost 4 and one eats everything (loves broccoli and avocado), the other is very fussy although gradually improving now. The baby is 16mo and is in a pretty good phase at the moment. Hates cheese but is very good st trying things and feeds himself using a spoon and fork - I reckon he will come into his fussy phase in the next 6 months or so. I'm hoping the older siblings will mean he gets out of it quickly!

I have the ultimate controlled experiment! My twins were BLW and are now 4. One is the fussiest child you have ever met and never eats veg, basically lives off beige food. The other loves veggies and eats them first before the other stuff. It makes no difference how you wean them!

karma, we just say "cutlery" automatically now 😂
I hope by the time she leaves home, she'll not be using her fingers! 😏

I sometimes show DS videos of himself eating stuff like broccoli as a baby, to prove he used to eat it. He just says that he used to like it then but doesn't now.

But it does help with not overeating and with putting the control where it should be i.e. With the child.

Mine must have been odd children then because they shut their mouths and turned their heads away when they were full!

But it does help with not overeating and with putting the control where it should be i.e. With the child.

See I don't get this because if I spoon feed my 10mo he just pushes the spoon away when he's had enough, surely that's the same thing?

X post with pilf

From personal experience I would say no. The HV said they promote BLW because of government guidelines re. obesity. It allows the babies to determine their own apetites as otherwise parents were tending to overfeed with pouches/formula.

I did BLW with DS1 and he is s pretty rubbish eater now unfortunately. DS2 is 11 months and I make his food and offer finger foods too. He gets all sorts of things, I'm not hysterical about sugar like I was with my PFB. He will have a bit of cake with custard if everyone's eating some or the odd bite of chocolate. He is still being breast fed so I feel as though he is governing his food intake in some ways but I'm not too concerned about how much he eats as long as he is getting a varied diet of veg, fruit, good carbs, protein etc.

For reference his intake is generally;

About three feeds through the night, about four or five feeds in the day. Breakfast: toast with marmite, porridge with bananas, little yogurt. Lunch: something batch cooked from the freezer like fish with veggies and potatoes, I might put some slices of cucumber or similar on the tray for him to eat. He'll then have some fruit for afters, clementine or strawberries. Dinner might be bolognese with spaghetti that he picks up himself, pudding might be bananas and custard or another small yogurt. I don't really do snacks just because I think their a waste of money but I might shove and orange or a yogurt pouch in my bag if I know we will be out and about.

plifner not now they are older, no. We tend to always eat all together with children with us when with friends and on our own. It was only separate when they were pre schoolers and under really.
And my maid did what I asked her to do....
Seriously, people really do encourage over eating. It is an issue.

Fruit has as much sugar in it as a bag of Haribo

Plain rice cakes or veg are a better snack

Dd1 - traditional weaning. Now 12 is very good at self regulating but the fussiest eater on the planet. Difficult to get her to eat fruit and veg.

Dd2 - BLW, now almost 10. Non fussy, eats wide range of food but no self regulation.

Don't think the weaning method makes a difference tbh.

Twins here too, exclusively bf till weaned. We did BLW (although it wasn't really such a 'thing' in them days)
DT1 - mildly fussy eater. Likes what he likes and won't even consider anything he doesn't like the look of. Will eat fruit and veg happily, but would chooses Pringles, cocktail sausages and kit kats if left to his own devices. Doesn't have a full switch either.

DT2 - very adventurous, will try anything. Happily eats fruit and veg. Likes junk but exercises control because of the healthy eat well plate stuff they do at school.

Re: the broccoli, maybe she just doesn't like it? One of mine has always hated cauliflower, used to spit it out. The other one doesn't like eggs except in cake form will gag if he tries to eat them. I persisted with both for ages till I had a lightbulb moment realised they just don't like it.

Actually I totally agree about the best thing you can do is model good eating habits yourself at home.

My four year old loves appearing by my side and snaffling what I've got or am trying to prepare. He eats cucumber like it's chocolate and runs off with raw carrots and chomps on them. If I were in the kitchen trying to scoff something unhealthy I'm sure he'd be eating a lot worse than he does

No

My DD ate all family meals but was spoon fed until she was able to manage utensils herself. She ate everything in moderation from a young age. A sliver of cake on birthdays, a taste of my crisps or chocolate every once in a while.

My friend was BLW obsessed. She followed it to the letter. She acted like it was a dietary requirement than just a way of feeding. She never allowed treats like chocolate or cake, only fruit and 'healthy' options.

Her son is now the pickiest eater I know, every mealtime is a battle and he often demands junk food. My daughter still eats all family meals, and while she enjoys crisps and chocolate etc it isn't a big deal to her she can take it or leave it.

Just goes to show, it really doesn't matter in the long run which way you choose to do things, the kid will find their own way in the end!

My dd was blwed. She ate really, really healthily. Lots of fruit, veg etc.

Then she hit 2 1/2-3 and decided she hated every thing that was good for her. She is now a super fussy eater.

I'm still glad we did it as it was easier than puréeing everuthing.