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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Annabel Karmel is just sugar and bread?

38 replies

Udderly · 21/07/2011 20:31

I bought one of the Annabel Karmel books during the week to get some finger food ideas for my 8 mth old. I am absolutely Shock at the recipes, loads of sugar, loads of bread - e.g sandwiches with cream cheese and raspberry jam!!! I was expecting the recipes to be a little more healthy than they are!!

OP posts:
SheCutOffTheirTails · 21/07/2011 20:32

I dunno, all my 3 year old wants to eat is sugar and bread. Maybe this way you just skip the middle bit where you imagine they might eat other stuff.

Original poster
Udderly · 21/07/2011 20:36

Grin I can work that out for myself without dropping nearly 20 quid for fancy recipes to do it!!

OP posts:
IWillOnlyEatBeans · 21/07/2011 20:37

I just made some AK chicken burgers for DS. They did not include sugar, but there were a few breadcrumbs in there.

Try the BLW cook book maybe?

Martha85 · 21/07/2011 20:42

YANBU her books are a total waste of money.

Nagini · 21/07/2011 20:45

I got the book out of the library.

It was worth it to remind me that omelette exists :)

LynetteScavo · 21/07/2011 20:45

What ever you do, don't watch her TV show - it's truly painful.

Nagini · 21/07/2011 20:46

Is she 800 years old? She's got that 'botox made me look older' thing

The puppets are more lifelike than she is.

Original poster
Udderly · 21/07/2011 20:46

I tried the cheesy brocolli bites thingies this evening. Granted DD gobbled them, but they were fried in oil. I did it to follow the recipe but in mind I wanted to kick against it and at least bung them in the oven to be a bit healthier. I mean I know I can adapt these things, but the book suggests meal planning using the recipes.

OP posts:
Beamur · 21/07/2011 20:47

I bought a couple of cookbooks for me to help with cooking for DD. You may knock AK, but her recipes were the only ones DD would eat.

headfairy · 21/07/2011 20:47

lynette it is isn't it? I couldn't believe it when I caught it while channel hopping the other day. excruciating.

OP her book is pants, she preaches on about not giving sugary cereals to children and then tells you to put honey or golden/maple syrup on porridge. What's that but, erm... sugar!!!!

headfairy · 21/07/2011 20:48

udderly, I'm less bothered by the oil thing, esp if it's olive oil. Babies need fat for growth. It's the sugar that gets me.

HairyFrotter · 21/07/2011 20:48

Maybe try sandwiches with just cream cheese? All baby recipe books are a waste of time imo. You don't need a recipe book to make sandwiches. Nor did I need the recipe book I got when I was making purees for my pfb. In hindsight I probably could have boiled some carrots and put them in the blender without instruction.

MissTinaTeaspoon · 21/07/2011 20:49

I did find her books useful (in fact I pulled one out earlier and made spinach and ricotta lasagne) but she does put sugar in where it's not needed, like in tomato sauce for pasta

squeakytoy · 21/07/2011 20:49

Use spray olive oil, and then bake them in the oven, they will be a lot healthier but still nice and crunchy.

squeakytoy · 21/07/2011 20:50

Tomato sauce for pasta should have a bit of sugar in as it reduces the acidity of the tomato. A little sugar is not actually going to poison your children!

Mumbrane · 21/07/2011 20:51

The idea that toddlers need special meals is laughable. She's a complete bluffer.

Original poster
Udderly · 21/07/2011 20:52

Sunflower oil in the recipe - the first fried thing I gave to my baby. Its a slippery slope to McDonalds chicken nuggets! Grin.
HairyFrotter I took that approach to weaning but DD is seriously anti purees and I was wondering if my recipes weren't up to scratch, hence the purchase. It would appear the lack of sugar was where I was falling down!! Grin

OP posts:
headfairy · 21/07/2011 20:54

exactly mumbrane My dd was disgusted at puree when there was much more interesting food on my plate.

BornInAfrica · 21/07/2011 20:56

You people freaking out about a bit of sugar or a mouthful of fried food really really need to get a grip! All you're doing is storing up a whole shitload of problems for your children who will sneak around trying to get a sugar/fried/whatever fix just as soon as they're old enough to realise that their parents are Food Nazis and that actually a sprinkle of sugar on their recycled hemp cereal makes the whole deal taste a hell of a lot better!

headfairy · 21/07/2011 20:59

Not freaking out borninAfrica, I was just pointing out the ridiculous nature of AK's lectures about sugar when she advocates putting it in so many of her recipes.

Original poster
Udderly · 21/07/2011 21:00

I'm not freaking out about sugar or fried food, I just don't think that cream cheese and raspberry jam is nutritious, healthy or necessary for a 9-12 month old and am shocked that someone is making money out of peddaling that concept.

OP posts:
Adair · 21/07/2011 21:01

This book is good for ideas when your brain doesn't work properly cos you are so sleep deprived. Don't follow the actual recipes for cheese straws etc though, as all the quantities are wrong!

But yes, my 6mth old is mostly just getting er... food. Nothing wrong with recipe books for inspiration though.

MissTinaTeaspoon · 21/07/2011 21:03

I'm not freaking out either, I just don't think that tomato sauce needs sugar, I dont put any in and no one has ever complained.

Beamur · 21/07/2011 21:06

I always put a little bit of sugar in tomato sauce. Grin

headfairy · 21/07/2011 21:12

I do too beamur just a pinch. But I don't preach about sugar to all and sundry while advocating putting maple syrup on cereals :o

I have a friend who gets very preachy about my dcs having ribena - "oh I don't let my children have that sugary crap" and yet they drink tons of fruit juice. Erm... hellloooo?

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