First tastes

We believe it’s best to look for signs that your baby is ready. He or she should be able to:

• Sit confidently and hold up their head steady
• Show good hand—eye co-ordination, getting all their favourite toys — among other things, into their mouth
• If your little one pushes the food back out with their tongue, just wait a week or two + try again

There are some common myths about weaning signs, too. The following aren’t necessarily indications that your baby is ready:

• Chewing fists — they've probably just discovered their little hands
• Grabbing for other people’s food — they're just inquisitive and learning about the world around them
• Waking in the night — they're babies, night-waking is what they do
• Wanting more milk — they're growing or they might just be thirsty

Once your little one is confidently eating a variety of foods, from around 6 months of age, you may find they’re less interested in their usual milk. Milk still offers a reeeally important source of nutrients to help babies grow, so try to offer around 600ml usual milk a day as well as a range of nutritious foods.

When it comes to dropping milk feeds, be led by your baby. They will often want less and less of a particular feed, for example, the lunchtime one, especially if it’s given close to a mealtime, so this feed may be the first one you drop. Your baby will probably still enjoy milk when they wake and just before bedtime.

If you find your little one is still drinking a lot more milk than 600ml and not taking much food, try offering food first and then milk, or separating milk and food feeds completely. Even when babies are 10m of age, they still need around 400ml usual milk, so it’s still super important!

To find out when it's safe to give your baby certain foods and allergens such as cow's milk, peanuts and citrus fruits, take a peek at our introducing food allergens article.

Try not to get too stressed if little ones don’t eat well at a meal and never force them to eat if they're not interested. Just take the food away + try again at the next meal. Even after the weaning journey, little ones are still learning about eating, so encourage them to listen to their appetite so they don't routinely learn to overeat.

If you’re worried about your little one’s weight, have a chat to your health visitor or GP.

Lots of little ones will pull a funny face the first time they experience a new taste. Flying spoons, messy faces and sticky fingers are all part of real-life parenting.This often happens with vegetables, especially the green ones. Don't worry! Even if your little one doesn't seem to like a new taste at first, keep trying.

Studies show that you may have to try up to 8 times with a new taste before your baby accepts it so don’t give up. Offer a range of single vegetables and keep going until your baby accepts each one. Remember to keep giving your little one veg throughout weaning and beyond!

We're here to help little ones build a lifelong bond with healthy eating through playful discovery and adventurous, repeated exposure to the right foods. It’s about turning first tastes into lasting habits, and helping children grow into happy, confident eaters who love good food. This is what growing tastebuddies for life is all about!