When your baby refuses food

3 min read

Refusing new foods is very common and usually just a phase of learning. A baby can need ten to fifteen tries of a food before accepting it, so a refusal does not mean a dislike.

Keep offering, without pressure. Put a small amount of the new food on the tray next to something familiar, and eat it yourself. Do not bribe, distract or force, and do not hide vegetables in other foods, since it can hide the taste you want your baby to learn.

Vary how a food is prepared: a vegetable that gets refused steamed may be enjoyed roasted or mashed into something. Sometimes a baby is just tired, teething or unwell, so try another day.

Talk to your pediatrician if your baby gags or vomits with every food, refuses all solids for weeks, or is not gaining weight as expected.