15 Best Vegetables for Starting Solids: Shared By A Feeding Expert

best veggies for starting solids, best vegetables for starting solids, best vegetables for baby-led weaning, BLW, purees, baby food

I know how stressful it can be when introducing a new food to your baby, especially as a first-time parent.

By now, You’ve probably been searching the internet high and low for information on the best way to introduce solids to your baby.

Some questions you may be asking are: What are the best vegetables for starting solids? Should I use vegetable purees or soft finger foods? How often should I feed my baby solid food? What about allergies?

If this sounds like you, then you’re in the right place.

I’m a baby-led weaning expert and mom of two toddlers. I did baby-led weaning with both my kids, and I’ve successfully coached moms to feed their babies from 6 months old to toddlerhood confidently.

In this article, I’ll break down the answers to your most common questions about feeding vegetables as a baby’s first food.

Before we jump to the list, let’s take a look at some things you should know before feeding vegetables to your baby.

You should also read – Baby-Led Weaning vs. Traditional Weaning: Which Is Right For You?
You should also read – The Ultimate Baby-Led Weaning First Foods Guide
You should also read – 63 Safe Baby-Led Weaning Foods: The Ultimate Guide + Free Printable

How do you know if your child is ready for Solid foods – Signs of Readiness

Your child is at least 6 months of age

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies aren’t ready to start soft table foods until they’re at least 6 months of age.

That’s when most infants acquire the developmental skills needed to gum and swallow food safely, even though they may have no teeth.

You should also read – Advantages and Disadvantages of BLW: What No One Tells You

Your baby can support their head independently

Babies who can hold their heads upright without support are less likely to choke on foods because they’ve developed the muscle strength and coordination needed to gag out food that may otherwise get stuck.

They’ve lost their tongue-thrust reflex

The tongue-thrust reflex is something babies are born doing. It causes them to repeatedly push their tongues out when they’re bottle-feeding or breastfeeding to prevent them from choking on the milk.

This reflex can be observed in infants who are less than 6 months old.

When baby purees are fed to infants before they’re ready, it’s usually a struggle because you will see them trying to push the food out with their tongue due to this reflex.

That’s a clear sign that they’re not ready for solids.

You should also read – Baby-Led Weaning: The Most Comprehensive Guide

Your baby is showing interest in food

If you notice their little hands trying to grab the food you’re eating or following the hand-to-mouth movement of your food, then they’re showing interest. This is a great sign that they’re ready to try some too!

supplies for starting solids, BLW spoons

What supplies do you need when starting solids? Baby-led Weaning Essentials

There are some essential items that most parents buy when they’re ready to start baby-led weaning or purees with their kids.

You’ll need bibs to protect your baby’s clothes from getting too messy during feedings.

You’ll also need a high chair to help position your baby in the best posture for feeding. Straw cups, plates, and utensils are optional items that you can choose to get.

You should also read – The Best Spoons for Baby-led Weaning

List of the Best Veggies For Starting Solid Foods

Sweet Potatoes

sweet potato recipe for baby, sweet potato recipe for toddlers, sweet potato recipe for baby-led weaning

Their naturally sweet flavor will make your baby eager to have more. They’re rich in vitamin A, which is one of the body’s essential nutrients.

How to serve them – steam and mix them in scrambled eggs, bake them into muffins, make baked sweet potato wedges, puree them, etc.

Try my recipes below:

Carrots

carrots are another vegetable that most children love. They contain a subtle sweet taste that can be enhanced when roasted or steamed.

When serving carrots, make sure you steam them soft enough to be squished between your fingers.

Never serve raw vegetables like carrots to a baby just starting solids. It’s a huge choking hazard. See my ultimate guide on how to serve carrots safely to babies.

How to serve them – steamed, baked, pureed, boiled, etc.

Try my recipes below:

Lentils

Lentils are great vegetables to feed your baby. They contain lots of plant protein and fiber to aid with digestion.

How to serve them – cooked until soft. Can be mixed with other foods.

Try my recipes below:

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are another unlikely vegetable that most people don’t consider for a baby’s first food. They are also packed with fiber and protein that your baby needs to grow.

How to serve them – cooked until soft. Can be served alone or mixed with other foods.

Try my recipes below:

Broccoli

Broccoli is easy for babies to hold which makes it a great finger food. it is also high in vitamin C which helps a baby’s immune system fight illnesses.

You can prepare broccoli by roasting, boiling, or steaming. There are other creative recipes you can try as well such as my broccoli pancakes.

How to serve them – roasted, steamed, boiled. You can puree them to make soup or use them as a pasta sauce.

Try my recipes below:

Beetroot

I used to serve beets to my babies all the time when they were starting baby-led weaning because of their unique taste and texture.

Beets contain essential vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron, manganese, dietary fiber, etc. They’re also sweet when cooked, so most babies will love them.

How to serve them – roasted, steamed, boiled. You can puree them to make soup or use them as a pasta sauce.

Spinach

Spinach is a simple leafy green vegetable that’s great for starting solids. It contains lots of nutrients and can be served in various ways.

Because spinach isn’t sweet like the other veggies on this list, your baby may not like it at first.

However, it’s important to keep offering it to them in a variety of ways as they learn the new tastes.

How to serve them: you can make smooth purees with them and pour them over pasta as a sauce. You can chop them into small pieces and mix them into scrambled eggs.

Try my recipes below:

Green Beans

Green beans are another great vegetable option to serve as one of your baby’s first foods.

They tend to be a little chewing when steamed so your baby may not be able to eat much of it. But it’s great to use as a practice food as they gum them to practice chewing.

How to serve them: you can serve them steamed, boiled, or roasted.

Butternut Squash

This has always been my kid’s favorite vegetable. The sweetness of butternut squash comes to the surface when you roast them.

You can mash them into purees for spoon feeding, turn them into soups, serve them cubed, or make them into pasta sauce.

How to serve them: Roasted as fries, cubes, or wedges. pureed into soup or pasta sauce

Try my recipes below:

Peas

Peas are soft vegetables that are easy to prepare by boiling or steaming. They’re great to feed your baby as they start solids.

Most babies will be able to grab a handful of peas to eat if they’re given enough portions in a bowl. That’s how I fed peas to my kids when they started their food journey.

How to serve them: steamed or boiled, mixed into other foods, or served alone.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin isn’t just for Halloween. You can make them during the fall season as an easy vegetable for starting solids.

How to serve them: Roasted as fries, cubes, or wedges. pureed into soup or pasta sauce. Make into muffins and breads.

Try my recipes below:

Cauliflower

Cauliflower may not be the vegetable that comes to mind when looking for the best ones to feed your baby, but they’re a great option.

Because they have a bland taste when steamed, you can add anything you want to help enhance the flavor.

I love making cauliflower with parmesan or cheddar cheese melted on it. This is a simple way to increase the nutritional value of the vegetable.

How to serve them: steamed, oven-roasted, pureed over pasta, baked into muffins, etc.

Try my recipes below:

Mushrooms

I love mushrooms and I serve them with almost everything I cook. It has so many health benefits that babies need to grow.

It’s important to know that mushroom is very slippery when cooked so chop them into small pieces to ensure that your baby can eat them safely.

How to serve them: chopped and mixed with other food

Try my recipes below:

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are great for starting solids because they’re juicy and soft, so your baby will be able to eat them with no problems.

It’s suggested that you cook tomatoes to reduce their acidity, and when possible, mix in other ingredients as well.

How to serve them: roasted, pureed as a soup, pasta sauce, mixed in with other foods.

Try my recipes below:

Corn

Corn was one of the first meals I fed my babies when they started BLW. It was easy to make and they loved it.

All you need is to boil corn and add some butter or parmesan cheese to it for flavor. Corn should be served in a flat disk shape to allow your baby to eat it independently.

How to serve them: serve the corn kernels with rice and beans (Mexican style), serve corn-on-the-cub

Try my recipes below:

Delicious Corn on the Cob for Baby-led Weaning

What about food Allergies When Feeding Veggies? Use the 4-day rule for starting solids.

If you’re worried about allergic reactions to the vegetables you’ll be feeding your child, then use the 4-day rule for starting solids.

This rule simply asks parents to feed their child single-ingredient foods for up to 4 days to observe them for any signs of allergic reactions.

Doing this will let you know which food caused the allergic reaction (if one was to occur), rather than guessing because you fed your baby a mix of different foods.

Some people have modified this rule into a 3-5 day rule. You should always speak to your child’s pediatrician to get the best health information.

Studies have shown that feeding your baby a variety of foods in the beginning helps to reduce their chances of developing a food allergy later on.

FAQs On Vegetables To Start Baby-led Weaning With

Which vegetables and fruits are the safest in the beginning?

How you prepare and serve your vegetables will determine how safe they are to feed your child.

Soft fruits and veggies are the safest to feed your baby in the beginning. Always cook foods until they’re soft enough to squish between your fingers.

That’s how you know that they’ll be easier for your baby to chew.

How many times a day should my baby eat solids?

Your baby should eat one serving of solid food a day, and continue to breastfeed and bottle-feed as usual.

At the beginning of baby-led weaning, solid food is used as a practice meal. Most of your baby’s nutrition will still come from bottles and breast milk until they’re 1 year old.

There’s a popular saying that goes like this “food before one is just for fun”.

So remember to feed milk first before solids to ensure that your baby has gotten all the nutrients their body needs.

Should you give vegetables first when starting solids?

It doesn’t matter whether you give veggies first or fruits first. Your baby will eventually develop a preference for sweet things.

This is because breastmilk is naturally sweet, and that’s what your baby is used to.

So their brains will eventually connect the dots between the sweetness of fruits and that of breastmilk.

So don’t fall into the misconception that feeding your baby veggies first will prevent them from becoming picky eaters.

What vegetables make good baby food?

Both sweet and savory vegetables make great baby food. At the beginning of the weaning process, you should stick to single-ingredient purees because they will make it easier to pinpoint the trigger of an allergic reaction if one does occur.

Does introducing veggies mean they’ll be more likely to eat veggies later on?

Introducing veggies first before fruits does not guarantee that your baby will be less picky about vegetables in the future.

Most babies tend to prefer sweeter flavors because that’s what their milk and formula taste like.

Focus on introducing a variety of textures and flavors to help your baby become less picky later on.

15 Best Vegetables for Starting Solids: According To A Feeding Expert