Lunch ideas!

[Strawberries4days]

I'm gonna be introducing lunch to my 8 month old and I've got a few recipes in mind. I'm looking for quick easy ones that can also be used when out and about as we normally go out somewhere at lunch times. She really doesn't like egg, avocado or banana so anything without that really (will be trying tuna mayo sandwiches to see if she likes that for the egg)

We have done:
Omelette (big nope)
Dahl
Cream cheese on toast
Fruit fingers (too slippery so use the nuby net)
Mac and cheese
Veg purées (moving onto veg finger food now)
Sweet potato, broccoli and chicken mash
Sweet potato and chick peas

I would just give her a little of what you're preparing for yourself tbh.

We normally have hummus and pita bread for lunch but the hummus has too much salt and she's not a big fan of pita bread. She's been trying cucumbers as well but that's about it from us since we're not big lunch eaters ourselves. We used to make hummus ourselves but somehow tahini has disappeared from the shops around us which is annoying!

If you're out, thinks like a few baby breadsticks, some cubes of cheese, some fruit and a yoghurt are fine

Cubes of cheese
Fruit
Yoghurt

Things like savoury muffins and blueberry pancakes can be frozen in small batches too, and they're very portable

@MrsFin

I would just give her a little of what you're preparing for yourself tbh.

Yes I agree with this, it's what we usually did. I can tell this is your first born I don't know anyone would be have been worried about giving shop-bought hummous to their second child. But seriously you do need to think about what your plan is for when they get bigger though, in one year's time they probably won't be happy to eat something different from you and may want what you've got, what will you do then? If you feel your own lunches aren't healthy or varied enough then this is the perfect time to change that.

DD mostly had sandwiches of some description for lunch and mostly still does because that's what we usually have. Also I know you said she doesn't like some things but at 8 months old that's really far too young to have set preferences for life, I would continue to offer her the things she's not eating. She definitely won't eat them if she stops being offered them.

Sweetcorn fritters www.madeformums.com/baby/cheesy-sweetcorn-fritters/
Falafel www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/recipes-and-meal-ideas/falafel/
Savoury flapjacks solidstart.ie/cheesy-carrot-flapjacks/

And yo can always make your own Hummus but do agree with the PP who said that you might be being a bit PFB over the shop bought hummus

Just boil chickpeas and blend them, tah dah hummus

@BunnyRuddington @languagelover96 ah yes I just picked those up today! The muffins sound fab, I'll look into how to make those.

@MeadowHay how can you tell😂 it's from what I read online and try to do it right with no added salt/sugar but there are days I just want to give her something quick. We're still going to continue to give her the things she's not a fan of, it could be the texture or something. I know to try numerous times until she's definitely not into it. It is mostly healthy things we eat, but we normally just do hummus and pita bread when were inside since we're not too fussed with lunch. Sandwiches is something I actually forgot about stupidly 🤦🏽‍♀️

The shop bought hummus, I read online (I Google too much) it wasn't good for the baby due to the salt content but whether that's true I can't tell these days. I was even told when pregnant I shouldnt be eating it and when I told the midwife she gave me a funny look and said to ignore🙈

Yes dont worry about not having tahini you can make hummus fine enough (esp for a baby!) without it.

I was even told when pregnant I shouldnt be eating it and when I told the midwife she gave me a funny look and said to ignore. Who told you not to eat salt in PG and not to give DD salt or sugar?

They have to have some salt and sugar and there's plenty in BM/Formula.

I think it's advised to give them no more than 1g of added salt a day, this Hummus has 1g per 100g so should be fine.

Also agree with the PP who said that if you're not good with lunch, this is the perfect opportunity to start eating properly with your DD