I’ll admit it: I love it when my kids are old enough to eat solids (I’m talking about Stage 1-3 baby food here, to be clear). It’s messy and it’s extra work compared to just preparing bottles, but it’s so much fun to introduce them to new foods and to really feel as though we’re having meals together!

At seven months, my son is firmly entrenched in Stage 2 foods. He loves almost everything, and I found that introducing him to solids was far, far easier than it was when my daughter started them. I owe that to a few tips and tricks I learned along the way (and my little future linebacker loves to eat!):

Wait until your baby is in a receptive mood to attempt introducing a new food. Twenty minutes before naptime is not the best time to break out the carrot puree and expect Junior to attack it with gusto. Try to offer solids when the baby is alert and should be moderately hungry (too full, and she won’t want anything else - too hungry, and she won’t be able to focus on accepting food from the spoon). My son also doesn’t eat well if he’s just had shots, so be mindful of cranky-making factors like that.

Come to the table with reasonable expectations. Your baby and the neighbor’s baby may not eat the same amount of food in a given day. Don’t sweat it if your little guy doesn’t finish every meal, and don’t try to force him to eat more than he wants. (He will give you cues that he’s done - spitting out food, turning his head away, or clamping his mouth shut when the spoon comes close!) If you’re tense during baby’s mealtime, he will pick up on it, and the experience will likely be miserable for both of you. I learned that the hard way.

That “Eww! Yuck!” face might not mean much. Babies tend to react to unfamiliar tastes by screwing up their faces in a classic “Blech!” expression. What your darling is actually saying might be more like “I have no idea what this is!” Don’t give up. Once she relaxes, offer her a second small spoonful. She may very well be receptive after the first few bites. My son made that super-icky face a week or so ago, when I introduced him to a new fruit combo - now it’s his favorite food!

If at first you don’t succeed… Sometimes your baby will turn his nose up at a new food and will absolutely refuse to eat it no matter how gently and consistently you coax him. In that case, don’t write the food off as “Oh, he doesn’t like peas” - just give him a few days (or weeks) and try again. Sometimes it takes several introductions for a baby to accept a new food. One rejection doesn’t mean that he’ll never eat peas!

Posted by Sunshine.