Veggie Victory: Getting your baby to love veg!

Introducing your little one to solid foods is an exciting milestone but the early days of food prep can be a minefield for parents. One common worry for is: “How do I make sure my baby eats enough vegetables?”

Veggies are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre — all essential for your baby’s growth and development. The good news? With a few creative tricks, you can make veggies fun, flavourful, and easy for your baby to enjoy.

Here are some tried-and-tested tips and tricks to pack more veggies into baby-led weaning meals.

🥕 1. Start With Naturally Sweet Vegetables

Babies are born with a preference for sweet flavours, so it makes sense to start with veggies that are naturally sweet and mild:

Carrots
Sweet potato
Butternut squash
Peas
Corn

Steam or roast these until they’re soft enough to mash easily between your fingers, and serve them in baby-friendly shapes (like thick sticks or small chunks). Once your baby’s familiar with these, you can gradually introduce more bitter or earthy veggies.

🥦 2. Mix Veggies Into Familiar Favourites

Once your baby is used to self-feeding, start adding veggies into meals they already enjoy. For example:

Stir spinach or grated courgette into scrambled eggs.
Add finely chopped broccoli to pancakes or fritters.
Mix mashed cauliflower into pasta sauce.
Blend veggies like carrots or red pepper into hummus for dipping.

This helps babies learn that veggies are just part of everyday eating — not something separate or “special.”

🍠 3. Roast for Maximum Flavour

Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and adds new textures for your baby to explore. Try roasted carrots, bell peppers, or courgettes — soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside.

Pro tip: Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with mild herbs (like rosemary or oregano) before roasting. Flavourful doesn’t have to mean salty!

🥬 4. Serve Veggies in Fun Shapes and Colours

Babies eat with their eyes, too! Offer a rainbow of colours and interesting shapes:

Bright orange sweet potato wedges
Green broccoli florets
Red pepper strips
Yellow squash rounds

Use small cutters to make veggie “stars” or “hearts” from cooked beetroot or courgette slices — fun for both you and baby!

🥒 5. Offer Dips and Spreads

Babies love dipping! Use veggie-based dips to encourage exploration and flavour variety. Great options include:

Avocado mash
Carrot and lentil purée
Beetroot hummus
Greek yoghurt mixed with spinach or cucumber

Even if your baby just plays with the dip initially, they’re still learning about textures and tastes.

🧆 6. Combine Veggies Into Handheld Foods

Baby-led weaning works best with foods babies can grasp. Mix veggies into:

Veggie fritters or patties
Mini omelets or egg muffins
Lentil and veggie balls
Soft veggie pancakes

These are easy to batch-cook and freeze, making veggie-filled meals quick and stress-free.

🥗 7. Keep Offering, Even if They Refuse

It’s normal for babies to reject new foods — especially veggies — the first few times. Research shows it can take 10–15 exposures before a baby accepts a new flavour. Keep offering veggies in different ways, without pressure.

If they toss it on the floor, smile and try again another day. Try a no-thank-you plate where they can pop foods they don’t want to eat or try. This ensures they are still getting exposure to them and means you’re not just taking them ‘off the menu’. Consistency is key!

🧡 8. Be a Veggie Role Model

Babies learn by watching you. If they see you enjoying a colourful plate of vegetables, they’ll be more curious about trying them too. Family-style meals — where everyone eats the same food — are one of the best parts of baby-led weaning.

🌽 9. Try Veggie Snacks for On-the-Go

For older babies (9+ months), pack veggie snacks like:

Steamed veggie sticks (carrots, green beans)
Mini veggie muffins
Soft roasted chickpeas
Cucumber rounds

Keep them handy for quick, healthy munching.

🥦 Final Thoughts

Getting plenty of veggies into baby-led weaning doesn’t have to be a struggle. With patience, creativity, and variety, your little one will learn to love the flavours of real, wholesome food.

Remember: the goal isn’t perfection — it’s exposure. Every time your baby touches, smells, or tastes a vegetable, they build positive food experiences that set the stage for lifelong healthy eating.

Bonus Tip: Don’t stress about how much actually gets eaten in the early stages — baby-led weaning is as much about learning and exploring as it is about nutrition.