Teaching your baby healthy eating habits lays the groundwork for lifelong good health. Being adventurous with food (safely) and exposing them to a wide variety will give your baby a diverse palate and a taste for healthy options.

So, why is encouraging this experimentation important?

There are a number of benefits to keeping your baby adventurous about food. It can help ensure they get all the essential nutrients they need to grow and develop. It promotes a diverse gut microbiome, which we know will help to strengthen your baby’s immunity. It has also been linked to good mental health.

Your baby is far less likely to be a picky eater later on if you mix things up a bit when making baby meal choices. You may also find they develop a lifelong taste for healthy foods and even some more exotic foods that you and your partner love.

But how can I encourage this variety and experimentation?

Here are some simple ways to encourage some pioneering eating habits in your baby.

Introduce new foods.

Complementary feeding, or the time you first introduce your baby to solids, is a great time to start them on a wide variety of foods. Start with small amounts and try to introduce a new fruit or vegetable daily for the first few weeks. Later, you can increase portion sizes to get the baby used to new flavours and textures.

Be creative with your presentation.

Making food look interesting engages and appeals to a baby. Make whole-grain pancakes in animal shapes or cut fruit and vegetables into stars and hearts with tools made for shaping biscuits.

Offer a variety of foods.

As we’ve mentioned previously on this journey, offering a colourful variety of food to your baby helps them to focus and makes it more likely that they will consume a wide range of nutrients. Keep things interesting and offer at least one new food choice every couple of days.

Never force your child to eat.

As excited as you are to share new dishes with your baby, forcing them to eat could make them develop negative associations with mealtimes. Try not to get too hung up about food refusal. Just try the same food a few days later and prepare it differently or mix it with something you know they love. It’s also safe to flavour a baby’s food with herbs and spices for six months, though the more intense spices are best saved until after their first birthday.

Encourage exploration.

We won’t say we’re food Magellans (some foods will always register as acquired tastes), but we know letting a baby explore or even play with food is a great way to make them comfortable with new textures, flavours, and smells. Make sure you have the time to let them do this at meals.

Keep them close while you cook.

They may not be able to participate just yet (there are messy but joyful times ahead for you both!). But if you can keep your baby on one hip while you stir the pot, they might be more excited to try a new dish. Stay safe, but enjoy cooking with your baby.

How do I encourage variety in my baby's diet?

From Unii’s Baby Nutrition Journey, we share the benefits of being safe but adventurous with food choices.