To not cook for just weaned baby?

[Heavyrainforecast]

DD is 7 months. She’s very slowly getting the hang of eating but isn’t eating anything really significant in the way of solids.

Monday, Tuesday and Friday (and weekends) I have her brother too so I make a child friendly meal and she can just have some of that. But on Wednesday and Thursday he is at nursery and eats there. AIBU not to make her a special meal and just give her a bit of toast or crumpet?

This. There’s no need to freeze stuff for some time in the future. Freezing tiny amounts of stuff in the freezer was more for a time when babies had purées. Give her a bit more of Tuesday’s meal on Wednesday and the eggy bread she likes on Thursday. Probably solved! L

You have only said about lunch; what about in the evening? Oh, and stay off instagram!

I'd batch cook and then put what you've made into freezer bags. It hardly takes up any room in my freezer. Is there anything else in the freezer you can get rid of?
DD has just turned 8 months and if we're having something not suitable for her I defrost something.

Things I've batch cooked are

Carrot and courgette pizza pinwheels
Cheese and broccoli egg muffins
Courgette savoury flapjack
Sweetcorn and butternut stars
Chickpea and sweetcorn fritters

All from the Annabel Karmel website and I just defrost for a min in the microwave and serve with cucumber or tomato

Is your DS the only person in the house who eats normal food? If so, I'd probably cook enough on Tuesdays for leftovers on Wednesday, and then use commercial baby food, or something really simple on Thursdays.

See batch cooking that for the stage of weaning we’re at would be a waste of time and money. She just isn’t anywhere close to eating meals. She has tiny little tastes, that’s it. Even with toast, she has one finger and sucks on it. Maybe half will go in.

Also, I don't know how long you going to be eating meal replacements for, but if it's for more than a month or two I'd try to make sure that she spends plenty of mealtimes time around adults who are eating actual food so that she can learn how eating and mealtimes work.

Rent an adult? 😂

I don't know what you are looking for here. Every suggestion is a 'no' from you.

It's not difficult to feed a baby

Oh it is, Dorothy, it is!

I don’t think I’ve said no to everything. I’m perfectly amenable to other suggestions like egg or whatever. The only thing I’ve said no to are batch cooking and freezing.

*is

Give her the avocado on toast for dinner and make some soft veggies like carrot to go on the side.

what do you make your toddler when he’s not at nursery? You could keep a little bit in the fridge to give baby another day.

When people say batch cooking they don't mean making a whole shepherds pie and a pasta bake or fish pie. Batch cook some veggies, put them into an ice cube tray and freezer then pop in a freezer bag, just get out when when you need it. If not use the pouches. At this age is all exploring and learning how to eat- model good eating with her. Most will end up over them and on the floor- it's how babies learn. You aren't feeding a full meal to fill them up! That nutrition is still from milk.

In your first post you said toast and crumpets which is not enough as it's only carbohydrate. People are telling you you need to offer other foods (like veg and egg) so that your child gets used to a range of foods and has a more balanced diet. You are replying as though they are expecting you to take hours to prepare something - they aren't!

I used ice cube trays to freeze portions of veg puree, so I could offer some different types without having to make a tiny amount fresh every time. Even if they don't eat it it isn't much wastage - you will have to accept that some will get wasted as it's good to keep offering a range even if they won't reliably eat it.

With kindness OP, you seem to be giving the impression that feeding your child is a chore, which is probably why you aren’t getting the response you want.

I’m sure this isn’t your intention but they way it’s written and how you respond perhaps loose something in translation.

When you roast a chicken, chop some up and keep it in the fridge, so you can give a few bites. On a Monday, steam a few carrot sticks, broccoli, cauliflower and store them in the fridge. They’ve be fine for a good few days. Avocado easy to slice.
Buy fruit and pre chop so it’s there as you need it.

It’s not really that difficult just pre planned and organised.

I’d cook a little extra on the days you’re cooking or give her something super simple like chopped fruit or steamed carrot sticks. Carrots are really cheap and you could get a microwaved steamer so it’s minimal effort. I do get the frustration of wasted food and effort when you’re busy with young DC

At this stage it’s more about her learning to eat/tasting flavours than what she actually eats, so I’d just keep it easy but avoid bread products too often so she gets variety

There are plenty of fridge foods that don't need cooking, or very little cooking. For example... cooked chicken breast (from supermarket) Peppers/cucumber. Apple/banana/pear/cut up grapes/berries. Scrambed egg in microwave. Veg sticks cooked at beginning of week. Boiled potatoes cut into "chips".

Also bear in mind bread and crumpets have salt in so check how much you are giving baby! Probably not a problem when they aren't eating much but if they are used to having that all the time it adds up

Yeah, sorry but it sounds like you’ve watched too many insta videos and just thought I can’t be arsed with that- which is understandable (as they offer the complete other end of the spectrum), but there’s a wide world between a full three course meal and crumpets/ rice cakes 2 days a week as a main meal.

It will also depend on what your DC are having for their other meals too I guess- and on the days where your DS is in nursery could the baby have the main meal for lunch (as others have said, maybe a few finger food bits including veg and something cooked for your DS the day before, kept in the fridge and reheated). Then they can eat their tea together at home and have the same foods.

Also try to adjust your mindset- even if most ends up on the floor, if she tries some then that’s a win 🥇

You’re brave posting about weaning on here! Sounds perfectly fine to me, like a previous poster said she’s getting most of her nutrition from milk at this point so as long as she’s “trying” different things (and by that I mean chucking them on the floor!) then you’re all good.

People on here are so bitchy and self righteous about this subject. Funnily enough I know only one Mum in real life that’s openly like that, all sneery and acting faux shocked when she sees a baby eating an Ella’s kitchen pouch…her child turned out to be the fussiest eater going so don’t listen to it and just do what is right for your baby and your family.

You don’t need to cook baby a full pasta bake or something but just a crumpet is no nutritional value. Do a scrambled egg, some cooked veg, bits of fruit, little cubes of cheese. Baby needs to be exposed to lots of tastes at that age

Off post, but I'm interested in the idea of ultra processed foods. Can you tell me what makes a crumpet more of an ultra processed food than a slice of supermarket bread?

They are both ultra processed. Most supermarket bread is full of crap!

Anything that mushes is good like banana, peas, potato

YANBU to not make a full meal and maybe just steam some vegetables etc. But YABU to feed just carbs on those days. I do a mixture of finger foods and some purées and on lazy days I just mash half an avocado with a fork so it's healthy but so quick. Or I steam loads of fine green beans at once and then feed those a few at a time over a few days. There are ways to cut corners without relying on processed carbs, so I'd recommend looking into that.

The poster I was asking said toast was ok but crumpet not, because crumpets are uhp. I was interested to know what the difference was because I would have thought they both as good/bad as one another.

That looked like a lot of chicken to get through in the photo of a plate of food

So long as you provide the food and put it in front of them they will never starve as such even if they're picky or not eating because the food is there