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?

Bounce - it’s incredibly condescending. I’m sorry as I’m sure you’re meaning to be helpful but I am not four, I don’t want or need things ‘repeating to me because it is incredibly important I take them on board.’

We all do things differently, some like the family meal set up, some don’t.

What was the point in the tread then? Just an announcement that you can't be bothered to cook for your baby?

I will reply even though no one will read it

This morning I was lying in bed with her going through the day in my head. I am not cooking for DS which means I’m not making anything really today. I wondered if I should ‘make an effort’ for DD or just give her little tastes of toast and crumpet. I have noted I am unreasonable and have given her egg and sweet potato (that she didn’t want.) So / I don’t think I’m THAT bad, am i!?

Surely you would only give her a couple of pieces of pasta form pasta bake so it doesn’t matter if it goes on the floor. It’s not a huge waste then and your son /family can have it also. What you’ve given her today is fine!

Son is at nursery and will eat there. I am not currently eating because I am fat.

Don't you eat....diet or not you should be eating protein and veg so what's the problem her eating the same?

Oh man 😂

I know but surely he can have it at some point this week I mean. Weekend?

Id be cooking for him then anyway. Like i say, I don’t think a diet of egg and toast, sweet potato and carrot and then some crumpet and cucumber is that bad, even though she hasn’t eaten most of it! She’s very grumpy at the moment so won’t even tolerate throwing food on the floor unfortunately.

Well if you’ve already cooked a pasta bake then it saves you cooking another meal for him then! And that is fine you’re right. And definitely not just the crumpet and toast you said in your OP!

Mine was on purees and frankly barely eating at all at seven months, but here are some things we make that are easy for our 14 month old and don’t require much cooking at all:

• quick cook fusilli (takes 5 minutes) or when they are younger, baby pasta stars (even quicker). To avoid needing to have sauce in the freezer in ice cubes, have some cream cheese / ricotta and maybe some pesto in the fridge, and mix in a small amount of each. Alternatively, find a ready made sauce that’s low enough on salt etc. Throw some peas from the freezer in to cook with the pasta.
• banana (however you serve it, we mashed) and yogurt
• cous-cous is quick and easy - I do mix it with frozen ice cubes of an aubergine dish she loves, but you could have some fresh and quick chopped ingredients on hand to mix it with instead. Make it with baby/salt free stock and a squeeze of tomato puree to add taste.
• when they are older with a bigger appetite, baked potatoes done in the microwave!

edit: my daughter hates eggs so that isn’t an option, but they are easy if you don’t have an egg hater…

I know what you OP. It’s not that you never want to feed your child nutritious meals, just seems a little pointless firing up the cooker for a tablespoon size meal to chuck in the floor.

I used to do bits like tuna mayo and small pasta, sweet potato in the microwave, egg in a cup (egg and butter), omlette with ham and cheese, god forbid spaghetti hoops (drained in the sieve so not to ‘wet’, half a can today and half tomorrow) Mine and 8 and 12 now, good eaters and healthy.

When mine were younger there was so much pressure to create fantastic meals that cost a sodding fortune, took forever and never got eaten!

Freezing sounds like it would make you life much easier, but if it’s really not for you, how about consciously making bigger portions for your son and your baby can have the same food two days running? The sky most certainly will not fall in if you do that!

Steamed frozen veg are always handy to have in to! Jazz up any protein!

Just give her a Crumpet/bits of fruit/veg etc honestly we did BLW and DS barely ate anything of note (as in that would fill him up) until he was about 9 or 10mths he was happy enough playing with it and nibbling bits but I would say for 2 meals a week definitely dont pressure yourself to cook from scratch at 7mths as it will mostly go ok floor and they're still getting vast majority of nutrition from milk anyway 😀

Bounce - there is more than one way to live a life. I’m modelling good habits in being a healthy weight and believe me, there is a lot I do very well indeed with my children generally and specifically with eating. But at the moment going to a lot of trouble of making her a specific meal for her would have been a waste of time and money. This has been proved by the fact she wouldn’t even sit in the highchair at lunch: she’s grouchy generally so I’m leaving that one now and try again at teatime. That’s just common sense.

I’ve no idea why you trying to lose weight means the baby can’t have any of the same things as you? A bit of veg and sweet potato, rice, fish, fruit etc all super easy little bits from what you had for lunch or are having for dinner. A crumpet is obviously fine but it’s a bit much for a freshly weaned baby to be loading up on crumpets for 2 ‘dinners’ a week. There’s just nothing of value in it for them.

I get that you don't have leftovers for her today, but why can't it be a solution going forward?

Because it’s a meal replacement plan. Babies should not be given these, obviously - I really honestly don’t want to sound rude but I say this on the first page.

I suppose because it means she’d be having the same things three times a week @Butterdishy . And some veg in particular really aren’t very nice when they’re been in the fridge and reheated - all soggy.

It's fine for babies to repeat meals. In fact it's good for them. A bit of crumpet is fine sometimes, but it's not ideal twice a week for a weaning baby. You'll have to start feeding her properly sooner or later. What will you do then?

what will you do then again I really am aware that tone can be misinterpreted but have you missed I am cooking twice, sometimes three, times a day five days a week? Sorry - I’m not trying to sound grumpy but you do sound rather as if you think I never cook!

And in the long term, the two days DS is at nursery are my working days. So she will be fed there when I’m back at work, so there is an absolute maximum of four months that this is an issue for.

It is coming across like you're looking for reinforcement on this thread rather than advice @Heavyrainforecast.

I think it's a bit of a shame that your little girl is watching her mum not eat, at a time when she's learning to eat herself. They learn so much from mirroring us and from seeing us try things/enjoy things. I understand struggling with your weight but I also understand growing up seeing a mum punishing herself for being fat and extreme dieting and I can tell you now it didn't do me any good. I'm not saying this to be hurtful, but really have a think about what relationship you would like your daughter to have with food as she grows up.

In terms of actual suggestions:

• Greek yoghurt - it's thick enough to be messily eaten by hands, was my son's favourite from the get go.
• Blueberries in the fridge to easily add fruit to any meal.
• What Mummy Makes recipes - I used to do a few of these on a Sunday and fridge some and freeze the rest - things like the courgette pinwheels, savoury flapjacks and sheet pancakes. They don't take up much space at all. The hummus recipe is great, it keeps for a week and I'd give it to my son with some breadsticks, a piece of cheese and some apple.
• Pouches eaten with hands are a mess but prep free and a good way to get some veggies into them.

I hope these suggestions are helpful on days where you aren't cooking to add in some variety and easily make it a more rounded "meal".