Heinz Reveals How Babies ‘Talk’ At the Dinner Table

Bonjour lecteurs! Unlike breastfeeding, I absolutely LOVED weaning Stanley. Feeding time was always so much fun. It was lovely to see him discover new flavours and textures. Plus, he was quite a gourmet baby at an early age. Did you like that period with your baby? Pas de panique if you are struggling at times. Heinz Reveals How Babies ‘Talk’ At the Dinner Table, so that it’s une bonne experience for all the family.

Heinz Research

New Heinz research* reveals that almost half of parents struggle to interpret their babies’ mealtime cues and long for more enjoyable mealtimes with them.

Even better, Heinz has decoded baby body language and facial expressions with the help of Clinical Child Psychologist Angharad Rudkin.

And the findings are quite intéressants. Indeed, it shows that babies’ reactions don’t always mean what you think. Par exemple, frowns may be une sign positif! If you feel like mealtimes can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster, read on.

La recherche récente covers it all for parents, whether mealtimes are a pure delight or a bit of a mission. But what if that frown isn’t a sign of disgust but curiosity instead?

Heinz To The Rescue

New research from Heinz reveals that nearly half of UK parents (45%) struggle to interpret their baby’s mealtime cues, meaning what should be a joyful bonding experience is often a stressful guessing game.

Furthermore, 48% of the participants even think that l’experience could be more enjoyable if they could better understand what their babies are trying to communicate to them. Heinz is here to the rescue.

The brand is on a mission to build parents’ confidence, reduce stress, and turn every bite into a positive bonding experience. So that’s why the label had partnered with renowned Clinical Child Psychologist, Dr. Angharad Rudkin, to uncover the hidden meaning behind babies’ reactions. We tell you all about it now so that you can transform mealtimes into a great moment of joy and connection.

Cracking The Code: Their Reactions Explained

“Babies are natural communicators,” explains Dr Rudkin, who has worked with children and families for over 20 years. “From their first smiles to their most exaggerated frowns, they are constantly sharing how they feel – we just need to learn how to listen.”

• Frowning: “While adults often associate frowning with dislike, for babies, it’s more about discovery and experiencing something new. A furrowed brow often signals that they’re processing a new flavour or texture – not rejecting it outright. Keep offering that food with encouragement and patience.”

• Eye Contact: “Babies look to us, quite literally, for reassurance, locking eyes with us especially when encountering something unfamiliar. Eye contact helps them gauge our approval. As parents and caregivers, being attentive, present, enthusiastic, and supportive during these moments gives them the confidence to explore.”

• Lip-Smacking: “Here’s an adorable sign of approval to watch for – lip-smacking! For babies, eating is a whole new sensory adventure, and they want to explore every taste and texture with their entire mouth, from their lips to their gums and tongue.”

• Clenched fists: “Clenched fists are a sign of tension. This is usually to do with discomfort leading to a build up of tension in the body. It can sometimes be to do with excitement – but for this to be the case it would need to be accompanied by open eyes and excited facial expression. So on the whole, it is to do with displeasure.”

• Arms flailing: “This is usually a sign of discomfort, and is generally accompanied by crying, shouting, screaming or a very sad face. It’s almost like the baby is trying to rid themselves of something unpleasant by moving their arms in this way. But this is not to be mixed up with hand waving which can often be a sign of happiness and excitement rather than sadness.”

• Sticking Out Tongue: “When babies lick, suck, or stick out their tongue, it’s often a playful signal of curiosity and openness to new experiences. If they seem relaxed and content, it’s a great sign that they’re enjoying themselves.”

• Spitting Out or Dribbling: “Spitting out food might seem like rejection, but it’s often part of how babies explore new textures and sensations. Sometimes, they’ll even put the food back in their mouths and play around with their hands, and as messy as that might seem to us adults, these are all good signs, so embrace the mess. And dribbling happens when we have an abundance of saliva in our mouths, and that is usually because we’re really enjoying a taste.”

 Heinz Mission

Almudena Rein, Heinz of Heinz First Foods, said:“What might seem like food rejection, such as frowning or spitting, is often a sign of curiosity or exploration. By recognising these signals, parents can respond with confidence, creating positive and enjoyable mealtime experiences for both them and their little ones.” 

 

“We’re on a mission to make parents’ lives easier by bringing joy back to mealtimes,” she continued. “At Heinz, we’ve been using our expertise for over 90 years to create baby food with the highest quality ingredients. Each product is thoughtfully tailored to nourish little ones and delight even the pickiest eaters, because we truly understand the challenges parents face when introducing solids and new foods. Our research highlights just how confusing this can be, and we’re here to support parents every step of the way.”

So joy the fun now and transform mealtime chaos into joyful connection with the brand. You can even find more about this great campaign on the Heinz for Baby UK Instagram page. Simply look for their “Heinz’s Happy Highchair Hints”.

 

So here is How Babies ‘Talk’ At the Dinner Table. It’s could sound like a secret code at times, but it’s also a great experience

 

Collaboration