Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not see how I can follow the advice 'feed baby what ever you are having'?

300 replies

ethelfleda · 18/07/2018 16:18

Maybe I am being over cautious- 8mo is my PFB after all and am terrified of getting the weaning thing wrong!

But yesterday was the first time I've had him weighed since we started weaning him. All fine - perfect weight gain etc but the HV is telling me that as long as I'm not giving him honey or full nuts, anything goes!

So... what about the piri piri smoked fish I had earlier in the week? And should I not make him separate portions of chilli with less spice in? Tonight's dinner is veggie omelette - should I just get over myself and give him some of that? Or carry on giving separate food to us?

I feel pretty stupid for finding this so difficult!

OP posts:
Gilead · 18/07/2018 16:34

I'm Spanish. I weaned mine on what we were eating, as do many folks. If it has pepper in it, it has pepper in it. In places that eat spicy food babies are weaned on spicy food. Yes, cut down on salt, but anything else, if you're eating it, then let baby try. They'll soon let you know if they're not keen and a bit of spice isn't going to harm.

Apehouse · 18/07/2018 16:35

Personally I’ve always hated that particular bit of advice. The only way to follow it is for the adults to eat nursery food. Maybe that’s what the nanny state wants for us.

DoubleLottchen · 18/07/2018 16:36

I did this with my second child, they just ate off my plate at first, but I tried to cook things for the whole family that would be more suitable for a baby.

So for example when we were first starting, lots of stews and risottos and omelettes, fish, minced meat, pulses, pasta, mashed potatoes etc, so generally softer food with a bit of a sauce. I'd smush things a bit with a fork really early on, a spoonful at a time. Then after a while you just evolve to a wider range, and don't really have to think about it.

Salt, pepper and chilli flakes etc put out on the table for people to add their own (I still do this)

Scotinoz · 18/07/2018 16:36

Our kids pretty much ate what we ate. I used to take out a portion, then season stuff, or if I was making curry/chilli/etc, I'd do a separate pan with a kids version (less chilli etc).

Don't stress yourself though, and over complicate things. Go with your gut.

Submariner · 18/07/2018 16:36

Ours ate more spicy food as babies than they do now at 4 and 7. We stopped adding salt to our food (or added it at the table) and they had literally everything we ate apart from sugary puddings or salty snacks. Honestly, they're mostly just playing with it, so give them everything. It makes it much easier out and about too, we never used a pouch or jar, we would just donate little bits and bobs to the baby's high chair from our plates.

zebrarobot · 18/07/2018 16:36

Definitely think you are over thinking OP.
He would probably love the veggie omelette. My youngest is 12m and we've learned from our experience with the eldest where I thought similar to you and continued making him something "appropriate" (read - bland, beige, flavourless gloop) until he was about 18months. We found that when we did try to give him what we had that he was refusing it as he was so used to his own stuff. Hes nearly 5 now and will eat anything!! The youngest has been having what we're having for about 5 months now. Its just a case of adjusting your meal to suit. For example, dish up his spag bol and them add salt to yours. Or make a mild chilli and then add more spice once you've taken his out. Same with the fish. Maybe just a little bit of that (to watch salt intake) and then more of the veg/rice/noodles - whatever you had with it. It's just about exploring different textures and flavours but you dont want a fussy eater so I would introduce him to some different food if i were you.

Keeptrudging · 18/07/2018 16:38

I just cooked without salt, adults could salt their food to taste. I've never cooked separate food for the children, if it was something spicy I'd just make it milder then adults could add in harissa or Tabasco etc. When we went out for dinner, they'd often have a half portion of something off the adult menu or we'd share some of ours as Kids menus are generally awful.

Submariner · 18/07/2018 16:41

For example, we ate chillies, curries, stews, salads, roasts, risotto, pasta bakes, fajitas. 2nd baby's first food was a sliver of roast chicken. They are much pickier now, but they still have weird hangovers from their varied start in food, like eldest who won't touch a cheese sandwich will eat anything that's 'Mexican'.

MsAwesomeDragon · 18/07/2018 16:41

Both my dds loved spicy things as babies. Dd1 particularly loved curry, would demolish it with glee.
That changed as toddlers. I'm not quite sure what happened but at about 2.5 years both of them went off anything with much flavour and wanted bland food :(

mrsstewpot · 18/07/2018 16:42

For my first I did all the steaming, puree-ing and freezing in tiny portions.
With my second, I allowed DD to eat little pieces from my plate or when cooking, as PPs have said, reserved a small portion for her before pumping up the salt/spice for myself.
So much easier and really helped DD become a great wee eater.
Veggie omelet is perfect.

bluerunningshoes · 18/07/2018 16:44

spice is absolutely fine.
go for it.
the earlier dc develop a taste for herbs and spices the better imo.

Skittlesandbeer · 18/07/2018 16:45

Not a chance in hell I’d have given my baby adult food. Even with the spice turned down, and the texture mushed down.

Waaaay too many additives, and bad ratios of salt/fat/sugar. Lacking so often in a good range of essential nutrients

If you’re grown up, you can make your own health decisions, and that includes short cuts and being a bit lazy with meal prep. Babies are dependent on us to do the research and put in the effort so they can use those food building blocks to create a body and a brain.

I guess I’m in the minority. I never found it a great imposition to cook separately (and better) for mine.

Katri0na · 18/07/2018 16:47

That's why I used to give puree food to the baby and then later made child-friendly meals for the whole family. I didn't make the babies eat our food, I made us eat theirs when they were old enough! You just add the seasoning in your plate, it's not a big deal. I couldn't have coped with the baby-led weaning fashion of the time.

silkpyjamasallday · 18/07/2018 16:51

We pretty much gave Dd whatever we were having after about two months of purée and finger food, but I have never added salt while cooking food, only after so that was never an issue. Plus, having seen her at about your sons age grab some curried goat, cooked with scotch bonnets off DPs plate and eat it without batting an eyelid, I don’t worry about a bit of spice, she can handle spicier food than me! She will eat pretty much anything and if she gets a bit fussy can always be persuaded to eat more of something she has rejected by giving it to her off our plates.

user1471459936 · 18/07/2018 16:52

Skittlesandbeer - sounds like you are in the minority of not cooking from scratch for yourself. I wouldn't eat ready meals / jar sauce etc, so wouldn't be giving that to my children either.

Purpleartichoke · 18/07/2018 16:53

Veggie omelette. Serve it up.
Spicy Thai food. I gave her some of the rice.
Salad with a tangy dressing, pick out some of the tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce before adding the dressing.
Steak. Cook one for baby without salt and don’t serve it rare. This was my daughter’s favorite.

littledinaco · 18/07/2018 16:54

Not a chance in hell I’d have given my baby adult food. Even with the spice turned down, and the texture mushed down.

Waaaay too many additives, and bad ratios of salt/fat/sugar. Lacking so often in a good range of essential nutrients

Surely this only applies if you’re having ready meals, processed, foot etc. If you cook from scratch then there is no reason why it would have additives or lack in nutrients.

I always just gave what I had, even if spicy. Greek yoghurt is good to add if you think it’s too hot.

Eemamc · 18/07/2018 16:56

The books i’ve read say spicy is fine...I wouldn’t do vindaloo hot, but piri Piti I would say is fine. I wouldn’t give anything salty...but we could prob all do with eating a bit less salt anyway.
I had a pub lunch today...posh fish finger sandwich with tartare sauce and salad. LO has a little bit of everything. We just had houmous a pitta as a snack..she loved it

LaurieMarlow · 18/07/2018 16:57

Not a chance in hell I’d have given my baby adult food ... waaay too many additives, and bad ratios of salt/fat/sugar. Lacking so often in a good range of essential nutrients

Why are you cooking/eating so badly for yourself? Good food, cooked from scratch is easy to do for adults too.

allthgoodusernamesaretaken · 18/07/2018 16:57

Some days, baby eats same as you. Any leftover can be frozen, so the baby can eat next time you're having something unsuitable for the baby.

SoyDora · 18/07/2018 16:58

The only way to follow it is for the adults to eat nursery food

Why?! As long as you are cooking from scratch with no added salt etc, you can give them most things.
Absolutely nothing wrong with veggie omelette for an 8 month old, can’t see a single issue there? We gave ours chilli/spice, maybe just toned it down a bit when they were really young. DD1 and 2’s (aged 4 and 3) favourite food is chicken laksa.
We have never eaten ‘nursery food’ but have always given ours what we’re eating. If something really isn’t suitable I will put it aside in the cooking process before the unsuitable element is added. DH and I add salt to taste at the table so we don’t use it in cooking.

Katri0na · 18/07/2018 16:58

to be fair, a lot of MN posters seem to be cooking from scratch - nothing wrong with it, I do too. In real life, ready meals fly off the shelves and many people spend a fortune on take-away. I am sure feeding baby what you eat is not the wisest advice in all the families.

TittyGolightly · 18/07/2018 16:58

Personally I’ve always hated that particular bit of advice. The only way to follow it is for the adults to eat nursery food.

Yes. DD couldn’t move for pheasant terrine and slow cooked lamb shanks when she went to nursery (she’d eaten both before she was 8 months).

Whattheactualfuckmate · 18/07/2018 16:58

@ethalflida don’t stress out about it.

Just mix and match and go with what’s ever baby likes and is easy for you. Life is too short

SoyDora · 18/07/2018 16:58

Not a chance in hell I’d have given my baby adult food ... waaay too many additives, and bad ratios of salt/fat/sugar. Lacking so often in a good range of essential nutrient

The food we cook isn’t any of those things ^