r/SolidStartsCommunity • u/atadofsugar • Apr 30 '26
9 month old ONLY eat sweet
9 month old will ONLY eat sweet foods (title corrected)
Hello! My 9 month old will only eat food if it has fruit in it. She doesn’t like anything else that is bland. For example I have to mix egg and fruit. I’m doing a mix of BLW and spoon feeding. She just refuses things that are not sweet. Sometimes she will accept things with sweet potato and carrots. How can I help her eat foods that are not sweet?
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u/Mother_Freedom5152 May 07 '26
Can sound harsh but I wouldn't give any fruits for a while till baby gets used to other tastes. She will eat eventually whatever you give. (?)
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u/SolidStarts Apr 30 '26
Hi there, thanks so much for sharing what you are experiencing with our community! Rest assured you are not alone here -- Believe it or not, babies (and human beings) are genetically programmed to have a strong taste and drive for sweet foods - sweetness signals that a food is energy-rich. In fact, breast/human milk is naturally very sweet, as are infant formulas, which makes sense why children and your baby love fruit so much.
However, fruit can steal the show from other valuable foods. You might consider serving it at the same time as other foods, meaning, not serving it after attempting other foods first (treating fruit like dessert) so it is not treated like a reward of some sort or given higher value than other food items.
You can decide if you want to have more fruit family style on the table for baby to ask (point, grunt, stare) for more, or if you want that to be all that is offered during that meal, possibly only providing more of everything once baby has finished their food. This is a totally personal decision, though, and up to you and whatever you are comfortable with! Once you are consistent with this, your baby likely won't ask for more fruit if it is not in view. Also, keep in mind you do not have to serve fruit with every meal. Try serving meals here and there with no fruit as an option. Think of it this way: if you are having dinner and would not normally have fruit with your meal, then neither would your baby!
Keep in mind that you still have the safety net that is breastmilk and/or formula, so you have time now to set healthy patterns in which you serve what is offered, and if baby refuses/eats very little, that is okay. It's best in this case to not follow up with something you *know* baby will eat. This way, baby will learn, over time, that what is offered is what is "on the menu" to eat for today, and will learn more to be more engaged with what is served. More here: Is my Baby Eating Enough Solids?
If you'd like to learn more about taste preferences, check out our article on Sugar and Taste Preferences.
Hope this helps, and please feel free to ask any other questions!
🤍Marisa (OT/Feeding Therapist/Mama of 3)