Modern parents are weaning children on avocados, sweet potato and quinoa, study finds

Children are getting their first taste of more exotic foods at just months old and enjoying it

More babies are now having avocados than ever before (Getty/iStock)

Modern parents are weaning their babies on avocados, sweet potato and quinoa, a study has found.

A poll of 1,500 mothers and fathers found children are getting their first taste of more exotic foods when they are just a few months old and are enjoying it.

One in seven babies also love the taste of houmous, while one in twenty even enjoyed eating quinoa.

It’s not all modern foods though, with toad in the hole (41 per cent) and chicken korma (46 per cent) popular meals to serve up for babies.

It also emerged 73 per cent of parents felt confused about what foods they should be feeding their baby in the early months, with 67 per cent overwhelmed by conflicting advice about when they should begin weaning.

David Lawlor, from WaterWipes, which commissioned the research, said: “Far from being fussy, millennial babies love tucking into a variety of unusual dishes and exciting flavours.

“With the variation in our diets now, and exotic food more readily available than ever before, a baby’s first foods are changing.

“But as any parent will tell you, a baby enjoying a meal can be a messy experience. No matter how much they are loving the taste, most of it will still end up anywhere but in their mouth.''

Researchers also found that on average, parents begin to wean their children around six months old.

But convenience is key - while 55 per cent of parents served their babies home-cooked meals from scratch when weaning, 30 per cent simply mashed or pureed whatever food they had for their own meal.

And after feeding their youngsters, parents have found food in some unexpected places.

A third found food on the kitchen wall (33 per cent), a fifth found some in their bra or under their top (20 per cent) and some even found that food had made its way to the hallway after mealtime had ended (12 per cent).

Forty-six per cent of babies also ended up with food under their bottom, 38 per cent had some behind their ears and 33 per cent were left with food under their feet.

As a result, almost six in 10 parents admitted there were times when they chose what to feed their child based on the amount of mess it would make, opting for the least-messiest meal.

One in twenty even said the mess that comes with feeding babies is one of the biggest challenges about weaning.

Pre-planning what to cook, preparing the meal and getting the baby to eat what you make are also among the challenges that parents face when it comes to feeding their babies.

20 foods babies like on the first taste

1. Yoghurt

2. Mashed banana

3. Pasta

4. Mashed sweet potato

5. Steamed veggies

6. Stewed apple

7. Rusks

8. Soft cheese

9. Meatballs

10. Mangos

11. Mashed Butternut squash

12. Mashed fish

13. Tomatoes

14. Peanut butter

15. Avocados

16. Salmon

17. Houmous

18. Cous Cous

19. Pumpkin Soup

20. Lentils

Top 10 disliked foods

1. Brussel Sprouts

2. Lemon

3. Mushrooms

4. Eggs

5. Broccoli

6. Grapefruit

7. Fish

8. Meat

9. Pesto

10. Soft cheese

SWNS