Recipes and top tips to help parents' with weaning worries

Research released by Ella's Kitchen Brands Limited has revealed that parents across the country are feeling the heat when starting their little one's weaning journey for the first time.
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The research surveyed 2,000 parents of under fives, and found less than a third (29 per cent) of parents said they felt excited about introducing new foods to their little one, with 15 per cent admitting the whole weaning process brought them to tears.

With parents spending nearly a working day a week (7 hours) preparing their little one’s meals, nearly a quarter (22 per cent) said they find the weaning journey super stressful and 26 per cent admit it has made them feel anxious.

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Ella’s Kitchen has come to the rescue to help take the stress and worry out of weaning to make it an exciting time for little ones, with a brand-new online hub called WEANURSERY, jam-packed with everything you need to know about weaning.

Fishy pastaFishy pasta
Fishy pasta

The site features top tips, handy guides and yummy recipes from the experts, providing parents with lots of support to help alleviate those weaning worries.

Top weaning worries included: Fear of choking (39 per cent), knowing if their child was getting enough of the nutrients they need (30 per cent), food refusal (24 per cent) and confusion about where to start and what foods to try first (17 per cent).

It comes as parents remember their own negative early memories with food - with over a third remembering being told they had to eat their veg or they couldn't have dessert (35%), being told they couldn’t leave the table until they’d eaten everything on their plate (35 per cent) and being told not to play with their food (34 per cent).

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Claire Baseley, Ella’s nutritionist says: “Weaning is a super exciting time for any parent, but we know it can be really emotional and stressful too. We hear the same questions from lots of mums, dads + carers: When do I start? How do I start weaning my little one? How do I know when my baby is full? What foods should I offer first? We’re thrilled to be launching our WEANURSERY online hub which we hope will provide a really helpful and supportive environment for new parents on the weaning journey. It’s jam-packed with handy weaning videos from our experts as well as recipe hacks, nutrition advice and top tips from fellow parents. We focus on experiencing food with all the senses so you and your little one can have fun exploring new tastes and textures together.’’

CurryCurry
Curry

Here are Claire's top tips for taking the stress out of weaning:

- Go at your own pace + be led by your baby - try not to worry + compare yourself to others as every baby is different + will be ready for new experiences at different times.

- Be kind with your time - try to plan your meals, shop online + try recipe hacks so you have more time to enjoy the experience with your baby.

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- Pick a time to start when your baby isn’t too hungry – the best time to introduce your baby to the wonderful world of food is when they aren’t too hungry or sleepy. Just after a lunchtime milk feed might be a good time to try.

- Try a puree first - start with a perfectly smooth puree that has the same texture as double cream or runny honey. For now, one or two spoonfuls at a time is probably enough – it’s just to get your little one used to food that isn’t milk and to help them experience new tastes.

- A veggie a day - for the first few days of weaning try offering a different veggie a day, so you can get tiny taste buds used to a range of flavours. Try soft cooking veg in a steamer and blend with a little of baby's usual milk.

- Don’t give up - if your little one pulls a funny face, it doesn't mean they don't like something…it's just reeeally new! It can actually take up to 8 tastes for your little one to learn to love a new food, so keep trying.

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- Have fun with it - if you eat the same foods as your little one at the same time, they will love to copy you! Show them how yummy you think your food is, so they feel happy trying what’s in their bowl or on their plate.

- Engage the senses - we believe that little ones who explore food with all their senses are more likely to grow up as happy little eaters! Let them feel fruit + veg, from a bumpy avocado to a furry kiwi. Their eyes will show them that what they eat comes in a rainbow of colours and their noses can sniff new + exciting smells.

Here are some recipes to try at home...

Eggscellent mini fishy pizzas Recipe suitable from 10 months

Serves 3 - prep 5, cook 15

Ingredients

1x tin of tuna (preferably in spring water)

1x egg

50g Tomato puree (or left-over pasta sauce)

30g cheddar cheese

Method

Drain the tuna and pop into a small bowl

Add the raw egg and blend until smooth

Dollop six even blobs (tbsp) of your blended egg and tuna onto a greased baking tray and smooth into even disks

Cook at 180ºC for 14 minutes

Once cooked, remove from the tray to cool

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Spread a small amount of tomato puree over the surface and sprinkle the finely grated cheese

Pop back in the oven for 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt

Enjoy!

Butternut + chickpea curry recipe suitable from 7-9 months

Serves 4, prep 10 minutes, cook time 10 minutes

Ingredient

Soft butternut chunks 150g

Tinned tomatoes 200g

Cooked chickpeas 120g

Mild curry powder or garam masala 1.5 tspns

Onion 70g

Olive oil 10ml

Method

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the spices + then finely chop the onion

Once browned, add the tomatoes + cook until the sauce reduces and thickens

Add the chickpeas and butternut squash chunks

Blend down to little one’s usual texture

Serve to your little one with basmati rice

Sprinkle with coriander to finish