When your baby is ready for solids, choosing those very first foods is part of the fun. The best early foods are simple, soft and naturally nutritious. Here are ten gentle favourites to get you started.
Vegetables to begin with
• Sweet potato — naturally sweet, soft when cooked and easy to purée or offer as soft strips.
• Carrot — cook until tender; rich in vitamins and a lovely first taste.
• Broccoli — soft florets make a perfect early finger food.
• Butternut squash — smooth, mild and well loved by most babies.
Fruits babies enjoy
• Banana — no cooking needed; simply mash or offer in soft pieces.
• Avocado — creamy, mild and full of healthy fats.
• Pear — soft when ripe or lightly cooked, gentle on little tummies.
• Apple — cook until soft to make it easy to eat.
Nourishing staples
• Baby porridge or oats — warm, filling and easy to combine with fruit.
• Full-fat plain yoghurt — smooth, rich in calcium and great mixed with fruit purée.
Simple ways to serve
Steam or boil vegetables and fruit until soft, then mash, purée, or offer as soft pieces depending on your weaning approach. Combine flavours your baby already enjoys to introduce new ones gently. Keep portions small and let your baby explore at their own pace.
Remember, milk remains the main source of nutrition in the early months of weaning. These first foods are about discovery — new colours, tastes and textures that set your little one on the path to enjoying a varied, healthy diet.
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