my son is 12months, any suggestions for nice health homemade food?

Question

Hi, my son is 12 months and i do not want to give him processed food, but I am not a very inventive cook. I am struggling to think of food that is homemade and healthy, suitable for his age. Any mums out there with any reciepes or ideas.

Or dads with any ideas.

Answer 1

My daughter (21 mo) eats the same as me, but without any salt and has done since she was 12 mo. I use the Annabel Karmel cookbook which has lots of great recipes and much of her stuff is suitable for adult meals too. Her website has tonnes of great recipes, which are regularly updated. www.annabelkarmel.com

Its a great idea to try and cook healthily for the whole family and feed your child the same stuff - if anything it at least means that you won't get overly stressed about whether or not they eat it all because you won't have cooked it just for them. I also believe that if they see you eating the same thing as them, they're less likely to kick up a fuss about eating what you give them.

Source(s):
www.annabelkarmel.com

Answer 2

The best way to find healthy, home made options for your entire family, not just the little one, is to take a stroll, at least once per week, through the sections of your grocery store that house fresh fruit and veggies, as well as fresh meat. Frozen products are also great, IF they are natural. Many frozen vegetables are frozen at the peak of freshness, and remain there until they are thawed or cooked, and are sometimes even fresher than what is in your produce section. This is a great option during the winter off seasons when some veggies and fruits are unavailable.

The following site offers healthy snack ideas, and ways to make them fun and entertaining. However, the best idea is to simply purchase things that are different and new. You don't have to be inventive to grab some fresh broccoli, carrots, a green pepper, and an onion, and sautee it all in a tad bit of olive oil! It's colorful and delicious!! Also, let your child see YOU eating healthy food. You're his best role model!!

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf19snack/

Answer 3

Well not a recipie as such but hopefully an idea that will help you.

When my daughter satrted taking an interest in the fooods i eat I found myself struggling to make meals that were not the regulars of shepherds pie, bland pasta with cheese ect and looked around the shops for some ideas that meant i still had an input into what she ate and did not have to buy the processed foods.

In the aisle with the condiments and other spices, pasta sauces ect you will find soem sachets which contain spices and a very easy to follow step by step guide plus a list of what you will need to make the meal on the back of the packet. Most of them are under a pound and contain the base ingredients for most meals you can think of, then it is up to you to add the fresh ingredients.

There are a wide variety of different foods to choose from to suit every taste and they can also be enjoyed by yourself and the rest of your family. At his age his food does not have to be lump free which is a bonus that you only have to mash the food rather than puree it.

My daughters favourites were and still are shepherds pie, sausage cassarole, chicken korma and chicken chassuer.

For an example of one of the meals, for example sausage cassarole. I follow the instructions on the back of the pack but also add low salt and sugar beans to add more liquid to the recipe and to add a flavour most youngsters recognise (only a small tin mind). To the I serve the cassarole with mashed potatoe made with milk, a little butter, cheese and fresh chives, although you may wish to use other ingredients and vary to what is on the pack for example if your little one does not like onions you could replace with another vegetable he does like.


Hope this gives you a few more ideas on recipies and that your son enjoys the home cooking with the added help of the step by step sachets and also it means you do not have to cook separate meals therefore it saves you time.

Good luck but trust me you won't need it.

Answer 4

Try Lorraine Kelly, baby and toddler cook book. It's fab and full of yummy ideas. The recipes are not just yummy but also give you tips on how to make the food look fun. My now 3 year old loved homemade dips, casseroles, stews and pasta in any type of sauce.

Answer 5

I'm not a mum but I work in nurseries where the food is healthy and cooked on the premises. The babies normally eat things like macaroni cheese, cauliflower cheese, sheperds pie, sausages and mash, stir fry, roasted veg, soups, salad, breadsticks, toast, mini roast dinners... they are encouraged to try things like indian, chinese or other food from other cultures

Answer 6

The best thing to do is cook healthy for you and the rest of your family. Read labels, watch out for trans fats, buy organically grown veggies. Then for your little one use the food processor or just smash up his food. I made all of our children's baby food and they now eat very healthy an love fruits and vegetables as snacks.

Answer 7

I had the same problem but wont bore you with my recipes. Go to your bookstore there are loads of great books for baby recipes . i started off just throwing loads of different veg in a big pot and then mushed it up. freeze it in little pots to save you time. Sweet potatoes are a particular fave. My mum believes in feeding ur baby whatever ur eating but this depends on whether ur a healthy eater or not and be careful about adding salt to your recipes!!

Answer 8

Make your own chicken nuggets which he can hold himself and chew on. They're really very easy, and not full of the processed rubbish the bought ones are. Slice chicken breast into strips, then dip in flour. Beat egg in a bowl, then coat the floured strips in egg, then roll in either breadcrumbs (chuck a couple of slices of bread in a blender, most bought crumbs have a lot of colouring in) or crushed cornflakes. You can fry these in a little oil, or you can brush them with some oil and then bake in the oven. My kids loved these with some tomato sauce to dip into - I would say you're better to make your own tomato sauce, but hell, life's too short!

Answer 9

organic yogurt squeezers
Add pureed baby food like sweet potatoes or blueberries to pancake mix or oatmeal for that extra boost of anti-oxidants.
Use a food processor or grinder to finely chop peppers, mushrooms and other veggies so you can add them to pizza sauce, spaghetti or other casseroles.
low-sugar breakfast cereals
fresh fruit thinly sliced or cut into small pieces
whole-grain crackers and mini-muffins
cheese cut into thin slices or shredded
Read all food labels. Most foods marketed towards children are made up of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Don't buy foods or snacks containing high fructose corn syrups, hydrogenated oils, gmo's (gentically modified ingredients), MSG, artificial flavors/colorings and preservatives.

Answer 10

My son loves spaghetti mixed with quorn mince (or beef mince) with a tin of toms and some spinach. You've got no added salt. The spinach is really good for them and I use wholewheat spaghetti for added healthiness.
Also rice and tuna mixed with tintoms and brocolli is good. I tend to just chuck in whatever is in my fridge.