Hi Denizanasi
I find that root vegetables tend to be popular with babies as they have a naturally sweet taste and puree to a smooth texture. You could try sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash. You can also mix root vegetables with fruit which might be a good idea in your case since your daughter already likes fruit. Try combinations like parsnip and apple, carrot mixed with a little orange juice or sweet potato and pear.
Hi Hola,
It is reassuring to know that protein deficiency is almost unheard of in this country and most of us eat more protein than we need. The major protein foods are meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans and lentils. It is good to serve one of these foods for lunch and supper. As a rough guide children should eat meat or chicken 3 to 4 times a week and it is recommended that two portions of fish are eaten each week, one of which should be an oily fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel or sardines.
A balanced diet should contain approximately 20% protein.
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
Hi Wheely,
I make a delicious hidden vegetable tomato sauce which is great with pasta. The vegetables are blended into the tomato sauce so that children can’t pick them out!
TOMATO SAUCE WITH HIDDEN VEGETABLES
A delicious tomato sauce flavoured with a hint of creamy mascarpone cheese. A great way to get children to eat vegetables because this sauce makes them invisible and what they can’t see, they can’t pick out. Serve with pasta of your choice.
Suitable for Freezing
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
75g carrot, peeled and chopped
½ red pepper, chopped
100g courgette, chopped
20g butter
½ leek, chopped
75g mushrooms, chopped
3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
400ml passata
a pinch of sugar
50g mascarpone cheese
Saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the carrot and saute for 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and courgette and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the butter, leek and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, passata, basil, parsley and salt and pepper and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Blend in a food processor. Press through a sieve and stir in the mascarpone cheese.
MAKES 4 ADULT PORTIONS
Recipe from Annabel Karmel’s Feeding Your Baby and Toddler published by Dorling Kindersley £12.99