If you like to cook, or if you even just like to eat, hitting the baby food puree stage is incredibly exciting. So many favorite foods to share with your baby, so many hilarious baby faces to make you forget about the ungodly mess of it all.

And then, two weeks later, you’re stuck for ideas. Maybe you have vague ideas of introducing spices, maybe? Or do I just keep shoveling steamed broccoli at her face while she refuses?

Bean started off as a power eater, and after a month or two, tapered off. She instead started grabbing for my Thai curries and balsamic-laden salads. It occurred to me, “if I have no interest in eating steamed carrots day after day, why should she?”

Avocado by itself? Nah. Avocado drenched in balsamic? YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU MOMMY.

Babies have weird taste buds. Plenty of videos of babies eating lemons whole are a testament to that. So, I figured, why not try a LOT more flavor and see how it goes? For us, it went extremely well, and it was surely a lot more interesting than the same ol’ steamed broccoli. It also paved the way to a smooth transition to normal table food.

Here are 14 (maybe surprising) baby food puree concoctions that will slowly introduce your baby to spices and more complex flavors. These aren’t “recipes” but (delicious) pairings and ideas. In each case, when I mention a spice or lemon or condiment, I mean the slightest sprinkle of something. If it’s two vegetables, then I mean equal parts.

(Just getting started on making baby food? Check out my Lazy Parents’ Guide to Making Baby Food primer over here.)

1. Sweet potato and rosemary (roasted together)

2. Butternut squash and cinnamon

3. Carrots, cumin, and cinnamon (courtesy of Smitten Kitchen — a DELICIOUS group of flavors, trust me)

4. Apple or banana, cinnamon, and cereal

5. Pear and parsnip (I have no idea why this works so well, but it does. Like pureed heaven. Very easy to pop an ice cube of pear and and ice cube of parsnip in a bowl.)

6. Avocado and cilantro

7. Avocado and balsamic vinegar (Bean’s favorite)

8. Fish, mustard, maple syrup, and thyme

9. Spinach (or any greens) and garlic (cook together)

10. Cauliflower and lemon

11. Potato and leeks (Basically, potato and leek soup)

12. Beets, parsnips, rutabaga, sweet potato, carrot, parsley, cinnamon, and apple (vegetables and fruits roasted together, then add parsley and cinnamon)

13. White beans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, and garlic (Garlic and oil cooked with beans, this is basically a white bean crostini topping)

14. Garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon, and garlic (Basically, hummus)

As you can see, the purees slowly start looking like real food that you’d actually eat. That’s the idea. Once baby has a few spices under her belt, you add more and more combinations until you’ve built up to a proper adult-style meal.

At that point, you can start pureeing whatever you’re eating for dinner, and feeding your baby gets a billion times easier.