Weaning worry

[mum2bemay22]

My LO is nearly 7 months and I’ve been weaning him since he was 5 months as he showed every sign of being ready and he was! Anyway, I have always used the Ella’s kitchen pouches for lunch and dinner followed mainly by a petite filous. For breakfast he has rusks with his formula mixed in. I feel like he doesn’t get a huge variety when it comes to finger foods, I mainly give him a puff at lunch time. So my question is, can anyone recommend some great finger foods for him to start trying now and perhaps some different types of desserts? I vary the pouches obviously so that’s not so bad! Also, does anyone else mainly use pouches? I’m a useless cook so I find them the best thing! I just need some reassurance I think and guidance. Thank you in advance x

Veg is great finger food, steam up some broccoli, baby corn and carrot, roast some parsnip- don’t bother too much with desserts you don’t want them to get too much of a sweet tooth.

I use pouches for lunch sometimes, but most days I make her sandwiches with some veg sticks, hummus, pitta bread etc.

Breakfast I give DD, porridge, bran flakes, crumpets, potato cakes, eggs, toast and fruit etc.

Tea, she has really anything we're having unless I make curry or chilli etc. then I'll make her vegi burgers/sausages, sweet potato smiles, fish fingers etc.

Hope this helps. Xx

Toast is a great finger food, or breadsticks and rice cakes. Sticks of cheese and steamed veg or raw cucumber or red pepper are worth a try, even if they don’t seem keen at first. They love puffs, but they just melt so it’d be good to give something that needs more chewing. I haven’t used rusks but I think they’re quite sugary ... could you mash up a weetabix for breakfast instead?

Babies really don’t need you to be a great cook. All of mine have loved rice pudding. So cheap and easy to make (rice, milk, sugar in the oven for 90 mins). Then I freeze it an ice cube tray and can mix it up with fruit purée to get them to try more flavours. It sounds like he’s loving his food though.

Ive been trying some toast cut into strips when I'm pressed for time.

You really don't have to be a good cook to get a varied diet sorted for your baby. My friend is a terrible cook but she does just fine

Google how to steam veg like carrot and broccoli, it can be done in the microwave but it tastes better when done over a pan in my opinion. I gave DS pepper, cucumber and cheese sticks. Bread or toast cut into strips, crumpets or banana pancakes. Scrambled eggs with garden peas and sweet corn was a firm favourite (and I always used frozen peas/sweet corn for ease). Chopped cooked chicken or good quality sausage was always a good meat option too.

Thank you for the tips! In regards to the bread and toast, what age did you give them that? Also, I did steam him veg loads to start with by the way, I haven’t just given him pouches, he is mainly pouches now because of the meat/fish, etc! I feel he is over just plain veg and loves the variety!
I have got weetabix so that is next on my list to try but he just loves his rusks (I did buy the reduced sugar one).

My son can’t have scrambled egg or anything egg related as he has a severe allergy x

What do you eat? Just give him bits of that. I started my two on solids at 6 months and gave toast, Avocado, porridge, sliced pancakes, cooked veg strips from our meals, pieces of chicken, fish etc from the beginning.

I gave toast from about 7 months. I give toast with various toppings for breakfast and porridge made from normal oats and full fat milk. Try giving sticks of steamed veg alongside the pouches so little one can get the hang of using his fingers and also chewing. It doesn’t matter how much they eat to start with. Cucumber sticks with skin removed were a favorite here, think the cold texture feels nice on teething gums.

Don't forget cheese, you can't go wrong with cheese.

Fish is very easy to cook in a microwave or steaming, and you can flake it with a fork and add to a veg purée you’ve made. As he gets older put some of the tiny pasta shapes in and that’s a great meal. There was also an Annabel Karmel beef casserole I’ve done a lot. Minimal cooking skills although cooks for a while to get soft. It makes up a big batch for freezing, and it had stewing steak which blends really nicely for small babies. Cheese sauce is another good one to mix with small pasta shapes or fish.

I’ve generally given toast quite early - bread can be quite high salt so you wouldn’t want him having loads, but in the early days of finger foods a lot of it doesn’t make it all the way to his tummy!

Ah thank you so much for the tips everyone!!

At 7 months he can have pretty much anything bar honey. For breakfast I used to give porridge or ready brek (sometimes with bit of fruit from a pouch mixed in for variety), warm milk and bite size shredded wheats were also a huge hit.

Lunch tended to be bread/ pitta, cheese, cold meat, tomatoes, cucumber etc to pick at. Home made soup (made bit thicker so easier to feed) also a great easy choice.

Dinner was little bit of whatever we had before salt/ chilli etc added.

I’d personally avoid petite filous when they’re so young as it’s so high in sugar. Natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt much lower in sugar.