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Introducing Meats

I wasn't sure what the best way to introduce meat to Annabel was. I am really nervous about making her meat dishes, I don't think you can go wrong with a vegetable or fruit dish but meat is a whole new ball game. My husband suggested that we try Annabel with some readymade pouches as she is nearly 7 months now and needs to start to have meat in her diet.

We tried a Vegetable Chicken Casserole pouche (by Heinz), this way it only contained a small amount of chicken, Annabel loved it. It was a great way to introduce her to meats without spending hours preparing a costly dish that she might not have enjoyed or that I had worried over. But I am be still nervous to start cooking with chicken or other meats.

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 We were actually in a restaurant for Annabel's first taste of meat.

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 Annabel's expression says it all, Yum Yum!!

How did you introduce meats? I am being neurotic and worrying for nothing or should I stick to pouches for a while or just get on and cook some chicken.

Replies

  • Lol sounds like an advert! Cute pic.
  • Yes Luloo, It is very cheesy picture, I just need bright white teeth.. ha ha x

     

  • We have had two attempts at meat, one successful, one not so. I made Chicken leeks and creamy wine pasta for dinner. Once all cooked and cooled I liquidized a portion for Annabel (the wine cooks so loses it alcohol content). It is the first dish that Annabel has not eaten since we started weaning, she really was not keen.  It could have been the strong flavour (wine) but actually once cooked you can't really taste it, she has had garlic before, leeks and cream  so I can only assume it was the chicken that she did not like.

    We had lamb chops for dinner on Sunday, I saved a small portion for Annabel liquidised the meat  and vegetables, added some fresh mint and gave with mash potatoes - well she loved it!! Ate all of it.  (see recipe exchange)

    I feel better about meat now and am looking forward to starting her on other meat dishes, we are having streak pie this week so will try her with a portion of this.

    https://us.v-cdn.net/6030864/uploads/ForumPostImages/39341.jpg?width=221&height=350&mode=max

  • How is Annabel and yourself getting on with meat?

  • Hi Harjeet,

    We are still not great at meat eating/cooking. I am improving but I find it hard to decide what to give Annabel. If we (her Dad and I ) eat meat, it tends to be curries, chillis, chorizo, sausage casseroles and generally spicy food. I have given Annabel spice, she loves lentil curry, loves veg curry (in fact one of your own recipes) but we like really HOT food. So I have been trying to be creative, I am currently making a cottage pie, a family meal for us all.

    Annabel has tried spaghetti bolognaise, chicken and mushroom pate/pasta, and a few chicken dishes. I still tend to feed her mostly vegetarian dishes such as lentil and chickpea burgers (see recipe exchange 2 thread), omelettes and pastas. She likes mince beef but still is not overly keen on the texture of chicken, although she will eat it.

    She is thriving but I do think I need to increase her meat/fish intake, now the weather is changing I aim to make more winter warmers like stews, pies etc. Your little boy is a vegetarian isn't he?

  • I started my little girl off with just pureed veg/fruit for stage 1. Now that she has mastered that I have moved her onto stage 2- and have just started to add meats/pasta/rices- to give a more lumpy texture. I make homeade food for my little girl and find it time consuming to buy whole chickens, turkeys etc. I tend to buy the miced meats instead (chicken mince, turkey mince, pork mince, lamb mince, beef mince). they are easy to blend up with veggies and you can brown them off in under five minutes and easy for baby to swallow.

    Here are a few of the following blended meals I make with the meats:

    • Pork mince and butternut sqaush
    • Beef mince with a peeled tomatoe, garlic powder and pasta( homeade spagball)
    • Mashed potaoe, turkey/lamb mince and mixed veg, with a baby stock cube (sunday dinner)
  • I did similar things Sherrie although my little man didn't really like mince so I used to just puree up thighs or a slow cooked beef etc as the puree is thicker than just a vegetable puree so it still helps with texture etc.

    I found the transition to meat quite easy they both took to it really easily.  I started with chicken first in both cases then moved onto red meat.  I gave my daughter liver but was suffering morning sickness with my second at the same time so now I can't go near it because the smell makes me sick!

  • It's funny looking back at this post as now Annabel loves her meat, she is a real carnivore. I'm not really sure why I was so nervous about giving her meat, I got myself into a real  state about it. I worried it wouldn't be cooked enough, she wouldn't like it, we would waste loads, lots of silly worries that now seem ridiculous. I suppose I just wanted to ‘get it right’, which actually I think we did. I recommend started with the pouches as it just introduces a small amount of meat at a time.

  • I'm definitely going to try Bert on some Heinz pouches to try some meat dishes. I've made him bolognaise and pureed it, and he's eaten that fine - but I haven't been any more adventurous than that yet. Next time I cook chicken perhaps I'll liquidise some and see how he gets on. I'm pretty sure Bert with devour anything I give him, lol, he doesn't seem to reject anything except Brussels Sprouts - and even now he'll eat them if I mix it with another veg! I'll let you know how we get on…! 

  • An update - we started our 'trying other meats' phase today - I have bought a selection of Heinz jars in the 7+ months range (cottage pie, fruity chicken casserole, mild chicken curry and tuna bake) … tonight we gave him half a jar of curry & he wasn't overly sure - he ate most of it but wasn't too keen on the bigger lumps, and I'm not sure if it's a coincidence but 45 mins later he did the most explosive poo (a right up the back to his neck jobby!) hehe. Looking forward to trying him on the others and seeing how he gets on….! 

     

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    Bert's reaction to the lumps in the Heinz Mild Chicken Curry! hehehe! Bless him!

    Did any of yours try this? What was their reaction like?

    We'll keep on giving him all the different flavours in the hope that he learns to like them all.

    Lucy x 

  • Ha ha, great picture!! Annabel was given curry from a very early age so she never really reacted like that. I actually have a jar of the Chicken curry in the cupboard for emergencies which we haven't tried yet - I'll let you know if the reaction is anything like the above...ha ha x

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