How can I encourage my baby to eat a variety of food?
Babies who only ever eat their firm favourites are unlikely to develop a taste for all kinds of food and can easily become fussy eaters. You shouldn’t worry too much; almost all babies go through a fussy-eating phase so the most important thing to do is to make sure they get more variety back into their complementary feeding diet to ensure they're getting the goodness they need.
To encourage your child to eat more of a variety of foods you could try:
Making feeding fun by serving their food in shapes or faces on the plate
• Leading by example – try a bit yourself and make ‘yummy’ noises so your baby understands it’s a tasty thing to eat and wants to copy you.
• Offering small portions of different tastes and textures at mealtimes so if they don’t like one thing, they can try something else (though this shouldn’t always be their favourite food). Smaller portions are also less daunting – you can always offer a bit more if they really enjoy a new food!
• If your baby spits it out, be patient and try again another day – perhaps mixed in with a little of their favourite food. It's a long process, but your baby will thank you in the end!
Fussy toddlers need their own tricks and tips and we’ve put together a guide for them too! Read more about dealing with older picky eaters.