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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to feed my baby only commercial food?

38 replies

duckadeedoo · 29/04/2010 19:49

She's 9 months. I really cant cook.

FWIW, I only buy Ella's Kitchen and Plum products with the occational organix jars.

OP posts:
paisleyleaf · 29/04/2010 20:36

Get a basic recipe book and follow the instructions. I don't think you'll be sorry if you learn to cook.

sleepyhead3 · 29/04/2010 20:38

Everyone can prepare simple food. I think you are being unreasonable and rather lazy not to try to learn and leaving everything to your DP.
You will have to learn at some point as you can't feed her jars when she is 2 or 3!
You've had lots of good advice on simple food- pasta, mashed potato/ sweet potato with cheese, scrambled egg, mince with fruit/ yogurts.
Much better for your baby and cheaper too.

WingedVictory · 29/04/2010 21:10

This is going to cost a fortune, and you are going to be caught out one day.

Start gently, with some crudites (sliced carrots, cucumbers), strips of pita bread and hummous. That's a meal, for both of you!

People have mentioned jacket potatoes: that's good, but you just have to remember to plan it.

Cook bolognaise sauce with: chopped onions, mince, bottled passata/tinned tomatoes, red wine. Rosemary is also nice. If you can, add mushrooms, and chopped peppers near the end. Very tasty, and it is a "recipe" which can be changed in various different ways.

Make some couscous (by pouring the indicated amount of boiled water over the couscous and covering the bowl). Then chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions. Once the couscous has cooled, mix in the salad, and you have a primitive tabbouleh!

To make fajitas (baby can eat a version of these, and will be able to eat this as a toddler): buy the fajita wraps, yogurt/sour cream/creme fraiche, onions, peppers, chicken (breasts are easiest to cut), hard cheese (e.g. cheddar). Cut up all the veg and meat (separate board for the meat). Fry veg and meat separately, and place in separate bowls to add to your fajitas. Heat the wraps according to the instructions, and start assembling your fajitas to eat! (I know there are other things you could add, but this is simply, and baby will eventually be able to join in).

These dishes use different techniques, but techniques which are fairly easy and which show you that it's not too bad, cooking, and saving some money while you cut the salt and other things added to ready-made food (for yourself, as well as for children).

It is worth getting a good knife and a few cutting boards, particularly if you're going to cut meat.

Hope this helps, saves you a fortune, and makes you feel more confident!

RubyBuckleberry · 29/04/2010 21:17

yabu

wukter loving the scrambled egg with courgette!

justallovertheplace · 29/04/2010 21:19

yabu. I know a mum like this. Her ds is 2 now and still will not eat anything with lumps
You don't have to be masterchef. What the hell do you eat yourself? Surely you don't live off readymeals?

Sunshine78 · 29/04/2010 21:20

What do you eat if you dont cook?

EricNorthmansmistress · 29/04/2010 21:27

She needs textures - that stuff is all slop. The ingredients are fine but babies need to chew. DS at that age had yoghurt and bananas for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch (soft, good quality white bread) and for dinner things like scrambled egg, baked beans, pasta, rice and vegetables, mashed potato/swede etc. We don't eat meat so if you do it's probably even easier.

Plus those things are really expensive, they really don't eat much at that age so you can probably cut your food bill in half if you stop relying on them!

Whelk · 29/04/2010 21:30

Try to learn. You will need to in the end and littlies generally like pretty basic food.

i think you know its pretty poor to only serve commercial food or you wouln't be posting in AIBU!!

Stuff like:
jacket spuds and cheese/ beans/ tuna with salad are much tastier and cheaper and your dd will be ready for that soon.

other ideas:
-pasta and tomato sauce - to which you can add veggies/ ham/ tuna/ anything

  • scrambled/boiled egg
  • pasta and creamy sauce
  • fish/ chicken/ any meat with potatoes and any veg
  • cheese and veggie sticks
  • cottage pie.

are good and simple to start with and you can experiment with tricker stuff as you feel the need,

For puds just mash up bananas, berries or finely slice up pears, peaches until she can eat them normally.

Loads of us couldn't cook when we first had kids but its your opportunity to learn! Its really not hard - just trial and error (and who needs to know about the errors - your dd won't tell!!!)

dinster · 29/04/2010 21:33

I give too many packets, too. Not because I can't cook but because dd turns her nose up at most of my painstakingly made stuff - she doesn't chew brilliantly but I'm still trying and even at just-turned-1, if she bites off a lump, it just comes out again (only 1 tooth). Any tips on encouraging chewing and chobbling (sorry for slight hijack!)?

larks35 · 29/04/2010 21:37

YABU

Cooking for a baba is sometimes annoying, often a bit time-consuming, but always cheaper and more interesting than the ready-made shit.

I found that after making purees for my DS, I was bored with his food so would add a bit of spice to them. Your DD also needs to be munching a bit, so at least give her some real fruit - chunks of soft pear, grapes, strawberries etc. When she is teething a chunk of apple will help.

Why not use this time to explore your culinary skills, cos if you continue to feed your DD junk, well you know the rest...

MadamDeathstare · 29/04/2010 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

larks35 · 29/04/2010 21:41

Dinster, try soft fruit pieces and rather that using packet stuff, just blend/mash what you have made - I'm sure it is more yummy than the packets.

dinster · 29/04/2010 21:45

Thanks, larks35, yes, I will keep persevering and try to make the veg a bit softer.

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