Need help!!

[Destiny065]

I am a mum to my 1 year old son and I know this might sound strange but I struggle with what to give him to eat for dinners lunch etc I haven't any cooking skills I mean I know basics but not much as was never shown how to cook. And it's really stressing me out what to give him so he is gettin everything he needs. Can anyone help me?

Have you borrowed a kids cookbook from the library? They have all sorts of ideas. Try and make a meal plan - so you can see what he is having throughout the the week. Lunches- Jacket potatoes -cheese/low salt&sugar beans/tuna/sweetcorn or peas with butter. Sandwiches with cream cheese, cheese, cucumber, tomato and cooked carrot sticks. Stews are easy to make - bung a load of ingredients (root veg and stewing meat water) into a pot and put in the oven for a few hours. Poach chicken in apple juice. Risotto with veg and chicken, fish pie, spaghetti bolognese. What do you eat?

Do you have any friends or relatives who are good cooks and who you would feel comfortable asking for lessons from?

Also have a look here.

Thanks yeah I have said to people to help but they never go through with it always too busy. There are some good ideas there as well he does get what we eat but as i can't cook we don't really get much of a selection I feel terrible I think I might go and do a cookery course or something because it's really gettin to me now

This is a fantastic book for starting to learn how to cook. Everything is very well explained and there is a wide variety of healthy recipes in it. It's how I learned to cook :)

I make lentil soup once a week. Its easy, cheap and healthy and a firm family favourite;
2 diced carrotts
3 sticks of celery
1 onion
1 veg oxo cube to make 700ml of stock
1 mug of red split lentils (no need to presoak)

Put onion, carrotts and celery in pan with a little oil. fry until soft then add the lentils and stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 45mins.
Can be served as it is or my DD likes hers mashed with a fork :-)

I also make batches to freeze for DD, for lunches at the end of the week, so if i'm running low on ingredients theres always something in the freezer that takes no effort x

Also omlettes cut into thin slices like noodles is a favorite (quick and easy)

Thank you everyone you have been a great help

Lunches can be anything thrown together really... sandwich, bit of fruit, yoghurt. Evening meals are the thing you need better cooking skills for. Sitting down as a family once a day to enjoy a freshly-cooked meal is a good way to get children interacting with the rest of the family and also gives them the habit of enjoying healthy food. Children don't particularly need special food. They can eat anything an adult can eat even if you need to help them with cutting it up or whatever. I'd also put cooking skills right up there with all of the other things you teach children as they're growing up. So what you learn will benefit them.

I'd recommend you get yourself a copy of 'Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course' because that's how I started. There are some fancier dishes but mostly she takes ordinary family favourites and guides you through each one step by step. I've had my copy for getting on for 30 years now and still refer to it if I want to refresh my memory on ... say... how many minutes per lb I need to cook a leg of lamb for or what temperature to bake an apple pie at.

Good luck

Actually... more modern version 'Delia Smith's How To Cook'. :)

That's been a great help thank you very
Much

I use the Delia Smith books and find them very good (I had no idea how to cook when I left home too). If you don't want to spend money there's an awful lot of recipes available on her website here.

I found this book really good too, as the recipes are much quicker and simpler than Delia's, so easier to make with a baby in tow. It isn't just for newly weaning babies, it's all proper recipes you can give to a whole family. It's really helped me.