3 tips for easing the transition from milk to solids

Weaning your child onto solids begins between the age of 4 and 6 months, as recommended by a pediatrician, doctor or nutritionist. Before this age, little ones' digestive systems are not ready to process food other than breast milk or formula. 


The secret lies in gradually introducing flavors 

To make weaning your baby easy, here are three tips from Cresna, France's leading taste education specialist. 


Tip no. 1: give them a spoon to play with! 

Two or three weeks before feeding your baby solids for the first time, give them a soft, supple spoon made from silicone to play with. This means that the spoon will feel familiar to them when you give them their first mouthful of purée or compote. This should help avoid any refusals. To help them understand the purpose of this utensil, try putting a silicone spoon in your mouth too with a big smile. Your baby will mimic and imitate what you do. Their first big step towards independence!


As an adult, we don't always bear in mind how much information our little ones take in every day. Think back to how long it once took you to eat with chopsticks, and consider how your baby has to learn not one, but several things, all at the same time: using their hand to hold the spoon and steer it towards their mouth, understand that they need to eat the contents of the spoon to get food, and understand that they need to continue taking more food off their plate to satisfy their hunger. But that's not all! The texture of food in baby's mouth feels really interesting compared to milk... And guess what, not all foods taste the same... Plus they're all different colors! As baby grows, they will learn that a specific type of purée = a vegetable = a shape = a color, so they're learning all the time. But there's still plenty of time for all that!


Tip no. 2: flavor their bottles! 

Any mums who have never heard of or thought about this tip (as I hadn't, as the person writing this article) will tell you that it's an obvious idea to pass on to the next generation.  

Would you like to introduce your baby to the taste of vegetables? Flavor their bottles!  

How? At the end of the feed, add half a teaspoon of cooking water from steamed vegetables (naturally rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals). Every three days, vary the flavor by using water from a new, single vegetable (green beans, broccoli, courgettes, carrots, etc.). See how to introduce your baby to new flavors with ease with the Nutribaby+ multi-function food processor.


Tip no. 3: help them enjoy vegetables by mimicking you. No, it's not an old-fashioned idea!

If you like certain vegetables, give them to your baby to taste and make sure they enjoy them by mimicking you: "a spoonful for mummy or daddy and a spoonful for baby." And you'll naturally smile if you give them one of your favorite vegetables. It's virtually mission accomplished!