Having the time!

[AquaVitae89]

I know this sounds ridiculous to some but I’m finding weaning really time consuming. I’m trying to batch cook etc but still making slow progress getting meals in reserve in the freezer.

It doesn’t help that I am a lone parent so have no one to hand my baby to when cooking so he gets fed up really quickly. I just find myself cooking frantically during his naps and feel like it takes up a huge portion of the day! I am happy to give the odd pouch but don’t want to rely on them. Any tips on how to manage this better? Thanks

What do you eat? I know it’s a cliche, but the ‘feed them what you feed yourself’ idea is such a timesaver, as long as you’re eating decently. Just add salt (and extra spice perhaps) to your portion when you serve.

Unless you are eating Pot Noodles for breakfast, lunch & dinner, I would just feed your baby what you eat -minus salt.

I found myself in your position too during the first couple of months of weaning. Seemed like any spare moment I had I was in the kitchen cooking, it really bothered me! That was until I started cooking things we could both eat and I ate at the same time as her. I’ve used the ‘what mummy makes’ book by Rebecca Wilson loads. I’d recommend it if you don’t already have it

Cook extra of what you'd feed yourself and keep in the fridge or freezer.

Snacks just chopped up fruits or veg, bit of cheese or whatever.

I get what you mean, it's really easy to over think it all.

We ended up giving the baby what we eat and then relying on pouches the other times

Life is too short to be puréing organic carrots that the baby then eats one spoonful of and then throws on the floor

Just give them what you're having! Watch out for salt though, but other herbs and spices are fine.
And readymade baby food is fine too! Especially for the times you're out and about or having something that baby can't have.

Ok not sure what stage of weaning you are at, but I give my LO whatever we are eating. At first it was a bit more modified ie blended, cut smaller, taking out of pot before adding season etc. but I go by making life for myself easier ie minimal prep. (LO will start nursery soon and will need packed lunch which they can heat up so it will just be leftovers from night before lol)
we cook with less salt now so all meals are exactly the same as what we have.

I felt like you and people kept telling me just give them what you’re having. However since having a child I never have the time I used to have to cook proper home cooked meals and our diet (whilst has now improved since newborn days) is still quite premade stuff that is high in salt and sugar. Our baby also has a dairy and egg allergy so not as easy as giving him what we eat even if we ate healthily.
In the end I focused on batch cooking things that took the shortest time to make or even if cooking time was long, prep time wasn’t or things I could batch cook and make loads of, like pancakes, oat biscuits, meatballs. Breakfast is often a trio of toast (topped with mashed banana, chia seed jam and avocado, sprinkled with hempseed or a little drizzle of peanut butter too) or pancakes that are from our frozen stash (couple taken out the night before to defrost). Lunches are things like sandwiches/wraps, anything with puff pastry (chicken mince inside to make sausage rolls is a huge win for our baby), pizza where the dough is made from just yoghurt and flour topped with a thinned out tomato puree base and with lunch I’ll always serve some fruit and something like veggie straws or any of my homemade snacks. Dinner is spag bol, stir fry with noodles or rice, jacket potato and beans, anything that can go in a slow cooker at the start of the day. I’ve even used pouches as pasta sauce if I’m really short on time.
It will get easier with time and when you know what they really enjoy, whenever you do have the time, make as much as possible and freeze.

Yeh I second batch cooking and thinks that are easy to throw together. I’ve realised since weaning that I previously spent far too much time and effort prepping meals lol and can make things much quicker now that taste just as good.
DH got me an omelette maker for £20 which makes perfect easy omelettes and I just chick in whatever protein and veg. I also use it for pancakes - the easiest ones I do are 2 bananas, 2 tbs peanut butter, 2 eggs, 1tsp baking powder. That’s it. (Recipes says for 10 but I make 4 thick ones).
I often google quick easy recipes. I also use the slow cooker a lot.

I started off like that with my first but quickly changed so that he had what we had. Weaning is time consuming enough without having to batch cook for LO!