getting off jars

[Esme]

My 12 month old is addicted to jars especially the Baby Organix range. Not only do I worry that he is not eating good home cooked food with lots of variety but also find the expense of the jars at nearly £1 a jar annoying. I tried one of Annabel Karmel's recipies - a fish pie that tasted great but he turned his nose up at it so I resorted to opening a jar and sneaking the odd mouthful of fish pie in at the same time. My son will eat cheese sticks and chips but will not touch vegetable sticks. He will also eat bits of sausage but we are a long way off getting to the stage where he will eat the food we eat. Can anyone help?

esme, try lots of casseroles with lots of gravy served with either rice or jackets and some peas that you can all eat together and he can see you eat it too. It can be mushed up as much as he needs or he can pick bits out. Plus its something you can make a big batch out of and freeze. My son loves lamb and carrot casserole with rice.

OR try putting the jar stuff into a bowl so that he has no idea it comes from the bowl and gradually try that.

I know it seems a slow process but they get there eventually. My son has just wolfed down teeny weeny new potatoes 'dipped' in gravy at lunchtime. Yum.

Been there done that, Esme! Nightmare isn't it?! My little girl is now 16 months and I've just managed to get her off the baby organix jars in the past month, aarrgghh!!

What I've managed to do is this:- 1st I limited to one jar a day and let her have finger foods for the other meal try bits of ham, chunks of tuna, breadsticks or soft buns, soft tomatoes, banana pieces, strawberrys, aswell as his cheese and other bits. 2nd I started mixing pasta (baby organix shapes), or left over mash or veg in with the jars to make them go further. 3rd I started making pasta shapes or veg with the baby cheese sauce or gravy (Milupa makes it I think?) and a tiny bit of jar food. Finally I banned the jars forcing me to make different food and not just trying one thing then thinking 'oh if she won't eat it I'll just give her a jar'.It worked eventually! Hope that helps, obviously Ems is a much better cook than me as I don't 'do' casseroles but they sound good! I felt awful for keeping them for so long, as you say the variety just isn't there (especially as they usually just like their favourites) plus they don't half cost a fortune, don't they...??!! Good luck

Lizzer - my casserole is SOOO easy. I buy neck fillet, chop, dust over some flour. Fry til brown with chopped onion and mushroom. Add small tin of tomatoes, a chopped carrot or two. Pop in your casserole pot, fill up with vegetable stock and put in the oven for as long as poss. 2-3 hrs at about 140. Low and slow. Yummeeee. Freeze some and keep some in the fridge for a couple of days.

Lizzer - Thanks for your tips. I especially liked your point about banning jars eventually. I find that I do just the same as you did and open a jar as soon as my little one turns his nose up at anything new. It's just to tempting to reach to the cupboard and rely on a trusty jar especially when your tired and just want to get tea over and done with. I need to start being more imaginative with the food that I offer. The other problem I find is that my partner and I eat too late to include Tom. My partner doesn't get home until late and the thought of trying to eat my dinner whilst trying to feed my son just does't appeal. I have read however that it is important to eat with your child as they are great mimics.
Thanks Ems for your caserole recipie. I think I will give that a go as it sounds lovely. I'm doing Sunday roast tonight so I think I'll use your idea of mushing some up with gravy and serve it up to Tom for lunch tomorrow. Will let you know if it is a success!

Helento,

Don't worry about number 2 - my experience is that seeing number 1 eating 'real' food makes number 2 desperate to do so to - in our case quite a while before the difference in the number of teeth - a full set versus none at all! - made such aspirations even remotely practical.

Ems, okay I'll try it! I'm always up for a challenge - even if I am THE most unlikely contestant for Masterchef! I was looking for some new stuff to try actually, so if it's as easy as you say.... I'll let you know, but if I blow up the kitchen I'm suing!!

Esme, I too have the bad habit of eating late and not with my daughter. I'm sure it didn't help in the 'battle of the jars' because like you say you're trying to think of one quick meal for baby and then something else for yourselves. It's much easier now she's 16 months, you'll be pleased to hear, as there are much more things she can eat and that can either keep til later or can be cooked fast just for her, like potato waffles cauliflour cheese, pasta bakes etc (she's a bit of a picky eater though which is probably why she liked the blandness of jars I think ). Plus she can feed herself brilliantly now so you have the time to eat while she does if you want. So good luck, it does get easier, I promise! (Oh I forgot to say before, another great easy food to move on to is cous cous, my daughter loved it - mix it with anything, it's a bit like those tiny bits in the jars and healthy too!)

By the way, does anyone know if eating at separate times IS really bad for the child, like for learning table manners etc? I eat Sunday dinner at the table every week, but I'm afraid that's about all. Anyone know any facts about mealtimes?

Hi Lizzer, I await the results! ...
There are no facts for mealtimes, except enjoy them. Our first child is the worst eater/person at the meal table ever and so we have been through everything (and every theory known to man) with him over the years. It is better if you can eat with them to show everyone enjoying the food, and also that mealtime is for chatting together and not focussing too much on the food itself.
Each day I find new things that little one likes, risotto today. What exactly do you do with your cous-cous? Have you tried eggy-bread, that is a great success here at the mo.
My trick in the end for jars, was not to buy them. Harsh but it worked. I have an emergency couple for if we are on a journey or somewhere.

We used to eat separately - our son at around 6 pm and then us around 8.30 pm. But then I thought, this is silly, I'm cooking two different meals when I only want to cook one and I wanted to introduce a routine where we all ate together. We now all eat together at 6/6.30 pm and I find it really works. If hubby is late in from work, or on a late shift, then I'll just save him some. It is nice to sit down altogether and I find our son does eat well - he has exactly the same as us and gives most things a go. In fact, I've found that our son really enjoys spicier food - curries, chillis, spicy tomato pasta sauce. A couple of weeks ago we all had an Indian take away - he had a buttered chicken dish, rice, Bombay aloo and naan bread! He was absolutely fine (I was dreading the nappy the next day!).

Our son has just turned 2 and although mealtimes can be messy, they are enjoyable and I hope we will always continue to eat together. Don't be frightened either to try spicy food - its not going to give them belly ache!

Ems,
Have been shopping for ingredients, so will let you know tommorrow! I'd forgotten the joys of eggy bread so thanks for the tip ( it's one dish I feel competent enough to make! ) What I've been doing with cous cous recently is bunging some veg in a pan like courgettes, peppers, mushrooms, toms. etc, with a bit of onion and olive oil (and garlic if you like it), letting it simmer down 'til the veg is soft. Then cook the cous cous as per instructions on packet then mix the veg in and have it warm with some fish (salmon's rather nice) or chicken - THEN (and this is the best bit!) any left over or if you make a mountain of it, bung it in the fridge and have it cold with some dressing on with a salad the next day. My little girl loves it with the veg - and I put a bit of plain stuff to the side and bung some cheese sauce and tuna - which she can then have for lunch. See - I can do the EASY stuff!!

Good point Emmam, I'm going to start her on more spicy stuff soon - bit scared she'll get addicted to take aways like me though, ha ha!

Emmam - your meal times sound great fun. Today my partner was early for a change (but then I realised that football is on tonight)so we ate all together and I agree it is a much more enjoyable experience. Tom seemed to enjoy his food more and was much more adventurous and wolfed down vegie sausage and mash.

Lizzer - liked the sound of your cous cous dish. I must admit I've never really cooked cous cous before although I do like it. I'm sure it would make a lovely meal for all the family. How did the eggy bread go down?