Babies Feeding Baby Nutrition How to Help Your Baby Love Vegetables Try these simple practices to instill a love of veggies in your baby and make the transition to solid foods smoother. By Erin Smith and Lauren Gelman Updated on January 22, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Did you know babies can taste veggies as early as 32 to 36 weeks in the womb? One fascinating study shows that third-trimester babies could taste the veggies their birthing parent ate and even reacted to the flavors by smiling or frowning. If you're curious about how to set your baby on the path toward a lifetime of loving their veggies and greens, try these eight simple ideas. And remember, your baby might not like every single vegetable that lands on their plate, but with plenty of exposure—and practice—your baby is sure to develop a love of exploring new foods, even veggies. Keep reading to learn more. 01 of 08 Introduce Flavors Early Through Breast Milk PhotoAlto/ Veer According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, babies are more likely to enjoy the foods their breastfeeding parent ate over new foods they were never exposed to. "We know flavors from a mom's diet are transmitted to her baby through breast milk," says Julie A. Mennella, Ph.D., a biopsychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. "Babies can detect the flavors and, if they have experience with those flavors, they are going to be more accepting of the food." The lesson? If you're breastfeeding, start your baby's love of veggies early by piling some on your plate. Introducing Baby Food? Here are 20 Things to Feed Your Child 02 of 08 Make Veggies One of Her First Foods Linda Farwell According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it's a good idea to introduce your child to solid foods starting at 6 months. You can add cooked (pureed) veggies to the mix as soon as you want, but be sure to avoid potential allergens, such as corn. Try starting with sweet- or mild-flavored vegetables, such as winter squash or carrots. Avocado is also a great food to introduce early because of its naturally baby-friendly texture. Feeding a few teaspoons of veggies once a day for a week can help your baby get accustomed to the flavor. Then, gradually increase the amount until they eat half a cup daily. How to Roast Veggies for Babies and Toddlers 03 of 08 Best Super Foods for Your Baby 50 Ways to Get Your Kid to East New Foods 04 of 08 Avoid Uncomfortable Side Effects Fancy Photography/Veer Veggies high in sulfur, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and beans, may give your baby a tummy ache because they can produce excess gas. If this becomes a problem, you can wait to introduce these foods until your little one is older, or mix the vegetable with another vegetable, such as potato, to decrease its potency. 6 Types of Picky Eaters—And How to Get Them to Eat 05 of 08 Ignore Those "Yucky" Faces Juice Images/Veer Yes, your baby will probably make a nose-wrinkling, brow-furrowing, why-are-you-making-me-try-this face the first time you serve them something unfamiliar, but that doesn't mean your baby won't eat it. "That displeased look is a knee-jerk reaction," says Dr. Mennella. "We found that babies continued to accept spoonfuls of veggies even after making those faces." When your child does make a yucky face at their first bite of spinach, don't make one with her. Instead, smile and say "Yummy!" to encourage them to eat it. Keep your poker face to make trying veggies a positive experience. By your child's fourth exposure, they may even want seconds! 23 Ways to Cook Vegetables for Kids 06 of 08 Sweeten the Deal Alexandra Grablewski To make veggies even more palatable, try serving them with sweeter-tasting fruit. Your baby may like green beans more when they are fed peaches shortly after green vegetables. "Babies learn to associate the sweet flavors from fruit with veggies, which may encourage them to eat more over time," says Dr. Mennella. "Babies are born with a natural dislike of bitter-tasting foods, which most green vegetables are. They're an acquired taste, and your baby will learn to like them the more he eats them." Break Your Kids' Bad Food Habits 07 of 08 Serve Veggies Daily PhotoAlto/ Matton "Regardless of whether the baby is breastfed, once a baby is exposed to the food about eight or nine times, he will become more accustomed to and accepting of the taste," says Dr. Mennella. Breastfed and formula-fed babies tried green beans daily for more than a week during Dr. Mennella's studies, and both groups ate nearly three times as many veggies by the end of that time period as they did at the start. 15 Ways to Help Your Baby Love Food as Much as You Do 08 of 08 Remember, You Needs Vegetables, Too Though you should aim for three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruits a day, most adults fall way short of these recommendations. What is the best way to get all that in? Eat some with every meal or snack. For example, a glass of orange juice with a cup of berries in breakfast cereal, baby carrots as a midmorning snack, an apple or banana with peanut butter in the afternoon, and a large salad with dinner every night are about what you need to stay healthy and set a good example for your little one. The Best Foods for Baby Brain Development Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit