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Lunch ideas

I need some inspiration!!!

I seem to feed Cameron the same things week after week and i feel he could do with a bit more variety.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Replies

  • Hi Dawn,
    Could he manage an omelette?
    I made katelin mini ones and chopped them small so she could either have it as finger food or I would use a spoon.
    You can put almost anything in them.
    Katelin's favourite was tomato.
    Cheese
    Onion
    Broccoli
    Sweetcorn
    Red pepper were also fav's of hers.

    She often had a marmite sandwich(still does)

    Do you have the Annabel Karmel book?
    If not , let me know and I will have a look through mine and tell you a few recipes.
  • That sounds good lucyanne!!
    I'm sure he could manage, he still doesn't have any teeth but he eats toast, rice cakes, etc.
    I haven't got the Annabel Karmel book, but i think i'll buy myself a copy.

    Thanks xx
  • Hi Dawn,

    Why not ask Santa for a copy, it will be a welcome gift off someone instead of getting something that ends up on Ebay!

    Just a thought, Zoe x
  • I might just do that, it would go very nicely with my new set of pans that i'll be getting!!!!!
  • I find it easier to give Jessica the same things, i have tried new things but it ends up being thrown away as she doesn't like it.
  • Hi Dawn. What are the things you keep giving Cameron, you don't say. Are you still at the introducing new things one by one stage or are you doing more 'proper' meals? My son adored veg purees, carrot and sweetcorn sieved was a favourite, or if Cameron is more advanced than purees, muffins broken into pieces with fruit in them, frozen berries are suggested in the recipe I used. Maybe make some cheese ones for variety. You can mush them with formula milk as well. Squished baked beans are good, add cheese again for variety, or mashed sausages, shop bought or home-made, and meatballs squished. If he eats toast, maybe try something simple like a sandwich? Amanda Grant books are good and I used one of hers quite a lot for puree recipes and more recently for ideas as I felt I was also stuck in a rut.

    Six months is still very young and I wouldn't worry too much about a varied diet, it will come with time. It is trial and error and you will throw away a lot of food, as annoying as that will be. There is the statistic that you have to offer a baby / child a food up to ten times before they will accept it, and that is an average. It is upsetting when they refuse something you have really taken time over, one option, if the food is suitable, is to freeze it and try again another time. I still have to hide veg in Bon's food and I do still get upset if I have made something that has taken ages and he refuses it. Last week I tried home-made sweetcorn fritters and he point blank refused to eat them. I was almost in tears.
  • Same happened to me.
    I made some chicken and potato balls, and I did a great job(if I do say so,myself)I was very proud of them, they looked great and tasted great(well I thought so,anyway).
    But my eldest said they were discusting, my youngest son said he was not hungry anymore and Katelin sat in her high chair and pulled them apart.
    My cats, though, were very greatful.
  • I've been pretty lucky so far that Cameron will eat anything!
    He mainly has veg purees at lunch, and i just feel that he's having exactly the same at teatime only with chicken or mince. We've reached the stage where he's having more texture and he is quite confident with chewing so i think he'd be able to try different things.
  • Hi Dawn,
    Just been looking through my Annabel Karmel book, at recipes for 6-9 months.
    Here are a few ideas.
    If you like the sound of them, let me know and I will post the ingredients and methods.

    POTATO,LEEK AND PEA PUREE.
    BRAISED BEEF WITH CARROT, PARSNIP AND POTATO.
    CHICKEN CASSEROLE.
    LENTIL AND VEGETABLE PUREE.
    PLAICE FILLET WITH LEEK & CHEESE SAUCE.
    PAPAYA AND CHICKEN PUREE.
    CAULIFLOWER GRATIN.
    PAPAYA AND COTTAGE CHEESE.
    TRIO OF ROOT VEGETABLES.
    SWEET POTATO, CARROT AND BROCCOLI.
    FILLET OF COD WITH TRIO OF VEGETABLES.
    SPINACH,POTATO,PARSNIP & LEEK.
    FISH WITH CARROTS AND ORANGE.

    They are all really simple and apart from the cottage cheese one, they can all be frozen.

    Hope these help .
  • Thanks lucyanne, Annabel Karmel is now on my xmas list!!!!
    I'm going to steer clear of the fishy ones at the moment (need to conquer my hatred of fish first!!), but the braised beef, casserole and the cauliflower gratin would be good, hearty food for a v greedy young man!!!!!

    We tried some omelette today, he wasn't sure about the texture at first but he did eat most of it!!

    Thanks again
    Dawn xx
  • Hi Dawn,
    Thats good.
    I know what you mean about fish. I feel guilty that the only fish my children eat, are fish fingers and tuna from a can.
    Even with the fishfingers, I can smell fish in my kitchen for hours after I've cooked them.
    My kitchen is the closest room to our front door, and whenever I've cooked them, my husband knows as soon as he comes in. yuk!!

    Ok here goes then,
    BRAISED BEEF WITH CARROT,PARSNIP & POTATO.

    30g(1oz) butter
    125(4oz) leeks,sliced
    175(6oz) lean beef steak,cut into cubes
    150g(5oz) carrots,sliced
    125g(4oz) parsnips chopped
    250(8oz) potatoes chopped
    450ml 3/4 pint unsalted beef or chicken stock
    ( I never found any unsalted stock so I used low salt stock cubes and halved the quantity)

    1..Heat the butter in a flame proof casserole, add the leeks and saute for 5 mins, or until softened.Add the beef and saute till browned.
    2..add the carrots,parsnips and potatoes, pour over the stock and bring to the boil.
    3..transfer the casserole to a prehaeted oven( gasmark 4/180c/350f and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or till meat is soft.
    Blend to desired consistency.
    Makes 10 portions
    suitable for freezing.

    CAULIFLOWER & TOMATO GRATIN
    150(5oz) cauliflower florets
    30g (1oz) butter
    250g(8oz) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded, and roughly chopped
    30g(1oz) grated chedder cheese.

    1.. cook the florets for about 12 mins
    2.. meanwhile, warm the butter in a pan,add the tomatoes and saute till mushy. remove from the heat and add the cheese, stir till melted.
    mix the cauliflower with the tomato and cheese,then blend to desired consistency.

    or leave out the tomatoes and do a cheese sauce.
    30 g butter(1oz)
    30g flour
    300ml (1/2 pint) milk
    75g(2 1/2 zo) grated chedder cheese.
    Melt butter in pan
    add flour to make a paste and stir over a low heat for 1 min.
    gradually whisk in the milk, bring slowly to the boil and cook yill thickened, stiring constantly.
    remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. voila!!!!!

    I will do the chicken casserole later as katelin has just woken from her morning sleep and will want some lunch( cheesy scrambled egg today)so watch this space!!!!
  • Thanks very much lucyanne!!!
    I'll let you know how we get on when we try them.

    Hope Katelin enjoys her lunch, sounds tasty!!
  • Hi Dawn,
    I have the Annabell Karmel book too. Cameron sounds like my two, really enjoying food. If thats the case, its a very well worthwhile book to have. I Love it.
    Kas xx
  • Well i decided i couldn't wait until Santa came and i bought myself a copy of the Annabel Karmel baby & toddler meal planner.
    Today we tried the minestrone and Cameron absolutely loved it!!! If anybody doesn't have the recipe and would like to try it just let me know and i'll put it on here.
  • Hi Dawn,

    I'm glad Cameron enjoyed his Annabel Karmel lunch. Christmas is still a fair few weeks away when you need meal ideas so i don't blame you for not waiting. I hope he enjoys some of the other meals to.

    Take care, Zoe x
  • Hi Dawn,

    My copy is from the year 2000 so I think its been updated since then, as I dont have that in mine.
    Is it addaptable for 12-18 months?
    If so, could I have the recipe please?
  • Hi Lucyanne

    At the moment i'm blending it as there are so many lumps, but Katelin would be able to manage it as it is.

    MINESTRONE

    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    1/2 small onion, finely chopped
    1/2 leek, white part only, finely chopped
    1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
    1/2 celery stalk, diced
    100g(4oz) french beans, cut into 1cm lengths
    1 potato, peeled and diced
    1tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
    2tsp tomato puree
    1.2 litres(2pints) chicken or veg stock
    3tbsp frozen peas
    50g(2oz) small pasta shapes


    Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and leek for 2 mins, then add the carrot, celery, french beans, potato and parsley and saute for 4 mins. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 1 min. Pour over the stock and simmer, covered, for 20 mins. Add the frozen peas and pasta and cook for 5 mins. (check the packet instructions for the cooking time of the pasta)

    Hope she enjoys it!!!
  • Thanks Dawn
    I'm going to try that.
    It has all the things she likes in it.
    She loves pasta, so anything new to do with it is great.
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