Help with foods for MSPI baby

[ENMS]

homemade risks?

ikwym about feeling sad. but it will get better

[Skadiver13]

Sara don't feel bad. Liam is almost 11 months wouldn't touch solids till 7 months, still only eats about 3oz a sitting of purees and while will put food in his mouth he wont swallow most of it. :/  Every little one is different. He's not even 6 months, he doesn't need a whole array of menus just basics is fine.

[ENMS]

I agree with Siobhan. Up until last week M had 3-4 foods, and you know what, he was really happy with them! at their age, they don't notice if they don't have much variety. T already has lots of variety for his age

And now we have so many new possibilities. I feel like all the closed doors have just opened. He ate lasagna yesterday, and salmon with carrots today . So I really mean it when I say not to get discouraged, there's always an end to the tunnel, and it sounds like for T it is rather soon since he's been doing so well with solids.

[ZacsMumme]

I meant rusks. For teething. Sorry iPad autocorrect kills me!
T just is so hungry! He cries whn I stop, he wants more and more and reaches for all my food. It's funny because Z wasn't interested much, and he could have anything. T is so keen, but I have to be so careful.

I just did some chicken. Steamed boneless and skinless thighs with fresh herbs and some water. Covered in tin foil in the oven. They are yummy!!!

Siobhan - T eats at least the equiv of a jar (120gm) each sitting and has 3 meals. if I offer less he's hungry all night, I stop him from having more because then he won't have enough milk. I guess with so much going in I'm hoping with a bit more grain and protein he won't need as much.

[ZacsMumme]

Hey ladies how were your LOs on potato? - worth trying or steer clear for a while? - does it constipate?

[Buntybear]

Don't think we did much with potato till later on as it makes purees go really gloopy 

[ZacsMumme]

I was thinking of mashing and sieving it your right though it is gloopy ha!

[Buntybear]

Might as well give it a go!

How did he get on with the chicken? Do you get Annabel Karmel books?? They are great for ideas on what to make what foods to put together.

[ZacsMumme]

Haven't given it to him yet. I've had to make it into a purée/mash with pumpkin and pear and freeze because he is sick ATM so I don't want to do finger foods till he is well, or introduce new foods.

I used AK books with Z, maybe ill pop down to the library and get or out again thanks

[Buntybear]

I don't want to do finger foods till he is well, or introduce new foods

Urgh, this is the worst part of having sensitive LOs. Invariabley as babies they could or have have picked up a bug and it just confuses matters. Bit easier when they are older and you know if they are sick or not.

[creations]

Chicken thigh and turkey thigh (the dark meat) is basically just as high in iron as red meat and tends to be the cheaper cuts.  I agree boiled is great, always moist.

I started sweet peppers cooked in big chunks in stew (along with other veg) then picked them out for DS (he got all the bits of the stew but liked things in separate piles so he could see what he was eating).

Potato - mine still won't eat mash.  I started potato wedges (usually skin on and some herbs or spices to season) baked in the oven at 6 months as finger food.  They went down well, but sweet pot is higher nutritionally than regular potato so maybe do oven baked sweet pot chips (try turnip, suede, carrot, parsnip, all make good 'chips' for finger food).

bean burgers, fritters or falafel are good fillers, lentil cakes too (you can fry or oven bake shaped in a mini muffin tin)

No recipe for rusks but do you remember the oaty chews recipe I posted ages ago?  (It started out as a cookie recipe but I made them more like flapjacks - gluten free, sugar free, egg free and can be dairy free too) I whizz the oats to make them finer then add the other ingredients and they are really similar to an off the shelf baby oat bar that's popular in the UK.  Maybe worth a try?

home made chicken liver pate is a good way to get iron rich protein without it being 'meat'.

I'm sure you are going to really enjoy this weaning process despite the early months of milk/solids having been difficult.

[ZacsMumme]

Boneless and skinless thighs here are quite pricey. But if you buy with both they are cheap. I like the thigh meat

Lots of sweet potato (kumera too) here. I think ill make some for finger foods given that he already has it as a purée.

Ill hunt out your oaty chews recipe!

Thanks creations. T is a pleasure to feed I have to admit. He just never wants to stop and gets constipated.

[Skadiver13]

HAve you tried sweet potato fries? Yummy and Liam likes to suck on them till they get mushy and then will eat them.

[ENMS]

creations can you post your recipe for oaty chews? they sound yummy

Sara I like to boil whole chickens and I use the thigh meat for M and the white meat for us in some recipes. I put back the carcass to make a yummy broth too, which I give to M as well as it is super goof for the digestive system and I also use it when I cook (for us or for him).

[creations]

Sure, here it is.
tbh you can change this recipe so easily and just throw almost anything in that you know your LO is ok with (some suggestions for different flavours at the end of the recipe but experiment with it!).  I haven't tried a veggie version but I really think a mashed sweet pot, grated courgette, carrot etc would also work fine in it.  Like I mentioned before If you need gluten free you need to check the box of oats you buy, some are produced in factories with wheat, some are kept totally gluten free.  Although I cut into 1" squares, you can obviously make  bars/rectangles for younger LOs so they have a longer section to grip as finger food. (where recipe says butter, use any oil your LO is ok with, where recipe says milk use whatever milk substitute your LO is ok with or any juice (apple/pear etc) or water, it really doesn't matter)

OATY CHEWS
3 bananas
1/3 cup butter melted (75g) or your regular oil
2 cups uncooked oats (200g)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (75 - 90g)
1tsp vanilla extract

OVEN 180
WHIZZ or MASH bananas into purée.
ADD butter, milk, vanilla. MIX.
ADD oats, raisins, MIX.
LEAVE TO STAND at least 5 mins.
SPREAD all mixture evenly into a large rectangle approx 1.5cm thick on baking parchment on baking sheet (like flapjacks)
BAKE 15-20 min until lightly brown
COOL first on tray then on wire rack.

Notes:
- After cooking and whilst still warm cut into 1" squares with long knife.  They need re-cutting after completely cooling.
- also works well in greased mini muffin tray (pack down).  Under 1s may find these too big to eat.
- for a finer mix whizz half or all the oats.  This makes them similar to shop bought finger food oaty bars.
- if you have any concerns that your under 1 might choke whizz the raisins or any other fruit you add to make a smoother bar (also makes it sweeter).
- don't be tempted to try these warm as they are pretty spongy and unappetizing.  Much better fully cooled.
- this is a great recipe to experiment with, try variations using chopped dried apricots, figs, prunes or other dried fruit, ground almonds, a spoon of smooth peanut butter, orange oil or almond oil instead of vanilla essence, cinnamon, mixed spice, for older toddlers try added seeds and chopped nuts.
- store in airtight container in fridge or freeze in batches.