My Baby Weaning Journey: Clean Little Tummies Happy Mummies
My Baby Weaning Journey: Clean Little Tummies Happy Mummies https://www.cleanlittletummieshappymummies.com/ Six years ago when I started weaning my little girl I was very excited but also incredibly nervous. I read lots, I discussed it lots with other mum friends, my mum, my husband - it really did consume me.
As a new mum, weaning is a really daunting and busy phase. At the same time as giving them milk, you are trying to provide three mini meals a day (which mostly end up on the floor or smeared all over the high chair), while being wary of the choking hazards of introducing food -talk about stressful! It can feel very demoralizing until one enthusiastic mouthful of a homemade fish dish your spirits are totally lifted and you feel it is all worthwhile again!
I started weaning with a mix of spoon-fed and baby-led approaches. I essentially did a bit of both, and tried my hardest to give as many different flavours as I could. My husband was thrilled with such a wide variety of meals on offer! We’d been very much in the chicken or salmon with salad phase, so when I started making curries, chillis, fish pies he was delighted!
I loved the flexibility of finger food, as it really helped when eating out. You could always find some bread on offer, carrot sticks, fruits or strips of chicken and beef. However, I kept mixing it up. Personally, I liked knowing that my little ones had a full taste of other flavours that came with some spoon-fed food too.
If you are about to embark on weaning, my advice would be to do what works for you as a family. If you’re out and about a lot finger food is brilliant, but can be incredibly messy, so make sure you pack spare clothes and a lot of wipes! If you’re short on time at home puree-ing some of the meal the rest of the family are eating really cuts down on preparation time and you can give finger foods such as soft boiled vegetables to munch on whilst you eat your meal too. Leftovers of a family meal can make a good little lunch for your baby too. Many cafes provide a microwave for re heating baby food now too (don’t be afraid to ask!) or invest in a food thermos to keep it warm until lunchtime.
They say variety is the spice of life! And it is certainly the case when it comes to feeding babies and children. Children quickly get into habits with food - always expecting a cheese sandwich or a bowl of cereal for breakfast - so when their expectations don’t materialize it can cause them stress and fear of new foods. Try to mix it up as much as possible, even if it is only little things like adding different fruits to porridge or adding different fillings to sandwiches. Offer eggs for breakfast instead of cereal, serve pasta or noodle salad at lunchtime instead of sandwiches, do a sharing platter for dinner-keep them guessing and it will keep their taste buds guessing too!
I have learnt not to underestimate children either. I think there is a real culture of the ‘kids menu’ where the options of real food are taken away from children. Children can like any food, it just may take several times of trying, but their taste buds adapt to like any flavours you put in front of them - I promise they will surprise you. Don’t be afraid to give them foods you would consider only for “grown ups”. I’ve learnt children like spices, herbs, salads, fish and that encouragement, constant variety, exposure, creating the right environment, eating together and getting children involved in their food preparation is key.
As time went on I started to really enjoy making meals for my growing family, the weaning phase passed and family meals and snacks became a part of my daily routine. I started to look for more variety and inspiration but struggled to find healthy, clean eating family food ideas which were quick and easy for busy parents.
So, I set about creating Clean Little Tummies Happy Mummies. I set myself small challenges to create new meals and food ideas that my children would enjoy and I’d be happy knowing they didn’t contain lots of processed ingredients and that they hadn’t taken me hours to make. I now share them regularly on my blog and on Instagram, so please come and take a look and follow along. I look forward to ‘meeting you’!
Below are some of our favourite recipes which are all suitable for the weaning phase either as finger food or mashed up to suit your baby.
