10 Tips/Recipes: Weaning & Feeding the Whole Family...

Does (the thought of) weaning FREAK. YOU. OUT?

When to start? 

What to start with?

How to read the signs that your baby is ready? 

Is it bad if you start too early? 

What if you start too late? 

Aaaaggggggghhhhhhhhh...

The current government recommendation is not to start before your baby is 6 months old, and What to Expect UK have some great tips for when you are thinking of introducing your little one on solids WTE UK

My little R was 18 weeks old when I start weaning him - he was sleeping 12 hours a night (I'm certainly not boasting, as it took a lot of hard work and guidance from a fab book, Baby Secrets by Jo Tantum and Barbara Want) and was down to 4 bottles a day, so both he and I seemed about ready. They often say that you'll be able to read the signs, which is exactly what I did: Ready for Solids? WTE UK

It is, of course, incredibly challenging at first: the food dribbles out, is spat at you, or not consumed at all and, if cooking from fresh, it seems as if you are spending days on end puréeing, blending and mashing. However, after what may seem like an endless battle, the benefits of giving your baby freshly cooked food from your kitchen, made by your own hands is not only personally satisfying for you but so nutritionally rewarding for your baby. 

To try and help make your lives a lot less stressful and a little more practical, I've put together 10 tips/recipe ideas designed to help you during those initial stages when preparing dinner for both you and your baby:

Sweet Potato

When making up pots of blended sweet potato to freeze for baby, boil up extra and mash the rest to feed the whole family with this Sweet & Spicy Cottage Pie Recipe

Sweet Potato and Spinach

Make up double quantities of this Sweet Potato & Spinach Bake (don't add salt or garlic), purée half for baby and serve the rest with your own dinner

Carrots

Boil up extra, puree for baby and use the rest to make a carrot and coriander soup for dinner/lunch, using vegetable stock, garlic, onions and fresh coriander. 

Courgettes

Halve 2 courgettes lengthways, then slice 2 into 1cm thick half rounds, purée half for baby (perhaps with some sweet potato), then stir the rest in with a tin of black eyed beans, 1 finely chopped red onion, teaspoon of mint, good glug of olive oil, juice of one lemon, season and stir, then serve with some grilled fish or smoked mackerel. De-lish!

Broccoli & Cauliflower 

Boil up florets of both broccoli and cauliflower, or one or the other, purée half for baby then put the rest in an ovenproof dish to make a cauliflower cheese / broccoli gratin. 

If baby is over 6 months, blend then stir in some of the homemade cheese sauce that you are making for the cauliflower cheese / broccoli gratin. 

Heat up 2 tablespoons butter, once melted stir in 2 tablespoons flour and mix to a roux. Throw in 3 peppercorns and 1 bay leaf, then slowly whisk in 1 1/2 pints of milk, adding a bit at a time. Once all the milk has been added, wait until the sauce heats up and as own as the sides start simmering, take off the heat and stir in 4 heaped tablespoons grated cheese. Blend some of the cheese sauce with the baby's cauliflower/broccoli and pour the rest over the remaining florets. Season with salt and pepper, pour over some more grated cheese and breadcrumbs, then whack in a preheated oven (210 degrees C) for 20 mins until the top has browned. Serve with pasta or grilled/roasted meat or chicken. 

When baby has teeth, hold back on the seasoning and just mash them up a portion of the one you have cooked for the adults (as baby will need teeth to chew through the melted cheese!)

Potatoes

Boil up extra, purée some for baby with cheddar cheese, a splash of milk and knob of butter (if over 6 months), and mash the rest with some grated cheese, spring onion and butter, season well and serve with oven baked chicken with cherry tomatoes and rosemary, steak or lamb. Alternatively, cook an extra chicken fillet in the oven wrapped in a piece of foil for 25-30 mins, and when cooked, blend together with the potato, cheese, milk and butter. 

For the adults, try this Cheesy Mash recipe with Grilled Lamb Steaks Recipe

Green Beans

Boil 400g green beans in plain boiling water for 3-4 mins, drain and blend half for baby. Freeze in small pots. Serve the rest with your own dinner - you can keep them plain or sauté them in olive oil and sliced garlic, season with salt and pepper. 

Carrots, Parsnips & Butternut Squash

Chop 3 carrots, 2 parsnips and 2 potatoes. Add to boiling water and simmer for 20 mins. Take out half of the veg and purée for baby. Freeze in small pots. Add vegetable (or chicken) stock to the rest of the veg remaining in the saucepan (the liquid should only just come up about 1cm above the veg in the pan) along with a pinch of salt, freshly milled pepper and some oregano and finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Bring back to the boil and simmer for another 15-20 mins. Blend into a soup and serve with fresh, crusty buttered bread! 

Aubergines 

Slice off the stalks and cut into large chunks, roast in the oven with tomatoes, garlic, red onions, and courgettes, oregano then mash or blend half with some grated cheese and serve with pasta, rice, with bread etc and use the rest to feed the family - similar to this recipe but you could hold fire on the balsamic and salt, and use sunflower oil instead of olive oil which might be a be heavy for bubs.

Lentils and Root Vegetables

Fry off some onions and garlic in a large saucepan and then add some lentils, a tablespoon of tomato puree, can of chopped tomatoes and any root veg of your choice. Add enough boiling water to cover the lentils and some (pour the water to near enough the top of the pan), throw in a pinch of oregano, brung back to the boil then simmer for about 30 mins. Remove half and freeze/mash and freeze for baby, add a decent amount to stock to the rest, with a pinch of paprika, salt, pepper and chilli powder and simmer for a further 15 mins or so. Serve with buttered bread :-)