Chocolate banana muffins (with lentils)

These chocolate banana muffins (with lentils) offer a high protein snack for toddlers 12 months old+ and the whole family. They are vegan friendly and taste amazing! They are high in protein and iron, which means it may keep your toddler feeling fuller for longer. The chocolate chips are optional, they are there to add a fun element! Did you know that quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, and a few other minerals. Try not to be scared of offering your toddler chocolate in moderation, it can be a bit of fun and nutritious! Please comment on the recipe below if you love them as much as we do.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

These vegan vanilla cupcakes are super easy to make! Healthy alternative to refined sugar muffins. Great for toddlers 12 months old+ and the whole family. For babies under 12 months old you have the option to use date paste or half a banana instead of maple syrup.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Tomato and eggplant penne

Tomato and eggplant penne is a perfect baby led weaning starter meal. The great thing about baby led weaning is that baby eats what the family eats. Tomato and eggplant penne is the perfect family meal which can be ordered to babies 6 months old+. The sauce is full of goodness and super tasty!

By: Rachael Tucker

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Spinach & Tomato Pinwheels (3 ingredients)

March 2, 2020

Servings: 13

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 13 min

Total: 18 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These super easy Spinach and tomato pinwheels (3 ingredients) are great for baby led weaning! Babies that are showing all readiness signs to start baby led weaning can start having family finger foods and meals around 6 months old. These pinwheels are not only perfect for babies 6 months old+ they are great for the whole family! They make a great on the go lunch box snack. This recipe is also vegan friendly. Feel free to add nutritional yeast over the passata for added nutrition. .

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry (320 grams)
• 4 or 5 heaps tablespoons of tomato puree / passata
• 2 big handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/180 fan/gas mark 6 and line a large flat baking tray.
• Step 2 Roll out pastry into a rectangle and spread the passata all over the pastry leaving a 1-2cm gap around the edges.
• Step 3 Roughly lay out all the spinach leaves on top of the passata covering all areas.
• Step 4 Starting from the long side bottom, roll up the pastry carefully until you have one long patty roll, then pinch the end of the pastry to create a seal.
• Step 5 Cut each pinwheel (approx 3cm thick) and lay them all facing up on a tray.
• Step 6 Place into the oven for approx 10-15minutes on 200 degrees celcius (you may need to leave a little longer if pinwheels are thick, but be sure they don’t burn).
• Step 7 Leave to cool on a wired rack before serving. Refrigerate up to 3 days in a airtight container. Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
• Step 8 How to serve to a 6-9 months old+ either serve half a pinwheel or cut into finger size sticks so baby can pick it up with its fist. For 9 month old+ either serve the pinwheel whole or in bite size small cubes so baby can practise its pincer grip.

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Fluffy Blueberry Muffins (Vegan)

These Fluffy Blueberry muffins (vegan) are perfect for baby led weaners, toddlers and the whole family! Perfectly sweetened using natural fruits - no refined sugar! Please leave a comment and star rating below and tell us what you think. xx Rach

By: Rachael Tucker

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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

February 4, 2020

Servings: 4

Difficulty: easy

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This super tasty Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti dish is great for the whole family!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3 fresh red peppers (or you can use 1 15 ounces jar 15.5 oz roasted red peppers drained)
• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 250ml (1 cup) plant milk (we used oat milk)
• 400g spaghetti
• 1 handful of fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
• Optional: 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for added nutrition)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/160 fan/gas mark 4 and line a large flat baking tray.
• Step 2 Peel the skin off all peppers, keeping the ends on them so they stay whole. Remove skin off onion and cut into quarter chunks. Place peeled peppers, onions and whole garlic with skin on baking sheet and coat all with olive oil. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes. Half way mark remove garlic so they don’t burn.
• Step 3 Once the peppers and onions have softened and cooked, leave to cool then discard the stalk and seeds from the peppers. Transfer peppers, garlic (without skin), onions and basil to a food processor and blend until a smooth sauce (add nutritional yeast as well if using). Set aside.
• Step 4 Cook pasta per package instructions. Meanwhile transfer the pureed sauce to a large skillet pan, add dairy-free milk and cook for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet and combine the pasta in with sauce. Your vegan Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti is now ready to serve.
• Step 5 How to serve to 6 months old+ serve a small portion of spaghetti on to baby’s highchair tray or suction plate, because you can always offer more later. Let baby pick up the pasta with its hands and explore by squeezing the food, bringing it to their mouth or playing with it, this is all part of the learning.
• Step 6 Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

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5 from 1 reviews

Vegan Fluffy Pancakes

January 14, 2020

Servings: 15

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy, fluffy vegan pancakes for baby led weaners 6 months old + and the rest of the family! Parents love them!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 small banana (approx 60 grams of mashed banana)
• 240ml of dairy-free milk (I use oat milk)
• 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp baking powder
• 135g plain flour
• *2tbsp of flaxseed meal (*if you don’t have any just leave flaxseed meal out of recipe, this ingredient is for added nutrition)
• Optional but not needed, add 1tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Step 1 Mash banana in a big bowl. Add all wet ingredients and whisk with a fork or whisker. Then stir in dry ingredients until you have a pancake mixture.
• Step 2 Heat up a knob of dairy free butter in a large pan on medium heat. Once butter starts to sizzle, spoon out 1 tablespoon of pancake mixture, then continue to spoon out mixture (not touching) 3 or 4 times (depending how large your pan is). Once you start to see bubbles forming on pancake, flip them over (tip: if you find the pancakes are sticking to the pan, add a little more flour into the batter).
• Step 3 Once all pancakes a ready, its time to serve!
• Step 4 How to serve to 6-8 month old: serve 2 long strips of pancake (the size of an adult finger). if baby wants more offer more.
• Step 5 How to serve 8-12 months old: serve pancake cut up into small 2cm pieces, so baby can practice his pincer grip.
• Step 6 How to serve to 12 months + you can offer the whole pancake as it, or cut it up into small cubes or offer as finger sizes. Up to you!

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Started with my son right at 6 months.

What were his first foods?

First foods were avocado, banana, mango and melon.

When did baby start to swallow more food?

Started swallowing within a few weeks. It took time and patience! But around 8/9 months old his intake ramped up, it was unbelievable. All that patience and practised learnt skill paid off.

Any tips or advice for new BLW parents?

New baby led weaning parents – gagging is NOT choking!! Learn the difference and do a baby first aid course. Gagging is very normal, and may look uncomfortable but leave your baby to it and they will work it out themselves. Thankfully he had no setbacks/regressions/allergies.

How old is baby now and how does he eat?

Just turned two and is the best eater ever!! I put it down to baby led weaning.

Additional info:

I should add he’s been completely plant based, except for eggs a few times a week, just like mommy.

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When did your baby start baby led weaning? and when did he swallow more food rather than bits?

My baby started at 6 months old. We started with steamed green veggies, family meals like spaghetti bolognese, roast dinners etc what ever we were eating as a family he ate some as well. We did notice a month in, he started to eat a lot more and swallow a lot more food. Now at 10 months old he is an amazing eater and pretty much eats anything!

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5 from 1 reviews

Ginger and Date Loaf (vegan, no sugar)

November 28, 2019

Servings: 20

Prep: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This Vegan Ginger and Date Loaf taste incredible! Naturally sweetened with dates - no syrups, no refined sugars. Nutrtionally is high in iron, omega 3 and calcium - all coming from the fresh dates, flaxseed and dairy-free milk. Not only is it a perfect breakfast or snack for babies 6 months old + , its tasty for the whole family. This loaf can be made in either a 2LB loaf tin (approx bake for 20-25 minutes on 180 degrees celcius) or as muffins (bake for approx 10-15 minutes on 180 degrees celcius).

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140 grams) of wholemeal self raising flour (or plain flour with 1.5 teaspoons of baking soda)
• 10 medjool dates (remove seed, after removing all seed it should weigh around 167 grams )
• 50ml non-dairy milk (we used oat milk)
• 100g unsalted dairy-free butter (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons ginger ground/powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal/ground

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/160 fan/gas mark 4 and line a 2lb loaf tin.
• Step 2 Pour flaxseed meal/ground into a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of water. Mix until combined, then place into the fridge to set for 15 minutes (this is called making flax-egg, an alternative to using egg).
• Step 3 In a separate bowl, remove all seeds from dates and place dates into a small bowl, cover the dates with boiling water, and set aside for approx 5 minutes.
• Step 4 Once dates have softened, drain water and then in a large bowl mash all dates on the side of the bowl with a fork until a paste like consistency. Once date paste has cooled, add non-dairy butter and mix (cream it) it with a fork. Add in vanilla extract, non-dairy milk, flaxseed meal (thats setting in the fridge) and ginger powder. Combine. Add flour and fold through until fully combined. Pour out mixture into lined loaf tin and bake for approx 20 to 25 minutes on 180 degrees celcius.
• Step 5 How to serve to 6-8 months old: cut a slice of the loaf into finger size slices for baby (adult pinky size shape). How to serve to 8-12 month old: cut a slice of loaf into 2cm pieces so baby can practice his pincer grip. For 12 months old + serve as you wish ie can serve a whole slice, into finger size pieces or small bite size pieces.
• Step 6 Store in a airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

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Delicious Pumpkin Scones (5 ingredients, no sugar)

These Delicious Pumpkin Scones are so delicious and healthy and perfect for baby led weaning. The are suitable for babies 6 months old + and the whole family. They contain NO SUGAR, NO EGGS, and can be made DAIRY FREE if you opt for dairy free butter. They are super easy to make and are full of yummy goodness. Makes a perfect snack, breakfast or lunch for babies that are doing baby led weaning. I hope you love them as much as we do.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Easy Banana Bread (no egg, no dairy)

September 14, 2019

Servings: 14 slices

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 40 min

Total: 50 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Are you after a healthy NO EGG, NO DAIRY, NATURALLY SWEETENED tasty Banana Bread for your baby 6 months old+ and whole family? well here you go! Super easy to make and is our go to snack on the run.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 210 grams self raising flour
• 1x tsp baking powder
• 1/2x tsp cinnamon
• approx 5 x over ripe large bananas (total of 387 grams) (tip: the more over-ripe/black the bananas are the sweeter the loaf!)
• 50 grams olive oil
• 2x tbsp flaxseed meal

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/150 fan/gas mark 3 and line a tin loaf (11cm wide x 23cm long).
• Step 2 In a bowl, mash all over-ripe bananas until smooth. Then mix in the olive oil and flaxseed meal. Fold through the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cinnamon into the wet mixture bowl until combined.
• Step 3 Pour mixed batter into the prepared tin loaf. Ensure your tin loaf isn’t too small else the banana bread will not completely cook. Place the tin into the middle of the oven for approx 40-45 minutes, until the centre is cooked. Leave the bread to cool in tin for 10min, then remove from tin and place on a wired rack until completely cooled down, then slice. Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

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Healthy Oatmeal Muffins (egg free, dairy free, no sugar)

These Healthy Oatmeal Muffins are egg free, dairy free, no refined sugar and are sweetened with BANANA. With ONLY 6 INGREDIENTS! Perfect for baby led weaners *6 months old+ They are super soft and fluffy in the middle and are absolutely delicious! Great for toddlers, parents and everyone!

By: Rachael Tucker

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Lentil Bolognese

Want a meat-free delicious high protein bolognese? try this recipe. easy to make and great for babyledweaners 6mo+, toddlers and the whole family.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Green Fritters (4 ingredients)

These GREEN FRITTERS are great for baby led weanings 6 month old+ , toddlers and the family for SUPER healthy and EASY lunch or dinner ideas. Meat free, dairy free and can be vegan if you swap the eggs for flax egg, these are full of iron and a great green veggie boost for everyone.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Carrot, Kale & Cheese Scones

These scones are great for *6 month old bubs, toddlers and mum and dad! Makes a perfect non-messy breakfast, lunch or snack. Full of yummy goodness without any nasty ingredients.

By: Rachael Tucker

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Please note: I am not a doctor or Paediatrician.  I am simply sharing my personal tips, research experience with you. If you have any specific behavioural or concerns about your baby or toddler please contact your doctor.

Here are some tips for you:

Introduce solids using the Baby Led Weaning technique 

From *6 months old when baby is showing all readiness in starting. This will teach baby about textures, variety, touch, feel, smell, different tastes through using their sensors and self control. If you didn’t start with BLW, don’t worry there is still hope try and adopt the following strategies:

I use the motto: “I supply – you decide” 

All mum and dad can do is offer the food and let baby decide weather to eat it or not. Don’t make a fuss at all if baby or toddler does not want to eat the food. Place NO pressure on meal times what so ever, babies and toddler are very clever and can pick up on parents anxiety and pressure. Leave it, clean up, and move on…

Avoid offering alternative foods at meal times or bribery: 

If baby or toddler rejects a meal, avoid offering alternatives or using any bribery techniques. If you start offering alternative meals or snacks this can lead to even MORE fussy eating in the near future and also lead to more processed high sugar foods given by parents.

Mum and Dad – PLAY IT COOL!

The biggest tip i can offer you is… if baby or toddler does not want to eat their dinner or lunch or snack, PLAY IT COOL. Relax, accept they are not hungry (have they eaten a lot of food today? do they have a cold? a temperature? are they teething? are they tired or not feeling well?), accept their decision, offer water and let them down from their highchair.

Avoid commenting about your babies or toddlers food intake whilst they are eating:

The biggest mistake parents can do is INDIRECTLY put pressure on babies or toddlers to EAT. Avoid all comments about what they are doing whilst eating… chat about other topical events that are going on in their life i.e. how was your day? Talk about your day? talk about family members or birthdays or events coming up? THINK of anything and talk about anything besides the focus on baby or toddler eating. Examples of not what to talk about: “Oh well done Ava, you ate two mouthfuls of meatballs!!” “Come on Tommy, why don’t you eat some spinach!!” “your such fussy eater! I wish you ate like your brother” …. All these encouraging or discouraging comments completely adds more pressure onto baby or toddler at meal time. Respect food choices baby/toddler makes and stop focusing on the kids and what and how they are eating. Can you imagine if us as adults had someone sitting next to us at the dinner table adding commentary about each bite we take? It can be embarrassing, confronting, frustrating, irritating.

Always offer 1 safe food in the meal your baby or toddler are eating:

When I say safe food, something you know baby or toddler will eat. I.e I know Ava loves sweet potato, avocado, eggs, cut up cucumber, apple etc i will always offer a safe food on her plate at most meals. Babies/toddlers do not like change, just like us adults… Having a safe food provides your baby/toddler with some sort of comfort, and they may be willing to try other foods on their plate.

Don’t GIVE UP on offering your baby or toddler food that has been previously REJECTED:

A lot of parents will give up straight away or make the assumption that “Tommy dislikes eggs” or “Tommy hates avocado” etc making these assumptions even comments in front of their child can be a huge mistake and therefore limit baby/toddlers food variety and puts negative thoughts into the child’s thinking and may actually convince them that they ‘do not like eggs’ and may stop them in trying new foods. Keep offering that particular food even if baby/toddler rejects it. Sometimes it can take up to 10 times of exposure to that particular food for your toddler to accept it.

Avoid DISTRACTIONS:

I am a big believer in limited distractions at meal time. That means: no TV at meal times, no running around, sitting at the table, enjoying table talk with the family. Having distractions such as TV may discourage baby/toddler in trying new foods, and may increase the likelihood of potential choking. Turn the TV off at least 30 minutes before dinner is served, this gives your toddler time to play and unwind before meal time. Try not to use any bribery such as: you can watch more TV after you eat your dinner.

Decrease animal milk intake:

“If you actually feed a child three servings of cow’s milk, how are they going to have room for other healthful foods like those vegetables, legumes and lean proteins?” Parents fall in the trap of offering too much milk into their toddler diet which doesn’t leave room for food. “filling up on milk can mean not eating other healthy foods on the plate, and this can be especially true of kids who are picky eaters. Although milk is a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, other food sources also provide these nutrients. What’s more, there’s no evidence that drinking milk reduces bone fractures, and drinking too much can lead to anemia and may contribute to obesity, experts now say.” “Do kids really need milk? No, of course they don’t,” said Amy Lanou, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Most people in the world do not drink milk after they are weaned from breast milk, and yet still get adequate nutrition, she added. [10 Ways to Promote Kids’ Healthy Eating Habits] Calcium can be found in many other food sources besides milk, including nuts, beans and greens, Lanou said. “The best way for kids to take good care of bones is to go outside and play,” Lanou told Live Science. (ref: live science article)

Get toddler in the kitchen to cook with you:

If you want to expand the variety of foods and meals in your toddlers diet, cook with them. Get them to taste parts of the recipe as you cook together. Get them to cut foods up (with supervision), placing ingredients into a bowl, rolling out pizza bases, touching different food textures, stirring, mixing etc Talk about each ingredient or vegetable and where it comes from when cooking with them. Be patient with your toddler, if you can whilst cooking (which can be the toughest part about cooking with toddlers). Having kids cook with you increases the chance of them actually eating the meal they helped preparing.

Be honest with your toddler:

Let them know what is in each meal (if they ask), preferably NO hiding veggies in their meals. We want foods and meals to be transparent. If we start lying about ingredients or making it a game for them, they will pick up on this quickly and start to work against you and not trust what goes in each meal you have prepared. Can lead to more fussiness down the track and rejecting of new or old foods they eat.

If they don’t want to eat a dinner, accept it, don’t make a fuss:

clean up and move on. Have a think “has your toddler eaten their max calorie intake today? ie more snacks than usual, a big lunch?” Usually dinner is the meal that toddlers reject mostly. Why? mainly because they may have eaten enough today? I always think about this before I prepare dinner for Ava. If Ava has eaten a lot or more than usual today ie lots of snacks etc I tend to offer her a mezzo type of plate for dinner with bits and pieces of finger foods, so i don’t waste much and if she does not eat it, it can be saved for tomorrow. ie cut up tomato, maybe some chicken slices, carrots, cheese…

Get creative and start using fun food tools:

above 2 years old you can start to make food a little fun! Toddlers love fun, creative and unique quirky food tools and art. Use vegetable cutters to serve up some fun shapes! These particular work when introducing new vegetables or fruits. Be creative with your food you offer your toddler, create a smiley face. You could also invest in some “food pics” for kids with cute little animals on top. Food pics are a great tool to make picking up food fun. Also use some cool utensils ie kitchen tongs and get your toddler to serve up his own food. Note: always watch your toddler when using food pics or any sharp or small utensils.

Good luck! 

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Carrot & Orange Muffins (NO sugar)

March 25, 2019

Servings: approx 12-15 muffins

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 25 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy baby muffins for you baby 6 months old + , toddler and family. These are naturally sweetened using fresh squeeze from an orange.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 150 grams self-raising flour
• 2 eggs (for a egg-free alternative use 2 tbsp of flaxseed meal mixed with 5 tbsp of water)
• 60 grams unsalted butter (dairy alternative: use coconut oil instead)
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 oranges (or 150ml fresh orange juice)
• * additional: feel free to add raisins or sultanas for more sweetness (i usually do half batch with and half batch without)

Directions

• Step 1 Pre-heat oven 190 degrees celcius, then line muffin tin with paper cases or grease a silicone muffin tray. Grate carrots and place in a bowl. Then squeeze out the orange juice from the oranges into the same bowl and grate the zest from 1 of the oranges.
• Step 2 Add melted butter into the carrot mix.
• Step 3 In a separate bowl whisk the 2 eggs and then add into the mixture. Then fold through the flour into the mixture.
• Step 4 Spoon out the mixture into each paper case or a greased silicone muffin tray, smooth out the top of each muffin mixture, to prevent any grated carrot from burning. (*option: If adding sultanas to half the muffins, spoon out half the mixture into cases then mix through half a cup of sultanas to the other half of the mixture and spoon out the rest into the cases.) Bake for approx 20-25 minutes until centre is cooked. Leave to cool on a wired rack. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

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Lewis' 1st Chocolate Cup Cake

March 12, 2019

Servings: 12-15 serves

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Lewis' 1st chocolate cup cake recipe is PERFECT for baby led weaning, toddlers and the whole family. This recipes is dedicated to my beautiful son Lewis, his first ever chocolate cake! It is perfectly sweetened naturally with unrefined sugars. No nasties, No sugar and perfect for a 1st Birthday cup cakes or cake, for any celebrations that you are having and want a healthier version of a cake. The frosting is super yummy and the cake is lovely soft. OPTIONS: Feel free to use a round cake tin if you want to make a actual cake rather than cupcakes. FROSTING: another alternative to the avocado chocolate frosting is chocolate cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, swap the avocado for cream cheese, then add cocoa and your choice of sweetener ie maple syrup or algave syrup or *honey or date paste or banana - TAKE YOUR PICK. * Do take note that babies under 1 should not have honey.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 175g seedless dates (Medjool dates are lovely)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 150g self-raising flour (whole wheat / wholemeal or white)
• 3.5 tbsp organic cocoa powder
• ⅓ tsp of baking powder
• FROSTING:
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place in paper cup cake holders in each hole OR grease a round non-stick cake tin and line the base with baking parchment and butter.
• Step 2 Prepare the dates: place dates into a bowl and cover with hot water. Let this sit for 5 minutes. Then drain out the water. Cream the butter using a electric hand mixer and then add the soft dates (ensure dates are cooled down) and cream them together. Now add in your eggs and beat. Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the bowl and fold them into the creamed mixture. For cupcakes bake for approx 15 minutes (for a round cake bake for approx 20minutes until the centre is cooked), then place on a wired rack to cool.
• Step 3 To make the frosting:With a electric hand mixer, blend avocados, add cocoa powder & maple syrup OR banana. Leave in the fridge for a hour or two and frost your cooled down cupcakes OR cooled cake.

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Easy Bolognese (5 Ingredients)

March 10, 2019

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy and healthy bolognese for your baby led weaner *6 months+ (when baby is showing all readiness signs to start baby led weaning) and the family. No added stocks or salts or sugars. Only 5 ingredients and can whip up within 20 minutes.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 500 grams of organic pork mince
• 1 large red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 500 grams of organic passata (no sugars no salts)
• *1 tablespoon Oregano (*or any other dried or fresh herb you may have i.e. basil, rosemary or oregano usually work well with bolognese)

Directions

• Step 1 Firstly chop up onion, garlic and carrot.
• Step 2 On a stove top in a large pan pour two big glugs of olive oil, add onions and garlic. Once onions are soft add carrots and mince meat. Combine all, break up mince meat and cook until no longer red, then add herbs and passata and combine all.
• Step 3 Leave to simmer with lid on for *10 minutes. (*if leaving longer put the heat to a low heat and simmer for up to an hour if you wanted to)
• Step 4 Serve with pasta, spaghetti or zoodles.

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5 Ingredient Seed Bites

March 4, 2019

Servings: 40+ bites

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

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“5 INGREDIENT SEED BITES” Great for bubs to nibble on, toddlers, Mum and Dad! It’s very much like a crumbly biscuit consistency. #nutfree #dairyfree #eggfree a great way to introduce seeds into bub’s diet. No hidden nasty preservatives, no salt, no sugar. YOU know exactly what your #babyledweaner is eating.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1x cup (150 grams) of mixed seeds (I used pumpkin and sunflower)
• 1.5 cups (130 grams) of oats
• 3/4 cup (80 grams) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (120 grams) coconut oil (room temp or heat up in microwave)
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) of dates

Directions

• Step 1 Soak dates in a bowl of hot water (just cover the dates) – then put aside.
• Step 2 Place seeds, flour and oats into into a blender until combined. Remove from blender and pour into a large bowl. Separately, drain out the water in the dates, and mash the dates up with a fork creating a thick date paste.
• Step 3 In the large bowl of dry ingredients, now add the room temp or heated coconut oil and date paste and massage all ingredients in until you have combined mixture into a big ball.
• Step 4 Prepare a baking tray by rubbing coconut oil on the base and sides, now push the ingredients down evenly onto tray and into the corners.
• Step 5 Place tray into oven for 10-15 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown (watch it doesn’t burn!).
• Step 6 Allow to cool for an hour in tray before transferring to the fridge for an hour to set. Then slice up bite size OAT SEED BITES and store in a jar in the a cool dry place.
• Step 7 Note: I store them in the freezer for snacks or even a quick breakfast for baby Lewis, Ava and the family.

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Cashew and Ginger Balls

December 23, 2018

Servings: 18

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These delicious Cashew and Ginger balls are super tasty! Natural ingredients and full of goodness. Makes a great snack, party food or even a breakfast on the run for baby led weaner's 6 month old+ Super soft on gums! *Cashews is a nut and may be a potential food allergy in some babies, especially if there is a family history of allergy. Early introduction of nut butters from 6 months onwards may reduce allergy development in the future (ref: ASCIA) . Please see a doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your baby.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 15 dates (prep: soak dates in hot water for 5 minutes then drain water out, and squash all the dates with a fork to make date paste)
• 3 heaps tablespoons of Cashew Butter
• 50 grams of quick oats or whole oats
• A sprinkle of ginger ground
• 40 grams of shredded/desiccated coconut

Directions

• Step 1 In a bowl mix the date paste, cashew butter and ginger ground. Then add oats and 20grams of coconut until you have formed one big dough ball.
• Step 2 Prepare a big plate with the left over coconut, and then form little balls one at a time and roll into coconut.
• Step 3 Keep stored in the fridge for up to 7 days OR freeze up to 3 months.

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Easy Banana Bread (Gluten Free & dairy free)

December 15, 2018

Servings: approx 12 slices

Prep: 5 min

Total: 50 min

Difficulty: Easy

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After a Gluten free, dairy free, high protein banana bread loaf? try this one! its great for baby led weaners 6 months old+ and the family and is super tasty!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 300 grams mashed ripe banana (approx 2 and 1/2 bananas)
• 10 seedless dates (prep: soak dates in hot water for 5min until softened, then drain out water, squash the soft dates until a paste has formed)
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean pod (scrap out the vanilla beans from pod)
• 2 heap tablespoons ground flax seeds (linseeds)
• 200 grams of almond meal

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 160 degrees celcius (325 F). Combine the mashed banana, mashed up dates, oil, cinnamon, vanilla beans and eggs. Add the almond meal and linseeds and mix until combined.
• Step 2 Spoon out batter into a loaf tin and bake for approx 45 to 1 hour. Ensure the centre is cooked by placing a wooden skewer or knife into the top of the loaf reaching the centre.
• Step 3 Remove from oven, allow to cool before slicing. Can fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. How to serve to 6 months old+ cut the banana bread into finger size long pieces. for babies approx 8 month old + can serve finger size pieces or cut up into cubes for baby to practice pincer grip.

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Cannellini Bean Pinwheels (3 Ingredients)

December 12, 2018

Servings: approx 18

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 13 min

Total: 18 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These pinwheels are so yummy! Baked beans can be quite messy on its own, why not try this pinwheels recipe which holds all the beans in a few bite size pieces. Cannellini Beans are a great source of calcium for little ones!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of Puff pastry (320 grams) or vegan pastry
• 4 or 5 heaps tablespoons of tomato puree
• 1 can (400g) of cannelloni beans in water (white beans)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 200dc. Roll out pastry out into a rectangle and spread the tomato puree all over the pastry (leaving approx 1-2cm gap around the edges of the pastry.
• Step 2 Rinse the cannelloni beans with water and then drain leaving the beans. Pour the beans out onto a flat dinner plate and ‘roughly’ squash the beans with a fork. Scatter all the squashed beans on top of there tomato puree, roughly covering all areas.
• Step 3 Roll the pastry up (starting from the bottom long side), then cut each pinwheel into approx 1 wheels, then lay them all out facing up on a non stick pan.Place in oven for approx 10-15minutes on 200dc (depends how thick you made them).
• Step 4 Once cooked, either eat them straight away, refrigerate (up to 2 days) or can freeze for up to 3 months.
• Step 5 How to serve to a 6 months old+ either cut the pinwheel in half and serve a half a pinwheel or cut into finger size sticks so baby can pick it up with his little fist. For 8 month old+ either serve whole or in bite size small cubes so baby can practice his pincer grip.

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Dairy-free Snowballs (calcium booster!)

December 4, 2018

Servings: 13

Prep: 5 min

Cook:

Total: 5 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These non-dairy snowballs are FULL of calcium and are super tasty! Using coconut yogurt is a great alternative to use instead of full fat yogurt (dairy option). Some folks out there want to offer dairy free options to their baby or toddler, for either personal reasons or their baby may be allergic to dairy. Adding seeds ie chia, linseed, sesame seeds, tahini, almond meal/ground are all great sources of calcium. To assist in the absorption of calcium offer a couple slices of orange (high in vitamin c) alongside the snowballs.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 55 grams (half cup) of raw quick oats or whole oats
• 5 big heap tablespoons of coconut yogurt
• 2x handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh or try adding another fruit of your choice i.e. cut up fresh fig, strawberries, kiwi, banana, grated pear, or apple! to name a few)
• 2 tablespoons of almond meal (ground almond), 55 grams (half cup) of shredded/desiccated coconut (for coating the balls)
• *Optional- if you would like to add extra calcium sources just add an additional tablespoon of: chia seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseed meal, some peanut butter, ground brazil nuts, almond butter, sultanas, you name it!
• *Tip: serve the snowballs with a slice or two of orange! oranges are full of vitamin c and help with the absorption of calcium.

Directions

• Step 1 In a bowl combine raw oats, coconut yogurt, almond meal and *blueberries (*or your choice of fruit), until the mixture becomes sticky, wet consistency.
• Step 2 Once combined, wet your hands with water and roll out individual little balls about the size of your babies fist onto a prepared plate with shredded coconut (which will prevent them from sticking to each other).
• Step 3 They are now ready to eat! OR store the balls in the fridge overnight and have them for breakfast the next day. Keep in fridge for up to a 4 days. Either make them the night before ready for breakfast the next day OR make them on the spot! TIP: serve snowballs with a couple slices of orange (vitamin d) to help with the absorption of calcium).
• Step 4 How to serve for a 6-8month old BLWer: serve only two balls onto the highchair tray with a slice of orange. For an 8 month old+ serve exactly the same. If bub wants more offer more. To freeze: store them in the freezer (not touching each other) for up to 3 months. To defrost: take snow balls out of freezer, place a plate on bench top for only 30 minutes to defrost OR place in the fridge overnight (or 2hrs in fridge) to defrost. I usually leave a few in the fridge to have them on hand for a quick and easy breakfast or snacks over the next few days.

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Santa Hats (3 ingredients)

December 2, 2018

Servings: 2+

Prep: 5 min

Cook:

Total: 5 min

Difficulty: Easy

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How cute are these Santa hats! Super healthy and make a great novelty snack or dessert at Xmas or anytime of the year!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries
• Full fat greek yogurt (alt: coconut yogurt)
• Shredded/Desiccated coconut

Directions

• Step 1 Simply wash and prepare your strawberries by cutting the stems off, dip the base of the strawberries into the yogurt and then dip into the coconut. Feel free to add a yogurt dollop on top of the hat! They keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Step 2 For 6-8 month olds: slice and serve the Santa hat into thin slices big enough for baby to pick up. For 8-12 months can serve into small pieces so baby can practice his pincer grip. For 12 months+ serve the Santa  hat whole as is.  

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Asian Pork Balls with rice noddles

November 17, 2018

Servings: 2 adults 1 baby + left overs

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 25 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Want to know how to make SOFT TENDER STEAMED meatballs in the oven? Here is a recipe that offers tips on steaming in the oven using foil. This easy asian inspired meatballs dish are great for baby led weaners and the whole family. Super easy to make and tasty! for baby led weaner 6 months old+ You can serve with rice noodles which are soft on gums and vegetables for everyone. A family meal to enjoy for everyone.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• 500g Pork mince
• 1 large carrot (prep: finely grated)
• 3 heap tablespoons of finely grated ginger (which is approx 5cm piece of fresh ginger)
• Serve with:
• 225g Rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 broccoli head
• 8 baby corn
• The Sauce: 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 lime
• *Optional to add for Mum and Dad - slices of shallots, cut up chilli, soy sauce

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 200dc. In a large bowl mix pork mince, grated carrot and grated ginger. Roll out your pork balls (approx 5cm balls)
• Step 2 Time to oven steam the pork balls: firstly line a big sheet of foil onto a baking tray and lay out all your pork balls into the middle section longways onto the foil. Fold the foil up longways, then tightly squeeze the ends of the foil together and up (see pics below). It is important to make sure all the balls are secure with no gaps in the foil to ensure the meatballs steam. Cook in the oven for 18 minutes until cooked through.
• Step 3 Whilst the pork balls are cooking, boil enough water on a stove top to cook your rice noodles. In a separate pot boil the broccoli and corn until tender.
• Step 4 To serve: in a big bowl mix the rice noodles, broccoli, corn together and stir through rice vinegar and a big squeeze of lime (serve warm or as a cold dish). Serve with meatballs on the side or on top. For baby led weaner’s 6 months old + serve 1 to 2 pork balls, some noddles, broccoli and corn.

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“What if she doesn’t eat dinner?!”

“Do I Offer something else?”

“Do I give her dessert?”

Ok here is a prime example tonight what I do…. Ava isn’t feeling the best today and she didn’t want to eat dinner tonight at all, she said she wasn’t hungry, all she wanted was water… this usually happens to Ava when she isn’t feeling her normal self or if she has had lots of snacks throughout the day… how I reacted? I don’t make a fuss, i don’t offer any other foods or supplements or milk, I simply put her dinner in a container and save it for tomorrow (for me or her)…. tonight I got her down from her chair and bathed her and put her into bed, yes on a empty tummy.

It is important for Ava to listen to her body and to understand and “feel” her limits about food control.

I trust if she ever asks for more food, she can have more food

I trust if she doesn’t want to eat dinner – that is OK

We are not going to get angry or try and persuade or encourage her to eat if her body is doing such a great job at regulating her food intake. It is OK for her to go to bed on a empty tummy, this is the way Ava will learn about “what empty or what full feels like” …

Baby Led Weaning teaches a lot of life lessons, it’s not all ‘glits and glamour’ and your toddler is not going to eat every meal you put in front her…. it’s more about teaching the importance of “trust”, trust our our babies and toddlers can make decisions about foods and control their intake…. learn to have a positive relationship with food and meal times… teach our babes and toddlers that foods have different textures and comes in different forms: foods can be sweet, savoury, crunchy, smooth, salty, sour etc “food gives energy to fuel our body”
#babyledweaning #babyledweaningideas #babyledweaningtoddler

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Chicken Ratatouille (3 Ingredients)

November 7, 2018

Servings: 1 Adult + 1 baby (with left overs for 1 adult, 1 baby)

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Struggle with a quick and easy lunch for both you and your baby led weaner? This is my go to for a filling lunch when at home with Lewis. It is a healthy yummy lunch with only 3 ingredients. For baby led weaners 6 months old+ showing all readiness signs to start solids. Enjoy!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 450 grams of chicken breast
• 330 grams of cherry tomatoes
• 2 onions
• *Optional: Lettuce for Mummy or Daddy

Directions

• Step 1 Roughly chop up your onions & chicken breast (big enough approx 5cm long for baby to pick up).
• Step 2 Heat up a pan with a little olive oil, brown off onions, then place the cut up chicken breast into the same pan. Once the chicken breast is cooking, add all the cherry tomatoes in whole. Give it a couple minutes, then with a fork squash all the tomatoes. Once chicken is fully cooked, serve.
• Step 3 6 months old+ serve some tomato, chicken & onion pieces on babies highchair tray. For mummies / dads: serve in a salad, or in a sandwich or rice or cous cous or pasta.

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BLW Porridge Bites (5 Ingredients)

November 1, 2018

Servings: 15

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These porridge bites are great for baby led weaners 6 months old + They are also great for toddlers and the rest of the family as a snack or breakfast on the run. It is pretty much a small porridge portion in a bite size biscuit shape. These are nice and soft - and no MESSY porridge to clean up! Easy to make, high in iron and great for little hands. My 6 month old baby Lewis and my daughter Ava (2 years old) loved these xx Note: if you would like to make this recipe egg-free, replace 1 egg with flax-egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water. Blend until mixture is thick, creamy, egg like) it’s been tried and tested.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 150g oats
• 1 egg
• A big handful of blueberries
• 1 large banana OR 2 small bananas
• A good sprinkle of cinnamon
• * (optional) 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Directions

• Step 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180 DC. Line a tray with baking paper OR a silicone baking sheet (these are great!)
• Step 2 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently squash the blueberries. Once combined, use a tablespoon and scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and place in your hands and form a ball approx 3cm wide.
• Step 3 Place each ball on the baking tray and then lightly flatten with a wet fork (dip fork in water so the mix doesn’t stick to the fork) until it’s approx 2cm thick. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
• Step 4 Place in the oven for 10 minutes until slightly brown. Leave the bites to cool, then store in a airtight container and place into the fridge for up to 4 days. These bites freeze well! Up to 3 months!
• Step 5 How to serve for a *6 months old + baby led weaner showing all readiness signs to start solids? serve the biscuit/bite whole like in the photo of Lewis. So baby can pick it up himself and put it in his own mouth. All control with the baby.

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Balsamic Spiced pumpkin

November 1, 2018

Servings: 2 adults + 1 baby (and left overs)

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 35 min

Total: 40 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This balsamic spiced dish is SO EASY to make and makes a great dinner side for the family. One of Lewis’s first food was pumpkin! It is full of goodness and has a lovely soft texture and easy to pick up for BLWers 6mo+... the balsamic and spices brings to life the pumpkin and offers your baby new family food flavours and textures and makes your house small AH-MAZING!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1kg Kabocha squash (the green pumpkin!)
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1 tbsp rosemary (dried or freshly chopped up)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

• Step 1 Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Roughly chop up the pumpkin into big wedges, leaving the skin on, and remove the centre of the pumpkin and seeds. In a large mixing bowl, place all your wedges in there and add a big glug of olive oil, rosemary, paprika and balsamic vinegar. Now mix with your hands and make sure all the pumpkin wedges are coated.
• Step 2 Lay out your pumpkin wedges on a lined tray and place into the oven for 35-40min. At the 20 minute mark, remove the tray from oven and turn all the wedges over to ensure the other side is cooked.
• Step 3 How to serve to 6-8month old: serve 1 wedge whole onto babies highchair tray or suction plate, however remove half the skin so baby can pick it up and get a grip on it. For 8 month old+ either serve whole (half skin removed) or cut the pumpkin up into pieces so baby can practice his pincer grip.
• Step 4 With the left over pumpkin, keep for the next day or you can keep this to spread on toast, as a pasta sauce, make pumpkin pancakes – you name it!

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Yes you are still my baby no matter how old you are ? you will always be my first baby who taught me how to be a Mum. How to care so much (and worry), how to be patient and most importantly how I can love you and your caring nature so much. This love is on an insanely new level I have never experienced in my life until your dad and I had you.

You lay here sound asleep in my arms, it makes me feel so blessed that you have been so patient with me over the last 6 months since Lewis was born. You have stepped into the role of a big sister so well, we are so proud of you. It use to be the 3 of us and all eyes were on YOU and everything about you, it still is baby it’s just that my eyes are now ALSO focused on your baby brother Lewis who needs me a lot at the moment.

Thank you for giving Lewis lots of mummy time just like you had with me… xxxx you may not quite understand why I am constantly holding baby Lewis, feeding him and sometimes needing to run to him first… but I just want to let you know that this stage won’t be forever, Lewis will be just like you in a year or two, walking around, asking lots of WHY questions a day… but he looks up to you and is learning from you and how patient, funny and caring you are.

The day will come when all the attention will be back on you and we can cuddle more, play more, spend that 1 on 1 time with you without having to stop in the middle of a game to feed your brother. I promise you we will have more quality mum daughter time soon ?‍‍? As I watch you asleep in my arms on this rare occasion, I lean over and kiss your cheeks that feel like soft little pillows, as I did so when you were a little baby…

I just want to tell u again how proud I am of you and how much I love you and your growing bubbly personality everyday and thank you for being patient with me.

xxx

Love you always, in all ways,

Mummy

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Salmon Soba Noodles (3 Ingredients)

October 20, 2018

Servings: 2 Adult, 1 baby

Prep: 1 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 21 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super simple meal idea full of goodness ? Pink Salmon with soba noodles & squeeze of lemon ? ???Introducing fish to your baby is simple, you can bake it, mix it in a dish, pan fry it or steam a boneless fillet. Cold-water fish including salmon, herring, canned salmon, canned tuna light or sardines are a great source of DHA in a babies diet. DHA plays a crucial role in retinal and brain development and is especially important for children in the first two years of life (ref:Environmental Defense Fund,one of the world’s largest professional environmental research organisation) *canned salmon (mostly sockeye or pink from Alaska), which is low in contaminants and high in heart-healthy omega-3s. It’s also sustainably caught in Alaska, making it a great choice all around. Salmon is a great source of iron, protein, full of omega-3 and vitamin B12 ? B12 helps make red blood cells and is great for building the central nerve system function of the body (ref: Linus Pauling Institute of research). Salmon is chock-full of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which boost brainpower. These Japanese organic Soba noodles are in most supermarkets, they take 2min to boil, they are nice & soft to offer bubs 6mo+ and are Super healthy. They are made of organic buckwheat flour, organic wheat flour and water. *Note: note: fish and wheat is a allergen for ‘some’ babies, please chat with your doctor if have any concerns or family history.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 2 fillets of boneless Wild Fresh Salmon (OR use a 200g can of boneless pink wild salmon, wild Alaskan
• 2 serves of Organic Soba Noodles
• 125g of baby corn
• 1 Lemon
• Additional: make a quick pesto sauce to this recipe OR full fat greek yogurt as a sauce.

Directions

• Step 1 Place the salmon fillets in the oven on 200dc for approx 20 minutes until cooked through. On a stove top boil the baby corn in water until cooked (approx 5 min). Separately, on a stove top boil the soba noodles for 2 minutes until cooked (they are super quick to cook!), then drain under warm water until the water runs clear. Pour the cooked soba noodles and cooked corn into large bowl, break up the salmon into big chunks and mix everything through. Grab your lemon, cut it in half and squeeze it all over the noodle dish. Feel free to make a quick pesto OR use full fat greek yogurt as additional sauce.
• Step 2 Ready to serve to your the family and your baby led weaner. 6-8 months old: place a small amount of soba noodles, a baby corn and chunk of salmon onto babies highchair tray, let them pick it up with their hands. 8 months old + you could serve the noodles pre-loaded on a small fork (tip: stainless steel cake forks are great for this), with the baby corn whole or cut up into pieces and small chunks of salmon so baby can practice her pincer grip.

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Lemon Zucchini (courgettes)

October 10, 2018

Servings: 2 adults + 1 baby

Prep: 1 min

Cook: 5 min

Total: 6 min

Difficulty: Easy

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The most simple side for the family or meal for your BLWER 6 months old+. These Lemon Zucchini's come out so succulent and are perfect as a side dish. The lemon adds vitamin c which helps absorption of iron which is in the zucchinis.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 2 large Zucchinis (courgettes)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

Directions

• Step 1 Simply slice up 2x zucchinis (courgettes) into approx 6cm length slices and place onto a hot fry pan with a little unsalted butter or olive oil.
• Step 2 Cut half a lemon and place it face down (leave the lemon to heat up) sprinkle mixed herbs or any herbs you like! Once the lemon has heated up pick it up and squeeze it all over the zucchinis (then discard lemon).
• Step 3 Toss zucchini for about 2min (until a little soft but not soggy so bub can pick it up.

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Simple Salmon Quiche

October 10, 2018

Servings: 2 adults + 1 baby (plus left overs)

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Salmon quiche is n all time favourite with our BLWer 6 months old and family! It is a super easy recipe with left overs that can be freezed.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (beat with a splash of milk)
• 1 zucchini/courgette (grated, then squeeze out the water with your hands)
• 1 carrot (grated, then squeeze out the water with your hands)
• 160g can of pink wild salmon (boneless and drain water)
• Sprinkle of cheddar cheese
• 1x Roll Pastry sheet (or make your own)

Directions

• Step 1 Set the oven on 180DC. Oil a quiche tin or round tin.
• Step 2 Pre-cook pastry: Roll out pastry, then fork the pastry so it doesn’t puff when placed into the oven. Now place baking paper over the pastry (including the edges of the pastry) and weigh it down with dried beans. Place pastry in the oven for only approx 10min until pastry base is cooked.
• Step 3 Whilst pastry is cooking, grate the carrot and zucchini (and squeeze out water using your hands) and set aside. In a jug crack all eggs and add a splash of milk and combine using a fork.
• Step 4 Take pastry out of the oven and let cool (remove baking sheet and beans), scatter grated carrot and zucchini in the pastry. Open the can of salmon, drain and remove any bones and scatter salmon in the pastry with the vegetables. Then pour the egg mixture over the carrot and zucchini and gently move the egg around the veg until all covered in egg. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place into he oven for approx 25 minutes until cooked.
• Step 5 How to serve for a 6-8month old: serve a slice of quiche big enough for baby to pick up using his fist. For 8 month old + you can serve in a slice of cut the quiche up into 3cm cubes for baby to practice pincer grip. Serve the quiche with a salad for the family.

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Veggie Sticks for 6mo+

October 4, 2018

Servings: 1

Prep: 1 min

Cook: 5 min

Total: 6 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Veggie sticks are super simple to make and are great for beginner baby led weaners. We started our daughter Ava with steamed broccoli and then worked our way through the vegetable list, same with our baby Lewis. We offered Ava & Lewis a variety of vegetables which all had different textures. We also focused on the vegetables that we high in Iron, which is recommended for babies 6mo+. We either steamed, roasted, boiled or pan fried vegetable sticks. The recipe below has all the vegetables we tried with Ava and Lewis from 6mo+. Its important to cut the vegetables into sticks approx 5-7cm long! So baby can wrap their small fist around it and nibble the top and bottom. If the vegetable is too small your baby will not be able to pick it up and they will get very frustrated. (See pic below for approx length to cut veggies)

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• Take a pick of any vegetable that are in season. Here is a list of vegetables aka plant foods which are great starter foods for baby led weaners, these vegetables are a great form of non-heme iron and full of nutrients for babies, all these vegetables must be cooked to serve to a baby
• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Sweet Potato
• Potato
• Zucchini/courgette
• Winter Squash
• Pumpkin
• Cauliflower
• Capsicum/pepper
• Asparagas
• Baby corn
• Green beans
• Aubergine/eggplant
• Peas (great for 8mo+pincer grip practice, serve in half)
• Corn (great for 8mo+ serve on the cob or cut kernels in half) Parsnip
• Beetroot
• Squash
• Spinach & Kale (great in pancakes or meatballs)
• Cucumber (no need to cook, just serve in a finger sized stick, note: its actually a fruit, see visuals in the fruit slide)

Directions

• Step 1  How to prepare the vegetable for 6-8 months old: it is best to cut vegetables into a finger size stick (an adult pinky) approx 5-7cm long so baby can wrap his fist around the vegetable and hold onto it. From 8 months + babies start to develop their pincer grip, this is when you can start to offer smaller pieces  for baby to practice using their fingers to pick up foods (but you can mix it up and still offer finger size sticks), so you can cut the vegetables up into approx 2cm cubes. To cook the vegetables: either steam (microwave steam – see video below OR oven steam), boil vegetables in water, roast or pan fry for approx 5 to 7 minutes (until the vegetable is still sturdy and soft enough for baby to hold BUT not mushy that is breaks away. Time will vary depending on which method you decide to cook your vegetables)
• Step 2 Wait until its cooled down a little and serve onto babies highchair tray warm or serve cold (great for teething)
• Step 3 Feel free to make a batch and leave in a airtight container in the fridge for a few days (or freeze raw veg sticks for up to 3 months, ready to cook). To maximise absorption of Iron from the vegetables, try to offer a slice of fruit with your choice of vegetable/s as part of a meal (ie a slice of orange or peach is great to offer after baby has tried the veggie sticks). Fruits that are high in vitamin C include: Citrus fruits (ie orange), Peaches, Apples (soft apple is ok), Bananas, Berries, Tomatoes (ensure they are cut into big slices and cherry tomatoes in quarters), assist with the absorption of iron.
• Step 4 Always ensure you watch your baby or toddler at all times when they are eating, especially if there is skin left on a vegetables for baby to hold as a handle/grip. Any hard vegetable that cannot be squished or mashed using thumb and index finger and tough hard skins should be avoided or use the techniques above to make vegetables a safer texture or size/shape for your baby. Remove skins as needed. Do note: raw carrot and raw celery may be a choking hazard for babies under 12 months. Each baby is different and develop chewing abilities at different ages. Parents need to gauge their babies ability with offering more raw textures. Do what you feel comfortable in offering to your baby. Eg. Some babies can eat thin sticks of raw carrot at 13 months, some later at 18 months.  

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Sushi Tuna Balls (3 Ingredients)

October 2, 2018

Servings: 10 balls

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These 3 ingredients ??make up the perfect Sushi Ball ?? for #babyledweaners 6mo+ packed full of iron, zinc, B12, goodness ?? and yumminess (if that’s a word ?). Super easy to pick up for little fists ? and even a great snack or meal ready to go in the fridge. Sushi rice is the best rice to use as it sticks together nicely so you can form a ball. Avocado: A wonderful “good fat” food for baby’s brain and physical development, a great first food for babies 6mo+ instead of refined cereals. *Cold-water fish including salmon, herring, canned salmon, canned tuna light or sardines are a great source of DHA in a babies diet. DHA plays a crucial role in retinal and brain development and is especially important for children in the first two years of life. (note: ensure all bones are removed from fish as they may be a choking hazard. Also note tuna light has the least amount of mercury in canned fish but do limit tuna due to mercury levels. We would offer tuna light to Ava once every fortnight when she was 6mo+. Canned salmon is also another great alternative). (Ref: The Environemental Defense Fund (one of the world’s largest environmental organizations) *note: fish is a potential allergen for some babies/kids. If you suspect an allergy or have any concerns or qns about allergies please discuss with your doctor.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of sushi rice
• 1 small can of tuna light in springwater (125 grams)
• 1/2 avocado

Directions

• Step 1 Cook sushi rice as per instructions, then wait until cools.
• Step 2 In a bowl mix all 3 ingredients together. Form balls about a babies fist full, then serve.
• Step 3 These are also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. To defrost: leave a few frozen balls in a airtight container in the fridge overnight, and serve cold.

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Healthy Banana-NUT Pops

September 11, 2018

Servings: 9

Prep: 5 min

Total: 5 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These healthy banana-NUT pops are a healthy alternative to ice-cream or ice lollys. For baby led weaners 6mo+ a great way to introduce peanut butter into bubs diet. Do note: recent recommendations 2018 state to introduce peanut butter from 6mo+ on a regular basis to prevent potential allergies in the future. We introduced these banana-NUT pops to Ava when she was 6 months old and she still loves them now at 2 years old. Great for sore gums, teething or a great snack on a summers hot day! Do also note that peanut butter may cause allergies in some babies/toddlers if there is a family history of peanut allergy please speak with your doctor for any questions or concerns regarding your baby.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (no salt, no sugar)
• 3 tablespoons of dessicated coconut
• *no wooden sticks needed for babies 6-8months, Wooden sticks needed for babies 8mo+

Directions

• Step 1 Cut each banana into 3 pieces. (for 6mo-8mo you can further cut the banana in half again long ways to make them smaller pieces so bub can fit into her fist – see photo above)
• Step 2 On a plate pour out coconut and peanut butter
• Step 3 Now roll each piece of banana into the peanut butter, then coat in coconut. For 6mo-8mo no need to use a stick, bub can simply wrap her fist around the banana-NUT pop. For 8mo+ push a wooden stick into each piece of banana 3/4 of the way, then leave aside on a small plate.
• Step 4 Now place the plate with all the banana-NUT pops into the freezer to dry freeze (dry freezing prevents the pops from sticking when storing). After a couple of hours you can take all the pops off the plate and place them all into a container or a bag to store into the freezer for up to 6 months.

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Easy Hummus (5 Ingredients)

September 4, 2018

Servings: 10

Prep: 5 min

Total: 5 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Rather than store bought hummus, make your own at home for your baby led weaner and family! At least you will know what is exactly in it! No preservatives, no sugars or salt! Hummus is made from cooked chickpeas (which are packed full of nutrients with a rich source of vitamins, minerals and are high in plant-based protein!), *tahini (is roasted sesame seed paste), garlic, olive oil and lemon! Enjoy my recipe xx Rach (*tahini may be a potential food allergy to some babies with a family history, please speak with your doctor is you have any questions or concerns about your baby)

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas (in water)
• 1 heap tablespoon of tahini
• 1 heap tablespoon greek/natural yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)

Directions

• Step 1 In a food processor, combine tahini and olive oil until smooth. Then add the garlic, chickpeas, yogurt and squeeze half a lemon until smooth and combined. Can sprinkle some paprika on top if you feel like offering a little spice.
• Step 2 Either serve straight up as a dip with flat bread or veggies!
• Step 3 Hummus is terrific served with flat bread (check out my easy recipe for flat bread), roasted vegetables or fresh vegetables! For baby led weaners 6 to 12 months serve the dip pre-loaded on finger size cooked veggie sticks (ie roasted carrots, boiled sweet potato, cucumber sticks etc) so bub can pick it up and hold in his fist. 12 months+ you can start to teach bubs how to dip!
• Step 4 This can be stored in the fridge between 3-5 days and up to 6 months in the freezer.

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5 from 1 reviews

Easy Flat Bread OR pizza base (3 ingredients)

August 28, 2018

Servings: 4

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 12 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These flat breads and pizza base recipe is SO EASY to make GET THE KIDS INVOLVED you can make them 15min before dinner is served and they will be fresh , soft and ready. For BLWers 6mo+ and the whole family. <strong>NO YEAST, NO ADDED SALT OR SUGAR</strong> - 3 simple ingredients. Enjoy!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 100 grams Self Raising Flour
• 2 tablespoons, heap of full fat greek yogurt
• 2 splashes of olive oil
• *additional: add a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs

Directions

• Step 1 In a large bowl pour in the SR flour, greek yogurt and olive oil (tip: for pizza bases I usually add dried herbs into the dough). Now combine into 4 dough balls.
• Step 2 Roll out each flat bread (or pizza base) as thin as you can on a FLOURED SURFACE (important) with a roller.
• Step 3 FOR FLAT BREAD: Prepare a large hot fry pan with olive oil, fry each flat bread, on one side until it starts to bubble (approx 30 sec), then fry the other side (approx 20 sec). They cook super quick! Watch out they don’t burn! Leave to cool a little on a wire rack. Serve warm. The flat bread is a great dippy bread, put spreads on them such as hummus, black bean paste (great iron booster!), avocado, peanut butter, unsalted butter, serve plain with with a casserole or curry.
• Step 4 FOR A PIZZA BASE: pre-heat oven at 190 degrees celcius, place rolled out base onto a lightly floured pizza tray and place into oven for 5 minutes to pre-cook. Get your toppings for the pizza base ready, take bases out of the oven and put a tomato based passata or paste onto the pizza base, then add what ever toppings you desire. Cook pizza for 15 minutes on 190.
• Step 5 Note: the dough balls freeze well, up to 3 months.

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Apple & Blueberry Pinwheels (4 ingredients)

August 26, 2018

Servings: 15 - 20

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These are a delicious sweet dessert or snack. They are super easy to make! Get your baby or toddler to help make them, so much fun... Ava loved them ? and so did hubby! They are nice and soft to eat with a little crunch... great to add texture and variety into bubs diet. Feel free to mix up the toppings... savoury or sweet wheels ??

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of Puff pastry (320 grams)
• 3/4 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries
• Cinnamon

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 200dc. Line a rectangle tray with non-stick paper or silicone tray liner (we love our silicone liner!). Roll out pastry out into a rectangle then cover the pastry with apple sauce, then frozen blueberries then sprinkle cinnamon all over.
• Step 2 Time to roll: length ways roll up the pastry (long ways from bottom to top). Then cut into 1 inch pin wheels and each pinwheel on a non-stick tray facing up.
• Step 3 Place tray into the oven for 10min on 200dc
• Step 4 Once cooked, leave to cool (watch out with the blueberries as they can be really hot!) OR can freeze for up to 3 months.

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Ham & Cheese Pinwheels (4 ingredients)

August 26, 2018

Servings: 15

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Get your baby or toddler to help make them, so much fun... Ava loved them ? and so did hubby! They are nice and soft to eat with a little crunch... great to add texture and variety into bubs diet. Feel free to mix up the toppings... savoury or sweet wheels ??

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of Puff pastry (320 grams)
• 1/4 cup tomato purée
• 2 slices of ham of the bone
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• (Note: read labels, watch for salt content in cheese and ham)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 200dc. Roll out pastry out into a rectangle and and cover the pastry with tomato puree, then break up the ham and sprinkle all over, then sprinkle the cheese on top all over.
• Step 2 Roll up the pastry with toppings (long ways – from the long side up).Then cut into 1 inch pin wheels, then lay them all out facing up on a non stick pan.
• Step 3 Place in oven for 10min on 200dc.
• Step 4 Once cooked, eat straight away or leave to cool and can freeze for up to 3 months.

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

Jonah started BLW shortly before turning 7 months. He was very interested in our food but we were waiting for him to be sitting unassisted.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

Avocado, mango, banana, sweet potato… Fairly common baby foods I think. We were pretty conservative and didn’t really dive into the “baby eats what you eat” method. He enjoyed matzo balls and pickles early on though!

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat / swallow a lot more foods?

I was amazed that it probably only took a couple weeks for him to actually chew and swallow his food. (Maybe because he started a little older than some.) We rarely had a mess on the floor. Just on his body! He definitely needed time to work out his gag reflex so I am grateful for the education and support from other BLW mamas to get us through it! I would have freaked out if I didn’t know the difference between gagging and choking, when to intervene, and when to leave him to it.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

Our little ones are so smart. We don’t give them enough credit sometimes. From figuring out their gag reflex to figuring out what part of the food to eat, they really do take the lead on this journey. We are just there to help if they need it!

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

Jonah got a stomach bug that lingered for a few weeks while my husband was out of the country. I had to be really careful with what I gave him as he was regaining strength. He was so skinny when dad returned. It was heartbreaking… but he got right back into his food routine. There were some other regressions as he was teething or exploring his autonomy.

He also had a sensitivity to dairy but only where it touched his skin. It didn’t affect his digestion. To be safe, we avoided dairy for a while and slowly re-introduced it at the advice of the pediatrician. He is 20 months now and doesn’t seem to be affected anymore.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Jonah is 20 months old and loves to eat. He can still be particular about what he is eating at times. Sometimes he won’t like something but he will still ask for more even though he isn’t eating it! He is still curious and developing preferences, just like I am still learning foods that I like.

Mummy Krissy x

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Healthy Almond Butter

July 18, 2018

Servings: 1 Jar

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Healthy Almond Butter - make your own! for 6mo+ #babyledweaners and the family ? All you need is almonds, an old empty jam jar and a 'S' blender or food processor ??? Super easy, no preservatives, healthy and you know what's in it! Only has ONE ingredient and that is ALMONDS ?? Allergy note: Note: Some infants will develop food allergies to some nuts. If there is any allergic reaction to any food, that food should be stopped and you should you should seek advice from a doctor with experience in food allergy. Do also note the latest recommendation from ASCIA states: “All infants should be given allergenic solid foods including peanut butter, cooked egg and dairy and wheat products in the first year of life. This includes infants at high risk of allergy. Studies show that this may reduce the chance of your baby developing a food allergy.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• *16 Ounces (3 cups) of raw Almonds *makes 1 Jar

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 175DC / 350DF. Spread the almonds on a tray lined with baking paper.
• Step 2 Place a tray of raw almonds Into the oven for approx 10 minutes (toss them half way to roast both sides) until a little darker in Colour.
• Step 3 Remove from oven and let the almonds cool until they are warm.
• Step 4 Grab your food processor or ‘S’ blender (I used the basic #philips #aventblendersteamer ), pour in all your roasted warm nuts and blend/process for 8-12min, as you process the nuts, pause to scrape down the sides when necessary. BE PATIENT – you think they will never ever blend but that creamy almond will soon appear.
• Step 5 Once the Almond Butter has been created, wait until cool and pour into a jar and refrigerate. This can last up to 3-4wks in the fridge.
• Step 6 Tip- don’t add water or any oils to it and don’t Give up blending. The nuts may look dry blending at the beginning but be patient the oils from the nuts will start to come out after a while of blending. There will be a couple of minutes where the recipe will look like it’s not going to work. Within the first few minutes, the nuts will be ground into a finer and finer powder, and eventually create a crumbly ball. It may seem as though your nut butter may never fully “butter.” But keep that machine running because within just a few more minutes, the dry mixture will release enough oils that a creamy spread will begin to form and swirl.

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I am an Australian food blogger, recipe creator, fitness fanatic and a Baby Led Weaning advocate! Wife to my supportive husband, Paul, and mum of 2 kiddies Ava and Lewis who were 100% baby led weaned from 6 months old. I started this website because there was very little information out there about baby led weaning when I started. I wanted to simplify it all into one place.

I was absolutely petrified about baby led weaning especially choking, I was not sure how to cut/cook and serve foods to my babies, but now I have done it I can’t emphasis enough all the positives of baby led weaning and now having fuss-free eating kids.

My  website is here to give you the confidence and resources to learn more about baby led weaning.  These include: healthy easy recipes for babies 6 months old+, babies readiness signs, choking hazards, foods to avoid in the first 12 months, my starter tips, research and allergies and much more… I also have an e-book which includes a 4 Week Baby led Weaning Meal Plan with over 40+ easy healthy recipes (Paediatric Dietitian approved), and my second e-book which is VEGAN friendly – OUT NOW!

Happy weaning!
Rach x

Follow me on @babyledweaningideas

Mums and Dads just starting out with Baby Led Weaning be patient, take your time to do your research and please consult your doctor if you have any health concerns about your baby and enjoy your baby’s fun, learning, development and fuss-free food journey.

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Mini Pin wheels

July 9, 2018

Servings: 14-20 Pin wheels

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 15 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy ‘bite sized pin-wheels’ for #babyledweaners 6mo+ and the family... perfect for little hands.... the recipe below makes 10 tomato/mozzarella pinwheels AND 10 pesto pinwheels all in one pastry sheet. Feel free to make 1 type of pinwheels and bigger! by using 1 topping and rolling 1 sheet of pastry up once. I made two types and mini ones: 1. Mozzarella & tomato, and 2. Pesto Super easy to make! Get your baby or toddler to help make them, so much fun... Ava loved them ? and so did hubby! They are nice and soft to eat with a little crunch... great to add texture and variety into bubs diet. Feel free to mix up the toppings... savoury or sweet wheels ?? ie grated apples and cinnamon are yummy ?

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of Puff pastry (320 grams)
• 3 tablespoons of Pesto
• 1/4 cup tomato purée
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• (Note: read labels, watch for salt content in pestos and sauces or make your own ?)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 200dc. Roll out pastry out into a rectangle and cut in half long ways, then cover the pastry with preferred toppings (I did half half in the pic)
• Step 2 Roll up each side of the pastry with toppings (long ways) – as per pic. Then cut into 1 inch pin wheels, then lay them all out facing up on a non stick pan.
• Step 3 Place in oven for approx 15 to 20min on 200dc (depends how thick you made them)
• Step 4 Once cooked, eat straight away or leave to cool and can freeze for up to 3 months.

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Breakfast Pancakes (3 Ingredients)

June 8, 2018

Servings: 13 baby pancakes OR 8 larger pancakes

Prep: 1 min

Cook: 5 min

Total: 6 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy and tasty Breakfast pancakes for 6mo+ and the family. These will be the quickest fresh pancakes you will ever make. No need to add extra toppings as the pancakes have already have a delicious sweetness to them. Easy to pick up for little fists (and BIG fists hehe). Here are some *alternative ingredients for babies and families with egg allergies, use one of these egg replacement ideas: flaxegg - blend 1tbs of flaxseed 3 tbs water OR add 3 tablespoons of peanut butter OR 1 tbs chia and 1/3 cup water and let it sit for 15min OR just add a additional 1/2 banana and don’t put egg in. Oat alternative: use coconut flour or almond meal.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• *1 Egg
• 1 Banana
• 1/2 cup (45g) uncooked *rolled oats (or quick oats)

Directions

• Step 1 In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients to make up the pancake batter.
• Step 2 Prepare a pan on low heat with a knob of unsalted butter, wait until the butter bubbles then spoon out your pancake mixture (using a teaspoon per pancake for 6-8month olds, and a tablespoon of mixture for 8 month old+ and adults). Once they start bubbling on top (approx 1min), flip pancakes and cook the other side. Be careful they don’t burn – by ensuring the stove top is on low heat.
• Step 3 Then they are ready to serve! 6-8month old serve the small pancakes whole so baby can pick it up with his fist, this could be served by itself or maybe with a slice of fruit ie we chose peach, for 8month olds+ cut up the larger pancakes into squares so baby can practice his pincer grip. Freezer friendly: these pancakes can be put into the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Banana & Date Muffins (4 ingredients)

April 19, 2018

Servings: 10-12

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 25 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These delicious egg-free healthy muffins are super easy to make and are absolutely delicious! They are naturally sweetened with fruit and are suitable for baby Led weaners 6mo+ , they are super moist and fluffy! also perfect for freezing.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 4 small to medium over-ripe bananas (which is approx 307 grams of mashed banana)
• 60 grams unsalted butter (melted)
• 12 seedless dates (which will turn into about 3 tablespoons of date paste)
• 200g wholemeal (whole wheat) self raising flour

Directions

• Step 1 Turn on the oven 180 degrees celsius and then line muffin trays with either unsalted butter or paper muffin cases.
• Step 2 Place seedless dates into a bowl or mug and cover the dates with hot water, let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain the water out and mash all the dates with a fork until a paste has formed OR alternatively you can use a blender – both work. Then combine all wet ingredients (mashed bananas, melted butter and date paste)
• Step 3 Slowly fold in the flour until all combined.
• Step 4 Spoon out mixture into each muffin hole with a wet spoon (use water) then flatten the top of each muffin (so no peaks burn) and then place the muffin tray into the oven for approx 20-25min until muffins are cooked and spring-back when pushed/touched. Take out each muffin and lay on a wired rack until cooled. Storing: muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, eaten fresh or can be left in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Healthy Crumpets (2 ingredients)

February 4, 2018

Servings: approx 10

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 7 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Ever wondered how to make home-made crumpets? Here is a super easy, healthy recipes for you, your family and your baby led weaner 6mo+

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 cup (230g) of cooked (cooled) Cous Cous (prep: let 80g of raw cous cous sit in 130ml of boiling water for a few minutes)
• 2 large eggs (or 3 small/medium eggs)

Directions

• Step 1 In a bowl combine your cooked and cooled cous cous with 2 eggs.
• Step 2 On a stove top, medium heat, with a little olive oil or unsalted butter, spoon out 1 sized crumpet leaving it nice and thick, wait until you can see some little bubbles form on top (which should be really quickly approx 30 seconds), then flip to cook the other size of the crumpet.
• Step 3 Once cooked, remove from heat and place on a wired rack to cool a little, then serve with any spread of your choice! (unsalted butter, avocado, *peanut butter, *nut or *seed butters, banana, yogurt – you name it!) You can serve either as savoury or sweet. These make great burger buns for the whole family!
• Step 4 How to serve to 6-8 month old: serve in finger size strips or offer a small crumpet whole the size of a babies fist, with preferred topping. 8 month old+ serve either whole or in bite size pieces so baby can practice his pincer grip. To freeze: dry freeze the crumpets, store in a zip lock bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To defrost: place straight into the toaster to reheat or microwave for 30sec. (*nut and seeds butters may be a potential allergy food for some babies, check with your dr if you have any questions or concerns)

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Tuna + Zucchini/Courgette Pancakes (4 ingredients)

February 4, 2018

Servings: 10-14

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 7 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy Tuna and Zucchini Pancakes for baby led wearers 6mo+ they are so tasty and soft on gums! A great way to introduce egg and tuna into bub's diet. Introducing fish to your baby is simple, you can bake it, pan fry it or steam a boneless fillet. Cold-water fish including salmon, herring, canned salmon, canned tuna light or sardines are a great source of DHA in a babies diet. DHA plays a crucial role in retinal and brain development and is especially important for children in the first two years of life. (note: ensure all bones are removed from fish as they may be a choking hazard). Canned Tuna light (low levels of mercury) or canned salmon (mostly sockeye or pink from Alaska), which is low in contaminants and high in heart-healthy omega-3s. *Fish is a possible allergy food for some babies especially with a family history of allergy. Please chat with your doctor if any questions about your baby. Do also note: when introducing solids around 6 months old, include allergy foods such as fish, cow’s milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, sesame, wheat and other seafood, within the first 12 months of life . Studies show that this may reduce the chance of your baby developing a food allergy. (ref ASCIA allergy prevention guidelines).

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 can of Tuna Light in spring water (102 grams drained)
• 1 medium or large zucchini (prep: grated and water squeezed out of zucchini)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp of plain flour

Directions

• Step 1 Prep: grate the zucchini and squeeze all water out. Then place the ‘grated and dry zucchini’ into a medium size bowl.
• Step 2 Then add all other ingredients into this bowl and combine with a spoon.
• Step 3 On a stove top, medium heat with a little olive oil, spoon out pancakes of your desired size. Cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes each side, then remove from heat and leave to cool on a wired rack. Ready to serve or freeze. To freeze: dry freeze all pancakes, then place in a zip lock bag or container and store up to 3 months in the freezer. To defrost either microwave for 30 seconds or leave in the fridge over night to defrost.

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Date Paste

January 30, 2018

Servings: 10+ recipes

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 7 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Are you looking for an healthier alternative to refined sugar in your baking for your Baby Led Weaner 6mo+ and family? Are you looking for a natural sweetener that is super cheap, easy and tasty to make? Then here is the recipe for you - DATE PASTE! Rather than buying syrups and pastes from the supermarket, just buy dates (any dates) and make your own sweetener to add into your baking recipes at home. Date paste can be stored in the fridge and can last up to 4 weeks OR store in the freezer and can last up to 3 months. All you need is dates and a blender. Suitable for bubs 6mo+

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 350 grams of seedless dates
• * Note: you will need an old jam jar or airtight container to place the date paste into once made.

Directions

• Step 1 Place all dates into a medium sized bowl and then pour in boiled hot water (covering all the dates).
• Step 2 Leave the dates to soak (soften) for approx 5 minutes. Then drain out approx 3/4 of the water, leaving you with all the dates and approx 1/4 of the date water left behind.
• Step 3 Then blend (or use a fork and mash) all the dates and date water for approx 1 to 2 minutes, until you have a smooth paste.
• Step 4 Spoon out the date paste into a glass jar, place lid on jar and store in the fridge ready for any use in your baking.
• Step 5 Storage and notes: date paste can be stored in the fridge and can last up to 4 weeks OR store in the freezer and can last up to 3 months. To substitute date paste for sugar in recipes, use the 1:1 ratio

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No Sugar Apple Pancakes

January 17, 2018

Servings: 8-10

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 8 min

Total: 13 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Pancakes for your babyledweaner and family! These pancakes are fluffy and tasty without the sugar. Using natural flavours, these pancakes are sweet enough to eat plain. Recipe for 6mo+ makes between 8-10 pancakes. These pancakes freeze well. Feel free to use alternative flours or non-dairy options of milk.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 80 grams plain flour (approx 1/2 cup)
• 80ml full fat milk or dairy-free milk (approx 1/4 cup)
• 1x egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 170 grams of applesauce (How to prep: we made our own apple sauce by placing approx 210g of peeled fresh apple wedges into a pot on a stove top with 2 tbsp of water, simmer on high until apples are so soft you can squash them all with a fork to become a apple sauce. Leave to cool before making pancakes, OR alternatively you can buy canned apples and blend '1 can' 385 grams of granny smith apple slices and measure out 170 grams of applesauce. The rest of the sauce can be stored away in the fridge)

Directions

• Step 1 In a large bowl combine, milk, egg, vanilla extract and applesauce. Then gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
• Step 2 On medium heat stove top, on a greased (buttered) pan, spoon batter mix out, wait until you see bubbles appear on top of pancakes, then immediately flip the pancakes to cook the other side. How to serve for babies 6 months old+ either serve the pancakes into finger sized strips so baby can pick up and hold OR can serve a round small pancake, a bit bigger than the size of a babies fist. Feel free to serve with fruit fingers or spread on top!

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Healthy Gingerbread Man Cookies

December 17, 2017

Servings: 25-35 cookies

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 6 min

Total: 21 min

Difficulty: Easy

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By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 150 grams wholemeal self raising flour + 50 grams for rolling our and shaping dough
• 1 tbsp of Ginger Ground
• 1/2 tbsp of Cinnamon Ground
• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract (or seeds from 2 full vanilla beans)
• 100g unsalted dairy-free butter (or can use dairy butter)
• 12 seedless dates (prep: in a bowl soak dates in hot water, leave to rest for 5min, drain water then mash with a fork until a paste has formed)
• (Optional ingredient but NOT needed, feel free to add 2 tablespoons of molasses to up the iron content in the recipe)

Directions

• Step 1 Turn on oven to 180 degrees celsius and get out a non-stick baking tray.
• Step 2 In a large bowl hand mix or blend all wet ingredients (date paste, butter and vanilla) until combined. Then add all dry ingredients (flour, spices). Mix until you reach a dough consistency, then create one big dough ball.
• Step 3 On a really floured bench top (add more flour if needed!), roll out cookie dough and shape out all of your gingerbread man, then place on a non-stick baking tray. With a wooden skewer you can push in little eyes and a belly button – just for fun! (We ended up making 30 biscuits as we had a small gingerbread cutter)
• Step 4 Place tray into oven on 180 degrees for only 6 minutes! (check they are golden brown, then remove and transfer to a wired rack to cool down) – enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

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Oaty Breakfast Muffins (4 ingredients)

December 14, 2017

Servings: 12-15

Prep: 5 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Very easy sugar free, dairy free, egg free 'Oaty Breakfast Mini-Muffins'... they are super yummy and are suitable for baby led wearers 6mo+ These make a great breakfast on the run or snack. They are super soft to munch down on, easy on babies gums. Keep stored in airtight container OR you can freeze them up to 3 months (defrost by microwave or leave out for a couple hours).

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 2 Over-ripe bananas
• 1 cup oats
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 teaspoon of either all-spice OR cinnamon
• * Additional: feel free to add grounded nuts, seeds, raisins, carob chips to the mixture!

Directions

• Step 1 Turn on oven to 180 degrees celsius. Prepare tray – by buttering a mini-muffin tray OR just a regular muffin tray.
• Step 2 In a mixing bowl mash all the bananas up with a fork, then add all other ingredients.
• Step 3 Using a tablespoon, spoon out a scoop of the mixture and place in each muffin hole. One heap tablespoon per muffin. Feel free to make the muffins bigger by adding more mixture to each muffin.
• Step 4 Place into the oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the muffins in the tin until cooled down a little, then transfer them to a wired rack to cool down. You and your baby led weaner can eat these mini-muffins straight away OR you can freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

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Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

December 13, 2017

Servings: 2 adults + a baby

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 18 min

Total: 23 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This is a THICK soup and is great for BabyLedWeaners 6mo+ and the family. Super tasty and has no sugar, no dairy, no salt or preservatives! The soup is full of spices and goodness. Has your #babyledweaner tried soup yet?? For young #babyledweaners 6mo-8mo rather than offering a bowl full of warm soup which will cause a mess everywhere you could just try offering finger sized toasted bread fingers which have been dipped half way in the soup or try polenta fingers that have been dipped/soaked half way into the soup and lay them on your baby’s high chair tray ... offering loaded spoons is also another great alternative ?. For older #babyledweaners serve as you would serve yourself (with a spoon or bread or steamed vegetable sticks) but in a smaller bowl and make sure it’s not too hot! Could also try serving cold the next day OR as a sauce in pasta! The list is endless!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 onion
• 4cm of fresh ginger (prep: chopped up into cubes)
• 1/4 tsp (a few sprinkles) of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp of ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 of a can or cup of coconut milk

Directions

• Step 1 Turn on oven to 180 degrees celsius. Peel the squash, remove the inside seeds of the squash, then chop up the squash into approx 5cm cubes, place onto non-stick roasting tray. Then cut up the onion and ginger and place onto the same tray as the squash.
• Step 2 Drizzle all vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle all spices. Massage in all the spices/oil all over the vegetables. Place tray into the oven and roast for approx 18minutes until golden brown.
• Step 3 Once cooked and golden brown, remove from oven and leave to cool. In a blender (we just used our ninja nutra bullet) blend the roasted vegetables with the coconut milk together until a spoon thick soup consistency. Soup is now ready! Just need to heat it up to the temperature you desire (either a cold or warm soup). Serve soup with some plain toast strips (as per pic above) OR toasted bread strips OR vegetable sticks OR make your own polenta fingers. How to serve for a 6mo+ baby led weaner? Dip toast or vegetables sticks into the thick soup and place a couple on babies highchair tray or on a suction plate OR you can offer pre-loaded soup spoons. A semi-messy option: pre-load a teaspoon of soup (ensure temp is ok) and hold out for baby to take control / take off you to control. No spoon-feeding, as long as baby reaches out and takes it from you and places into his own mouth. 

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3-Ingredient Apricot Snow Logs

December 10, 2017

Servings: 15-20 Logs

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 2 hr

Total: 2 hr 3 min

Difficulty: Easy

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The Snow logs OR roll them into balls, are great for little hands, easy to hold, suitable for 6mo+ baby led weaners and for the rest of the family! These make great healthy snacks on the run, party foods or for a dessert for the kids. 3-ingredients only and take less than 10min to make. Enjoy!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1 cup of soft dried Apricots
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut (1/2 cup of coconut to use in the mixture, and the other 1/2 cup of coconut used to roll the logs in at the end)
• 1/2 cup of oats (or alternatively can use quinoa flakes)
• 1x tbsp water

Directions

• Step 1 Prep: on a large plate, pour 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut onto it – ready for the rolling at the end.
• Step 2 Using a blender or mixer, pour in all the ingredients (inc the water) and blend til ingredients are combined (my ninjabullet took less than 15sec to combine all these ingredients)
• Step 3 Remove combined ingredients, roll into one big ball, now it is time to make your logs (even easier roll them into little snack size balls). Using the prepared plate with coconut, pull off small chunks of the mixture and roll individual logs out (or balls) onto the coconut.
• Step 4 Once finished rolling out logs (or balls), place the plate with them all on it into the fridge for 2hours to set. They are now ready to eat! Store in a airtight container in the fridge or freezer for snacks throughout the week. Enjoy!

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THE KEY IS “CHECKING UNDER THE STEM”. This part of the avocado holds a sneak peak for what’s going on under the skin. ‘Peel back the small stem/cap at the top of the avocado’. If it comes away easily and you find “green underneath” (like in this picture), you’ve got a good avocado that’s ripe and ready to eat.

How to tell a BAD avocado??

If you pull back the stem and find brown underneath, the avocado is overripe, and you’re likely to find brown spots inside the fruit. And, if the stem doesn’t come off, the fruit is not yet ripe enough to eat.

Avocado – great first food:

Avocado ‘nature’s perfect food’ ??is a perfect first food for baby led weaners 6mo+ ….. ?? Full of nutrients, good fats, are tasty and soft for little ones starting out or even older BLWers. A wonderful “good fat” food for baby’s brain and physical development.

? Want to know Ava’s babyledweaning first foods from 6mo+ ? Check out “Our Journey” on this website! We never did packet or processed ‘baby cereals’ from the supermarket… we just started Ava with foods from the land such as yummy avocados fresh served in big slices ? so her little fists ? could pick them up…. alongside foods that contained iron, b12, zinc.

#babyledweaning #babyledweaningideas #blw #myblwer #myblwertip #babyledweaningrecipes#avocados

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‘Salt is bad for babies’ WHY? Their kidneys are not mature enough to deal with it.

‘Salt is in fact essential for health, helping to maintain and regulate fluid levels, balance blood sugar and transport nutrients around the body. Salt can also help your child’s body to absorb other important nutrients more effectively however is is important to ‘use it sparingly‘, as too much salt can be harmful for growing bodies and impressionable tastebuds’ <ref: wholesome child, Sacher, Paediatric Nutritionist>

Here are the daily maximum recommendations amount of salt for babies through to adults, below:

• Babies under a year old should have less than 1g of salt a day (0.4g of sodium) – (which is a good pinch of salt)
• 1 to 3 years – 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
• 4 to 6 years – 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium) (half a teaspoon of salt)
• 7 to 10 years – 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
• 11 years and over – 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)
• Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium) – (that’s around one teaspoon)

How to read the labels and understand how much salt is too much salt?

We found, as a general guide, look on the back of the can, jar or packet and look at ‘salt per 100grams’, below is how they are ranked:

• LOW SALT READING: low amount salt is 0.3g salt (0.1g sodium) or less per 100g. (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded green, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)
• MEDIUM SALT READING: if the amount of salt per 100g is between 0.3g and 1.5g  (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded amber, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)
• HIGH SALT READING: if salt content per 100g is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium). (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded red, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)

As a rule of thumb we try to aim for foods that have a low or medium salt content. Try to have high-salt foods only occasionally in small amounts. Do also note some manufacturers list salt as ‘sodium’; multiplying the amount of sodium listed by 2.5 will tell you the equivalent in salt.

Making sure your child doesn’t eat too much salt means you’re also helping to ensure that they don’t develop a taste for salty food, which makes them less likely to eat too much salt as an adult.

Remember this when you’re cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby. The following ‘watch out foods’ are almost always high in salt, so do check the label and ensure moderation, eat them less often or have smaller amounts:

Watch out foods:

Cheeses (parmesan, feta, processed cheeses), stock cubes, gravy granules, ham, olives, smoked meats and fish, soy sauce, oyster sauce, breads, pasta sauces, ready made meals, sausages, tomato ketchup, sauces, cereals, packet soups, pickles, bacon etc

Top tips to reduce salt intake:

• remove processed foods wherever possible
• home-cook from scratch when you can! You will know exactly whats in your babies and family’s meal
• reduce salt slowly in cooking so that your family taste buds can adapt
• don’t put salt or salty condiments on the table
• choose LOW-sodium, preservative free stocks, sauces and salad dressings… or make your own!
• rinse canned foods like beans or chickpeas
• avoid giving baby processed foods i.e. ready meals as these are often high in salt. Do note though: food manufacturers specifically for babies should meet the recommended levels. If in doubt, always check the label.
• we use herbs and spices to bring out flavours in our cooking
• salt can be added to the ‘grown ups’ meals after cooking if you wish, however as your baby/child gets older they are may start to copy

(let us look into our pantry at home at a few items…)

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/salt.aspx

(Next review of information above by NHS is due: 10/02/2018)

Gill Rapley Book (baby led weaning)

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/foodindustrysectorreport/foodlabelling.aspx

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NO-BAKE Carob Oaty Bites

November 6, 2017

Servings: Made 10 balls

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 30 min

Total: 35 min

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By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oats
• 2x tbsp almond butter
• 1x tbsp carob powder (you can purchase from your local health food store)
• 3 tbsp of water
• 9x seedless dates (Prep: soak the dates in hot water until soft, then drain out the water) OR alternatively 2x heap tablespoons of 'date paste'

Directions

• Step 1 Combine all ingredients in a blender for 1-2minutes (until mixture is wet enough to mold into balls… if too wet just as more oats!)
• Step 2 Roll each ball to the size you want (using wet hands – makes it easier to roll), then lightly coat/roll each ball in oats or dessicated coconut if you prefer.
• Step 3 Place balls into an airtight container and place in the fridge for 30min to set.
• Step 4 You can also freeze these balls (which I prefer so they last longer). To defrost: take the frozen balls out of the freezer and leave on the kitchen bench for 30 minutes. Enjoy this delicious recipe!

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3-ingredient Zucchini Fritters

October 31, 2017

Servings: 8 fritters

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 8 min

Total: 13 min

Difficulty: Easy

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OMG these zucchini fritters are to die for! The ingredients are so simple and the end result of these fritters are SO tasty!! Who would think so with only 3-ingredients. These fritters are great for baby led weaner starters 6mo+ and is a great way to introduce egg into bub's diet. These fritters are great for the family and are a great lunch, dinner or even a snack on the run. (Please note: egg is a potential allergen food. The latest 2017 ASCIA recommendations are to introduce egg and all other allergen foods between 6mo-12mo, this may potentially prevent the risk of bub developing an allergy in the near future (ref: ASCIA). Please speak with your Dr or Ped. if you have any concerns or about introducing allegenic foods to your baby.)

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1x large Zucchini
• 2x free range eggs
• 1/4 cup of plain flour (all purpose-flour)
• * Additional (but not needed): full fat greek yogurt OR coconut yogurt (non-dairy option) to serve the fritters with as a dipping sauce.

Directions

• Step 1 On a chopping board or big bowl, grate the whole Zucchini. Then in a separate bowl (or over the sink) take handfuls of the grated Zucchini and squeeze out the excess water, whilst placing the ready ‘grated’ zucchini into a big bowl.
• Step 2 Mix all ingredients: dryer grated zucchini, 2x eggs and flour in a bowl, and your mixture is now ready!
• Step 3 Prepare a big plate with paper towel and set aside near the stove top (ready for the fritters after cooking)
• Step 4 On the stove top, place a fry pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.
• Step 5 Using a tablespoon, spoon out zucchini fritters to the size you would like and flatten them down a little bit.
• Step 6 Cook both sides from approx. 1.30 to 2min each side.
• Step 7 Once fritters are cooked, place them on the plate with the paper towel, to cool.
• Step 8 Serve straight away (with full fat greek yogurt for dipping) OR let them all cool and freeze them for snacks though out the next couple of week How to serve for a 6 month old+ serve into long finger size strips so baby can pick up with their small fist.

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Natural 4-tier 'Lemon & Blueberry Cake'

October 19, 2017

Servings: 20-30 slices

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Do you want to make your first ever 4-tier deliciousv‘Lemon and Blueberry Cake’ using all natural ingredients and is a healthier alternative than other refined sugary cakes for your 2 year old's birthday party or just simply for your family and friends? here is the recipe for you! Instead of using refined and processed sugars which have no goodness in them at all… we used Biona Organic Rapadura Whole Cane Sugar, which is made from certified organic sugar cane. This is the evaporated juice of the sugar cane in its natural state. The water is removed, allowing the remaining crystals to retain the vitamins and minerals from the sugarcane. This is a delicious and healthier alternative to traditional sweeteners and can be used in a 1:1 ratio when replacing ordinary granulated sugar. The cane juice, rich in molasses, vitamins and minerals, is squeezed from fresh sugar cane, evaporated and crystallised. Note: What you will need to make the 4-tier cake? Wilton Easy Layers Round Cake Pan Set 4-pieces, 8 inch diameter x 0.75 and a hand-held electric mixer.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3x cups (345g) of sifted plain flour
• 1x cup (230g) of unsalted butter (room temperature) – cut up into cubes
• 1.5 cups of Organic Rapadura Whole Cane Sugar
• 4x large free-range eggs
• 1x tbsp. of organic vanilla extract
• 1x tbsp. baking powder
• 1x cup (240ml) buttermilk
• 3x medium sized organic lemons (zest & juice)
• 1.5 cups of fresh organic blueberries
• 1x tbsp. plain flour
• How to Make Super Easy Cream-Cheese Frosting? Ingredients below:
• 1x cup (225g) of full-fat cream cheese (we used Philadelphia)
• 1x teaspoon of organic vanilla extract
• ¼ cup of raw organic *honey (which is packed with vitamins B and C and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties). *Remember honey is not safe for babies under one year old. For babies under 1, an alternative for honey is Organic Maple syrup

Directions

• Step 1 Turn oven on 175 Degrees Celsius and prepare all trays by lightly spraying or greasing with olive oil and then lightly dusting each tray with some plain flour.
• Step 2 Make Cake:
• Step 3 In a large mixing bowl, add all cubed unsalted butter (at room temperature) and beat the butter with electric hand mixer on high until creamy.
• Step 4 In the same bowl sift all the * Organic Rapadura Whole Cane Sugar and beat on medium speed until creamed (can take between 3-4minutes) *note: Organic Rapadura Whole Cane Sugar can be sometimes lumpy, make sure you use the sifted sugar only, all the lumpy sugar discard or set aside and blend up later to use another time. Once creamed, then add eggs and vanilla extract and keep whizzing for 2 minutes until creamy. SET THIS ASIDE.
• Step 5 In a large bowl add flour and baking powder, then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beat on low speed until mixed, then add buttermilk, lemon juice and all lemon zest until combined.
• Step 6 In a separate small bowl coat the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon of plain four. (The reason why we do this, is to prevent the blueberries from breaking and making the cake turn purple!)
• Step 7 Slowly fold these flour coated blueberries into the batter.
• Step 8 Spoon batter into all 4-pans evenly and place all trays into oven side by side for approx. 17min.
• Step 9 Remove from oven and let cakes cool before frosting each layer and top. (If you are preparing the cakes 1-2 days in advanced do not refrigerate cakes, wrap each completely cooled down cakes in glad wrap and store next to each other – not on top of each other – in a cool area in the house)
• Step 10 Frosting Method:
• Step 11 Add ALL ingredients into a bowl and with hand electric mixer beat on medium speed.
• Step 12 Spread immediately onto cooled cake and refrigerate OR refrigerate the frosting immediately to use to spread on cake over the next 2 days.
• Step 13 How to Make Your Own Cake Flower arrangement? (either use flowers and foliage from your garden OR purchase flowers from florist, and also buy floral tape and if you want *optional floral wire to insert into the stem for a stronger hold)
• Step 14 Choose flowers from your local florist or garden (try to get flowers that have not been sprayed with pesticides), also purchase floral tape.
• Step 15 How to prepare the flowers you would like to be decorated onto your cake?
• Step 16 Cut each flower stem, leaving approx. 2cm of stem at the base of each flower, remove all leaves (*optional: then insert approx 5cm of wire in the centre of the stem leaving a couple of cm out the end) and then wrap each stem twice and the base of the stem in floral tape (to prevent any sap or flower juices that may leak into the cake), and then push each prepared flower stem into the cake top at your own desire! Also wrap stems of any foliage you would like to add! Foliage is great for filling in and making the flower arrangement look lushes and natural.

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Chicken Nuggets

October 17, 2017

Servings: approx 30 nuggets

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 15 min

Total: 25 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Do you want to know how to make healthy chicken nuggets without preservatives, sugar or salt for your baby led weaner? These chicken nuggets are super easy and you will never buy chicken nuggets again. They are easily freezable and can last up to 3 months. Easy to pick up for baby led weaner starters and a great way to introduce egg into bub's diet if you haven't done so already. Recipe is suitable for 6mo+... great for parties, for the family and for snacks.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 2x organic free range chicken breasts
• 2x free-range eggs
• 1/2 cup of plain flour (you may need a little more on standby...)
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs (you can make your own by whizzing up 2x slices of wholemeal bread in the the blender) - (you may need a little more on standby...)

Directions

• Step 1 Turn on the oven 170 degrees and prepare an oiled tray or line with baking paper
• Step 2 Take out 3x separate bowls
• Step 3 In the first bowl, pour the flour in
• Step 4 In the second bowl, crack the 2x eggs and mix until combined
• Step 5 In the third bowl, pour the bread crumbs in
• Step 6 On a chopping board, cut up the chicken breasts into approx 5cm chunks, you can cut any size and shape! (For younger babyledweaners make them bigger than their fist, so can easily be picked up with little hands)
• Step 7 Then, let the dunking begin! dunk each piece of chicken into the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, then lay each piece onto the prepared baking tray… repeat until all chicken nuggets are on the tray ready for cooking.
• Step 8 Place the tray into the oven for approx 12-15min, take out and test for tenderness and if cooked at 12min. If cooked then they are ready to eat.
• Step 9 If you want to freeze them, i suggest ‘flash freezing them first’ (photo below as to what flash freezing is), then you can easily place them all into a bag into the freezer.
• Step 10 Enjoy!

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Bliss Balls

October 10, 2017

Servings: 15 Balls

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 30 min

Total: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These Snack Balls AKA as Bliss balls are a healthy alternative 'snack (or breakfast) on the run' for the whole family. The balls are made with natural sugars and are full of nutty and oaty goodness. For Baby Led Weaning bubs 6mo+ these are great for introducing blended / soft nuts to bub's diet if you haven't done so. *Note: According to the recent guidelines from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, potential allergenic foods like nuts butters or blended nuts are safe to introduce to babies as young as 6 months of age. Also according to ASCIA guidelines for allergy prevention: allergenic solid foods including peanut butter, cooked egg, dairy and wheat products should be given in the first year of life. For more information on allergenic foods and recommendation please read research and allergies on my website. If you are concerned and have nut allergies that run in the family, please discuss with your doctor.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of unsalted mixed nuts (OR you can just use one nut i.e. cashews or almonds work great!)
• 9x seedless dates (Prep: soak the dates in hot water for until soft, then drain out the water) OR alternatively 2x heap tablespoons of 'date paste'
• 2x tablespoons of organic cold-pressed coconut oil (room temp)
• 1/2 cup of oats (quick or normal oats)
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Directions

• Step 1 Prep: in a bowl with hot water soak the seedless dates for a couple of minutes until soft, then drain out the water. Set dates aside.
• Step 2 In a blender (we used the phillip Avent basic blender) pour in the nuts and desiccated coconut, and blend for approx 2min (until nuts/coconut are completely blended and mixture becomes clumpy and wet when you press the mixture together with your fingers). Now set aside this mixture in a bowl.
• Step 3 Using the blender again, blend the soft dates, coconut oil and oats together for approx 1minute until dates look chopped up (photo below)
• Step 4 Now combine the nuts/coconut mixture back into the blender, on top of the dates mixture and blend all ingredients all together for approx 1min)
• Step 5 Now your ball mixture is ready for rolling! Roll all balls (any size) by squeezing the mixture together with your hands and roll each ball in coconut
• Step 6 TIPS:You can eat them straight away (which my daughter Ava did as she couldn’t wait haha…) but we usually place the balls into the fridge for 30 minutes to set (either keep some in the fridge for the week for snacks or breakfast anytime of day! The rest you can store in the freezer for up to 3 months (to defrost: just leave some balls out in room temperature for 30 minutes). Enjoy, they are super yummy

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Kale & Beef Balls

September 29, 2017

Servings: 20 balls

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 15 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Love these simple and nutritious meatballs for baby led weaners and the family! They are super easy non-messy meal to make and store, and are great for little hands 6mo+ ... they are full of iron, zinc, vitamins and minerals! Serve with a side of vegetables or in a bolognese sauce with pasta.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 500g organic beef mince
• 1x cup of finely chopped organic kale (either frozen OR fresh kale finely chopped or zapped in the blender for 10sec)
• 3/4 cup of bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup of full fat milk

Directions

• Step 1 Set the oven on 170 degrees celcius. Prepare a baking tray with an sheet of baking paper onto (if not just use a non-stick baking tray)
• Step 2 Pour the bread crumbs into a small bowl and add the milk, this will allow all the breadcrumbs to soak up all the milk (adding soaked breadcrumbs into the meatball mix, creates a softer-juicer meatball for bub to eat)
• Step 3 Finely chop up the kale (or blitz it quickly for 10sec in the blender *do not over blend, you just want finely chopped kale). In a big mixing bowl add all of your beef mince, all of your kale and your soaked breadcrumbs mixture.
• Step 4 With your hands mix all the ingredients together. Once all mixed in, it’s time to roll all the meatballs out to whatever size you like, and place them onto the prepared baking tray leaving about a 2cm space between each meatball (We usually roll each meatball about the same size as bub’s fist) TIP: wetting your hands with water between each couple of meatballs makes it easier to roll out each meatballs preventing the mince from sticking onto your hands. Place tray into oven on 170 degrees celcius for about 10-15min.
• Step 5 Freezing and Storing: Once cooked you can eat them straight away, or wait til all balls are cooled and place them into a airtight container to freeze them all. Ensure the meatballs are not touching each other. Can store them in the freezer for up to 3months. To defrost: simply take them out of the freezer and put them into a separate container and let them defrost over night, then reheat in the oven or microwave OR you can take them out of the freezer and reheat in the oven or defrost in the microwave.
• Step 6 Serve the meatballs with a salad for the family and new potatoes (or any salad potato) – How to cook yummy potatos? Place potatoes in a pan and cover with boiling water. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for approx 15-20 minutes until just tender. Once cooked drain immediately. Stir through a herb butter: 25g softened butter mixed with 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, chives etc) OR Garlic Butter: 25g softened butter mixed with 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic.

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Porridge Balls

August 31, 2017

Servings: 8 balls

Prep: 1 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 3 min

Difficulty: Easy

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These super easy porridge balls are great for a quick, healthy, non-messy breakfast OR snacks for babyledweaners 6mo+. Even Mum and Dad eat them during the week as snacks. Easy to pick up for small fists/hands and are a great snack to take with you out and about. Feel free to mix it up and add further ingredients such as chia seeds, sunflower feeds, pumpkins seeds etc ... you can also freeze these Porridge balls for up to 3months and use as a breakfast or snack whenever your like! How to freeze? Dry freeze them! How to dry freeze? Lay all balls so they are not touching onto a tray with baking paper and place tray into the freezer. Once the balls have been dry freezed, you can then put all the balls into a zip lock bags all together and they shouldn't then stick to each other. You can take the Porridge balls out in the morning and place them into the microwave for 15sec ? Then serve. Super easy!!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quick oats (approx 50 grams)
• 1/2 cup full fat milk (approx 100ml)
• a small handful of blueberries or chopped up sultanas or raisins
• a sprinkle of cinnamon or mixed spice

Directions

• Step 1 Chop up a small handful of sultanas or raisins for young bubs 6mo+ (or keep the raisins whole for bubs 12mo+)
• Step 2 On a low heat, on a stove top add oats, milk, sultanas and sprinkle cinnamon and consistently stir the ingredients together for approx 1-2min until you have achieved a creamy gluggy texture (note: add a little more milk if needed). Once a creamy gluggy texture, remove from heat, let the mixture cool, then with your hands start rolling small handfuls of the porridge into balls. (Ball size: for bubs 6mo-8.5mo make the porridge balls big enough for bub to put them into her/his hands/fist, 8.5mo+ you can make them a little smaller as per pic). Either serve straight away warm to bub OR roll all balls and keep them in the fridge in a airtight container and use for breakfast or snacks throughout the week!.
• Step 3 TIPS!! for breakfast: serve warm or cold (great for teething babies). For snacks: keep the porridge balls in the fridge for up to 3 days and serve to bub either cold OR reheat a little to make them warm (i just serve them cold as snacks!). Keep a batch in the fridge for snacks also for Mum and Dad. They are super tasty!

The post Porridge Balls appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

Check out my tips below on flying (long-haul) with an infant (I did it solo this once, but tips are also for those flying with a partner):

Sydney to London…

When I found out I had to fly with Ava (22mo – still classified as free to fly up to 2yo) from Sydney to London all by myself, sharing the same seat, I took a deep breath and thought ‘I can do this! So many women fly solo with their infant’, I just needed to be prepared! Please read below for some preparation tips and things you can do prior to the flight to help you on the journey of unpredictability and fun (not). No fun for Mum and no fun for bub (or bubby – if in the US!).

Before the flight how can you prepare?

• Book the bassinet seat on the plane, so you have extra leg room and if baby is small enough can fit in the bassinet. Ava is now 22mo and can not fit into the bassinet anymore, but we still book this area for her.
• Call up the airline check how full the flight is and try and book a seat that has a spare seat next to it (if your lucky), having a spare seat next to you does not gurentee you that it will be spare on the day, so on the day of the flight, speak with the ladies at the gate to ensure the seat next to you is still spare, if it isn’t and someone has taken it, ask politely if they can help you out by finding two spare seats on the plane that are next to each other, as you are flying with a infant who is too big for the bassinet). Depending on the airline, we flew Singapore airlines and they were so helpful in moving us to a seat or row that was free to give us the room.
• Also when booking your flight, request for your baby to have the post weaning meal (for babies 12mo+). This meal is not purees! When Ava was under 12mo we just cancelled all plane meals for her as they are usually puree or really messy meals especially not needed when on a plane! So we preferred to pack our own snacks that were non-messy for the plane.
• Ensure bub is well rested the day or a couple of days before the flight, has had all day sleeps and night sleeps.
• Don’t forget to pack snacks for your infant and Mum: for Baby Led Weaning babies 6mo+, prepare a cooler bag with non-messy solid foods and include a empty non-spill cup (we use munchkin 360 degree, for travel). This time round  (Ava now being 22mo) I prepared: 3x slices of Avas breakfast loaf, 1x punnet of blueberries, 1x punnet of strawberries, 2x bananas, 2x apples, 1x peanut butter sandwich, and a bag of mixed seeds and dry fruits (please note: seeds and dried fruits are only suitable for babies 12mo+). Don’t forget snacks for mum! I ate the same snacks as Ava.
• Purchase a CoziGo is a airline bassinet cover (for new borns through to approx 14mo when the bassinet starts to get too small for baby to be in). We previously used this for Ava, but now she is too big for the bassinet we now use the PlanePal (check out the next bullet point) CoziGo blocks light, movement and stimulation helping baby to sleep without constant distraction. No nasty comments from fellow passengers and you’re all refreshed ready to hit the ground running! CoziGo also reduces your baby’s exposure to inflight germs. Having babies sleep in an airline bassinet used to be something that caused worry for mums and dads – but not anymore. The calming and fully-protective canopy creates a relaxing atmosphere for babies, making the flying experience that much easier and enjoyable.

• Purchase a PlanePal for infants or toddlers 13mo+ who do not fit in a bassinet any more. I love this product! Ava used it on the long haul flight and slept a good 6hrs on it. PlanePal is a inflatable pillow for your infant or toddler to lay flat. Check with your airline on their website is they are accepted, we flew with Singapore airlines and they are accepted on this airline (PlanePal is accepted on more than 35 International Airlines worldwide). Ava is using a plane pal in the photo above.

• Book in at a transit hotel at the airport: If your flight is more than 20hrs, consider booking into a transit hotel within the airport: Ava and i stopping and stayed in one travelling through Singapore for 8hrs. Before the next flight, Ava managed to have a 4hr sleep in a cot, whilst i got to nap before our next flight. The beauty of the newer airports, especially throughout Asia/Middle East is that we also managed to have a swim at Changi airport and a run around which helped burn off excess tired energy ready for the flight ahead……phew!

What hand luggage we packed:

• We did not pack a stroller as most airports have strollers you can borrow in transit. I did not want more luggage, so we just packed the baby carrier for Ava (22mo) and borrowed the airport strollers.
• Don’t overpack your hand luggage – forget toys from home, the airline usually has toys, colouring games etc bub can use these or there are plenty of magazines, paper cups bubby can play with. Forget teddies – you don’t need them unless bub can’t live without them!
• One Backpack is the way to go for everything (no handbag) – this keeps your hand free whilst using the baby carrier or stroller.
• To IPAD or NOT? When needs must!! We found Ava would watch the iPad from about 20mo+ and would sit still and this would keep her quiet. Sometimes you’ve just got to survive! Even though infants should not have any screen time under 2 years old and only 30 minutes per day for 2-5 year olds, I decided to download wildlife shows and a few peppa pig for Ava to watch on the long haul flight to keep her entertained and QUIET. Yes i had ‘MUM GUILT’ but it was much better than having a baby who wouldn’t sit still in such a small environment for very long.
• Baby Carrier – we bought the ErgoBaby 360 – it’s amazing and we have been using this since Ava was a new born and still use it now. I used this to carry Ava around during transit.
• Check in a Car seat – only if needed on the other side
• Nappies and 1 pack of wipes: depends if it’s a day or night flight – don’t overpack nappies, the airline always carries some just in case. Day flight I used 2 nappies for an 8 hrs and packed 4 nappies just in case. Night flight (14hrs) I packed 6 nappies and only used 2 nappies, as she slept for about 6hrs. Lucky she poo’d during transit at the hotel!
• Bed time: don’t expect bub to sleep straight away when getting on a night flight, give it a couple or a few hours (as all the lights are on, then meals are served… so many distractions, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get bubby asleep whilst its lit up like a theme park!). Once the lights go off usually 2-3hrs on night flight after meals have been served and cleared. Once lights and dim, I tried to settle Ava by telling her its bed time, I put Ava into her Sleep Bag, I say firmly – bed time. She laid down or cried for a bit until she eventually falls asleep.

Hope these tips help! Any questions please feel free to comment below…

xx Rach

The post Tips on Flying with a Baby Led Weaner! appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

5 from 1 reviews

6-Ingredient Healthy Banana Bread

August 18, 2017

Servings: 14 slices

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 35 min

Total: 45 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Are you after a healthy BUT tasty Banana Bread for the whole family (including bubby) well here you go! We cut the loaf into slices and freeze individually for snacks on the go or afternoon tea for Mum, Dad and the kids. This recipe has no added sugar and tastes amazing! If you don't have spelt flour you can use self-raising flour instead.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 200 grams spelt flour (or can use self-raising flour)
• 50 grams self-raising flour
• 2x tsp baking powder
• 1/2x tsp cinnamon
• 385g over ripe bananas (approx 5 to 6 bananas) Tip: the more over-ripe/black the bananas are the sweeter the loaf!
• 100g rapeseed/canola oil (or olive oil)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/150 fan/gas mark 3. Line a loaf tin with baking paper or a silicone reusable loaf case (11cm wide, 21cm long).
• Step 2 In a bowl, mash all over-ripe bananas until smooth. Then add oil, stir through until smooth.
• Step 3 Fold through the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cinnamon into the wet mixture bowl until combined
• Step 4 Pour mixed batter into the prepared 11cm tin loaf. Can top with slices of banana or sprinkle seeds on the top of the loaf.
• Step 5 Place the tin into the middle of the oven for approx 35 minutes, until the centre is cooked. Leave bread to cool in tin for 10min, then remove from tin and place on a wired rack until completely cooled down, then slice.

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5 from 1 reviews

Home-made Peanut Butter

August 14, 2017

Servings: 1x jar of peanut butter

Prep: 2 min

Cook: 6 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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‘It is so nice to be able to make your own peanut butter at home! Super quick and easy! I know exactly what is in it, no preservatives, NO SALT, NO SUGAR or any nasties!’

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 400 grams organic peanuts either with skin (for a darker/richer peanut butter flavour) or no skin
• 1x spare jar (I used an old jam jar)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven 170 degrees celcius and prepare a flat oven tray with a sheet of baking paper
• Step 2 Pour all of the 400grams of peanuts onto the tray
• Step 3 Place into the oven for 6 minutes until slightly brown (but not burnt)
• Step 4 Take out the tray of peanut and let them cool for 15 minutes
• Step 5 Place all the roasted peanuts into a high-speed blender (or good food processor) and blend until you get a creamy peanut butter texture (TIP: keep blending! Don’t give up… your mixture will become a breadcrumb consistency… push past this as it will eventually become a creamy consistency. DON’T be tempted to put any water or added oils into the mixture. Keep scraping down the sides and breaking up the ball)
• Step 6 Once creamy, pour the peanut butter into a jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

The post Home-made Peanut Butter appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

“Our relationship changed within 4 days of stopping breastfeeding at 20 months old”

I still can’t believe this time last week i was still breastfeeding Ava, two feeds per day, one feed when she woke up and second feed after child care around 5pm. I treasured every moment with her, however i was ready to stop…

How I knew it was time to stop?

I was done. I was becoming over it and resenting breastfeeding. I couldn’t just hold Ava and kiss her and cuddle her without her sniffing out my milk, wanting a feed and kicking up a fuss or tantrum… I felt it was beginning to effect our Mum/Daughter relationship… I just knew it was time to give up and Ava was getting plenty of nutrition from food sources and I felt it was only for comfort as she would only be on there for 5 minutes or so…

Did I have a breastfeeding goal?

I never really had a breast feeding goal, I knew it was fantastic for Ava but i wanted to see how I went. As time went on… 1 months… 2 months…. 3 months… 6 months… then after 6 months I thought I would love to make 12 months to give Ava optimum nutrition in the first year of her life! So i did… then we hit a bit of a fussy phase at 14 months after a trip to the UK and we got into habits such as feeding to sleep after jet lag and sickness… I was SO close to giving up at this point… I was exhausted and started to become angry and frustrated. Ava was becoming irritable around me… I felt I couldn’t be around her all the time… it was sad…

“I started to become frustrated and angry that i was feeling this way about breastfeeding”

I then tried 2 days without milk, I avoided putting her to bed, my husband would and she was fine, she didn’t seem to ask for milk when I wasn’t around. However, after a couple of days giving up, i went back to breastfeeding as Ava was sick with a cold, i thought the magic of boob milk would help her overcome the sickness. So at 15 months (hey, i lasted 2 days…!!) the breastfeeding journey continued again and we went back to feeding seperately to sleep and back she went to her normal sleeping routine! Wahoo passed that fussy phase… I was feeling more positive about our breastfeeding journey! So I kept going…17 months… then 20 months came and I knew this was it… it is time to give up breastfeeding finally… this was my decision…

“I just wanted to hug Ava and cuddle her and play with her without her kicking up a tantrum and wanting a breastfeed”

I decided it was time to stop… So I stopped…

I ended up exclusively breastfeeding Ava until she was 20.5 months old.  We never introduced bottles, dummies and I never really expressed only if i needed, due to comfort. Ava never took to a bottle, she loved and wanted the boob!

What was it that helped me give up breastfeeding?

One word – DISTRACTION.

Ava would wake up in the morning and all I could hear from her room was ‘MIIIIILLLLK’ ‘MIIIIIILLLLK’ It was the cutest thing ever to hear… Ava and her little voice… wanting milk and comfort cuddles… however I wasn’t enjoying it anymore…I wanted my body back and I wanted my little non-fussy girl around me back…

Here is what we did on Day 1 of stopping breastfeeding to Day 6:

• Day 1:

  My husband and I distracted Ava in the morning and when she came home from child care (the usual times of her feeds), Ava did not seem bothered to miss both feeds today.

• Day 2:

  AM: Ava wanted milk in the morning, hubby wasnt home so i needed to think ahead and plan what to do when she woke up… I got some breakfast ready for her (toast and peanut butter) as soon as she woke up. She said ‘MIIIILLLLKK’ MIIILLLKKK’ in her cute little voice, but i pick her up out of her cot at 7am and instead of going to our bedroom to give her her normal feed, I took her straight to the kitchen and said ‘Ava, yummy toast for you’… she took the toast and sat outside with me and ate her toast, then went off to child care for the day.      PM: i picked her up from child care at 430pm and instead of going straight home for a breastfeed, we went to the park and played with her friends… I brought along an afternoon snack (Ava’s breakfast loaf) and her water as i knew she would be hungry. We got home afterwards and I had dinner ready for her, she ate her dinner straight away, no time for milk. I then got my husband to put Ava to bed that night. She did wake up a couple of times during the night saying ‘milkkk millkk’ but hubby went in and put her back to sleep and she went back to sleep…

• Day 3:

  Same routine, Ava wakes up wanting milk, i had to get as hubby went to work early… Ava really wanted milk… so I sat her down on the kitchen chair and cuddled her and I said to her… “Ava, Mummy’s milk has gone, the milk has walked out the door and we say bye bye to it” Ava then cried… i felt terrible – but I had to be consistent and be strong. I pointed to the door and said it again “bubby, the milk has gone, let’s say good-bye to the milk…” Ava then waved to the door and blew kisses…. (my heart sank, it was so beautiful), she gave me the biggest cuddle it was so beautful and stopped crying, it was like she was saying to me ‘thank you so much mummy for all the milk and the moments we have shared together’… we then both got up and walked over to the door and opened the door and Ava said ‘BYE BYE…. BYE BYE… and she then continued to blow kisses”…. this moment was so beautiful… After child care that day, she mentioned the word milk with the biggest cheakest grin on her face I said ‘Ava where did the milk go??’ she pointed to the door and said bye bye… i said ‘good girl’ come over here and give me a hug… and she did with lots of kisses. I am feeling a little emotional today, reflecting on all the closeness of breastfeeding and the fact Ava is growing up so quickly…

• Day 4:

  No mention of the milk today. I am ensuring Ava is getting enough calcium in her diet… full fat greek yogurt, full fat milk in cereal etc… Ava has never really wanted cows milk out of a cup.. so I opt to put it in her foods.

• Day 5:

  Not sure if Ava is missing breastfeeding but she was up and down like a yo-yo last night in bed… but she never really mentioned the word miilllllkkk…. she just kept calling out for mummy and daddy….? My boobs are really sore today, they have gone hard, but I have just been having warm showers and massaging them. Its strange as the past 4 days they have not hurt. AM: Ava asked for milk, I gave her a bowl of cereal with cows milk instead and she loved it became distracted and that was the last i heard about milk today.

• Day 6:

  Ava slept great last night no crying no asking for milk. She has not asked for milk at all today. I am cuddling her and kissing her all the time and she is doing the same. When she does and if she does mention ‘milk’, she now jokes and giggles and waves at the door and isn’t sensitive about it.

How I feel now and do I regret giving up breastfeeding?

I feel like a PROUD MUMMA! I gave Ava a great start in life. I feel very grateful that I was able to breastfeed Ava. I was grateful we could continue our breastfeeding journey for this long. I have loved every moment of breastfeeding (except during the fussy phases) and bonding with my daughter… something so special that I will treasure forever…

How has Ava been since giving up breastfeeding?

Well,  am on day 6 now of giving up breastfeeding… and it is fare enough to say that this was the right decision. Ava is so much more affectionate with me,  we can play together without her asking for milk and pulling my top down, be close with her, without her asking or fussying and wanting to be breastfed. Our relationship has changed all within 4 days. A little bit of me says, why didn’t you just keep pushing and making it to 2 years… But I have to keep reminding myself why I stopped… and our little girl is stronger and I have done really well in sticking it out this long. I dont regret this decision to stop breastfeeding.

My tips on stopping breastfeeding for those mummies who can relate to my story and are seriously contemplating stopping?

• Get your partner/husband/grandma/friend to get bub up in the morning! Break all habits relating to breastfeeding… i.e. I did’t bring Ava to my bed in the morning.
• DISTRACT – DISTRACT – DISTRACT: change the routine, distract your baby do what you can… we would offer toast, Cereal or take her outside in the morning.
• I wouldn’t tease Ava by showing her my boobs at all in the first week, cover up the milk machines!
• Mummies – exercise exercise and exercise, keep those hormones in check by getting out there and doing some exercise and realeasing your feel-good endorphins. Go for a walk, run, swim, yoga, do some weights or hit the gym! You will feel much better for it.

All the best mummies… thank you for reading my breastfeeding journey and thank you to all my followers who have supported me through this incredible journey.

xxx 

To my husband, thank you for supporting me. You have been there the whole way encouraging me to keep going when times got tough but also appreciated and supported me when it was time to stop breastfeeding 

xxx 

Thank you also to my Mum for supporting and encouraging me all the way to the very end.

xxx 

Thank you also to the Australian Breastfeeding Hotline (Free call in Australia ph: 1800Mum2Mum). You ladies are wonderful and provide such a supportive service which I used on many occasion in times of stress, confusion, support and any questions relating to breastfeeding.

xxx 

To my baby girl Ava… ‘you mean the world to me’ and i hope i have given you a great kickstart in life.

xxx

If you would like to read more about breastfeeding please read here:

BREASTFEEDING

Human milk provides virtually all the protein, sugar, and fat your baby needs to be healthy, and it also contains many substances that benefit your baby’s immune system, including antibodies, immune factors, enzymes, and white blood cells. These substances protect your baby against a wide variety of diseases and infections not only while he is breastfeeding but in some cases long after he has weaned. Please read more here

The post How Stopping Breastfeeding Changed My Relationship With My Baby appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

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Spinach & Blueberry Pancakes

June 18, 2017

Servings: 3x pancakes

Prep: 2 min

Cook: 2 min

Total: 4 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Spinach & blueberry pancakes, best of both worlds... savoury and subtly sweet, full of goodness. For 6mo+ bubs. Pancakes are a great way to introduce egg into bubs diet, plus you can pack them with full of goodness for bub to pick up, hold and nibble/eat....either with their fist (young starter babyledweaners 6-8mo), use their pincer grip (usually developed around 8mo+) and older bubs that are using/practicing with cutlery like Ava (around 12mo+)... Blueberries are high in antioxidants and they also contain fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Organic spinach is a great source of iron, protein, fiber, vitamin A & E! Give em a go...

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 1x egg
• 1x small handful of fresh or frozen spinach
• 1x small handful of fresh blueberries
• 1x tablespoon plain flour (or wholemeal flour)
• 1x pinch baking powder

Directions

• Step 1 Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until it turns into a pancake like mixture
• Step 2 Using a frying pan, heat up some unsalted butter or olive oil and pour in pancake mixture to make pancakes
• Step 3 Wait for the top of the pancake mixture to create bubbles, then flip over to cook the over side (approx 1min each side)
• Step 4 Then leave to cool and serve!

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Easy Peasy Scones

June 10, 2017

Servings: 16

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 15 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Super easy fluffy scones for baby led weaners, toddlers, friends and family! These scones are tasty, healthy, soft and fluffy, great for snacks or even a breakfast meal on the run. No added salt, No sugar and no nasties! Feel free to add sultanas into the mixture if you would like to sweeten them up, if so add them after the butter has been added.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-raising flour (note: 125 grams per cup)
• 90g unsalted non-dairy or dairy butter (prep: chilled and cubed)
• 1 cup (270 mls) of full fat dairy or non-dairy milk
• Plain flour, for dusting

Directions

• Step 1 Prep – preheat oven to 200°C and dust a large baking tray with plain flour. Then, in a large bowl, add all self-raising flour, then using your fingertips gradually rub all the cubed butter into flour (to become like a breadcrumb texture)
• Step 2 Make a well in the centre, then using a flat-bladed knife gradually mix in a cup of milk and form a soft dough. Knead the dough gently until smooth. (try not to knead too much or your scones will be tough. Feel free to add a little more flour into dough if it is too wet).
• Step 3 Pat dough down to approx 2cm thick round (for bigger scones make double the thickness, 4cm). Then, using a 5cm round cutter or anything round you have in the kitchen to mould our circles, cut all your scones. Place all scones onto prepared baking tray leaving approx 1cm gap between them. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little plain flour.
• Step 4 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Then leave to cool on a wire rack. Note: feel free to add chopped dates or raisins to your dough if you want to mix it up and make sweeter scones!

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Turkey & Cranberry Burgers

May 31, 2017

Servings: 8 burger patties

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Total: 15 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Freshly made turkey & cranberry patties - turkey is a great source of protein and iron for bub and the family. A great babyledweaning first food. We introduced turkey around 6mo the easiest way was forming turkey mince/ground into round patties, easy to pick up with small hands, nibble, suck or eat. Ava loves these turkey patties. We used minced cranberries, turkey mince, sage and breadcrumbs soaked in full fat milk to make the patties nice and soft for gums to chew.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 250 gram turkey mince
• 2 tablespoons of minced cranberries - no sugar (try your health food shop or supermarket)
• 1x handful of fresh sage (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs soaked in a 1/4 cup of full fat milk (this will make the patties nice and soft for gums to chew)

Directions

• Step 1 In a bowl mix the turkey mince, minced cranberries, chopped sage and soaked breadcrumbs into a bowl.
• Step 2 Once combined, form individual patties and coat in breadcrumbs.
• Step 3 To cook: either pan fry all patties in a little olive oil on a low heat 5 minutes each side, or you can bake them in the over for 15 minutes until cooked through and tender.
• Step 4 For the family and BLWer: serve with a side of cinnamon sweet potato chips OR salad and flat bread
• Step 5 How to cut the turkey burgers to 6-8 month old BLWer: cut the burger into long approx 7cm slices so baby can pick up can hold in his fist. 8 month old BLWers: cut the burger up into 3cm bite size pieces so baby can practice her pincer grip.
• Step 6 You can freeze the patties once cooked for future family or BLWing meals.
• Step 7

The post Turkey & Cranberry Burgers appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

We started baby Led weaning a few days before Ollie turned 6 months old. He was showing all the signs of readiness and we were excited to begin.

2. What were bub’s first foods and when did he start to swallow?

His first foods were baked chicken, sweet potato fries, and pears. He knew how to bring food to his mouth and loved to play with it but would gag every time he would get a bite. It was very nerve wrecking the first couple of weeks and I there were multiple times I found myself questioning if BLW was the right choice for him. Then all of a sudden it was like a switch flipped and he began to eat everything without any issues.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

My best advice for a new parent wanting to do Baby Led Weaning would be that gagging and choking are too very different things and it’s important to know the difference. Gagging helps them keep the food where it needs to be and this is how they learn to chew instead of swallowing food. I would also like to point out that all babies are different and can take to eating in many ways. Some aren’t interested for a while or some may gag a lot, but sticking through those rough moments are definitely worth it.

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

We’ve also had a few moments of regression with teething and a cold that caused my guy to not eat much and want to play or throw his food – which is a normal phase for babies to go through.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Now at almost 10 months he eats amazingly and loves all sorts of different foods. I highly recommend BLW to any parent that is interested. It’s one of the best choices we have made for our son!

The post Now at almost 10 months he eats amazingly and loves all sorts of different foods! appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

I would like to thank you for all your post.I have so many stories to share with my BLW journey with my baby girl she is now on her 7th month mark.

1. When did your baby commence BLW?

We started introducing her food at 6th month.I discussed with my husband and with my relative who’s taking care of my little Zerya. We sat down together and discussed the baby led weaning ideas and its purpose so we can agree together. They were both get scared with the idea and through showing them in TV your videos they agree and more confident to have the Baby Led Weaning.

We bought Ikea high chair,bibs,chopping board,peeler,knife to prepare her solid food introduction.It surprised me when I searched in Instagram your account,I found that we used the same things and that made me more confident.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

Her first solid was broccoli,and she loved it! We were so proud of her and really made us more confident do to the BLW. We bought organic vegetables and fruits for her and some of her first food was from our country my cousin sends me because she also did blw.She sent me all the green vegetables.

Zerya was not picky,she ate what we gave her. As the days passed, I started giving her chicken soup and really she loved it. I boilled the organic chicken with ginger, coconut oil for roasting the ginger and then chicken, add water and put all the vegetable such as sayote and prinkle with Moringga powder.

So far we gave these following steamed vegetables :

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Red Capsicum
• Okra
• Sayote
• Butternut Squash
• Cauliflower

Others:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Egggyolk
• Chicken (In her Soup)
• Lamb (In her Soup)
• Beef (In her Soup, She ate cabbage and beans)
• Lentil Soup with potato, carrots, sweet potato

And today It’s her first time eating salmon,we grilled with coconut oil and pepper and after cooking we added morringga powder.

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

So far she don’t have any allergies with the high allergen foods.

The post Zerya’s first solid was broccoli, and she loved it! appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

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Apple-Coconut Muesli Slice

May 10, 2017

Servings: 20

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy

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Made a 'Apple Coconut Muesli slice' today... turned out delicious. Recipe for 6mo+, nice and soft to chew, easy to pick up for young and older bubs, nutritional, perfect for a quick and easy breakfast or snack. Can be stored in the freezer (cut up into slices) for up to 3months.

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 2x bananas (prep: mashed up with a fork)
• 2x apples (prep: grated)
• 1/2 cup of sultanas (prep: soak in hot water)
• 1x cup of whole oats
• 1x cup of coconut flour
• 1x cup of full fat coconut milk
• 2x eggs
• 1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon

Directions

• Step 1 Turn oven on 190 degrees. Line a rectangle or square tray with baking paper and unsalted butter or oil.
• Step 2 Soak sultanas in a bowl of hot water.
• Step 3 In a big bowl mash bananas with a fork, then grate both apples, then add all other ingredients: oats, coconut flour, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon and mix.
• Step 4 Drain the sultanas from the water and then stir into the bowl of mixture.
• Step 5 Once ingredients are all mixed in, using your hands scrap the mixture out and mould it into the tray (the mixture should be a thick heavy texture)
• Step 6 Place into the oven for 25 minutes
• Step 7 Take out, let cool, then slice into squares.
• Step 8 Can eat straight away or place individual slices into a zip lock bag and place into the freezer for up to 3 months. Perfect for a snack for bub and the rest of the family!

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