Live chat with Annabel Karmel, Wednesday 19th September, 9-10 pm

[Justiner]

Annabel Karmel is the author of nine cookery books focusing on cooking for babies, toddlers and families. Over the last ten years she has emerged as a the leading promoter of healthy feeding habits for babies and children. We've got five copies of her recently-published "New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner" to give to the first five members to join the live discussion. If you can't make the live chat, though, please post questions/ comments in advance below.

Hi Nikki,

An idea that might appeal is to make ice-lollies using fresh fruit. Here’s a recipe for forest fruit lollies. Incidentally these can also be made using frozen mixed berries.

50g (2 oz) raspberries
50g (2 oz) strawberries
50g (2 oz) blueberries
50g (2 oz) blackberries
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 X 150g (5 oz) pot of raspberry or strawberry yoghurt

Put the berries into a saucepan together with the icing sugar and cook over a gentle heat for a few minutes until the fruit is soft and mushy. Puree the fruit and sieve, then stir in the yoghurt. Pour into ice lolly moulds and freeze.

MAKES 4 LOLLIES

Recipe from Annabel Karmel’s Family Meal Planner published by Ebury Press £14.99

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Hi Annabel

My daughter had dreadful eczema and we kept her off dairy and eggs after a doctor said she was allergic to them. Now coming up to three she eats cheese and the occasional yoghurt with no ill effects, but has never developed a taste for milk or milky things. I now have a new baby and wondered what your advice regards weaning him would be, and if I do have to avoid dairy again what I can give him to make sure he gets enough calcium ( I gave my daughter calcium syrup but was never convinced she was absorbing it as someone told me that calcium was difficult to take as a supplement). Also any appetising calcium rich egg/milk free recipes a fussy toddler might manage? Many thanks

hi annabel....could u tell me wot the best finger foods are?my daughter is 8mths old now,and i don't want to be feedin her too much fatty foods especially in between meals!as she enjoys her food alot...thanx

Hi Candy,

I have just written a booklet on lunchboxes for Kingsmill who have launched a new bread ‘Kingsmill Wholewhite’ which is a white bread made using 1/3 wholemeal flour. There are some delicious recipes and ideas in the booklet and you can get a copy by writing to KINGMILL LUNCHBOX Biss Lancaster Euro RSCG 69 Monmouth Street London WC2H 9JW.

Here’s a couple of tasty vegetarian recipes for you to try :

SWEET AND SOUR VEGETABLE STIR FRY

1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
60g (2 oz) baby sweetcorn cut into quarters
60g (2 oz) carrots, sliced thinly
90g (3 oz) broccoli cut into small florets
90g (3 oz) beansprouts
30g (1 oz) red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into strips
1 spring onion, finely chopped
pinch of black pepper

Sweet and Sour Sauce
150 ml (1/4 pint) vegetable stock
½ tbsp cornflour blended with 1 tbsp cold water
2 tsp soft brown sugar
½ tbsp soy sauce

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sweetcorn, carrots and broccoli and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the beansprouts, red pepper and spring onion, and stir fry for a further 2 minutes. Season with a little black pepper.

To make the sauce, blend the vegetable stock with the cornflour paste in a small pan. Mix in the brown sugar and soy sauce. Set over a high heat, bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 minutes, until the sauce is thickened . Toss the hot vegetables with the sauce, and heat through in the wok.

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Recipe from Annabel Karmel’s Feeding Your Baby and Toodler publiashed by Dorling Kindersley £12.99

Cheesy bread and butter pudding
Makes 8 portions

25g butter
3 onions, sliced finely
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
50g grated parmesan cheese
50g grated Cheddar
50g grated gruyère
3 large eggs
8 to 10 slices white bread (medium sliced, crusts removed)
500ml milk
1/2 tsp English mustard
salt and pepper
butter to grease the dish

Preheat an oven to 190C (375 F). Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the thyme and garlic and season with salt and pepper and leave to cool slightly. Mix together the three cheeses and stir into the onions.

Butter an ovenproof dish and lay in half of the bread, sprinkle over half of the cheese and onion mixture. Top with the remaining bread and sprinkle over the other half of the cheese and onion. Mix together the eggs, milk and mustard powder and season with salt and pepper. Pour over this over the cheese and bread and leave to soak for about 10 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

MAKES 8 PORTIONS

Recipe from Annabel Karmel’s Superfoods for Babies and Children Ebury Press £14.99

Chicken recipes are very popular in my house and for a quick and easy meal mix together 2 tbsp soy sauce, 20g muscovado sugar and gently heat until sugar has dissolved stir in 1/2 tbsp lime or lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and add just a little crushed garlic. Cut 2 chicken breasts into chunks and marinate in this mixture for one hour or longer. Thread the chicken onto skewers and cook in an oven pre-heated to 180C/350F for 4 to 5 mins each side, basting occasionally.

Enjoy !

Dear Annabel
My son is now 8 months old and becoming very independant any tips on a varity of finger foods is he old enough for raw vegatables? He still has no teeth but manages lumpy food.

also...have you any ideas on any desserts i could give her...at the moment she has those little fromage frais...thanx

Hello Annabel. We've really enjoyed your books, especially the early days food, weaning and the combinations, I especially remember the banana and courgette!

I just wondered what is your family comfort food, the food you give your children when they are ill and off school. My mum always gave us Heinz chicken soup and toasted soldiers. Do your children have favourites?

Hi Ginjo,

It might be safest to hold of dairy products for a while until your son is a little older. Interestingly most children who ae allergic to dairy products outgrow the allergy by the age of two or three.

Other good sources of calcium are dark green leafy vegetables, tofu and sardines. There are some very good non dairy products called (I believe) Provamel. They are like yoghurt but do not contain milk. You can also buy ice cream made from Tofu, I think it is called Tofutti.

My 16 month old daughter eats everything I put in front of her and then demands more. She's chubby but certainly not fat. Can children of this age ever eat too much? I consider her diet to be healthy with lots of fresh veg (she's not great on fruit) and at the moment allow her to eat as much as she wants.

Our 2 year old daughter is vegetarian, and I want to make sure that she is getting all the vitamins and protein she needs. Can you suggest some non-meat ideas for us? She eats plenty of green vegetables and fruit, and has pasta and rice regularly. She seems very healthy to me, but do you think she is misssing out? Many people have frowned upon us 'imposing' vegetarianism on her.

sorry me again...my 8mth old daughter loves her food...especially finger foods..could u give me some tips on any healthy ones...and at the moment i give her those little fromage frais for dessert...any ideas on wot else i could give her....she has 6 teeth now and has no problems with biting or chewing....many thanx

Hi Ems

My children's favourite comfort food has to be my chicken soup which everyone loves. The recipe is on page 62 of the New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner and they particularly like it when I add very thin noodles to the soup.

They also love my shepherd's pie which is in my Family meal Planner and my favourite comfort food is my Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble which is in my new book Superfoods for Babies and Children. I will post the recipe on the site after 10.00pm it'sreally worth trying. Serve hot with vanilla ice-cream or custard !

Sonia writes:
I wonder if you have any suggestions. My 4 month old baby girl has started solids but hates anything savory. She will eat any type of sweet pudding such as fromage frais, stewed apple etc but give her anything savory and she just won't eat it.

Hi Bon,

It's not unusual for 16 month old babies to be quite chubby, they usually lose this puppy fat when they start running around.

The important thing is to give her as much fresh food as possible. Processed foods tend to be high in saturated fat. Also try to get her to eat wholegrain cereals like porridge, muesli, Weetabix rather than the refined sugary cereals especially manufactured for children.

One reason why children put on too much weight (and the number of obese children has doubled in the last 10 years) is because of the snacks they eat between meals. Limit foods like crisps, chocolate biscuits, fizzy drinks or fruit juices.

If your daughter doesn't like eating fresh fruit you could try giving her ice-lollies made from fresh fruit. See the answer to the next question

Hi Qd

How about trying to make ice lollies using fresh fruit. Here’s a recipe for a strawberry lolly. You could also use a mixture of berry fruits instead and then use blackcurrant juice instead of the orange juice. You could also try making fruity milkshakes or fruit smoothies.

STRAWBERRY SORBET ICE LOLLY

50g (2 oz) caster sugar
60ml (2 fl oz) water
250g (9 oz) strawberries, hulled and cut in half
I medium orange, squeezed

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and boil until syrupy (about 3 minutes). Allow to cool. Puree the strawberries and sieve to get rid of the seeds. Combine the strawberry puree, syrup and orange juice and pour this mixture into ice-lolly moulds. Freeze until solid.

MAKES 6 LOLLIES

Hi Annabel - thanks for your reply. Your tips are helpful, especially the idea of giving them ice-lollies made of fresh fruit, which she'll definately go for! But could you confirm, is it impossible to over-feed a child healthy food?

Hi Sonia,

Some of the root vegetables like sweet potato are naturally very sweet so it's worth trying. You can also mix vegetables and fruit together for example sweet potato with a little orange juice or sweet potato with apple. Sweet potato is also very nutritious as it is very rich in vitamin A.

Another vegetable that might appeal because of its sweet taste is butternut squash. Again you can use it on its own or combine it with fruits like pears, peaches or plums. There are lots of recipe in my books that mix savoury and sweet tastes together for example, chicken with grapes.
Hope this may help and a tip always choose sweet ripe fruit for your baby so its a good idea to taste it first.

Hi Joe,

Young children tend to like fried rice and here’s a tasty easy to prepare recipe to which you could add some chopped cooked chicken to make a more complete meal.

225g (8 oz) basmati rice
75g (3oz) carrots, peeled and diced
75g (3 oz) frozen peas
75g (3 oz) red pepper, de-seeded and diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
a little salt
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce

Wash the rice thoroughly and cook according to the packet instructions in a saucepan of lightly salted water. Steam the carrots, peas and pepper until tender (about 5 minutes). Season the eggs with a little salt and fry them in 1 tablespoon of the oil until set, then cut into thin strips. Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of oil into a wok or frying pan and sauté the chopped onion until softened. Add the steamed vegetables and rice and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and spring onion and cook, stirring for 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with the soy sauce before serving.

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Here are some ideas for healthy snacks :

Carrot and Cucumber Sticks if you chill these in the fridge, they can be quite soothing for sore gums.

Fresh fruit – you can buy mini fruits like small bananas, clementines or apples which are ideal

Mini sandwiches with nutritious fillings like peanut butter, Marmite, cream cheese and cucumber or egg mayonnaise with salad cress

Dried fruit particularly dried apricots

Mini cheeses

Twiglets or vegetable crisps

Hi Quimble,

These chicken and apple balls are very popular and just the right size for little fingers, they would make good portable food and you make a batch and freeze them.

CHICKEN AND APPLE BALLS

This is a tasty recipe, very easy to make and the apple blends really well with the chicken to bring out the flavour and keep it moist. These little balls make great finger food and can be eaten cold.

Suitable for freezing
CHICKEN AND APPLE BALLS

This is a tasty recipe, very easy to make and the apple blends really well with the chicken to bring out the flavour and keep it moist. These little balls make great finger food.

3 chicken breasts
1 large eating apple, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped sage or parsley, or a pinch of mixed dried herbs
½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 crumbled chicken stock cube (for babies over 1 year)
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
plain flour
vegetable oil

Chop the chicken very finely in a food processor and grate the apple. Mix the lemon juice with the apple. Combine the chicken, apple, fresh or dried herbs, onion, finely crumbled stock cube (if using) and breadcrumbs. Form into about 10 little balls and roll in flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and when it is really hot, shallow-fry the balls until they are golden and cooked through (about 6 minutes).

MAKES ABOUT 10 CHICKEN BALLS

3 chicken breasts
1 large eating apple, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped sage or parsley, or a pinch of mixed dried herbs
½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 crumbled chicken stock cube (for babies over 1 year)
2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
plain flour
vegetable oil

Chop the chicken very finely in a food processor and grate the apple. Mix the lemon juice with the apple. Combine the chicken, apple, fresh or dried herbs, onion, finely crumbled stock cube (if using) and breadcrumbs. Form into about 10 little balls and roll in flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and when it is really hot, shallow-fry the balls until they are golden and cooked through (about 6 minutes).

MAKES ABOUT 10 CHICKEN BALLS

Hi Annabel,

My son is five months and has been eating solids now for about six to seven weeks. He eats cereal for breakfast, vegetables plus a yoplait for lunch and fruit for dinner. He has three milk bottles a day of 7oz. Should he be eating more at this stage? Also can I start giving him meat, chicken and pasta now? I also have a daughter who is just over 2 years old who has always been a terrible eater. She eats well only when she fancies which is not very often! On average she eats two out of three meals properly and can often just eat a piece of toast for dinner or a just a yoghurt and some fruit. I rarely give her chocolate and crisps in between meals unless she has eaten well that day or she is at friends. How can I get her to eat more or should I stop tearing my hair out. I know her weight and height are fine for her age, but I still can't help worrying. Any hints would be great.

I've tried I honestly have to make your recipes - my husband and I particularly enjoyed your sweet and sour fish - but I am sick of wasting food, time energy and patience making it for my two and half year old daughter. She won't even try most of it, despite having a varied diet as a baby. The only foods she eats with any passion are fish fingers, spaghetti, beans and marmite or houmous sandwiches. As for veg she eats tons of raw carrot, but not much else, and lots of fruit. She looks and seems healthy enough - should I just give up and save the 'proper' cooking until she's older, or will a lack of perseverance on my part now mean she'll never eat a varied diet in later life?

hi annabel..any tips on wot healthy finger foods to give my 8mth old daughter?she has 6 teeth now bites and chews well...also,any tips on desserts i can give her please...,many thanx

Hi Katehb,

Raw vegetables like carrot, cucumberor red pepper sticks make great finger food and you can let her dip them into a vegetable puree or tasty dip made with mashed avocado.

Dried fruit particularly dried apricots make good finger food.

Strips of grilled cheese on toast make good finger food.

See also my recipe for Chicken and Apple Balls these are just the right size for little hands and they are delicious.

Hello Annabel. A big thank you - both my boys were weaned on your recipes - I used to do a big cook up every couple of weeks, and then feed them from the freezer. It saved loads of time, and they are both now (at 2 and 4) terrific eaters - not fussy at all. I also got to cook lots of things I'd never cooked before - like watercress - what a faff - I've not done that again! But also Fennel - which tasted great, but I've never come across another recipe with fennel in. Do adults get do eat it too? What can you do with it that's rather more grown up?

Hi Annabel!
First of all I want to say thank you for your wonderfull book: Super foods for babies and children. It has been very well received at home not just from my 9 month old baby but my husband also that thinks that your recepies are very tasty!!!
I live in England and as you Know the quality of the beef is not very reliable. What do you recomend for my baby proteins intake that is not poultry or fish?