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3 Reasons Why Variety is the Most Important Part of Starting Solids 

Dariana Fleming
ByDariana FlemingMar 18, 2024In Partnership With Little Spoon

When it was time to start my first on solids, I dutifully made single-ingredient purees, sticking to tried and tested flavors like peas and carrots. Little did I know that I was unwittingly creating a picky eater and no mom wants that. So with my second baby, I tried Little Spoon to offer a varied diet from the start and the difference has been night and day.

While my preschooler turns their nose up at everything, my toddler will happily try everything that I put in front of them. So, now as a more seasoned mom of two, I think one of the most important parts of starting solids is including variety.

If you’re pressed for time - and what mom isn't? - I highly recommend Little Spoon. Not only is their food yummy, but their plans make it easy for me to offer my girls the variety I was looking for.

Turns out, variety has more value than JUST the picky eating benefit - here are 3 major reasons why having variety is the most important part of starting solids:

1. More variety = more nutrition

At this stage, babies aren’t very picky yet. They’ll eat pretty much anything because they’re just excited to eat! However, we parents often buy foods we’re familiar with. Of course, we choose healthy options! But sticking to just one food means your kiddo is getting a less diverse diet and therefore has less exposure to a range of nutritional benefits that come from all types of food. The more ingredients your kiddo enjoys, the wider nutrition we’re able to provide their growing bodies.

2. It’s safer for baby

I’m sure many of us have read news about heavy metals found in many grocery store brand baby food through the years. It turns out that heavy metals are naturally occurring and are therefore found in everything we eat, but the presence of heavy metals is made worse by rising human pollution. One of the keys to limit heavy metal exposure is quality sourcing and variety.

Why? Many root vegetables grown in soil (like sweet potatoes and carrots) are great to incorporate into your mini’s diet, but it’s important to ensure they are ingredients alongside a wide range of others to avoid overexposure.

Switching it up at mealtime not only gives your little one greater variety, but ingredients like kale, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, and more in many of Little Spoon’s foods are also naturally ingredients higher in vitamin C, iron, or calcium - all nutrients that are recommended to help minimize absorption of heavy metals. It’s safer and more delicious: win-win!

3. You don’t have to worry about picky eating

After dealing with one picky eater, I wanted to do all that could to avoid encouraging another one. And while it’s never too late to start introducing more variety into your child’s diet, I will say that I think giving my younger child these different foods in their early stages of eating solids meant that by the time they got to the toddler stage, they were ready to eat whatever was put in front of them. I got to skip the whole picky eating stage the second time around - #blessed.

Take the guesswork out of giving your baby variety at mealtime

Every stage of parenthood is a challenge, but offering your baby variety at mealtime doesn’t have to be. Little Spoon has mixed baby foods, but they also have single-ingredient foods for babies who are in their very first stage of eating solids and it’s all clearly labeled Stage 1, 2, 3, and so on. Best part? They don’t stop at baby food. They have a line for transitioning to table foods AND a huge line of toddler + kids meals and snacks as your kiddo ages. Win on win on win for this busy mama.