We all love sweets — babies too.

Breast milk has a slightly sweet taste, so babies are familiar with the sweet taste from the beginning.

If you start with sweet fruits, babies accept them immediately — but they don't get used to other flavors (such as the slight bitterness of broccoli, squash, or spinach).

The first months of feeding are a very important "window" for the development of tastes.

Those foods that a baby tries often at this stage will be accepted more easily later on, even when they grow up.

If he starts with vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, parsnips, the baby learns:
"This is normal and delicious too."

If you start with fruit, vegetables are often rejected.

This happens because fruits are sweet and the brain experiences them as an immediate reward, while vegetables are more subtle in taste, sometimes even a little bitter.

The secret is: offer those foods that may seem more difficult first, so that the child gets used to them as “something normal.”
Fruit can be added later to the afternoon snack.

How do we do it properly?

You can make light combinations — e.g. broccoli with a little corn, sweet potato with eggplant, pumpkin with carrots, etc. — to soften the taste.

Some strategies on how to get children to accept them if they haven't started with vegetables from the beginning:

1. Patience & repetition

Babies need to try the same vegetable often until they accept it.
Even if they refuse at first, continue without pressure.
Offer small amounts regularly — even if the baby just looks at it or licks it, that's a step forward.

2. Try different preparation methods

Some babies prefer raw carrots over cooked ones, or steamed broccoli over mashed ones.
Try roasting it, steaming it, pureeing it, cutting it into sticks, or flavoring it with a little mild spices like nutmeg or thyme.

3. Combine vegetables with familiar foods

Mix vegetables with something your child already likes (e.g. potatoes, pasta, cheese, or a little fruit puree for bitter vegetables like spinach).

Example: mashed carrots with potatoes, or broccoli with mashed sweet corn.

4. Feed yourself vegetables – set an example

When you yourself eat the vegetable with pleasure, the child sees: "Aha, this is normal."

Babies learn a lot through imitation — eat together when possible.

5. Make food a game – without obligation

Create shapes with vegetables, e.g. broccoli as little trees, or faces with peppers and cucumbers.
Don't give rewards (like "You'll get dessert if you eat the vegetable") — this often makes it worse.

6. Create a calm atmosphere

No stress, no obligation — food should be something enjoyable.
If you don't eat anything today, no problem — tomorrow is a new day.

Starting nutrition is more than just eating — it's the first step toward a healthy relationship with food.

By offering your baby a variety of tastes from the beginning, especially vegetables, we are not just building meals, but habits that last a lifetime.
With patience, love, and a colorful spoon, any child can learn to love broccoli. 

Photo by Kampus Production:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-and-daughter-having-a-picnic-7669129/