family meals for 6 month old

[annatha]

DD is 6 months old and is eating well so far. She has porridge for breakfast and eats mashed avocado, pureed veg and has tried a couple of jars (and wasn't overly keen). I'd like to serve her mini portions of what me and dh eat so we can enjoy mealtimes together, but to be honest mine and dh's diet is shocking. Too many takeaways, processed food and general crap. We want to take this as an opportunity to sort our diet out so what kind of things can we cook for the three of us? I'm making spag bol and cottage pie so far this week and leaving out stock cubes and salt. I really want to feed her right and for her to develop a healthy attitude towards food. My own mum proudly boasts that I was never forced to eat anything I didn't want to, which is fair enough except I was taking cola and several chocolate bars for school dinner and didn't start eating vegetables until I went to uni.

[BadgerFace]

The Baby Led Weaning cookbook is full of ideas for family meals which are suitable for babies. It also has good healthy snacks for babies like banana muffins and cheese flapjacks which you can freeze the excess of so great to stock the freezer and then use out and about.

Well done on your change of habits on food, that is so good! Enjoy your family meal times.

[AnythingNotEverything]

This is a great opportunity to make a fresh start for the whole family - and you'll save a fortune!

In terms of fussy eating, I read this recently and loved it :

www.themid.com/family/six-words-that-will-end-picky-eating?u=h2FK08PGZD

I'd advise you get a good weaning cookbook - the Gill Rapley Baby Led Weaning book is good as is the River Cottage baby and toddler cookbook. They're full of baby and adult friendly recipe with tips of how to prepare the food so you can all enjoy it.

DD is 20 months now and has had mostly real family food at mealtimes. She loves chilli and chickpeas and steamed carrot batons and she will fight you for the last sweet potato wedge! She also loves to dip food in ketchup, but that that's what happens when you have an older brother

You can always add salt to your food at the table, but you might find you don't miss it all that much.

[RatOnnaStick]

risotto and kedgeree are easy for babies and you can flavour them pretty much however you like. Homemade puzza goes down well as does pasta in all shapes and forms. Noodles are exceedingly good fun when you're learning to grip too.

[AnythingNotEverything]

As for actual suggestions, meaty fish like salmon, tuna and cod stays chunky enough for little ones to pick up. Carrots and potatoes cut with a crinkle cut chip cutter are good. Roasted sweet potato seems to be a universal hit (and delightfully messy!). Chicken cut into strips is good. Broccoli is easy to hold too.

If you'd rather spoon feed don't worry about whizzing things into a fine purée - they don't need that at 6 months +. Conchiglietti pasta is tiny shells which are a good size (and cheaper than the special baby pasta), baked beans are good too (buy the low Sally and sugar version if you can).

[annatha]

Thanks everyone! I'll order some cookbooks. I'm planning on doing a mix of spoonfeeding and finger foods and encouraging dd to take the spoon herself. So far though she's whacked herself in the eye with a loaded spoon and when offered a chunk of avocado grabbed my hand and brought it to her mouth so I was hand feeding her. She's resourceful!

[AnythingNotEverything]

She sounds like she's having a good go which is a fab start