First food adventures

First food adventures

Weaning is a fun time so how can you and your baby get started on your first food adventures?

As you and your baby grow more confident with introducing first foods, you can have lots of fun trying all sorts of different shapes, textures and tastes.  Exploring, playing and getting hands on helps encourage your little one’s sense of adventure and a love of good food. 

Lucy Thomas, Organix’ children’s food expert, shares some top tips and activities to help introduce your baby to different tastes and textures, so you can both enjoy those first food adventures.

Five fun food tips for babies

  • Experiment: with bitter and sour tastes – try lemon, kiwi, oranges, pepper or spinach.
  • Grip & grab: offer different shapes to play with, try pasta tubes, cubes of cheese, orange segments, or the chunky circles of Organix rice cakes.
  • Squish & squash: try new textures and tastes like a juicy piece of mango.
  • Change of scene: if food refusal is an issue – get out and about in the garden or the park!
  • Get social: mealtimes are for sharing so pull your baby’s highchair up to the table at family mealtimes so they can join in the fun – or invite friends and their babies to lunch together too.

 

4 Taste for Life activities for babies

  • Finger pop purée: dip your fingertips into a sweet or savoury purée so they’re covered, (brightly coloured purées work really well), then suck the purée off your fingers with a loud popping sound followed by a big smile. Help your baby do the same – or pop a spoonful of purée on their highchair tray for them to dip their fingers in.
  • Matching pairs: Match a finger food with a purée, like a soft cooked carrot baton as a dipper with carrot puré
  • Tiny tastes: try little taste experiences throughout the day, like a lick of the lemon slice from your water, a sprinkle of cinnamon on their apple purée, a hint of curry powder in their parsnip mash or a pinch of nutmeg in porridge.
  • Mirror image: babies are fascinated by their reflection, even though they can’t recognise themselves!   Hold a mirror in front of them while they’re getting hands on with food to help their coordination.

 

5 tips for enjoying weaning

  1. Relax! Try not to get too stressed, it’s just food!
  2. Try your baby with their first taste of food when you know they’re at their best. Are they a morning or an evening baby?
  3. Try again. Don’t despair if your baby is slow to like a new food, try it again another day.
  4. Plan for mess. It will be messy so put a piece of fabric under the high chair, then pop it into the washing machine after each meal.
  5. Eat together. Babies enjoy sitting and eating with others, and it can be more relaxing for them, so try and grab a bite to eat at the same time.

 

You’ll find lots of advice, tips, and recipes ideas for baby’s first foods at www.organix.com