Weaning Willow - the first 6 months

Willow has reached six months, which means it is time to start weaning! Being both mum to three little ones and a nutritionist, I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way, and I am excited to share our weaning journey.

We are now two weeks in and have introduced first tastes of single veggies, placing emphasis on greens and those more bitter flavours. Research suggests that early and repeated exposure to a wide variety of veggies can help encourage acceptance of these foods, making them a great place to start.

So far, Willow has tried:

• Broccoli

• Green Beans

• Broad Beans

• Leeks

• Spinach

• Courgette.

These have been cooked and pureed with a blender and, where possible, served alongside well-cooked and soft finger foods. For example, alongside broccoli purée, Willow has explored a well-cooked broccoli floret, giving her the opportunity to experience different textures and practise self-feeding skills.

Is it normal for babies to eat very little when they first start weaning?

Absolutely!

Like many babies at this stage not much has been eaten, with a significant proportion ending up on the floor!

Right now Willow’s learning through touching, squashing, tasting and smelling her food. Every meals is an opportunity to explore something new, and its’s been lovely watching her curiosity grow.

One of my top tips from my previous weaning journeys and something I will be prioritising this time round is the value of role modelling i.e. eating together as much as possible as babies learn so much from us.

Going forward I am planning on continuing with lots of veggies but trying different combinations and I will swiftly introduce other foods, particularly iron rich foods such as meat and fish but also plant proteins like lentils and beans. This is because after 6 months babies iron stores start to reduce so getting some iron from solids is important. We will also progress from one to two meals a day, I am planning on introducing breakfast as this is what fits in best with our routine, plus being the school holidays we have a little more time in the morning!

We will also be introducing dairy foods, starting with some plain yogurt such as the Little Yeos Greek Style Natural Pots. Rather than serving it with fruit straight away, I’ll be paring it will savoury foods first.

Some ways I’ll be using yogurt includes:

• As a dip for homemade vegetable fritters

• Mixing through a gently spiced curry

• Serving with a savoury porridge such as butternut squash or carrot porridge.

• Homemade yogurt flatbreads.

As we move beyond first tastes, we’ll introduce allergens starting with egg and peanut. Introducing allergens is an important step with research showing that early and consistent allergen introduction reduces risk of children developing allergies. I will let you know how we get along with this and how I have introduced allergens in my next weaning update.

Follow Willow’s weaning journey.

Every baby is different and we’re all learning as we go. There will be no doubt be plenty more food on the floor, messy hands and funny faces along the way.