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Young infants are far less fussy than the experience might suggest at the dining table. This shows the diversity of the various complementary food traditions around the globe. Eating habits and attitudes towards eating can be considered one of the most important aspects of a culture. Because of different cultural traditions, attitudes, and systems [15], the reasons for introducing complementary food may vary widely. The literature shows large differences in practice across the world in the timing of the onset of complementary feeding, and even within European cultures, practices are surprisingly varied [16].

When parents in Germany think of the first weaning food, they all think first about allergies. Does my child eat the carrot or is it better to start with the low-allergen parsnip? To be on the safe side, there is often a whole week then of parsnip until a new vegetable will be introduced. In the neighboring country France, the mothers are much more courageous. Almost every day there is a new vegetable introduced during weaning, even fish is introduced quite early and regularly [17]. The wider the perspective, the more confusing is the variety of complementary feeding traditions. While worried parents may be looking for the best solution for their child, experts advise one thing above all: relaxation. A baby’s nutritional needs can be met in many different ways. To provide guidance for parents, it makes sense for each country to develop its own recommendations on how children can grow up healthy with available resources, systems, and traditions. Whether it is fermented corn sorghum paste like in Nigeria, millet porridge with sour milk like in Senegal, or Thai rice porridge with bananas: infants can learn to like almost anything as long as their parents set a good example and demonstrate it to them.