Is it better to start complementary feeding with vegetables or fruit?

Your concern is very common, and as scientific data shows, the natural sweetness of fruit can be more appealing to babies than vegetables. This is exactly why I recommend starting with vegetables, not without reason.

The logic behind starting with vegetables: Offering the sweet taste (fruit) first can make your baby reluctant toward less sweet vegetables. Starting with single vegetables – carrot, squash, broccoli, peas, potato, sweet potato like purees and observing their response for a few days, then introducing a new vegetable is ideal. Adding each new food 3-5 days apart is also important for tracking allergies.

A practical step you can take: Start with mild-tasting vegetables like carrot, squash, sweet potato, leaving slightly bitter vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower for later. Once vegetables are varied enough (within a few weeks), you can add fruit. But if your baby is refusing vegetables, instead of postponing fruit entirely, try mixing a small amount of fruit puree with the vegetable – this is a common method to ease the transition.

In summary: vegetables first, then fruit is the general pediatric recommendation. But this is a guide, not a rule. If your baby absolutely refuses vegetables, you can progress with mixtures rather than completely delaying fruit.