Weaning is a big issue for mums – especially first timers.  Such a huge amount of importance is attached to this milestone in your baby’s life.  For the first few months it’s drilled into you by the establishment that you must not wean before six months, while on the other hand friends and relatives may be pushing you to wean earlier, luring you with the promise of a baby that ’sleeps through’ thanks to the alleged miracle properties of baby rice.  When you do make the decision to begin weaning, there’s a whole host of other issues – how much to feed, and how often; introducing new flavours; ensuring your baby is getting enough nutrients, fussy eaters – the list is endless.  Weaning can be a stressful time for mums and babies, and while most find what works for them within a week or two, others take longer to get the hang of it!

If your baby is reluctant to eat solids, or if your older child is a picky eater, the first thing you should do is stop worrying.  The important thing to remember is that no baby ever starved itself to death, and if you keep offering food, your little one will eat enough to satisfy his or her requirements.  But struggling to get your baby or toddler to eat is enough to have you tearing your hair out by day and lying awake by night (sometimes literally if he or she wakes up hungry!) so while you should never force the food issue, there are some things you can try to make mealtimes less of a battleground.

The blueprint for your child’s eating habits is sketched by those very first spoonfeeds so it’s important to make them a positive, stress free experience for both of you.  Regardless of whether you start weaning early, or wait until the recommended six months, it is crucial that you wait until your baby shows signs of being ready.  These include:

Demanding milk feeds more frequently than usual.
Seeming unsatisfied after a milk feed.
Waking in the night after a period of sleeping through.

Babies that are ready for weaning will also be able to hold their own heads up strongly and sit well with support, they will show interest at mealtimes and may even grab for a piece of what you are eating.  The natural ‘tongue thrust’ reflex that protects them against choking will also have diminished – if your baby repeatedly pushes the spoon out of his mouth then he may not be ready for solids.  In these early days remember that the amount your baby eats is not important – weaning should be a relaxed and fun learning experience.  If you or your baby gets stressed during a meal, just leave it and try again another time.

Encouraging your baby to eat

If you’re sure that your little one is ready for solid food, but they don’t seem keen on eating, there are a few things you can try to pique their interest.

1.  Start with sweet tastes.  Babies – especially breastfed ones – have a natural preference for sweet tastes so things like stewed apple or pear, carrot and sweet potato are ideal first foods.  If you have started weaning your baby with baby rice, you could try adding a little fruit puree to it as a gentle introduction.  You can also sweeten savoury purees by adding these ingredients – try combining sweet potato with broccoli or cauliflower, or butternut squash with pear.  As your baby becomes accustomed to these flavours, introduce new ones gradually – and don’t assume that all baby food should be bland.  Many babies enjoy stronger flavours such as garlic (houmous is often a favourite) and even mild curry!  Allowing your baby to explore a broad spectrum of tastes will make him or her less likely to be a fussy eater in future.

2.  Involve your baby in mealtimes.  Babies learn by watching adults and older children so sitting at the table for mealtimes is an important chance for them to observe and mimic you eating.  Your baby’s routine may differ from your own but wherever possible you should try to sit down together at mealtimes, even if it’s just once a day – this is a great opportunity for family time as well!

3. Offer finger foods.  From six months, most babies are capable of self feeding with chunky pieces of easy to manage foods and for babies that don’t like to be spoon fed, baby led weaning can be a great (albeit very messy!) option.  Because babies at this age haven’t yet developed a pincer grip, it’s best to offer foods that they can hold in their fist so things like broccoli florets, well cooked sticks of carrot, pieces of banana, unsalted bread sticks, mini rice cakes etc. are ideal.  You should supervise your baby closely, especially in the early days, while they are still learning how to move food around their mouth.  It’s best to offer large pieces of food that your baby can nibble small bits off, rather than giving tiny pieces that they may cram into their mouth whole.  You can also buy mesh feeders which allow your baby to chew or suck on soft fruits and vegetables without being able to bite pieces off, and these can be helpful as an introduction to baby led weaning.  If your baby enjoys finger foods, you could try encouraging him to dip vegetable sticks etc. into a small pot of another pureé you have prepared as a way of getting more variety into his diet.

4.  Don’t wait til your baby is starving.  You should try to offer solids before a breast or bottle feed but if your baby is ravenous she is likely to refuse a spoon feed in favour of the ‘instant gratification’ a milk feed offers.  Time spoon feeds so they happen when baby is just beginning to get hungry, and then follow up with a milk feed if necessary.  Also, remember that teething can have a major impact on your baby’s willingness to eat – if her mouth is hurting she won’t want you shoving a spoon in there!  Offering baby paracetamol shortly before a meal might help but if not, let the solid foods slide for a day or two until she’s feeling better.

Fussy toddlers

Babies who have been encouraged to try lots of different flavours are less likely to grow into fussy eaters, but even the best eaters go through fussy phases when they hit toddlerhood – this often has as much to do with asserting their independence as it does with appetites and preferences!  Every parent has days when they feel like their toddler has barely eaten anything but at this age it’s better to look at the bigger picture of what your toddler eats over a couple of days.  Some days they will be ravenous and eat everything in sight, other days they’ll pick and fuss over their food, but if you average this out you’ll probably find that they’re getting plenty!  Again, they key is to try and relax – if you force the issue you’re more likely to create a lasting problem with mealtimes.

To make mealtimes easier for you AND your toddler:

1.  Keep portions small.  A typical toddler portion will be around a quarter to half the size of an adult portion.  If you put too much food on the plate, your child is more likely to feel overwhelmed and less likely to finish the meal, but if you serve a smaller amount and they finish it, they will benefit from lots of praise – and they can always ask for more!

2.  Make food manageable.  Cut it into bite sized pieces or chunks that are easy to pick up, and choose utensils carefully too – wide, shallow spoons and deep-sided bowls make it easier for toddlers to feed themselves, which they generally love to do!

3.  Presentation, presentation, presentation!  You can make food more appealing to your fussy child with just a little attention to detail – home made pizzas can be made into funny faces, for example – I know one clever mummy who cuts sausages into octopus shapes and lets them ’swim’ in a sea of baked beans!  Even something simple like using a pastry cutter to make sandwiches more interesting can work wonders.

4.  Offer healthy snacks.  Toddlers cannot consume large quantities of food at a single sitting so snacks are an important part of their diet and energy intake.  Snacks should be offered roughly midway between meals and you should try to choose foodstuffs that are healthy and release energy slowly – raisins, fruit crisps, breadsticks with houmous, a banana, crackers and cheese or a small pot of berries all make great, nutritious snacks.  Sweets, crisps etc. are fine as an occasional treat but try to offer them after meals rather than between, and always encourage good oral hygiene.

5.  Introduce new foods one at a time.  Serving them alongside foods your child likes will also help.  Encourage your child to taste the food but don’t force them and don’t lose your temper if they won’t try, just leave it til another day.  And if your child doesn’t like a food first time, don’t give up!  Sometimes it can take up to 10 attempts before a child will accept a new food and their likes and dislikes change over time.

6.  Don’t hurry your child and never force them to eat.  Up to the age of three most toddlers will need some help with feeding but don’t shovel food into your child’s mouth if she doesn’t want it.  If nothing is eaten after a reasonable amount of time, take the food away without comment and try again with a healthy snack later.

7.  Sing their praises!  Never underestimate the power of praise in motivating little people – whether it’s a round of applause for clearing their plate, a sticker for behaving nicely at the table or a special pudding as a reward, ‘carrot’ usually works better than ’stick’ when it comes to persuading toddlers to eat well.

The advice in this article is intended only as a guide – if you have concerns about your child’s diet and nutrition you should raise them with your GP or health visitor.  For further information click here.  And if you’ve survived a picky eater, why not post your tips in the comments section below so that other mums can benefit from your wisdom?