Just starting BLW - need some ideas

[mokey_cat]

DD1 was feeding great until we went away for a weekend and we gave her some finger foods as we had no purees.  Since then she will refuse pretty much everything from a spoon (except stuff she really loves so only parsnip, sweet potato and yogurt).  She will literally try any finger food though so Im thinking of not bothering with making purees and doing BLW full time.  We eat as a family every night and homecook everything so dinner is pretty easy (potato, pasta, protein, veggies etc) but Im struggling with breakfast and lunch.

Usually DD1 will have cereal for breakfast but DD2 refuses as its from a spoon.  So the only things she has are toast and maybe a bit of fruit (banana, strawberry).  What else can you do for breakfasts - she is only 6 mo so still very early weaning.  And lunch I usually make a sandwich or soup or pasta for DD1 so seem a but stuck with what to make for DD2.  I would prefer to all eat the same.

I just need some ideas for really really easy things that can be made quickly for breakfasts and lunches.  I spend so much time in the kitchen as it is   

So far she has had: cucumber, potato, cheese, brocolli, carrot, toast, banana, cooked apple, strawberry, plain pasta.  Is she ok to have meats and fish now? Im new to this BLW so just need a wee bit guidance  .  Is there anything I shouldnt give her?  Should I still offer her purees? 

Thanks for any help 

[~inbalance~]

Hi Laura, there is a BLW recipe thread:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178221.0
Plus this one as well:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95978.0

She is so little still, you're off to a pretty good start!  Remember the first few months are exploration. 

[ZacsMumme]

We were given the following suggestions from plunket at Zacs 7 month check up.
small sandwiches without crusts - I tried white bread with egg inside today for the first time (fingers) and DS loved them.
Chunks of meat ie cooked steak
Cheese Sticks
We made bread rusks - toasted with marmite/vegemite and cheese on top then grilled so crunchy and cut into fingers.
Also just tried raisins - good for practicing pincer grip. I usually check they are small enough to not get caught in the throat and choke (I am a tad paranoid)

In saying this we don't have suspected dairy allergy, if you do I think you have to lay off cheese and eggs, but I could be wrong!

[choc]

I give pretty much anything I am having. 
For breakfast he has shredded wheat bitesize (can use hands, no spoon needed!), cheeses on toast, scrambled egg, yogurt and fruit, porridge fingers (from blw cookbook), jam on toast.
For lunch he has cheese spread sandwich, tuna sandwich or jacket potato, macaroni/cauliflower cheese, pitta pizza, pasta.  He has it with cucumber, red pepper, slice of cheese, mini corn.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

[shivi]

Hi Laura,

Can't believe Isla is already on BLW!!! Where is time going?

Emma at this age was also REALLY into food (still is in fact LOL). Early protein here was steamed cod in little flakes, steamed chicken breast in tiny flakes, soft butter beans and kidney beans etc....

Emma was around 9 mths when she decided she'd have soup - she held one spoon and me the other etc - so it won't be long before you can get back to them really. I find them the easiest to get the 5 a day into us, even now!

S x

[mokey_cat]

Thanks for all the ideas!!  We have tried a few of them already and so far she has tried everything!!  Im actually managing to give her pureed stuff for lunch.  I keep offering it because I made loads and froze it but it seems she will take it if she is hungry.  I dont push it though, if she refuses I just put some of our food down to her  .  Last night we all ate as a family and had steamed fish, brocolli and potatoes - I cannot believe a 6 month old can eat that!!  Its so much easier!!

For breakfast he has shredded wheat bitesize (can use hands, no spoon needed!),

Ooh that is a great idea.  DD1 will eat them too!!

As for eggs, I made some yesterday for them both but panicked she was too young?  What age is reccommended for eggs?

Does it matter with BLW how much they are actually eating.  Did you all do full BLW or a bit of both?  I did purees with DD1 and it was easy to see she was getting enough, then introduced finger foods at around 8mo.  I can see bits of the food in her poops so she is eating some although it is mostly in a mess round her high chair - wow it isnt half messy!!!!   

[shivi]

What age is reccommended for eggs?

In PL (but they have their own rules I think) the yolk is ok and even rec from 6 mths...whites from 12 mths I think....

[shivi]

with Emma I started BLW but like I say, she got into the soups thing from around 9 mths so we went with that then....but never really purees....though from 9 mths she was also accepting baby rice cereal etc so her brekkies (and sometimes supper on the run) wwere easier once she was handling the spoon and willing to accept some help in the form of another spoon.

With Oscar, I did similar to you with Holly....

[ZacsMumme]

Over in NZ Plunket recommend starting eggs from ~7 months as long as they are hard boiled - either mashed or cut into quarters

[~inbalance~]

Well done egg yolks should be fine if there is no family history of allergies.

I did a mix with T and that worked well, but F would not let purees anywhere near him so was exclusively BLW.  It is tricky to know how much they are getting but you have to trust they will learn to eat how much they want on their own. 

[Lemonthyme]

I started feeding my LO shreddies.  They're not salt and sugar free but he does like them and can do a combo of picking them up himself and being fed them.

[ZacsMumme]

I have just discovered our DS LOVES Cruskits....Not sure if you have them over where you are, but they are a crispbread and I spread marmite on them....great for teething and they break up well in his moth without getting lumpy (like bread does sometimes)

[mokey_cat]

Thanks everyone.  I tried shreddies yesterday, she was not too fussed but had a huge milk feed before hand so will try defo try them again as they seemed easy for her to eat.  I checked with our health visitor and its 6mo here for egg yolks so that makes it a lot easier as I can make french toast, boiled or scrambled egg etc.

So far she is doing great with the BLW!!!  She will absolutley refuse spoon feeding now (same as F Martina  ) but she seems so competent as self feeding so have given up all purees.  I have done a few recipes from the threads on here and she loved them all.

Im finding it a lot easier than making purees!!  And I get to actually eat my own dinner at the same time as everyone else which never happened with DD1 until she was a lot older