Getting Started - 50 First Foods Exploration Chart

Inspo is the name of the game when it comes to weaning and the Bibado 50 First Foods Exploration Chart is designed to fuel and inspire your mealtime adventures. Knowing where to start can be half the battle, so we've taken the 50 first foods from the NHS-approved list and popped them onto a handy chart to take the guesswork out. Consistency is also key, so the weaning chart will help you to record the number of interactions your baby has with each food. Remember it can take as many as ten times for a baby to accept a new food, so don't give up if they don't appear to like it on the first occasion. 

How to use your 50 First Foods Chart

Pop the poster chart somewhere prominent and close to where you feed little one. This will make it easier to remember to record your progress but will also be a useful prompt for shopping lists and meal planners.

Use the exploration chart at as many mealtimes as you feel comfortable but try to always make sure you have time and space to enjoy your mealtime free from other distractions. This will give you and baby the best chance to explore together with an open mindset

Introduce new foods to your baby using the road map at the top of the poster to guide you. Comment on the colour and the taste. Show them how you eat it, highlighting the different ways to experience it. Emphasise the eating actions and sounds. Smile, make eye contact, laugh, and enjoy the experience. Encourage them but allow them space to explore at their pace. Look for those cues and try to understand what your baby is telling you and how they want to feed or be fed.

Tick or scratch off the box for each food you try together. Remember, it’s an experience that counts so even if they play, hold, or touch the food, you can celebrate and record it. It can take 5 or more attempts for a baby to successfully eat a new food, so be sure to keep going. Don’t worry if it takes longer, all babies are different.

Work your way through the chart in whatever order suits you and baby. Expert advice suggests leaving 3 days between foods marked as allergens. This gives ample time to establish if there is a reaction. For non-allergen foods, go ahead and introduce them as and when you both feel ready.