The short version

  • Simple roasted vegetable sticks, cut to a size a baby can grip and gum.
  • No salt, no sugar, no honey, just soft vegetables and a little oil.
  • A calm, low-pressure way to let your baby explore food.

Starting solids is a lovely, messy milestone, and it does not need to be complicated. Soft roasted vegetable sticks are one of the gentlest first finger foods: easy for a baby to hold, soft enough to gum, and a calm way to let them explore taste and texture at their own pace.

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 parsnip
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

No salt, no seasoning. The vegetables are plenty on their own.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan).
  2. Peel the vegetables and cut into sticks roughly the length and width of an adult finger, so your baby can wrap a hand around one with a little showing at the top.
  3. Toss lightly in the oil and spread on a tray in a single layer.
  4. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until completely soft. They should squash easily between your finger and thumb. If a stick still has any firmness, give it longer.
  5. Let them cool to just warm before offering.

Expect more on the floor and the face than in the mouth at first, and that is exactly as it should be. The early weeks of weaning are about exploring, not finishing a plate.

Bubba & Me tip

Cut sticks roughly the length of your finger, so a good piece still shows above your baby's fist. Always check each one squashes easily between your finger and thumb before offering it.

Please read this one carefully. Most babies are ready for solids at around six months, when they can sit up well, hold their head steady and bring things to their mouth. Always stay with your baby while they eat and never leave them alone with food. Avoid added salt, sugar and honey in the first year. Introduce common allergens one at a time, on their own, so any reaction is easy to spot. Every baby is different, so do follow your health visitor's guidance, and our registered nutritional therapists can support weaning if you would like a steadier hand.