# Food - Sharing ideas for feeding LOs



## MummyElf

I thought I'd start a thread about food (which is one of my favourite topics anyway as I love cooking / eating) as a place to share ideas for what to feed littlies, recipes etc. Whether it be made from scratch, improvised, or ready bought, a snack or a meal, what works for your LO. When it comes to snacks I like to give fresh fruit, raisins, or if we're out organix / Ella's kitchen fruit bars. I am careful about sugar and processed foods due to my LO's history and general well being. She is 14 months by the way and has a fair few teeth.

Big hits for meals are:

Homemade chicken ratatouille (easy peasy and really tasty - happy to share recipe if anyone wants it)

Veggies or macaroni in cheese sauce 

Spag Bol 

Homemade breaded chicken with sweet potato chips

With all of the meals I batch cook, freeze in little pots then get out one a day. I use Annabel Karmel's cheese sauce recipe and use her book a lot for freezing down pasta sauces etc.

However my LO hates mashed potato and if a meal contains mash it, it's game over. It took me a while to work out what it was she hated - was it the salmon hidden in the mash etc, but then when I gave her cottage pie all became clear. So weird - I thought mash would be a big hit. Equally she loves sweet potato chips but if you mash up the sweet potato she won't touch it.

I've also given her a very mild Thai chicken rice dish a couple of times and she's loved this, as well as enjoying beef stew last week.

I want to give her more fish but am unsure how to introduce this given her hatred of mash. Might just have to smuggle it in cheese sauce or just serve it as it is and see if she goes for it. 

Last week I made rice pudding in the slow cooker and froze it down. The texture is weird for adults from the slow cooker - very smooth - but perfect for LOs. I may have done it for too long or something.

What do you give your LO......


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## GERTIE179

Fantastic thread - I would love other ideas to get LO to try more fruit/veg. Currently he will only eat banannas
Peas, carrots & turnip. We've tried other things and had various success but then he won't touch it again. I don't think it's sensory but just general picky toddler eating.

Re fish if LO liking stronger flavours like mild korma etc then Tesco do a great salmon in a Chinese inspired sauce. I make it with rice, peas & sweet corn and LO loves it (but its messier to eat).

Ill pop back later with other ideas that works for us & get done inspiration for other things to try.
X


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## MummyElf

Thanks Gertie -I'll look into that. She does surprise me at times with her tastes so may well enjoy Chinese style sauces! x


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## Wyxie

Pasta bakes work well (tuna is good for getting fish in) and you can normally mix in quite a variety of little bits of veg.  If l/o isn't chewing too well then use soup pasta or macaroni pasta to start with, so you don't have to blend if you chop the veggies small.  Mine eat pretty much anything.  Salad was a challenge with Bladelet, but I put quite a bit of salad dressing on to start with and then wrapped it around a little piece of pizza so it couldn't be easily separated, before I put in his mouth.  He's got used to it.

To be honest, a lot of what is on here, we don't get time for.  Ours are pretty demanding and even a bulk cook at the weekend isn't that feasible.  I get so little done in the week we're mad rush at weekends to get everything needed done, and then try and get a bit of time with the children to actually do things with the families.

Cheese is good for snacks (neutralises acid as well if they won't brush or let you brush properly).

I'm quite lucky in that both of mine are good eaters.  Although to be honest I don't do catering to fussy eating and healthy stuff is eaten before crisps/puddings are provided.  Both of them were used to being topped up with extra milk, yoghurt, and in Wyxling's case all sorts of horrendous food for a baby to have in large quantities, if they didn't eat their meals, to make sure they didn't get hungry.  Might be harsh, but I'm not doing that sort of faffing.  Had a bit of a battle with Bladelet about this but he soon got used to it and is eating really well now.  Both of them really quite like spicey food, Wyxling will eat the same chilli or curries that we do.  Bladelet will eat a little taste but I normally do a toned down one for him, because I don't want those nappies!


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## SummerTilly

Ooh I love this thread! Am curious for tips in preparation for placement x will share some too when I have them


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## oliver222

Really good thread. Its one thing I say to my dh that I hope we get a good eater. As I like to cook. My great nephew will only eat fish fingers and chips and jam sandwiches. It's a nightmare.


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## katie c

does your daughter like other veg Elfie? there's a good AK recipe with carrots, toms, cheese and fish. i do it with mixed veg from the freezer though (the cauli, brocc and carrots one which i whizz in the hand blender) and master c wolfs it down 

fish cakes may work too, i appreciate they have mash in but don't look 'mashy' so may fool her


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## MummyElf

Thanks Katie - I'll have a look in my AK book for that. I'm going to try a pasta bake too as suggested by Wyxie, got to be worth a shot.  She wasn't up for tuna when we last tried but she does eat most veg if it's made interesting or part of a meal in the sauce. I have a veg box delivered every other week so she does tend to get a fair amount in her meals. She loves pasta which I'm very happy about as it makes like easy. My nieces won't touch it so I feel fortunate!


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## MummyAuntieKatie

I started off with lots of Heniz kids ready meals but now I try and cook our dinner early (things that I can reheat later for us) and give Bluebird some of that for his dinner.  He eats pretty much anything too, even mild chilli and curry, chicken and chorizo (a type of tomato based stew thing I do), anything with mushrooms, lots of pasta, fish pie, bacon and mushrooms with a basic alfredo sauce.  I don't worry too much about what goes with what, if I'm pushed he'll get curry and pasta or one night, because he didn't like his dinner (it was rank) I gave him some baked beans, a banana and toast with jam! 

If I don't cook early enough I put up a dish for his lunch or dinner the next day.  We are so lucky, he's not a fussy eater.  His favourite desert is fruit, pretty much anything, strawbs, mango, melon, apple (he's fascinated that we have apple trees in the garden).  

I still keep some Annabel Karmel fish pie ready meals and Heniz or tinned stuff in too.  And I don't do gaffing either, he eats what's there (unless I try it and it's awful, which some ready meals have been) or he doesn't, followed by fruit, yogs, fruit pouches, fromage fais, anything really.  My theory is that no food is banned, everything in moderation.  I've seen too many kids obsessed with sweets, crisps and choc just because it's a rationed food or saved for once a week treats.  BB usually goes into Nanna for chocolate buttons at least once a day (shouting to check if it's ok first 'MUMMY!!!  MUMMY!!! Butns?')  lol...


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## MummyElf

Salmon successfully smuggled into macaroni cheese  

Top tip - I buy a few fillets and chop them into small pieces before individually freezing each piece, makes life much easier.

My golden rule is that LO can have treats at other people's houses if they want to provide them for her and it's also helped her to bond with grandparents etc if they give her bits of cake or ice cream, but my own cupboards are fairly bare in this regard. She has the organix crisps which she loves and organix have their 'no junk promise' - a packet lasts a few days as she just has a few with lunch. Yesterday I made sugar free flapjack which she also loves. It's more of a bread pudding texture really but it freezes well apparently, keeps in the fridge for a week, and takes about 5 minutes to make. I tend to give her things that are perceived as treats but actually sugar free or pretty low on nasties or unprocessed and so far she eats everything in sight pretty much


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## ELKA82

Great thread girls. My LO only nearly 7 month but we trying lots of new things. I would like to share with you something too. I am Russian and we always use Twarog( you can find it in Polish department in supermarkets) Its like Cottage cheese but not containing salt. Its great for kids of all ages. For mine i blend it with fruits and give as a snack or breakfast. You can roll some of it in pancakes, usually hit with kids and adults too.
Organix making great sauces for meals. I had Korma, Tikka, Tomato and green.


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## Wyxie

Just in case this thread makes anyone nervous.  Tonight, my two had fish fingers and beans, and even the time required in the kitchen for that was too much for them.


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## katie c

Wyxie said:


> Just in case this thread makes anyone nervous. Tonight, my two had fish fingers and beans, and even the time required in the kitchen for that was too much for them.


 

yesterday master c had some 'fish bites' (like mini fish cakes) that have been in the freezer for yonks, purely by virtue of their only being four left and i was sick of them falling out of our desperately in need of defrosting freezer every time i pull one of the drawers open 

and some rice pudding from a tin 

master c is like pavlov's baby, if he hears the 'ping' of the microwave he goes nuts. and the time it takes for me to walk to the kitchen and back again to get his food after i've strapped him into his highchair, well, you'd think i was starving and torturing the child, the row he makes 

some things master c likes;

breakfast - those little brioche rolls or scotch pancakes are nice after some cereal, and just big enough.

lunch - a bit spendy but those warburtons 'sandwich thins' as they're a bit crusty they are a bit easier to hold than bread slices. he likes petit filou, the aldi version are just fine. or plain yoghurt with some jam in it, if you really want to save money 

tea - i said all this on the 'tips' thread, but frozen veg is ace. frozen cauli cheese takes about four minutes, it takes longer waiting for it to cool down. mixed frozen veg/beans etc also take minutes and it doesnt really matter than it may not be a crisp as adults like, in fact its better for children i'd've thought. frozen mash is fab too, and yorkie puds. and lastly, frozen fish such as salmon or haddock. get a book such as annabelle karmel and improvise with what you have.

we have sunday dinner together, we have meat, mash and veg, he has some mash with some veg/meat blitzed in the hand blender and mixed in, with some gravy over it. he loves that 

i'd definitely get a braun hand blender (or similar) prefably one that has the pot you attach to whizz stuff in. i've used ours loads.

i got some organix snacks in the aldi baby event today, i assume they sell them until they sell out? they were 2.99 for 12 packets so at that price they're worth trying


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## Wyxie

Completely agree about frozen veg, it's so useful, and easy to get the small amount you want for a baby.  Although I can't stand to even look at mixed veg one any more (beans, peas, carrots and sweetcorn, in case you wondered) without heaving after a horrendous overnight sick incident we had with Wyxling.


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## MummyAuntieKatie

Has anyone ever found tiny pots of rice?  I find it a real faff to cook just enough rice for BB.  If I'm dishing him up some from ours for the next day it's fine because I cook enough for everyone but if I'm cooking just for him I'd love to find tiny little microwave rices.

Tip, if you are squeamish about poop, don't feed sweetcorn... I had to pick a bit off his bits this morning, made me feel a bit green!


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## newmum

Great thread to pick up ideas


Today I have batched cooked vegatable soup and bolognese both in the slow cooker and cottage pie and chicken casserole in the oven

Thought I would get ready for LO arrival and when we won't have time to cook I will have meals prepared   well that's the idea!! Hope LO likes  

Will also be buying fish fingers, chicken nuggets, baked beans, handy other tins etc 

X


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## peacelily

Raisins come out whole too 

MummyElf - could you share you recipe for sugar-free flapjack, please?

Mine will eat most things...so long as she can feed herself (by hand, not spoon  ). This site is quite good for ideas along these lines (finger food):

http://www.babyledweaning.com/recipes/

Peacelily xx


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## Wyxie

peacelily said:


> Raisins come out whole too


I gave raisins to Bladelet, and they came out looking like grapes!


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## MummyElf

Wyxie said:


> peacelily said:
> 
> 
> 
> Raisins come out whole too
> 
> 
> 
> I gave raisins to Bladelet, and they came out looking like grapes!
Click to expand...

Hahaha!

There's nothing wrong with fish fingers or anything of that nature - the idea is to share tips be it fish fingers or cottage pie, tips are tips. 

AK the ambrosia rice pudding pots are a good size and could be used over 2 days if too large. They're about 50p each. I tend to warm them in bowls though as they take an age in their pot in my microwave.

X


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## MummyElf

Sugar Free Flapjack

As I've said it's more of a bread pudding / cake texture but keeps really well in the fridge or freezer and my LO loves it:

2 bananas mashed
1 apple chopped but not peeled
2 cups rolled oats 
1 cup apple juice
1 cup mixed fruit (I just used raisins as all I had)
1/2 cup mixed seeds (didn't have any so used extra raisins)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Mix together and spread on a tray 2cm thick , bake 15-20 in a medium oven.


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## watakerfuffle

Loving this thread  

My lo who is 2 yrs old can still be a bit fussy over textures. He won't eat most pastas so that does limit my choices for him! Some firm favorites though are banana blended with avocado, greek youghurt with just about anything mixed in like pured fruits, jams or honey. Mixed root vedg mash (squash, sweet potato, carrot, swede and potato's) and lastly he loves bulgar wheat which sort of replaces the pasta as will eat that with sauces and bolognaise etc.


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## thespouses

Little boy is generally a great eater and will wolf down most things except lettuce (but he will eat spinach, it is a lot less bitter it is true). So he has cream cheese and baby spinach sandwiches.

One thing that we have never learned our lesson on is that if he really won't eat, it is usually because he isn't well. Today he was putting food in and then flinging it straight out - doh - we realised his mouth was hurting so he's obviously teething again.  Quick dose of calpol and he ate a really good portion.


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## SummerTilly

Loving this thread! Just wonder which recipes you use for things like chicken casserole? I do one with tomatoes and olives, but am guessing the taste will be a bit strong for LO? 

On her report her FC refers to pasta, veggies and mash, but no reference to protein at all. 

She is 16 months. Is ANnabel Karmels book the ideal one to get? I bought one from eBay by another author published in the 1990s for £1 and have not stopped laughing at the food photography which is predominantly brown and green or the need to serve every meal in the shape of something else - fish, snowman, funny face, chicken etc  

Which other in line sites do you recommend?


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## MummyElf

I'd definitely go with Annabel Karmel, it's very helpful, but you can modify your day to day recipes for LO too, less spice etc.

Mine is 14 months and I tend to batch cook and feed her separately as she eats around 5pm and we don't, or if its a one pot style meal I take her portion out and leave ours simmering. I always say try something new on them, even if you have a back up meal ready. Your LO may for example love olives - AK actually references this in her book saying her LO did, which is unusual as olives are a strong flavour. My freezer right now has cottage pie, spag bol, cheese sauces and a chicken ratatouille in it for her. We eat the chicken ratatouille too, it's yum. Basically tinned tomatoes, onions, peppers and courgettes with chicken and a bit of dried basil, leave to simmer for 30 mins or more and served with rice.

I've given mine mild Thai more than once and she's loved it. It's a BBC good food recipe called 'oven baked Thai rice' and she really likes it which surprised me. Babies 'they' say prefer bland flavours, but to be honest, she enjoys more robust flavours which is great as she'll be a fair amount of variety living with me because I enjoy cooking so much.

You could always put a bit of your dinner aside and give it to her for lunch, if it's a hit, she could have it as a min course, and if not, sandwiches etc then something else for dinner. I say this because it can be disheartening to cook a meal and haven't rejected, I've had to chill right out about that!


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## katie c

MummyElf said:


> AK the ambrosia rice pudding pots are a good size and could be used over 2 days if too large. They're about 50p each. I tend to warm them in bowls though as they take an age in their pot in my microwave.
> 
> X


this was a good tip, i got some yesterday in asda (5 for £2) along with some custard too. so master c had tinned madarin segments with custard, proper nursery food. and i'm looking forward to doing choc custard and bananas for him 

they are a bit spendy compared to buying a regular tin, but at least it means i dont have to eat the rest of the tin. which is principle i have no problem with, but if i'm watching the calories...

i didn't even bother heating it up, poor neglected child


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## margx

Loving this thread! We have had out LO with us for nearly 2 weeks now : ) He doesn't seem to be a fussy eater but I just can't seem to get him to eat anything but fruit for breakfast. I know fruit is good but I just feel he needs something a bit more substantial, any ideas welcome : ) We have tried all the usual porridge, weetabix ect but he just clamps his mouth closed and refuses to eat. He is 18 months old x
Marg x


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## GERTIE179

Hi Margx - did LO eat anything different for brekkie in FC? 2weeks in is very early so it could be a number of things - settling, teething, comfort or wanting different connections. Is he very hungry by nap/lunch time? If he's not getting too hungry from just having fruit I wouldn't worry just gave different things out and eat with LO and see if they want some of yours. My LO was slightly younger at placement but I find not stressing with what hes eating and keep offering then eventually he wants mine or tries something. I'm still struggling to get him to eat any fruit other than banana even though he used to eat it - although I prefer veggies to fruit but I have increased fruit consumption but to no effect.
Tiddlers eh?!? Definitely a healthier thing to worry about. HTH


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## peacelily

Margx - is it because he wants to feed himself? My DD (younger than yours) was eating porridge at FC's but now will not tolerate being fed ANYTHING from a spoon. Have you tried Cheerios? He could eat them by hand, dry.


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## margx

FC said she gave him coco pops each morning but I don't really like the sugary cereals, gave in yesterday and bought some but he wouldn't even eat them ha. He is teething though so think that's not helping. He won't let me feed him the fruit, likes to sit there and pick himself. Will have to try the Cheerios, think he might like them with being able to pick himself. Thanks : ) x


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## SummerTilly

Thanks for the tips Mummyelf! 

I live your idea of giving LO a taste of leftovers from the night before to introduce her to new foods.

Keep these ideas coming and I will check out Annabell Karmels book too. 

Bulger wheat seems a good alternative to pasta and is smaller - perhaps you LO would like the smaller Italian pastas - will look up the name and come back to you  you could always start by mixing some in with the bulger wheat and gradually increase the portion?


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## MummyElf

Orzo, also called orzi,  is a great little pasta - its the size of rice. You can get it most places now but definitely waitrose and the co-op. I buy the de cecco pasta too, they do a really small one so no chopping required x


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## wynnster

My dd loves pasta, she 'helps' by snapping spaghetti into tiny pieces before mummy cooks it.  It keeps her occupied for ages!

As for the littlies not wanting to be fed, I think this is nothing to do with food, more to do with not wanting you to help.... my dd was the same for a while, eventually she came out of that phase and onto another.....

If your lo will only eat fruit, try a mixed fruit pot (chopped up apple, banana, raisins etc) and add cherios/shreddies etc to the pot, if lo leaves the cereal don't fuss, just keep repeating, eventually they'll try it, then you can increase cereal and decrease fruit.

My 2 have dry cereal as snacks too, worth trying at different times of the day


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## GERTIE179

Anothe one who loves dry Cheerios as snack if we need to be away from home at that time ie paeds appts etc
X


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## MummyElf

My LO will NOT let me help her eat. She is now horrified at the very thought   

What is very useful about this is she'll try anything if she's the one to put it in her mouth. I gave her some organix banana & respberry porridge today - previously rejected - and because she was the one with the spoon, she ate it. I wouldn't normally buy it, it was from a friend who works there, but it went down well enough.

I would definitely give him a spoon and let him get on with it or both of you have a spoon, and you'll find the distraction of holding it and feeling independent allows you to get food into his mouth whilst he vaguely waves it at the bowl  

I'm 'allowed' to dip  the spoon in and load it sometimes, but she has to lift it and put it in her own mouth. Do you have a tommee tippee magic mat? This combined with their bowls suckers the bowl in place meaning it doesn't end up on the floor. I've just bought their plates too as she likes her lunch from a plate. At 14 months I find my LO craves independence so I give her as much as I can, including the encouraging phrase 'you can do it' when a toy is not doing what she wants it too and she wants me to help - within seconds she's worked it out once she realises I'm not going to rush across and sort it out....I am one for encouraging independence with masses of praise and encouragement and so far, so good


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## MummyElf

Love the Cheerios idea.....must do that!


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## peacelily

MummyElf - thanks for the flapjack recipe, DD loves it and it has been a useful pudding/snack/breakfast - my HV was very impressed when I told her about it. I have a great recipe for savoury muffins that I will post when get a mo.

These are quite good too. I added paprika to jazz 'em up a bit, and actually used broccoli, carrot and parsnip:

http://www.babyledweaning.com/recipes/lunchdinner/fionas-vegetable-nuggets-2/


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## snapdragon

Margx some of the chocolate cereals are not that high in sugar eg the chocolatey cheerios are only slightly higher than the regular ones and wheetos are OK also. Cocopops are terrible. My lo's fc gave them to lo also. We mixed them with rice crispies to start with and then got rid of them altogether. He now eats all sorts of cereal but we do get choclately cheerios sometimes.


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## MummyElf

That's great Peacelily! My LO loves it too - wolfs it down. 

Thanks for the link to the veggie nuggets, I'm bookmarking that page!


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## peacelily

Cheesy Vegetable Muffins:

1 carrot (grated)
3-4 broccoli florets (steamed then mashed)
6-8 cherry toms (chopped)
100g cheddar cheese (grated)
225g self-raising flour
175ml milk
55ml olive oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 200C (180C for fan oven)
Mix veg with cheese and flour
Add wet ingredients and mix to a lumpy batter
Spoon into muffin cases
Cook for 20mins or until brown on top (may take longer depending on size you make)


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## peacelily

I also did pesto chicken tonight from the Baby Led Weaning site - as easy as it sounds - spread pesto on strips of chicken breast fillet and grill/oven bake. Went down very well with DD...DS at nearly 5 insisted of having ketchup with his   


Tesco do mini carrot and potato waffles    whilst I know they're processed food, I do kid myself that they have at least got 2 veg in them!! DD also loves sweet potato wedges - made with olive oil and paprika.


Peacelily xx


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## MummyAuntieKatie

I made leek and potato soup today, just whole spuds (with skin) and leeks boiled up and blended with creme fraiche and some pepper, BB wolfed it down, was surprised, had been prepared to give him something else for lunch if he didn't like it!!  I'm always surprised by what he'll eat (almost anything!).  We went out for lunch on Sunday and his ham, egg and chips came with a lovely salad.  He picked up some onion and I almost lynched my mum for saying 'ooh, no, I don't think you'll like that'...    Anyway, he ate it then went on to the peppers  , balked at black olives, but can't blame him for that, I hate them too!!


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## thespouses

Just so you know, although US parents have made Cheerios popular the ones we get here are very sugary - the US variety is much lower in sugar. At our little boy's nursery they give them dry Shreddies as a snack instead.


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## margx

Tried the Cheerios this morning and he loved them : ) tried with milk first but he only had one mouthful then refused to try anymore so just sprinkled some dry ones with his fruit and he ate them all. Will give the shreddies a try tomorrow as I have them in for me : ) just glad he liked the Cheerios, would rather that than the coco pops FC was giving him. Thanks for the help : ) x


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## Handstitchedmum

thespouses said:


> Just so you know, although US parents have made Cheerios popular the ones we get here are very sugary - the US variety is much lower in sugar. At our little boy's nursery they give them dry Shreddies as a snack instead.


Yes, I spit them out the first time I tried cheerios here! Blech! If I wanted sugar for breakfast, I would have Frosties (frosted flakes).


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## Wyxie

MummyAuntieKatie said:


> He picked up some onion and I almost lynched my mum for saying 'ooh, no, I don't think you'll like that'...  Anyway, he ate it then went on to the peppers , balked at black olives, but can't blame him for that, I hate them too!!


Yes, I hate it when people do that too. In general, with very strong flavours like pepper, I find that if I have it on my plate and let Wyxling have a try as a treat, she will eat pretty much anything at all. Case in point being roast dinners. Last time I was at MILs after the roast dinner I was snacking on left over baby corn while hubby's siblings fought over the remaining yorkshire puds. Wyxling wanted what I had, and so we ended up with a plate of crunchy veg and a bit of gravy to dip them in, and we shared it.

Hubby did serve up rock hard broccoli to the kids last night in a big heap next to some not so appetising looking potatoes, and it has to be said, it wasn't a big hit. Wyxling ate her brocolli, but I could see it was a big effort. Bladelet kept taking it back out his mouth and throwing it on the floor and sitting there with a sulky look on his face refusing to put it in his mouth. Hubby was getting cross because he knows Bladelet's eaten broccoli for me before, and he does tend to sometimes refuse to eat for hubby because he likes me to feed him. I went over to help which got me told off by hubby, and that was the point I saw Wyxling attempting to saw through her broccoli with her knife and fork.


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## katie c

another one, straight from the freezer. frozen jacket spuds. mccann do three small ones for a quid, and they're just the right size for a baby/toddler

i did one today, cut it up so it cooled, bunged some hummous on it, then let master c have it as finger food. it was messy but he liked it, and it was quick to make!


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## Mummy DIY Diva

This thread is great for future reference. 

Random question KatieC are those your slippers if so they are awesome - have always thought that and meant to ask.


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## MummyElf

My niece likes a bit of horseradish sauce with her roast beef and has done since she was 3...when she asked we gave her a tiny bit and explained it would taste a bit hot / tingly but she likes it. I'm sure some parents would say 'you won't like that' but within reason I think they should try most stuff and decide for themselves. DH hated peppers as a boy so didn't want to give them to DD until I pointed out pepper hatred is not universal to all kids....sure enough she loves them, but put mashed potatoe on her plate and prepare for nothing being eaten, must be the texture as she likes roast potatoes / chips etc.

I love kids faces when they try something a bit different - too cold or citrusy or something,it cracks me up when LO pulls her 'eeeek' face, and then she laughs because I'm laughing. She always goes back for more, if she doesn't like it, it normally gets two tries before a verdict is reached and it's subtly pushed off the plate.


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## katie c

DIY Diva said:


> Random question KatieC are those your slippers if so they are awesome - have always thought that and meant to ask.


yes. i have some pig ones as well


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## MummyElf

How often do folks give their LOs meat and fish?


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## wynnster

Mine have meat and/or fish daily.  Unless we're having beef, neither of them are too keen on that but I still dish it up for them to try.  
DS LOVES fish, shellfish, smoked fish, etc, DD not a fish lover (unless in breadcrumbs!!) but likes most meats.
We occasionally have veggie meals, but i'd say 99% of the time we have some sort of animal on our plates


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## MummyElf

My LO likes chicken and salmon, but seems to have really gone off minced beef. I'm trying to find meals to give her to make up for this as I keep reading about the importance of red meat a lot   My cottage pies are abandoned (even though I scraped the mash off and did it with rice) and I'm loathe to make another batch of spag Bol in case it goes down the same path


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## peacelily

Do you blend it, Mummy Elf? Perhaps she is teething and has gone off the texture of mince. Making it smoother for a while might help.


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## MummyElf

I thought that funnily enough and have another batch but whizzed the mince up so it's super fine. To be honest I hate minced beef and we use quorn for ourselves. I also made some meatballs which will hopefully go down well


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## GERTIE179

Hi - I'm not a quorn fan but is it not supposed to be excellent for kids? How us she with that?

We eat meat almost every day here at tea - casseroles mainly or chicken/turkey.
Lil guy went off chicken for a bit when bigger teeth coming through as think he didn't fancy chewing as much but funnily he chewed it up then threw it on the floor grr

Sometimes they just take a fuss at nothing
X


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## MummyElf

I haven't given her quorn and won't for a few years as I don't think it's recommended, so in the freezer is meat spag bol for her whereas we prefer quorn in spag bols / chilli. I'm thinking whizzing up the mince may solve the issue as she always used to eat it...maybe she found a lump and it's put her off if she's anything like me


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## Wyxie

I would just add, that cake, or cake crumbs to be more precise, are absolutely brilliant for improving kids hand/eye coordination.  Even the most malcoordinated of babies seems to be able to make a good effort at picking things up with just a finger and thumb if the sugar content is high enough.


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## peacelily

Speaking of cake, Wyxie, I currently have this in the oven!

http://www.babyledweaning.com/recipes/snacks/frannys-fab-and-healthy-banana-cake/

I'll let you all know how it turns out, and if it's a success with DD 

Another hit I've found is Shreddies (well, Sainsbury's version of) soaked in full cream milk for a couple of minutes and then drained, for DD's breakfast. Perfect size to feed yourself with 

Peacelily xx


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## MummyElf

That's a great idea Peacelily! Using that one...much less concretey than Weetabix I should think?! Oh Weetabix how I hate scrubbing you off everything each day!


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## peacelily

Cake was a big hit   


I do still have to soak her babygrows after breakfast, but definitely less messy than Weetabix!


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## Wyxie

Looks good peacelily, but we have major issues with Bladelet and raisins.  His digestion just doesn't seem to be up to them yet, and they come out the other end the next day reconstituted like some sort of horrific mutant grape.


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## peacelily

Eeeek    best not then! Put something else in instead...chopped dates? Or something like grated apple would be even gentler on his tummy.


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## Wyxie

Grated apple is a good idea.  It's really weird, because he'll eat very spicy food - he loves it in fact - and no problems, but some veg and fruit he just doesn't seem to be able to process yet.


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## MummyElf

We're the same wyxie...it's pretty clear she just swallows the raisins rather than chewing them as they come out whole and bloated   Not pretty!


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## peacelily

MummyElf - I've just made my second batch of your flapjack    I've added pumpkin seeds this time, and I didn't have plain apple juice so had to use apple and raspberry juice - it's going to be a nice pink colour!!


Did your LO like Shreddies?


DD is going through a phase of rejecting food she's eaten previously - probably teething too - but frustrating! Filled tortellini with butter, grated cheese and peas was always a winner, and easy to eat by hand, but she won't touch it at the moment.


Peacelily xx


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## MummyElf

Ooh pumpkin seeds - I bet that will turn out lovely! And pink...all the more tempting for LOs! It's definitely a recipe to tinker with, I think it's time I made another batch actually!

I've not tried the shreddies as keep forgetting to buy them but as I'm popping to the shops today I'll buy a box...has to be less awful than the Weetabix coated toddler I'm cleaning up right now!

Isn't it annoying when you serve up a 'favourite' and it's rejected! I think it has to be teeth sometimes as mine eats most stuff heartily and when she doesn't I think 'hmmmm'.


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## peacelily

Has anyone got any other ideas for desserts or sweet snacks for independent LOs?! I cannot get mine to eat yogurt/custard/rice pudding - anything on a spoon (she won't let me feed her, and is not interested in doing it herself). She doesn't like fresh fruit (tried bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pears, peaches, grapes and satsumas, but just squashed it in her hand) but will happily eat dried fruit so has apricots, blueberries and raisins, and the yogurt-covered pieces of strawberries (v expensive though   ). MummyElf's flapjack has been a big hit, as has my banana cake, but I'm running out of ideas...


Peacelily xx


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## katie c

how about carrot cake? this is a nice recipe. you dont have to put the icing on it.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3229/yummy-scrummy-carrot-cake

i think organix do some soft cake bar things as well, i've not tried them but sure i saw them in tesco yesterday.


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## MummyElf

The organix bars are very nice and my LO loves them. She also has their sugar free gingerbread men sometimes for pudding. They're a biscuity texture but she just loves them, and they're not hugely gingery. I've also found a recipe for oat & sultana biscuits and date & banana cookies on my travels looking for healthy snacks 

They are:

3 cups of oats
1.5 cups of rice flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts (obviously omit for littlies but including so you can see there's something extra needed - maybe seeds)
4 tbs olive oil
1tbs apple juice concentrate
Apple juice to mix

Date & banana cookies:

1/2 cup dried dates finely chopped
2/3 cup walnuts finely copped (again, leave out or swap)
3 medium bananas mashed
2 cups oats
1/2 cup olive oil 
1tsp vanilla essence

I'm going to give them a go myself.

X


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## Emma-is-a-mummy

Hi everyone, 

Thanks for the fab ideas  

Peacelily can I ask where you buy your self raising wholmeal flower from? I stood for ages in the baking aisle of Tesco and couldn't find it :-( 
Really want to try this banana bread ;-) 

Thanks 
Emma xx


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## MummyElf

I couldn't find it either Emma for a recipe I made a while ago - I ended up using plain wholemeal and adding baking powder to help it rise.


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## peacelily

Emma - I just used white self-raising flour   


Katie - carrot cake recipe looks yummy, thanks. We've tried the Organix bars and they go down reasonably well. Again, they're quite expensive for what they are   


MummyElf - thank you, I'll be making the date and banana cookies    she's not a big biscuit fan (maybe she's just not got a sweet tooth   ), I even offered her one of DS' party ring biscuits and she had a nibble, but then threw it away. HV said don't worry about giving her "naughty" stuff just to get some calories in as she's going down the baby-led weaning route AND she's very active AND she only drinks 1 bottle of (cow's) milk a day...but she's not interested!!


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## Wyxie

Would she have a savoury treat after dinner instead?  Something fatty like cheese?  If she doesn't like strong cheese there are lots of nice mild ones.  Could maybe have them with crackers and lots of butter to help with the calorie count?


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## MummyAuntieKatie

We call them squidgies, but have you tried the fruit pouches that they suck?  Tesco do some, and Asda, you can get mixed fruit puree and fromage frais too, as well as jellies.  BB loves them.


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## katie c

allinson do self raising wholemeal flour, i think you can get it in tesco etc. i've got some in my flour bin!


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## peacelily

Thanks for the suggestions - just tried some fruit puree pouches but they were rejected, and she's not a big cheese fan unfortunately, not done as cubes or slices (sauces go down ok). She's just determined to frustrate me! She looks well though, so I know I shouldn't worry


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## MummyElf

You sound like me Peacelily - I try not to get hung up on LO's diet but I am so keen on getting the good stuff in to her and making sure she has a balance of all the food groups.


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## crazyspaniel

Happy to say DD will eat most things  
....even had a 'taste' of a snail whilst we were out for a walk recently! Apparently it wasn't very nice!!


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## Wyxie

Whoops!  Wyxling is obsessed with snails, she loves them, picks them up, shows me them.  Sometimes when we have big ones on the plants outside our front window she'll sit and talk to me about which is the Daddy snail, and which is the Mummy snail, and can she pick that one up when we go out later?  I, sadly, am quite big footed and clumsy, plus add the buggy, and there have been a few incidents.  Somehow *whistles innocently*, she has got the idea that snails can move house, and that when a snail's house gets broken by a big Mummy foot, or anything else, the said snail just moves in to a new home.  Whenever she sees empty snail shells she brings them home for "our" snails in our garden in case of accidents.  I have got very quick at pushing squished snail remains into the mud with my foot when she hears the crunch, and she tells me off and says "now that snail need new home, Mummy".  I'm really hoping she loses interest in snails before she finds out the truth.


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## summer girl

That's made me chuckle Wyxie ☺


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## AoC

I'm trying not to tear my hair with Bug, but he's had two bouts of D&V in the last month, and he had no weight to lose in the first place.    I'm wracking my brains to try and think of ways to get quality calories into him, without much luck.  The list of things he won't eat is scary long!


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## peacelily

Poor Bug    I'm sure if we all have a think we can come up with some ideas. My first thoughts were bananas, and plain-ish pasta - maybe with pesto and cheese stirred in?


Peacelily xx


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## peacelily

How's Bug's eating going, AoC?

I made these tonight, which were a hit with both DD and DS (the actual recipe is from Annabel Karmel's Easy Peasy Cooking With Kids):

http://www.itsmymarket.com/blogs/norfolk-single-dad/easy-salmon-fishcakes/

Peacelily xx


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## AoC

His appetite has improved a lot (asking for seconds of breakfast cereal and of yoghurts etc) so I'm not stressing as much.  I try and keep my concern under control, but it's hard sometimes.  I did notice, though, that he eats really well at breakfast, and quite well at lunch, so if I think of tea as just one meal in three, it doesn't feel so bad if he only has a mouthful.    thanks for asking!

I'll be brave and try that recipe, thank you!  Mostly if he doesn't recognise something, he refuses to try it.  :-/  Sometimes he eats plain pasta, but not with butter or cheese on it.  Sometimes he won't touch it.  He'll have a bite of banana, but not often more.  I'll try banana on toast, though, because he likes toast sometimes and I haven't tried that one yet.


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## katie c

just a quick PSA, sainsburys have baby food/snacks on 3 for 2 at the mo. i got master c some organix snacks but there was loads of stuff in the deal, including those boxes of organix cakes that someone said their LO liked but were a bit on the pricey side


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## -x-Lolly-x-

Little pink loves cauliflower and tomato gratin, and it's so easy too. Just boil cauliflower florets and mash when cooked. In the meantime wok some chopped tomatoes in a little butter and when soft stir through cheese until melted. Add to the cauliflower and put in a dish (I used a cake tin!) and grill until crispy on top. Yummy for big and little people


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## MummyElf

Ooooon Lolly that sounds gooood! I'm going to give that a try on my little hobbit!


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## katie c

i do a similar thing, but with chopped up corgette and tomato, fried until soft, then whizzed in the hand blender, stir in some cheese, and it makes a pasta sauce in about three minutes. 

i tend to serve it with chopped up meatballs. i get those frozen ones from ikea, if you do four they only need 90 seconds in the microwave on the top setting.

with pasta, as master c only eats about 20g, rather than cook it each time, i'll do a hundred, then split it and freeze the rest. then when its needed, just pour some boiling water over it to defrost, then stir in the sauce to warm through. may be a bit soggy for adults tastes but master c has never complained


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## summer girl

Hi Girls,

Hope you don't mind me asking a food related question, we've just finished Day 3 of intros and apart from being shattered it's going really well 😄 our FC said her health visitor hold her that our LO can have whatever she is eating, so today he had homemade stew for lunch which he enjoyed and the hienz ravioli for tea. I didn't think children under 1 we're supposed to have processed tinned adult food because of the salt content. He only had 4 pieces but is this ok? I'm hoping to make some home cooked food from your lovely ideas on this thread but am also conscious that of she's had something at FCs house then we should continue with it. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks

Summer Girl xx


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## -x-Lolly-x-

I think you do have to be careful with hidden salt and sugar content, but equally little bits in moderation is probably ok. Have you seen the same type of tins in the supermarket that are for kiddies? So the salt content is a lot lower, think Asda's are called the 'good for you' range, and I know Tesco do one too. HVs do say they should eat what you eat, but then contradict themselves by saying LOs shouldn't have things like stock or gravy, again because of the salt. You sometimes can't win, but I'm not beating myself up. Last week little pink had some spag bol and shock horror it had a low salt beef stock cube in it. But it was put into a large saucepan full of Bolognese, so I figured the amount she would get was minimal. HVs also don't advise jars but that's what little pink had in FC and so I weighed it all up and felt it was consistency that was needed. So we used jars and just slowly phased other stuff in when she was more confident with us  

Hope your little man likes the gratin Mummyelf! It might be an idea to remove the tomato skin for him. That's what the original recipe says, buy hey, I'm lazy  

Thanks for the recipe Katie, I'll be trying that next!


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## Flash123

Little man has just finished off his second batch of flapjacks and first banana cake, bth of which I discovered on here. Thanks ladies....both were an overwhelming success and I would totally recommend.
Looking forward to trying the gratin.

I'm the worlds worst cook but found a recipe for a sauce that little man loves. I batch cook it, freeze it , couple of mins in micro and its done. I fry some chopped chicken pieces and onion, make a stock (I use boots no nasties variety) add to pan,  add a small bag of frozen mixed veg, a load of diced sweet potato, some raisins  and some apricots (and anything else I can find eg courgette) let it simmer till pots are soft. Then I loosely blend so it still has big, chunky bits. Fab with rice or pasta.


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## summer girl

Thanks all for your help, I have seen the kids ranges so will get some of those, we do have some Ella's kitchen pouches and as we don't have cooing facilities during intros have used theme today and they went down a treat 😄 we're going to start to think about what we can cook to eat as a family so will be looking through the pages of this thread 😄


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## Flash123

Summer, tbh as pouches and prepared meas go I think Ella's kitchen are about the best you can get. They're pretty good. A good friend of mine is a nutitionist and they dont contain much crap at all. We always keep a few in the cupboard and one in his bag for any emergencies when we are out and about. When your lo s older they also do good pots which have nice big chunks. 

Summer don't beat yourself up about it. On the whole little man eats a very healthy, very varied fresh diet but somedays, I do give him a jar/pouch/ready prepared and believe me some days it's quiet an achievement getting that prepared! I know we all want to do the best for our lo but considering what some kiddies eat a jar really isn't going to hurt them.

Hope you are enjoying intros xxx


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## summer girl

Thanks Flash, I guess I'm feeling a little bad as FC said LO eats anything she cooks for the family and as we're in a B&B I've got no chance of cooking. Nevermind it's only for a few more days, we're looking forward to the next few days as we'll be on our own with LO 😄 xxx


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## -x-Lolly-x-

Food and eating can be a massive source of my guilt. Working in children's centres for years meant I was and am a great believer in fresh home cooked meals. But to be honest it's not possible all the time and I've had to learn not to beat myself up over it. All we can all do is our best


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## AoC

FWIW, FC told us that Bug ate whatever the family was eating, then he promptly refused ANYTHING home made when we got him home.  Given how small he was, I suspect that he was GIVEN whatever the family was eating, and sometimes ate it and sometimes filled up on the choc and biscuits/crisps (adults' ones!) he could have at FC on demand.

My freezer is full of ready-made things like nuggets and potato shapes that I never used to have before.  I used to cook everything from scratch (I mean, REALLY from scratch, starting with roasting the spices for curries....) before, and I'd love to get somewhere close to that again.


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## katie c

i largely make home made food, but by 'home made' it is pretty much made with frozen veg/fish/potato, so in effect it is as much convenience food as buying a ready meal. just a lot cheaper   

master c also has meat balls made by mr ikea and vegetable fingers made by captain birdseye. he loves them!

and i have a couple of ready meals in the cupboard too, so if i'm/mr c is alone and need something to cook something that can just be left while master c is simultaneously prevented from destroying the house then we have them. and why not?


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## MummyElf

I tend to agree. I try my hardest to only give homemade food but it's not easy now I've got two and wasn't easy just with one. Best intentions and all, but the odd fish finger or nugget won't hurt! I tried my LO once on one of those cheap kids pizzas when I got home too late....little madam turned her nose up! There I was worrying about her liking them too much and she wouldn't flipping eat it! No mummy, fresh produce only please


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## MummyElf

I've just ordered a book from amazon called 'Big Book of Recipes for Babies, Toddlers & Children by Bridget Wardley and Julie More. It's got 365 recipes, and lots of good reviews. There's a look inside option and I looked at the index and at first glance am impressed by what I see. It's £9.09 and arrives Monday on prime so I'll give a proper review then, but if the reviews stand to be true, it looks to be a fantastic book.


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## Wyxie

Wyxling has actually decided there is something she doesn't like enough to not eat - not like her.  She is now refusing frozen mixed veg (or "chunks" as hubby and I call them) on the basis it just "look like sick I did in my bed once".  I find it hard to argue with her; neither hubby or I have eaten them since the same sick incident.  We have no hob atm, just an iven, grill, and microwave, which is making home cooking a pita.


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## AoC

I'd be interested in that review, MummyElf!

I wouldn't mind the odd nuggets and pizza, but his weekly menu looks like this:-

Mon- Heinz beans and sausages and toast
Tues:- Nuggets, beans, and chips/waffles/smiley faces
Weds:-  Scrambled eggs and toast
Thurs:-  Spaghetti hoops and toast, or something else out of a tin that Daddy can produce 
Fri:- Beans and Sausages again.
Sat:- Something with us, which he will refuse and just have breadsticks
Sun:- Plain boiled spaghetti with garlic bread, or pizza, or sausages, or fish fingers

Apart from the beans and sausages, everything else he will eat about 50% of (a very small portion) about 50% of the time.  The rest of the time it's nothing, or a few mouthfuls.

The only thing that keeps me from going completely into Anxious Mummy mode about it is that at childminder's and nursery he'll eat fruit and a variety of other things some of the time (although increasingly I'm picking him up at childminder and he's eaten no lunch at all) and that he eats a big breakfast, usually cereal (sadly horribly sugary cereal) and toast or fromage frais and sometimes pancakes or banana.

I'm into slow food, real food, local food, and I get so sad he's missing so much wonderful stuff.  And so am I, because I simply can't do different meals for everyone all the time (I'm gluten free, too, at least I try to be, but that's getting harder.)

It's the only remaining 'issue' with Bug that I find depressing.

Sorry to whine.  It really makes me sad!


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## MummyElf

I'm not surprised AoC - that would make me sad too! I'm like you, into 'proper' food, I want to give my children the best start I can and enjoy cooking, so my daughter eats well, and now little man is weaning, he'll soon be joining the club once he's sampled every puréed fruit and vegetable I can think of  

I'm really impressed with the book, I'm looking forward to starting to cook from it. And best of all the recipes are fairly simple. There aren't millions of ingredients to consider, just plain healthy cooking. Enough for taste, but not so your pulling out everything in the cupboard. I love to get fancy with the best of them, but equally, I'm not sure my daughter will notice the finer things...'ooh mummy did you use paprika?'....nope, can't see it happening!   

I'd say if you enjoy cooking, buy it. Is there any way if your little man helped with the food prep he'd eat a bit more? Like decorating homemade (healthy) pizza etc or chopping bananas with a blunt knife. It's a bit if a super-nanny strategy but you never know! I remember always being eager to try anything I'd made as a child, that little bit if control and capability. Plus how about making your own chicken nuggets? Annabel Karmel is good for that type of thing, I made my LO a load a big batch and froze them down and served them with sweet potato wedges. She loved them! It's so hard breaking bad eating habits but with time and commitment, little by little you will get there x


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## AoC

I think he broke my spirit when he turned down sweet potato wedges... ggg  I thought that was a sure fire winner!

I ought to get up the courage to do my own nuggets, but I've tried homemade versions of classic before and he's turned them down because they don't look like he expects.  I also tried super-duper expensive organic healthy crumb breast fillet ones, and he didn't eat one.  And if he sees something on his plate he doesn't want to eat, it can lead to him refusing the whole meal (even though he doesn't have to eat everything) and we just can't afford for him to be missing meals.  He doesn't have the reserves.  

We've tried adding stuff to pizzas, which is something DH and I do anyway, but he didn't want to join in, since there's nothing you'd normally add to a pizza he would select and like.  We happily make fruit jellies together, and he's really good at cutting up the little pieces of fruit, putting them into mini jelly moulds, and pouring the jelly and fruit juice mix in.  Then when they're served, he carefully picks out every last piece of fruit and puts it aside, and if we won't let him do that, he refuses all of it.  We make bread rolls together, and he'll eat them the day they're made.

I think I've got into a scared, defensive position and need to be more brave.


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## GERTIE179

Hi AoC,

I remember something from a Holly Van Gulden talk. She always believed in bread and fruit being freely available to prevent them from starving if they have good issues or worries about not enough ie if they didn't eat dinner there would always be bread before bed. I do toast at bedtime with his milk if LO hasn't ate well (mostly he does).

You could try this on a set night or when you've are earlier etc and try done tactics like new food out on table along with his normal and he's to put everything on his own plate to eat he may try something new. Another thought I had was sausage and bean pastries. I remember these being very easy to do together (and they have lits if calories) you could make into dinosaur shapes etc. other ideas could be a sausage and bean mild curry or chilli and so he sees his tin going into the pot and he helps stirs (obviously if this goesnt appeal to you then you could just split a but out before adapting his. 

I think my lil dude has sensory issues with his food so I know what textures he can cope with. If there's no sensory involved then other ideas are to get him to pick up things in supermarket. Making own pittas and tacos can be good too as they have to decide what to put in them. 

HTH x


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## E3021

AoC - sending my sympathy, it took me 8months to get my eldest to put a piece of orange in her mouth and she is still suspicious of new food if someone offers it although if I put it matter of factory on her plate she always eats it - even if she's gagging, bless her!!!

As I read your last post a friend of mine came to mind - her little girl (birth child) was a terrible eater and like your lo couldn't afford to lose weight. My friends went to a nutritionist in despair who said if she'll only eat chicken and chips then give her chicken and chips every night'. So they did for a while, it took the pressure off everyone, including the little girl. She is now nearly four and eats everything, no fuss and gobbles up home cooked meals chock full of veggies.

Both of mine are by nature fussy. I always introduce new foods at lunch, that way if they don't eat much I can give them a filling dinner in the evening before bed.

I-ve also heard about the bread and fruit always on offer idea and I think it's great.

My health visitor told me to sod the fruit and go for stodge when one of mine went underweight. So we had malt loaf, rice pudding etc to fill her up.

Food can become such an issue can't it - guilt, control etc! Hope you have a good day today.


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## E3021

Matter of fact !! Stupid auto correct


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