At what age can you start giving quorn?

[me23]

I'm vegetarian a nd would like to start giving dd same meals as me eg spag bol mashed up obv. she is 7 months is this too young for quorn mince?
I want to start cooking for hwer as so far have only given her organic jars, but want to make homemade food.
I'm not a good cook though, and don't really have time to be cooking two lots of seperate meals, any ideas welcome.
thanks.

Ds has had quorn since he was about 8 months. Just a bit along with lots of rice etc and veg.

I wouldn't give it personally, as it is very salty. My dts are 10 months and still haven't had it.

I wouldn't give it personally, as it is very salty. My dts are 10 months and still haven't had it.

I can give you Marlowe Foods reaction to this, if it helps (they are the makers of Quorn). My dh was working on a production facility there when I was pregnant with dd and asked them what their recommendation would be. They said that they do not recommend it before the age of 2, although occasional use should be OK. It's highly processed, low fat and high fibre, so it's not really suitable for young children.

It also contains a lot of egg, which many parents like to avoid until later on.

thank you for your responses, think I will hold off for a bit. will use lentils for bolognaise.
btw does anyone know a good veggie recipe weaning book? with easy quick recipes?

I used
Carol Timperely which I found quite useful. Also, try the Vegetarian Society for ideas.
Good luck

thanks tommy it does look really good. Think i'll buy it.

I used Veggie Food for Kids by Sarah Lewis - it's quite a good one.

as its made from a mushroom protein, it can also cause tummy upsets, best left till a bit later, i would think, apart from occasional use.

does anyone know when tofu is ok?

I've been told tofu is ok from 7-8 months. Planning on trying it this week so hope thats correct!

I agree it is quite processed and best to hold off a bit if you can. I must admit I did use it quite early with ds as I got a bit nervy about him being vegetarian and getting enough protein etc. I also contacted Marlow foods and they said it was ok from any age BUT as part of a balanced diet. As quorn is a low fat food you need to balance that up and add fat to the meal. I used to fry it in olive oil to this end.

How about soya like realeat (sp?) mince and chunks? Carol Timperley does quite a few recipes with them.

All my kids are veggie and the younger 2 have had the occasional Quorn product since about 1 year old with no adverse effects so far.. HV told me not to give it before 2, 18 months at the earliest as it is hard to digest.

Tofu is really easy to use and I have just found some lentils that don't need pre-soaking before use so I use them a bit more now. I don't think it hurts to use Quorn (or the own-brand equivalent) occasionally. Maybe try it and see how baby reacts to it when they are over 1.

No lentils need presoaking! And red lentils are shelled, so lower-fibre, and more baby-friendly.

Really?? All the packs I have ever bought before have stated soak.....have I been buying the wrong ones?

Oh, that may be in the same way that rice instructions always start "soak". You can totally ignore soaking instructions for lentils. (Actually, you can totally ignore soaking instructions for all beans, but you have to cook them for a long long time at a low temperature instead.)