Healthy Spreads

[RachelC]

Here are some healthy spread suggestions, from Super Baby Food:  Of course, make sure your lo is old enough to have these ingrediants and make sure they've been introduced prior to this to check for allergies...

Combine one or more of these ingredients:
yougurt cheese
tofu
cream cheese
shredded cheese
cottage cheese
ricotta cheese
mashed avacado
pureed cooked beans
mashed cooked egg/egg yolk
peanut butter
any nut butter
tahini or any seed butter

with one or more of these sweet ingredients:
mashed banana
shredded apple or other fresh fruit
no sugar jelly/jam
concentrated orange or other juice
drained crushed canned pineapple
honey (after 1 year please)
apple or prune butter
rehydrated dried fruit
mashed sweet potato
shredded/mashed carrots

can also add:
ground nuts
ground seeds (eat immediately)
sround sprouts
chopped fresh parsley or other herb

Other suggestions?

[emsandmegan]

hummous or any other bean pate with herbs, olive oil and garlic

[tylersmommy]

When Tyler refused the spoon for finger foods, I had tons of leftover homemade baby food to get rid of. So I used all that veggie and fruit puree as a spread on toast, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, you name it!

[Lemonthyme]

Not tried this but my son loves pilchards in tomato sauce, he tends to eat them as they are but I was thinking you could whizz that up to a pate type consistency which would be high in omega 3 and calcium; just keep an eye on the salt. 

[creations]

cheese and mushroom pate (sounds odd I know!)

makes approx 2 ramekins of pate

15g unsalted butter
5 large flat mushrooms (225g) roughly chopped
1 large leek trimmed, washed, finely chopped
5 tblsp crème fraiche
1 tsp english mustard
pinch nutmeg
black pepper
125g cheddar cheese crumbled/diced

COOK leeks and mushrooms in the butter, covered, for 5 mins
ADD creme fraiche, mustard, nutmeg, pepper
STIR
COOK uncovered for 5-10min until liquid has almost evaporated
WHIZZ the mushroom and leek mix with the cheese until smooth
TRANSFER to air tight tub or ramekins
CHILL

For those watching salt levels take note of salt in the cheese - I think this pate spread on toast or crackers or as a sandwich would not exceed recommended daily salt allowance for LOs unless eaten in huge quantities.

This mix, not whizzed or chilled would also make a nice sauce for pasta with just a little cheese melted through or grated on top

[creations]

chicken liver pate

226g chicken livers, trimmed of fat
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 cup water
170g unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper

SIMMER livers, onion, garlid, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper in the water for about 3 mins until livers are barely pink inside.
STAND covered 5 min (to ensure they are fully cooked through and no trace of pink inside)
DRAIN, discard bay leaf
WHIZZ until coarsely puréed
ADD butter 2tbsp at a time
WHIZZ until incorporated and smooth
TRANSFER to air tight tubs or ramekins
PRESS plastic wrap directly to the surface
CHILL

can be frozen

a grown up version can be made with the same recipe with the addition of 2tsp cognac or scotch whiskey and some salt after the butter has been incorporated.

Edited to say: Thanks to Lemonthyme for this link about liver pate and food safety
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2011/dec/campypate#.U2-1y4aRA5Y