TOP FIRST

FOODS
BABIES CAN'T SAY NO TO

WEANINGFUL.COM
Hello.
Thank you for downloading
me. I hope I will help you on
your journey and provide
some inspiration at
mealtimes.

I am the product of 16
months of observation of
baby and toddler behaviour.

I am not meant to be
redistributed or shared with
anyone.

Let's begin.

What do you think is the

most wanted first food when
it comes to weaning?

Besides yogurt, that is....

 give me my
daily bread...
This is the truth: babies will always like bread or anything with a bread-like consistency.
That's why it's my number one first food whenever I feel like I don't know what to cook
anymore and I want to have something quick and nutritious on the table.

Since you're still probably thinking I am nuts writing about such a simple food, I want to
jump right to the first 5 recipes that can be made in no time and are packed with good
and healthy ingredients. And they all involve this ever present staple in our kitchen.

Note: you may need to cut these into finger shapes so that babies can easily hold them.

Fruity french toast

Grab 2 pieces of toast and use a rolling pin to stretch them a

bit. Spread some cream cheese/yogurt and some strawberries,
roll them up and then leave to soak a bit in a beaten egg and
cinnamon. Fry in a non-stick pan, turning all the time until toast
is golden brown.

Easy oven pizza

Grab a piece of toast, layer it with some sliced cherry tomatoes,

break some low-salt mozarella apart and add any other
toppings of choice (strips of chicken or mushrooms). Bake 10
minutes at 180 C (fan)/200 electric/Gas mark 6/400 F.

Avocado on toast with egg

Toast a piece of bread. Mash avocado with a fork then spread

on toast. Put a fried/boiled/scrambled egg on top. Sprinkle herbs
or spinach to finish.

Grilled sandwich / Mega melt

Spread some homemade pesto on a piece of toast. Break up some

low-salt mozzarella, strips of chicken or any other fillings of choice.
Make a sandwich with another piece of toast and spread a little butter
on both sides of the sandwich. Fry in a griddle pan until golden.

Bread and butter pudding

Grab 2 slices of toast and cut each into 4 triangles. Layer half of them
on the bottom of an over safe dish. Top with 1/2 apple, peeled and
thinly sliced. Add the rest of the bread on top. Pour a mix of 2 eggs, 2
tbsp milk and 1 mashed banana over the bread. Leave to soak for a
bit, then bake 30-40 min at 170C (fan)/190 electric/Gas Mark 5/375 F.
Did you know babies should have 3-5 servings of carbs per day?

Of course, you can serve something else besides bread, but carbs are important for a
body which is in its growth stages. Why is that?

Carbs provide energy, whether we're talking about starch or sugars (the two types of
carbohydrates). At least half of the energy in our diet should come from carbs, mostly
from the starchy ones. Since babies are not allowed sugar, then starch-based foods
become even more important as a source of energy.

There is also a type of carbohydrate found in plants, called dietary fibre; this produces
less energy mainly because it is not absorbed in the small intestine. On the more
positive side however, it keeps the digestive system healthy.

Have a look at the table below, which references the levels of carbs in various foods:

Food (per 100g) Carbohydrate (g)

Brown rice, boiled 29.2
Spaghetti, white, cooked 31.5
Spaghetti, wholemeal, cooked 27.5
Baked potato (with skin) 22.6
Wholemeal bread 42
White bread 46.1
Lentils, red, cooked 17.5
Peas, cooked 10
Sweetcorn, canned 13.9
Banana 20.3
Raisins 69.3

If you have some stale bread left in the cupboard, have a go at the bread and butter
pudding.

Older bread is perfect because it soaks in all the moisture from the egg mixture.

And it's a shame to waste, right?

 I'm muffin
without you...
I swear, whoever invented the term finger foods must have probably imagined a muffin.

They are so right for tiny hands and you can see the delight of the little one when he or
she is stuffing their face with it.

Babies never say no to a muffin.

That's why you have to make the most of it. And we're lucky, cause we can incorporate
so many things in it to make it sweet or savoury.

Have a look at the recipes below.

Basic muffin recipe 2-2-2-4

Mix 2 eggs, 2 tbsp oil, 2 generous tbsp of Greek yogurt, 4 tbsp of flour
and a little bit of baking powder. You can also add fruits or cheese to
the mixture. Bake on medium for 30-40 minutes.

Carrot muffins

Mix 2 medium carrots (grated) with 2 large eggs, beaten,

and 60 g of butter, melted. Pour over 150 g of flour and add
2 tsp baking powder. Add 3-4 tbsp milk to reach a soft
consistency. Bake in a muffin tray until muffin springs back
when pushed and golden on top.

Oat muffins

Mix 80 g oats with 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 cup desiccated

coconut and cinnamon. Separately, mix 1/3 cup Greek yogurt with
1/4 cup of milk, 1 egg and 1/3 cup peanut butter. Bring together
the two mixtures in a muffin tray. Top with blueberries if you wish.
Bake for 20-30 minutes on medium.

Banana muffins

Mash 4 ripe bananas and mix with 2 large eggs, beaten, and 60 g
butter, melted. Add the mixture to 150 g flour mixed with 1 1/2 tsp
baking powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Bake until golden brown and
springy at 170C (fan)/190C electric/375 F/Gas mark 5.
 Millet muffins

Boil 50 g millet (left to soak overnight and thoroughly rinsed the next
day) in 150 ml of milk until all milk is absorbed. Add 1 egg and 40 g
curd cheese. Bake in ramekins/muffin tin at 180C (fan)/200C
electric/Gas mark 6/400 F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on
top.

Millet makes a great gluten free alternative to cereal and good source of iron. You can
find more info about it on my blog.

If you can't find curd cheese, there's a recipe on my blog.

So why do babies fall for muffins?

The shape - they find it attractive because it's often uneven from the baking and looks
like a ball. Usually round stuff are associated with playtime but also something to be
chewed on;

The texture - bread-like; no crunch, just soft dough, easy to take a bite out of;

The inside - if you're filling them up with colorful ingredients, it makes a nice picture to
see them poke at blueberries for example, while practicing that pincer grasp at the
same time.

Experiment with the base recipe and make one sweet and one savoury alternative.

I would recommend blueberries and Cheddar cheese.

I sure would like a chocolate chip muffin right now...

 Mamma mia...
You can't go wrong with pizza. Unless it's terrible pizza.

This is about homemade pizza. No tossing in the air or flicks of the wrist. Just some
dough and toppings.

Dough sounds complicated, but most often than not you do not need many
ingredients. In fact, you don't even need yeast (which is probably one of the
ingredients that keeps people away from making pizza).

Tip: Don't have a rolling pin to flatten the dough? Use a glass or bottle. It's what I
have used for years before I eventually bought a rolling pin.

Have a look at the recipes below.

2 ingredients pizza dough

Mix 1 part flour (cup or anything you want to use as

measurement) with 1/2 part Greek yogurt. Knead, stretch and
flatten dough and top with homemade tomato sauce or sliced
tomatoes and toppings of choice. Bake 15 min max at 230C
electric/210C fan/450F/Gas mark 8.

3 ingredients pizza dough

Mix 3 heaped tbsp flour, 3 tbsp warm milk and 1/2 tbsp oil.
Knead a bit, then stretch to 5mm thick. Add toppings, then
bake for 15 minutes at 220C electric/200C fan/Gas mark
7/425F.

Cauliflower pizza base

Grate or process in a food processor 340g cauliflower

until it resembles breadcrumbs. Microwave for 4-5
minutes, then squeeze excess moisture using a towel.
Mix cauliflower crumbs with 1 large egg, 50 g grated
mozzarella, 2 tbsp grated parmesan and any dried herbs.
Using your hands, spread to 1.5 cm thick, bake 15-20
min until golden at 220C electric/200C fan/Gas mark
7/425F. Add toppings then bake another 10 min.
 Broccoli pizza base

Cook 5 broccoli florets for 6 minutes in boiling water.

Blend cooked broccoli, 125ml (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt and
2 tbsp oats. Add this mix to 125g flour and 1 1/2 tsp
baking powder. Knead then roll dough until 5mm thick.
Finish with toppings and bake 10 minutes on a medium
temperature.

Puff pastry pizza

Unroll pastry sheet unto a baking tray and fold edges

to create a 1/2 cm border. Bake at 220C
electric/200C fan/Gas mark 7/425F for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, spread toppings then bake for
another 10 minutes.

Pizza usually bakes at high temperatures in order to have a perfectly cooked

crust and to ensure any cheese toppings are cooked properly.

Feel free to experiment with temperatures and cooking times if you know your
oven is a bit tricky or dough comes out too dry or not cooked enough.

What I found interesting about this dish is that the dough itself can be easily
adapted to incorporate almost anything. As long as you have a base that stays in
one piece, doesn't crumble when baked and can sustain some amount of toppings,
then you're good to go. The sky is the limit.

Try using a bit more non-conventional toppings, like wilted spinach, or any
leftovers, like cooked meat.

Babies will have a go if something looks different or is presented to them in a

different way to what they are used to.
 Keep calm and
eat pasta...
The Italians must be rocking at baby led weaning, don't you think?

Pasta is so easy to cook and "configure", not to mention it has shapes and sizes made
for babies to hold when they're just starting out.

What I recommend in terms of shapes are macaroni, ravioli, penne, fussili, farfalle,
gnocchi and derivatives. Basically, if you want to stay out of the spaghetti mess, any
short shaped pasta will do. However, for babies just starting out, spaghetti is easier to
grab with the whole of their palm.

In order for babies to get the most of any pasta toppings, make sure there is a
sauce in there, so that the toppings stick to the sauce and they actually end up
in your little one's tummy.

Simple salmon pasta

Cook pasta according to instructions. Mix with

leftover cooked salmon or cook a fresh one
according to the package (I prefer to bake it for
20 min in the oven). Pour some sour
cream/yogurt to bind everything together and
serve with tomatoes.

Broccoli and garlic pasta

Cook pasta according to instructions. Boil

broccoli until just tender. Drain pasta and
add chopped broccoli. Using a garlic
press, smash 1-2 garlic cloves into the
mixture. You can add a bit of yogurt to
make everything stick together better.
Optional: top with inactive yeast flakes.
 Mac & cheese
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. In a
sauce pan, melt 25g butter. Stir in 25g flour and cook until it
begins to bubble. Remove from heat and add 300ml milk
gradually. Stirring constantly, bring the whole thing back to
the boil, until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir
almost 100g grated cheese. Tip in the cooked pasta and stir.
Pour everything in an oven proof dish, grate some more
cheese on top and bake for 20 min at 200C electric/180C
fan/Gas mark 6/400F.

Salmon and broccoli bake

In an ovenproof dish, arrange 3 skinless

salmon fillets, cut in chunks. Add 250g pasta,
cooked al dente, and 1 medium head broccoli,
boiled until just soft. Pour over a bechamel
sauce made from melting 25g butter, stirring in
25g flour and stirring constantly, 300ml milk,
until it thickens. Mix 50-75g grated cheese with
25-40g breadcrumbs, sprinkle over the top and
bake for 30 min at 180C electric/160C
fan/350F/Gas mark 4.

Pasta pudding
Grate 1 apple and mix with 1/2 tsp cinnamon. In a bowl, mix 1
egg, 100g curd cheese and 100g sour cream. Add 150g of
cooked spaghetti (or any pasta shape) and coat them well with
the sauce. Add the apple and cinnamon mix. Pour everything
into ramekins or one ovenproof dish and bake for about 35-40
min on a medium heat.

The broccoli and garlic recipe is great for little ones who are going through a cold or
a flu. The garlic should give them a boost.

Wholegrain (brown) pasta is higher in fibre, protein and less processed than the
white regular pasta, so do try to consume more brown over white.

If you're looking for gluten-free alternatives, then there is rice or corn flour pasta
that you can use in your cooking. Also, there's this trend nowadays to spiralize
veggies like zucchini and make it look like you're having a great (green? broccoli?)
spaghetti dish!

Tip: pasta is another great way for babies to practice their pincer grasp!
 It's a piece
of cake...
Jo here, with some last ideas for first foods! All have that bread-like feeling to them,
so they're guaranteed to do the trick in baby led weaning.

They don't belong to a particular category, so let's just say they're other bakes and
cakes you can easily make baby friendly, with ingredients you already have.

Also, the benefit of these is that they last for up to 3 days in the fridge or can easily
be freezed and then warmed up in the oven for a couple of minutes (except the
pancakes which can only be frozen).

One of the recipes is actually Jamie Oliver's. Can you guess which one?

Easy pancakes

Beat 1 egg. Mix with 1 part flour (cup or other measuring

utensil), 1 part milk and about 2 tsp baking powder (if you
have self-raising flour, omit the powder). Fry on medium heat,
in a lightly buttered pan. Serve with fruit.

Apple pudding
Mix 2 eggs with 125ml milk and 15g butter, melted.
Add 100g plain flour and mix well. In this mixture, drop
500g apples, cored and thinly sliced. Make sure slices
are all coated in the batter. Pour the whole thing into a
lightly buttered ovenproof dish/pan and bake for 60
min at 200C electric/180C fan/Gas mark 6/400F.

Quiche
Line a pie tin with 250g of shortcrust pastry. Bake blind for
10-12 min. Remove from oven and spread fillings of choice
(cooked salmon, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach
etc) on the bottom of the pastry case. Beat 3 eggs with
115ml milk and a little bit of pepper and pour this mixture
over the fillings. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Bake
for 40-50 min at 190C electric/170C fan/Gas mark 5/375F.
 Fruit clafoutis

Mix 3 eggs with 60g of sour cream/yogurt. Add 3

tbsp butter, melted, and 35g plain flour. Pour all
the batter into an ovenproof dish (mine has 26cm
in diameter). Top with sliced pears, apples,
plums, cherries or blueberries for example. Bake
at 200C electric/180C fan/Gas mark 6/400F for
20-25 min or until brown on top.

Empanadas
To make the dough, mix 240g plain flour with 100g cubed butter
until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 100g yogurt/sour cream and
mix well. Leave the dough to chill in the fridge until you prepare
the filling. You can use wilted spinach, cheese, chicken strips,
mushrooms, broccoli, spring onions, cheese etc. Spread and roll
the dough and cut into circle shapes using a glass or big cookie
cutter. Put 1 tsp of filling on half of dough circle. Brush some
beaten egg on the edge to make sure the 2 halves will stick
together when you fold. Brush some more egg on top and bake
for 20 minutes on medium heat.

Choose one of the recipes above and modify it according to what you have in
the fridge/pantry/kitchen.

Drop me an email and let me know how you modified it.

You have to dare to change in order to see the change.

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