Sharing tips on good food

[Rara]

Anyone want to help put together tips on finding good, wholesome foods from the various shops/supermarkets? I've been reading "The food our children eat" and found it v interesting but also horrifying how much crap is passed off as "healthy" kids' food.
Very much agree with author's beliefs that our children should eat modified versions of what we eat and get them into good habits from babies.

Read on another thread about organic versions of cheerios and stuff like this. Am interested in what other parents have found in the way of food with no added sugar/salt, etc and also what has gone down well with their babies/toddlers (my dd is nearly 8m and starting more adventurous stuff and finger food etc.) Would be really interested in other Mumsnetters have to say...

...or the DEFRA website

I gave my ds Danone yoghurts as opposed to normal ones because they are made with formula and I didn't want to give him cow's milk until he was six months and the Danone is suitable from four months. I don't think it's any more full of sugar than formula milk is anyway. But then I now give him Petit Filous because he loves them and he still eats his lentils!

Aloha, on a different thread from yoghurt but can you recommend a good lentil recipe? I've had them lingering in the cupboard for a few months with the intention of doing something with them but have never really cooked with them before, other than bulking out the odd soup, so would love to give mine some goodness like this. Ta.

If you are interested, I made a lovely red lentil shepherds pie the other day that dd, dp and I all loved!

1 carrot, half a stick of celery, 1 small onion, 1 garlic clove, handful of mushrooms - all in the magimix until chopped quite finely. Fry gently in olive oil and a bit of butter for about 10 mins. Add cupful of red lentils and enough stock/water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer for 25/30 mins until soft and stock absorbed. Taste and add pepper or salt if you like, put into ovenproof container, top with mash. You can stick it under the grill if you like to brown the top, but dd not keen on the 'crusty' bits of potato so I never bother. Serve with peas.

In reply to the person who was concerned about giving their baby instant mash, how about the cow and gate first tastes potato and cauliflower. They don't contain any salt and no gunk such as maltodextrin like a lot of packet foods do.

I don't think that adult breakfast cereals such as ready brek and weetabix can do babies any harm, the baby that died was only 3 months, what was he doing on solid food at all. My HV said that they only advise tiny amounts of babyrice if a parent wants to wean their child before 4 months old. For a 5 or 6 month old baby ready brek is fine. I wouldn't give instant gravy though as it contains lots of salt.

The baby that died had been fed Smash constantly - how stupid is that ? I guess that very occasionally it is probably ok but does contain lots of rubbish.

You can give babies weetabix and ready brek from 6 months. Apparently they are just as nutritious as baby cereals and not nearly as expensive. My dd has and loves porridge and Weetabix.

I made a Vegetable and Bean Korma for dd a few weeks ago - she loved it ! Only thing missing was the naan - must try that next time too.

With lentils I use red lentils. Fry an onion (or half, depending on quantities) in olive oil, add a bit of garlic if you like (I do for me, not for him, usually) add diced carrot, then add lentils and parsley (optional) or thyme then either add sundried tomatoes and cover with water or veg stock (I use a liquid organic one) or add a can of tomatoes and then boil for ten minutes and simmer until all is soft and mushy. I then usually whizz it very briefly with the hand blender and sprinkle in some cheese. I have also added chicken to the mix and then whizzed it with the hand blender. Whatever I do with it, it is extremely popular with my 7month old. I just mix in what I have really, sometimes I add sweet potato (baked in the oven in its skin then peeled and mashed with a fork) or mash. BTW Sainsbury's have an instant mash that is all potato, no salt or anything. Quite fancied it myself with a bit lump of butter. Mmm.
Also BTW, and though I promised not to mention it again, that baby had all that salt - 9g - in just 24hours. I cannot imagine how that is possible just by feeding salty food. It is VERY difficult to harm a baby with normal food if they are old enough to wean (which is obviously more than 3months) though clearly salt is not good for them.

Aloha and Enid, thanks for the lentil recipes. I shall try them both as they both sound great, just hope my fussy one eats them! Thanks again.

I've just given my ds mashed potato, sweetcorn and a bit of organic lamb whizzed together (our leftovers!) and he loved that too. With mashed pear and yoghurt for pudding. Hope he likes those lentils - I think my ds would eat lentils and sweet potato every single day quite happily. He's chortling upstairs in his bath with his daddy now and sounds very pleased with himself.

I do try to give my dh(aged 2.75) home cooked food when Im not working. she likes chilli (Without the chilli)
any thing with pasta I make a layered pasta bake with bolognese sauce on the base with pasta twist on top, smothered with cheese sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese and baked for 20 mins I suppose its a lazy lasagne. When I have to go to work (late shifts)Im very lazy and buy the childrens ready meals from Tescos she loves the meat balls and spagetti and the sauce has hidden vegatables, she also likes tha macaroni cheese with hidden cauliflower. The meals with chips have relish made from vegetable puree. If I give her vegatables on the side she wont touch them with a barge pole exept the occasional carrot.When she wont eat yogurt I give her fromage frais ice lollies from munch bunch she likes the novelty of it.

oops I meant dd my dh isnt realy aged 2.75 he's 30!