Babies prefer a good curry

Time was when the average baby's dinner was a bowl of pureed carrot followed - if they were lucky - by some mashed banana.

But infants have rather more exotic tastes now. Figures released today show they are more likely to be enjoying potato and lamb moussaka or vegetable, chicken and coconut korma.

Details of the 10 best-selling baby foods of this year show children's tastebuds are now as refined as their parents'.

Guy Meakin, baby food buyer at Sainsbury's, which compiled the figures based on its own sales, said: "Ten years ago, the typical British baby would be tucking into a jar of pur饤 boiled vegetables, plain mashed potato or pasta at meal times.

"Now the top-selling baby foods read like dishes you would find on a menu from a top-notch restaurant."

The top 10 sellers are: potato and lamb moussaka; vegetable, chicken and coconut korma; pasta stars and parmesan; sweet potato, carrots and beef; rigatoni Napoli; vegetable noodle and chicken; lamb risotto and Hawaiian chicken; spaghetti, tomatoes and mozzarella; banoffee pie; and crè­¥ caramel.