No cook dinners for 11 month old - please from a veggie who knows nothing about meat!

[Welshygirl]

Hi all

DS is nearly 1 and I would like to start feeding him 'normal' food ie not cooking all the time - can anyone give me any ideas for meals that I don't have to cook where he will get enough to fill him up?

He is a big boy and likes his food. He usually eats lots of finger food in addition to a spoon-fed meal and is quite capable of feeding himself (not with a spoon yet unfortunately!).

I also don't eat meat and would like some ideas for any pre-cooked/ready prepared (healthy) meat I could buy him that means I won't have to cook it (worried I'd probably kill him if I did as have been a veggie for so long I've never cooked it!). Thanks a lot.

He's not keen on sandwiches. Loves any fruit and veg so was wondering whether I could give him any precooked bits of meat and veg so he can feed himself. He's also not very keen on cheese.
I am giving him meat because I believe he should make his own choice when he is older however, I always buy him organic and free range (when I can afford it!) and my husband cooks it and makes meat dishes for the baby.

I suppose I should give him what we eat more but am a bit wary of the strong flavours (we eat a lot of stir frys, curries, pasta dishes etc) and also we eat a lot of quorn and I'm not sure whether that is a good enough form of protein for a baby (poor long suffering husband eats meat whenever he can as it too much hassle to make two meals so we eat veggie most of the time).

He needs iron, so make sure he eats a lot of grains( kashas etc), beans, lentils,broccoli etc.
Then I think that while a slice of nice ham here and there is totally ok, it has a lot of salt and is a processed meat ie not that healthy. I imagine you can get pre packaged cooked chicken etc, but frankly I am always wary of precooked meat and also it's likely to be full of preservatives, salt etc.
You will not poison your ds if you buy a piece of chicken breast and grill it or fry it in a bit of sunflower or olive oil. As long as the meat is cooked through, I don't see how it can be a problem. Cooked meat will stay fresh wrapped in the fridge for a day and if you make a stew, it will last up to 3 days.

Also strong flavours are ok- he might not like a spicy curry, but does not mean you cannot try- kids in Asia eat it, so why not?

My DD won't eat bland food! She loves anything with some spice in it. She eats what we eat, I never cook anything special for her. (she is 11motoo).