Advice - vegetarian wanting to cook meat and fish

[fierybrunette]

Hi

I've been vegetarian for almost 20 years so all of my adult life. My baby is 7 and a half months, I want him to eat meat and fish. So far he has had it in Ella's pouches but that isn't ideal or sustainable.

Do any of you have easy recipes for tinned fish or similar? Or been in a similar situation?

Ideally DH who eats meat and fish would cook but that was not well received when I suggested it?

Thanks

I’m a vegetarian who (very infrequently) cooks meat, and a meat thermometer is probably the best advice I can give. That way you will know if chicken is safe to eat. Here’s a chart for chicken, which shows how long it has to be at a certain temperature to be safe to eat.

It’s probably a bit of waste with such a young baby, but I find the easiest way to cook chicken is to bake thighs or drumsticks, as it’s much more forgiving of overcooking and very hands off! Maybe a traybake things which you can eat then roast a drumstick for the baby. I read somewhere (and I don’t have kids so not totally sure) that drumsticks are good because the baby can hold it easily.

Toastofthetown,
Drumsticks obviously a choking hazard! Bones!

Solid Starts (which my friend relied on when weaning her baby, and where I assume I picked it up) recommend a drumstick with skin and small bones removed from six months. Obviously the OP can risk assess for her own baby.

Tinned tuna, in springwater not brine. Really easy. I used to flake a bit in to mashed avocado. Waitrose fish counters also do fish in sealed parcels they make up for you with your choice of lemon, herbs or butter and then you just chuck it the oven for whatever time they tell you and you can split between a few pots with some pureed mash and veggies to have over a few days. Surely your DH could do some extra chicken once a week and add any salt after cooking if he’s eating it anyway? I’m pescatarian so mine did this without me having to ask!

@toastofthetown drumsticks have a skinny narrow needle shard like bone that runs down next to the main bone. Terrible for young dc

Most people take that bone out though surely?

Thanks. I will maybe look at that but not sure I'm brave enough to give him things with bones... maybe in a year. A meat thermometer is a good shout though

Thanks @FlounderingFruitcake tuna is a cook idea, I didn't know that about waitrose -that's exactly the idea I was hoping for :) thanks x

Fish cakes are really really easy to make with tinned fish. Just mashed potato (can add peas if you want), tarragon, mix in fish, then make into cakes, dip in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.
They're easy for toddlers/babies to eat as well. Can serve with finger food veg eg broccoli, cooked carrot sticks.

How about giving tinned sardines? It suggests how you can serve them here.

It's quite easy to bake salmon or white fish in the oven. If you do one fillet you can give some directly and save some for the next day or make fish cakes with some of it. You could batch cook something like fish cakes so you're not having to cook it frequently. Bolognese type sauce with some added veg is another good one which can be batch cooked and just given directly or with pasta or on toast etc.

Why doesn't your DH want to cook for the baby or share his own food? That really seems like the best solution. He also has responsibility for feeding his child and if he's busy during the week he could batch cook a few things that you could freeze.

Tinned salmon fishcakes are easy and a complete meal with veg on the side.

You can cook a fish fillet by wrapping it in a baggy parcel of foil with a squeeze of lemon, then 12 mins at 200C.

Thanks for all of these ideas, lots for me to try.

Ideally my DH would cook but there are only so many arguments I can have with him.

I know this isn't what you asked, but can I ask why you want him to eat meat? I'm curious as to why you are veggie but don't want him to be

I don't think it's my choice to make for him. He will have days where he is mainly plant based and if he is older and wants to be vegetarian I will support him but for now I would like him to have as varied a diet as he can 🤞

Easiest way to cook fish like salmon or cod is to wrap it in foil- with a splash of oil and cook it for 15-20 mins. I cannot abide fish but wanted my dds to enjoy it! I once made them a fish pie when they were 8months and 2 and it was the messiest most fishy thing ever and they didn’t eat it! My advice is to keep it simple.

Chicken thigh fillets are easy to cook - less prone to drying out than breast. You can just fling them in the oven with a bit of oil and herbs.
We have a meat thermometer like this

https://amzn.to/44mmMqt

Also can you adapt anything you currently cook for yourself? Fry a bit of mince and add it to bean chilli (easy on the chilli powder) etc

What does your H eat for dinner? If he's eating meat & fish, then dc can surely just have some of daddy's dinner - with the obvious caveats about salt, spice & tricky bones.

If you want him to eat meat then that is absolutely fine but you are making a choice for him. Vegan, vegetarian or omnivore we all make choices for our children when we wean them. Omnivore is the norm but it's your choice to follow it. You could raise him veggie and he'll switch to omnivore or you could raise him on meat and he switches to veggie. Absolutely your choice but it is your choice whatever you decide. I just mean don't feel you should if it's something you don't really want to do, if you do then go for it. There's been some good suggestions on here already

Could baby just be vegetarian with you? My toddler is nearly 3 and always been veggie and is thriving. Just a suggestion so it makes it easier for you and you can give baby whatever you are having