Baking meat?

[~Alexa~]

Hi ladies!!
I want to make my lo's meat purees.  I've been reading that the best way to do it is by baking the beef so it doesn't lose too many nutrients, but I don't know how to do it! duh!
Is it the same as baking fruit? Do I place the beef with an inch of water and put it in the oven?

Thanks

[Mimi 2]

You could roast the meat.  Marinate it and roast & an inch or 2 of water till very tender.  IF you cover the pan with foil, then you can cut down the cooking time.  Are you thinking of pureeing it afterwards or offer as finger food?  Both dd and ds much prefers meat as finger food.  Puree meats just taste too gritty, kwim?

Chicken thighs (more nutritious than white), pork loins and some cuts of beef (marbled as opposed to lean) are great for roasting.

[~Alexa~]

I hadn't thought about offering the meat as finger food! I was going to puree it, but I guess I can try to offer it as finger food so Patrick can take as much as he wants.  His pincer grasp is not that good, does this matter for finger foods?

How long or short should the meat be so it is good finger food? Should I cut it in dices or long sticks?
How did you give your los the veggies? Also as finger food or in puree? Do I place the food in front of him in the high chair and let him eat whatever he wants or how does it work?

chicken thighs (more nutritious than white), pork loins and some cuts of beef (marbled as opposed to lean) are great for roasting.

Sorry Mimi, but I don't understand!   I don't know what marbled nor lean mean when it comes to meat! Can you explain it to me?   Sorry! I googled it, but I don't understand how to apply the meaning of those words to meat!

Sorry for all the questions
Thanks

[Mashi]

Marbled is just a way of describing meat that has fat running through it, not just around the outside. Lean has no fat through it.

Alexa, I just fry my LO's meat in a bit of olive oil!  Faster, easier and he needs the fat so our dietician recommended it!  I also give it as finger foods - we get ground steak and make mini hamburgers out of it. I grate some apple and mix it into the raw mince, make little hamburger patties out of it and fry them up.  I put one on his tray and he breaks it into little bits to eat it.

[Mimi 2]

Marbled/marbling just means that there are some fats streaks within the meat.  Not the fat around the meat you see on steaks or the tendons within the meat.  Ask your butcher and he should put you to the right direction.  Here are some pictures to help.  http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/marbling_consumer.html   I think the word jsut comes from the look that the cut has with the streaks of fat within it.  Very much like the look of marble stone (?)

I offer the meat in small pressed-up (with my fingers) chunks of meat.  Or cut them cross-wise (so the fibres are short).  Or you can leave some meat on the chicken bones or ribs and offer them.  They are great during the teething stage.

I found more success with veggies & meat when they are offered as fingerfood.  I think that both of mine just like the texture of things, especially dd.  She refused to eat purees.

[~Alexa~]

Oh that hamburger idea sounds yummy! My mouth is getting wet!! haha I'll try it!
Thanks for explaining the difference between marbled and lean!! English is not my native language, so I didn't understand! Thanks!
So, it is better marbled meat right?

I could adapt what we eat for Patrick to eat, but the ped has this weird way of introducing solids....Breakfast: fruit (always, I'm bored of making fruit purees), Lunch: chicken, veal, beef, or turkey breast + some veggies, Dinner: oatmeal cereal (always, poor baby he must be bored of having cereal for dinner every day).  I have to give chicken 3 days, veal 3 days, meat 3 days, turkey 3 days to see if there are any allergic reactions.  I have already offered the foods every 3 days, so I know he is not allergic to any of them, that's why now I want to mix it with something else so that it is more tasty!

I'll definintely try the finger foods! I think he will love them! I give him some cheerios, and he loves to feed himself, so I'm sure he will really enjoy feeding himself with meat!

Thanks for the link Mimi!

[Mashi]

At 8 months I started offering finger foods for breakfast (DS always has fruit, too!) Chunks of banana, ripe pear sticks, canned oranges are easy to pick up, etc.  And then I had the majority of his breakfast in a bowl because most of the finger foods end up on the floor!!

Can you switch it up a bit - fruit for lunch, meat at dinner, cereal for bkfst?  Does he have a history of any allergies or family history? Has he reacted to anything so far? If not, I would talk to your pead about starting to get a bit more adventurous with switching things up a bit and see what he thinks.   I know every country has different ways of doing things, and even lots of variation between paeds so please don't think I am telling you to go against your doc!  Just thinking that if he has been okay until now, maybe your paed will say you can start just going a bit easier on it?

[~Alexa~]

I think I'm gonna ask him! I would love to give Patrick some pasta too! Or something different! But this can be boring!
I guess that Patrick is having the meat at lunch time b/c that's how we eat here in Mexico.  Breakfast is something really light (fruit with yogurt generally), then lunch is our big meal (usually a 3 course meal: pasta+meat with veggies+salad), and dinner is light too (may be some cereal with milk or quesadillas or a salad).  So, I think that's why the ped is asking me to give Patrick the meat at lunchtime, which I'm fine with b/c I eat as I feed him, but it is boring to offer him the same food every day.  He has had cereal for dinner since he was 6 mo! That's what I'm going to change! I'll ask the doc if I can give him some pasta instead or ham with potatoes! Something new!   

[~Alexa~]

Thanks for the tips!

[Mashi]

Or for dinner if you are having salad, why not give him some steamed veggies? Cut up into little pieces or sticks would be good.  Or rice balls?  Make some rice, put some finely chopped veggies in and roll them into little balls.  We do fish at dinner as well, which is still a very light meal.  Does he eat grains?  Could he have toast at dinner (or breakfast?) With butter on it it goes nice and soggy so he can gnaw on it.  You can spread mushed avocado or mushed banana on it too. Or, make a sandwich at dinner with banana or avocado in the middle, still a light meal but different!

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mash, those are great ideas! I hadn't thought about a sandwich! He eats turkey breast ham and toast, so that makes a sandwich!