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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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]

@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.