By Jo Lenz, Registered Dietitian (HCPC registered), in conversation with Mulu, founder of V&Me · Published July 2026

Often it is both, and the answer is the same either way: keep offering, again and again, without pressure. Take the classic example from our conversation: a baby who manages sweet potato lumps happily but refuses broccoli. Sweet foods are always going to be more palatable than bitter tasting vegetables, and a smooth sweet potato takes no effort to chew, while broccoli brings different fibres and textures and a bitter taste all at once. Registered dietitian Jo Lenz explains how to think about it, from her conversation with V&Me founder Mulu.

Why the sweet potato versus broccoli puzzle is not really a puzzle

When a baby accepts one food and refuses another, parents naturally want to diagnose which ingredient is the problem. Jo's answer unpicks why the comparison is stacked. Sweet foods are always going to be more palatable than bitter tasting vegetables, because babies have an innate liking for sweetness. And a smooth sweet potato purée may be easier to manage as well: no lumps, no effort required to chew. Broccoli asks for both at once, coping with different fibres and textures within it, and accepting a bitter taste. So the refusal is not a mystery to solve. It is just a harder food, and harder foods take more exposures.

So what do I actually do?

Repeated exposure. Jo knows this advice gets bandied about an awful lot, but it really is true: the only way babies come to accept foods like broccoli is by meeting them repeatedly. If you offer it once and they reject it or refuse the texture, that would not stop Jo offering it again and again and again.

The practical shape of that, from the conversation:

• Use the week, not the meal. With three meals a day you have a lot of opportunities to bring different textures and foods in. You would not offer broccoli at every meal, because that is not variety, but across the week your baby can come back into contact with it a number of times.
• Count small wins. Sometimes we think a child has not eaten well when actually they have managed to get quite a bit in, or they tasted it, or they touched it. That exposure already counts. It is not just about the amounts going in, because in the first six months of weaning milk is still providing nutrition in between.
• Expect inconsistency. Every day can be different. Some meals they eat well, and the next time you offer sweet potato they may not want that either. Recognising that this happens is part of keeping the pressure low.

Free texture progression guide download

A simple guide designed by Jo Lenz, ready to be printed and stuck to the fridge.

The trap to avoid

Only offering the foods and textures your baby already accepts. It feels sensible, but it narrows variety exactly when variety matters most, and it can quietly stall texture progression too. The direction stays the same as everywhere in weaning: keep offering the harder foods calmly, keep the accepted foods in the rotation, and let the week do the work. Our month by month guide shows where this fits in the bigger picture.

Variety, delivered daily

This is the thinking behind our menu: a different meal every day, cooked fresh each morning in our Battersea kitchen and delivered across London, so your baby meets new tastes and textures on repeat without you having to plan the exposures. See this week's menu.

FAQs

Q: Why does my baby eat sweet potato but refuse broccoli?‍

A: Sweet foods are more palatable than bitter vegetables, and a smooth sweet potato takes no chewing effort while broccoli brings fibres, texture and bitterness at once. It is a harder food, not a dislike set in stone.

Q: How many times should I offer a rejected food?‍

A: Keep offering again and again across the week, without pressure. Repeated exposure is how acceptance builds, and touching or tasting the food already counts.

Q: Does it matter if my baby eats very little at a meal?‍

A: Less than you might think. Babies are good at managing their own appetites, milk still provides nutrition during the first six months of weaning, and every day can be different.

This article is based on a recorded conversation between Jo Lenz, registered dietitian, and Mulu, founder of V&Me. It is general guidance, not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you are concerned about your baby's feeding, speak to your GP, health visitor or a paediatric dietitian.

Jo Lenz is a registered dietitian with 19 years of experience, including 13 years in the NHS, and has worked with V&Me since it began. V&Me cooks fresh baby and toddler meals every morning in its Battersea kitchen and delivers across London.