Q&A about weaning with Annabel Karmel - ANSWERS BACK

[LucilleMumsnet]

This week we're running a Q&A about weaning with Annabel Karmel MBE. Mother of three Annabel is the UK's leading children's cookery author. In her latest book, Quick and Easy Weaning, she takes the stress out of your baby's transition to solid food, guiding you through the weaning process step-by-step, from your baby's very first purée to introducing more complex flavours and textures.

Post your questions about weaning to Annabel before 10am on Friday 20 June and we'll send over a selection and post up her answers on Monday 30 June.

This Q&A is sponsored by Ebury Publishing.

[AKarmel]

@Queen0fFeckingEverything

I totally missed the interview linked above, where her 18 yr old son talked about her cooking 4 different meals every night and him picking what he fancied

I now have further questions, starting with - would you say now that that is an ideal way for a family to eat?

It seems rather odd to me, but then I cook one healthy balanced meal for my family to share nearly every night and the DC can eat all of it it or eat some of it or eat none of it or have bread and butter, I'm not fussed. That's it though. There is no way I would pander to whims like that - I do of course cater to everyone's tastes and likes/dislikes as best I can, but they can sod off expecting restaurant service every night!

I absolutely agree that cooking one main meal and having the whole family share it is the best solution. The only reason I would sometimes provide my children with a range of meal options was if I was recipe testing. As my children were growing up, I would always have a cookbook in the making, and my children were the ideal taste testers as they always gave me an honest answer.

[AKarmel]

@nethunsreject

What training and qualifications have you completed regarding infant nutrition?
Are you aware of the WHO code on the marketing breastmilk substitutes? (this includes solids marketed for children under approximately 6 months of age.)

Making food for children and babies quite rightly has extremely stringent rules and regulations on ingredients and quantities of the different macro and micro-nutrients within children’s food. There are also just as stringent guidelines on how to market food, and it is absolutely right and important to comply with these guidelines. I work with a team of highly specialised paediatricians, dieticians and nutritionists on all of my food ranges to ensure I have the most up to date and accurate information for my recipe development sessions.

[AKarmel]

@DrMouse

I've recently got your complete book out again as i've started weaning DS2. Some of the recipes have been great.

A Couple of questions...

Does anyone bothered boiling and skinning a tomato? I always just put in some tinned or passata.

I was really surprised that you suggest very dilute squash for babies... Surely that's sugar they don't need?

Oh and please make your ice cube tray thingies dishwasher proof. Washing them by hand is a pain!

You could boil and skin a tomato – I would skin them for young babies as often they don't like the texture of the skin in their mouth. However, tinned tomatoes and passata are a great alternative; Whilst I often use tinned tomatoes, I just sometimes like using fresh tomatoes in some recipes, especially when they are in season, as you can get so much flavour from them.

Water should always be the first drink given. I would only ever recommend very dilute squash on a very limited basis, and in addition to water.

And to answer your final question, we are currently developing our ice cube trays with a more robust plastic, and the new one will definitely be dishwasher proof.

[AKarmel]

@JimbosJetSet

Why do you add refined sugar to all of your toddler snacks, when most of the other popular brands of toddler snacks have demonstrated it is perfectly possible to make food without it?

I take on board your concerns and we are currently looking at new product development with this in mind. Our current snacks (from 12 months) have been developed to strict nutritional guidelines in line with the World Health Organisation criteria and in accordance to global direction on weaning and toddler feeding, but we are constantly looking at how we improve our offering.

[AKarmel]

@Queen0fFeckingEverything

Do you still believe that BLW is inherently dangerous and that giving babies 'normal food' could cause a lot of cases of choking?

I remember hearing a debate between you and Gill Rapley where you claimed that BLW could cause babies to choke on foods such as lychee stones - surely you know that BLW does not actually mean "handing over smooth round foodstuffs and then leaving the room"

From my personal experience, I think parents need to be extra cautious with fingers foods when giving them to very young babies because of the potential of choking. It's so important to be watching over them when they are eating – whatever they are eating. Every parent is different in terms of how they want to wean their baby, but I believe the most effective way is to combine purees with soft finger foods to start with and then move onto harder finger foods.

[AKarmel]

@jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight

I weaned DD (now 2.2) and DS (9 months) in exactly the same way following guidance in your books. DS will eat everything and loves his grub. DD not so much . She will eat a handful of homemade meals spag Bol, chilli & rice, cottage pie, chicken casserole, stew. And is great at eating beige food (toast, crisps, breadsticks etc). My main problem is I cannot get her to try anything new, she is a nightmare and nursery are having a terrible time trying to get her to eat. I would love her to eat fresh fruit (she will chug down fruit pouches no probs). She is also stubborn when it comes to feeding herself, but I generally give in and feed her, as left to her own devices she wouldn't eat a thing! So I guess I'm looking for tips for a fussy toddler, I am saddened everytime I try her with something new as I feel she's missing out on such great tastes! Any suggestions welcome.

Research has shown that it can take 10-12 times for a child to try a new food (in particular savoury foods), this knowledge helped me when I was losing heart when my three would turn their noses up at any new food I put in front of them! You have got to be tough. When offering her new food, you can try putting this in a little starter bowl, even just a tiny amount as a 'taster' alongside food she enjoys. Its important to give her lots of praise when she tries something new. If she doesn't eat it, take it away ignoring any bad behaviour, and try it again at another meal, but do not offer her any snacks in between, a hungry child is a much less fussy child. I know as parents we have this urge to feed our children no matter what, but they will not let themselves go hungry, missing a few meals will not cause irreparable damage, and it is important for them not to know that if thy kick up a fuss you will give them the food they want. Doing this will no doubt cause more tears to begin with, but these should be ignored (and I know how difficult this is), but if you can break the habit she has got into now, it will make it much easier in the long run trying new foods.

[AKarmel]

@littlegreengloworm

What a your most popular sauces for babies? I use passatta and a basic cheese sauce but would love new suggestions. Thank You.

Also my baby has been weighed recently and has moved from the 75 percentile to 91 for weight. Should I change his meals or just decrease bottles? Thanks

Definitely try my hidden veg sauce, I would make this in huge batches and freeze left overs in zip locked bags so I could take out and defrost quickly. I also love sauces made from roasted red peppers as something different to the classic tomato sauce.

In regards to your baby's growth, it is best to speak to your doctor or health visitor as they will have their full history of your child's birth and growth. It is really hard to give any advice on weight when you don't have this information.

[AKarmel]

@Tabby33

I have to say I am shocked by some peoples comments on here. If you don't like her suggestions just don't do them or even pick up the books! For us we love them. Our whole NCT group have her books.

We started weaning 3 weeks ago at 5 months. I am still a little unsure on how much I should be giving him as he is a 20lb baby, fed on breast milk and I just can't fill him. I don't want him to get fat. The jars you can buy seem to have a lot more food in than what I am giving my little boy.

Also how do I know he is ready for finger foods and giving him three meals a day? how do I know when I should be dropping milk feeds?

I batch make and freeze potions which is great as I don't have to worry about where his food is coming from on a daily basis.

Which foods are good for helping him with constipation?

We have tried all your first stage recipes so far, looking forward to the next stage. We now have fruit for breakfast and veggies for lunch. The only thing he hasn't liked so far is avocado.

It is difficult to give specific portion size advice as every baby is different, and some naturally have bigger appetites than others. Babies generally have more appetite control than adults and will eat when they are hungry until they are full, and you should use this as a gauge as to how much and how often you feed your baby. We as adults follow a structure of three meals a day at certain times, but babies are not aware of these constraints, so it may take a while to settle into a routine, but for now it's important to follow your baby's needs.

You can start offering soft finger food now, and keeping your baby well hydrated is key to helping constipation. Foods that are good for constipation include all fruit and veg (the skin is the most fibrous part, which is often peeled off in baby food, so try to keep some peel on). Dried fruit like prunes and apricots are also great, as are oats, apples, broccoli and dark green leafy veg such as spinach.

A lot of babies and children don't like avocado! I have found mixing it with banana can often tempt little ones, but sometimes it just takes a few times to get this food accepted as some babies don't like the texture.

[AKarmel]

@SweetPeaPods

My ds is 12m and was doing well with weaning until 9m when he got a bad case of gastroenteritis. We have now regressed with weaning and he won't eat much lumps. He is still only eating purees. How long can this regression take, and do you have any tips other than to keep trying more lumps and finger foods?

It is very common for a horrible bout of sickness to make the weaning progress falter, but sounds like you are doing the right thing offering lumps and finger foods. Try offering meals with overall lumps rather than 'surprise' lumps, such as pasta shapes with his favourite savoury puree. Often after illnesses we crave simple foods, so try offering a selection of food separated in different compartments, such as steamed veg like broccoli, meatballs or veggie sausages and plain pasta in a little butter, or fingers of toast tend to go down well.

[AKarmel]

@katemyn

Hi,I've found your books really useful so far as a FTM with no idea about weaning! my baby is just nine months and I am just starting to introduce finger foods. She's happy to chew pieces of food if I put it in her mouth for her so I know she's ok with the texture, but she won't put them in her mouth herself and just plays with it! I'm assuming she'll get there but in the meantime, Isn't really eating when I give her finger food. I know she's hungry as she'll eat a yoghurt etc after. How long should it take to grasp this?

Some babies do take longer to move from playing with finger food to actually eating them, which is why I like to mix finger foods with purees. This stage of learning to play with food and self-feeding is really important as it's a good way of developing hand-eye coordination. The more she experiments, the sooner she will get the hang of it. Babies will often learn from following, so maybe seeing you eat the same food she is putting in her mouth might help her make the connection sooner.

[AKarmel]

@Itsfab

Have you actually tested your recipes as quite a few don't work and saying a baby needs 2 ice cubes of food when they need 7-8 is a way to make a mum worry her baby was greedy and would end up fat?

Sorry you have found some of the recipes do not work for you. I always test my recipes many times. There are no official guidelines on quantities to give babies, however, I recommend around two food cubes at the very beginning with a view to increasing this as your baby grows and gets used to eating solid foods. Every baby is different, so each will require different quantities.

[AKarmel]

@Poofus

What are the advantages of puréeing everything rather than just giving your baby normal foods in finger-sized portions?

I like giving a mix of purees and finger foods. Pureeing food is a great way to introduce foods that are a bit harder to give in finger food format such as dark green leafy veg, or pulses and legumes, which are a great source of protein (particularly if you are bringing your baby up a vegetarian). I couldn't get my son to eat meat, which I knew was important for his iron intake, so I used to make slowed cooked beef casseroles with sautéed red onion and lots of tasty root vegetables that I would mush up – and he couldn't get enough of it.

It's good to give your baby a selection of soft finger foods from around six months for them to experiment with alongside purees. The more he tries to feed himself, the quicker he'll master the art! It's also good for developing hand eye co-ordination.

[AKarmel]

@littlemonkey2013

My DS is 7 months old, is it best to be giving savoury dinners in the evening or a multigrain porridge type mix that is supposed to be more sustaining overnight? I am currently introducing new foods at lunch time as that in our main family meal.

You could give either; it's important to give a variety of meals. At this age it is easy for babies to get into the habit of expecting certain foods which could lead to fussy eating and between 6 months and one year babies tend to be quite amenable to trying new flavours. Variety also provides them with a range of different nutrients.

If you provide savoury foods in the evening, try including something with a source of tryptophan (which helps our bodies produce serotonin and aids restful sleep). Sources include turkey, spinach, eggs, or legumes, so you could do a turkey Bolognese, or if you needed to do something quick you could make eggy bread or thoroughly cooked scrambled egg.

[AKarmel]

@ZenNudist

Hi Annabel. I found the complete baby and toddler meal planner really useful when weaning ds1 (now 3) and a few recipes have made it into my long term stand by family meals.

I especially liked the meal plans by age group. I used them as a general guide of how to phase in food and where to include milk feeds.

I'll be using your book again soon when weaning ds2 (20weeks old). What does your new book offer to parents who are more experienced at weaning?

Thank you, my aim has always been to help families keep on track with feeding their baby. It's not always an easy task, but the meal planners provide a good structure. My new book was born out of the fact that so many parents tell me that they are just so busy that they need quick and easy recipes. It also cuts through all the weaning advice out there to offer bite-sized guidance. And for more experienced parents such as yourself, this book has a lot more recipes to try and a new range of meal planners.

Some of my favourites are the Mediterranean Vegetable Puree and Lentil Puree with Tomato and Cheese. There are also tasty finger foods like Mini Chicken Sausages, Salmon Nuggets coated with crushed cornflakes and Parmesan and Spiced Sultana Rusks.

[AKarmel]

@scotchtikidoll

Why should people buy your products (or any other, such as Heinz baby jars) as opposed to buying fresh fruit and veg and making their own purees? As you know, it is fairly straight-forward, cheap and nutritionally sound to blitz fresh fruit and veg and freeze what you have left over.

I know on your website you do have recipes for parents- I know from a business point of view it makes sense to release a range, but please explain why people buy your stuff when it is oh-so-easy to do at home. If you really cared about kids and parents you would be promoting this.

Fresh is best, absolutely, but there are times when a pouch can come in handy – especially if you are out and about or travelling. Despite the fact that my puree recipes are easy to prepare, often parents tell me that they rely on my meals as a back-up when they just don't have time to cook or prepare homemade food.

I wanted to develop a range of purees that taste just like my homemade recipes; particularly savoury recipes like my Salmon and Sweet Potato and Cosy Cottage Pie. These are the types of foods that take a little longer to prepare, so my meals make for a convenient alternative. Sometimes babies are given only fruit and vegetable purees only for too long and they need nutrient dense foods like meat or salmon in their diet from 6 months or a vegetarian alternative like a lentil and vegetable puree.

I’ve made sure that all of my organic purees contain only natural flavour, and are free from preservatives, flavourings and colourings. All the ingredients used in the meals can be found in a home kitchen, as I want to stay as close to my cookbook recipes as possible.

[AKarmel]

@ExBrightonBell

Is your disapproval and concern about baby led weaning rooted in the fact that parents who take this approach to weaning won't need to buy your purée based cook books, equipment and ready meals?

In my own opinion, I believe that the most effective way to feed your baby would be to combine purees with soft finger foods. After 6 months, breast and formula milk no longer supply sufficient nutrients to sustain your baby's growth and development, in particular the iron a baby inherits from his mother starts to run out at 6 months. My concern with Baby Led Weaning in isolation is that it might not provide your baby with all the nutrients he needs. It is, however, good to offer babies soft finger foods like banana and steamed carrot at around 6 months in order to allow your baby to get to know the feel of their food and learn to chew. The more a baby practises self-feeding the more proficient he will become, however it is generally at around 8 or 9 months that hand to eye coordination is sufficiently developed that a baby can self-feed successfully. That said, everyone is different, and you have to do what you feel is best for your baby. If you are giving finger foods, take care not to give harder foods too early as your baby could choke. Always keep an eye on them when they are eating.

[LucilleMumsnet]

Sorry for the short delay with the answers. We now have them back and will be posting them up shortly.

[GeorgieJo]

I can't find the answers either - can someone link to it please? Thank you very much!

[littleducks]

Is there another thread with answers somewhere? I can't find it on mobile site

[FrankelandFilly]

The answers are going to be put up on Monday.

[Tabby33]

Where are the answers to the questions posted please?

[littleducks]

Bland food....Not did

[littleducks]

Oriunda it's things like this that she has said about babies not liking bland did so adding salt to make then eat it that I think itsfab I'd referring to:
www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/01_january/25/panorama.shtml

[IfYouTolerateThis]

Oriunda, this Q&A is with someone who is putting themselves forward as an expert in weaning. BLW is a method of weaning. Why shouldn't posters ask about it? Especially as AK has been quite dismissive about BLW in the past and made some strong statements about it.

[Itsfab]

I can't help that.

If you really want me to I can name the recipes that don't work but it would be pointless.