Baby wants to eat - should I offer more than one veg if he doesn't like the first one?

[iamverytired]

Just started weaning at 6 months. He seems very keen on trying food and loved baby rice but when trying veg he generally tries it a couple of times and then doesn't want any more. He then looks very disappointed (cauliflower today looked like baby rice and he got a nasty surprise 😂). I don't want to keep going with baby rice (he's only had it a couple of times) but he just seems hungry and wants to eat more. Do I stick to one veg a day (of which he swallows basically nothing) or do I offer a couple of things? Or will that confuse matters? I want to stick to veg for first couple of weeks and then move on.

As he's 6 months I wouldn't be too hung up on giving 1 thing at a time. Also finger foods alongside puree might interest him too and you don't need to limit to just veg.

Some people doing BLW would just give a mix of finger foods at once and let them get on with it.

Agree there is no need to do one veg at a time unless there are severe allergies in the family and you've been advised to wean this way by a HCP. It's a way of weaning much younger babies or ones with health problems.

If your baby is fine, you can give things that you eat, provided that you watch the salt. So if you are having a tuna sandwich for lunch, it's fine to give him the same.

If you want to do purées or mashed food, you can give finisher food on the side.

So if for instance you want to give him a purée like Banana-Cado for lunch, you could give him some strips of toast with cream cheese on, or avocado or smooth nut butter. Other finger foods you could give are things like a hard boiled egg, quartered, or some cubes of cheese.

There are a few examples of first food ideas in this guide and there are some great weaning recipes on MN.

May I vote against the tuna sandwich suggestion above. Not only for the risk of hidden bones, but tuna is often tinned in brine, a concentrated salt solution.
If you must give it to your baby, OP, please use tuna canned in spring water, not brine, or cook raw tuna at home, and check carefully for hidden bits of bone.
Secondly, it can take repeated tries to get a baby to accept a new food. Offer the rejected choices again after a few days, and persevere until eventually they are eaten.
(Obviously I mean fresh, not reheating the rejects!)

Someone told me once babies need to try something 10 times or so before they know if the like or dislike it. That could be pure shite but I stand by it. So I'd try different foods but I wouldn't take something of the menu just because he's refused it a few times.

May I vote against the tuna sandwich suggestion above. Not only for the risk of hidden bones, but tuna is often tinned in brine, a concentrated salt solution

Agree that obviously you shouldn't offer fish that has been tinned in bribe to such a young child and it should go without saying that you check for bones when offering fish to children but oily fish should be a normal part of their diet surely?

Thanks everyone we have had intolerances whilst breastfeeding and have been to the allergy clinic so advised to try one thing at a time. I don't really class it as trying it though when he doesn't swallow any of it. He has started eating more each day at least, although avacado has upset his tummy so just keeping ploughing through the veg for now and hoping for the best!

Just keep offering a variety and keep re-offering things he's previously either dismissed or not been keen on. It's hard to get out of the mindset that he likes/doesn't like certain things but you have to do that really because at the moment his primary reason for eating isn't for calories it's learning how to eat and exploring different flavours and textures.

I read somewhere that it takes babies 7 tries of a food to get the taste for it and decide if they actually ikea it or not. That could be complete rubbish though. I would say just try different things so he's getting a variety. If he doesn't like one and he gets it everytime he might just stop trying it and then stop trying other things.
Cauliflower is an acquired taste. Try broccoli, that always seems to go down well. Carrots and parsnips maybe.

Thanks everyone we have had intolerances whilst breastfeeding and have been to the allergy clinic so advised to try one thing at a time. I don't really class it as trying it though when he doesn't swallow any of it. He has started eating more each day at least, although avacado has upset his tummy so just keeping ploughing through the veg for now and hoping for the best!

It's a shame the avocado upset him, but if he has allergies, this is definitely the right way to wean him as you can spot what upsets him straightaway.

If you do offer one veg at a time, like cauliflower, how about giving some in purée/mashed form and a couple of lightly steamed florets on the side for him to play with of just fling at the dog eat. That way he'll get to practice with finger foods but you are still only giving one food at a time.

@Babdoc

May I vote against the tuna sandwich suggestion above. Not only for the risk of hidden bones, but tuna is often tinned in brine, a concentrated salt solution. If you must give it to your baby, OP, please use tuna canned in spring water, not brine, or cook raw tuna at home, and check carefully for hidden bits of bone. Secondly, it can take repeated tries to get a baby to accept a new food. Offer the rejected choices again after a few days, and persevere until eventually they are eaten. (Obviously I mean fresh, not reheating the rejects!)

Also - avoid tuna Mayo for a bit unless you have gone through cooked egg etc as it can cause an otherwise avoidable egg reaction (as advised by my HV). We did baby led and I gave one known allergen at a time (like dairy or egg or nuts) but veg etc weren't done one at a time or I think it would have been another six months before we had finished trying them all! Maybe stick to the same types though or limit ones full of fibre until your baby's digestive system catches up