When it comes to feeding a young family, it can be difficult to know where to start.
It seems like the most natural thing in the world of course, but with so much varying advice around on what to avoid and how to approach it – it can be pretty confusing.
And that doesn’t change whether you’re a first time parent or whether, like me, it’s your third time around.
The worries are just the same, and in some ways I have found it more difficult third time around as I’m already busy planning and preparing meals for our children and so knowing what can be adapted for Sailor is sometimes tricky.
Another difficult aspect of mealtimes for us is finding meals that suit the whole family in order to save time – we are a very busy family with a hectic schedule, and often cooking extravagant dinners which only end up in the bin because the toddler didn’t like them can be an extremely annoying waste of precious time!
I find myself relying quite often on the convenience of childrens ready meals, as on a particularly busy day (most days!) it’s just too disheartening to spend an hour or more cooking something only to have it refused…but of course these ready meals are not cheap and so not an ideal solution.
A few weeks ago, we received a new cook book by family cooking sensations The Chiappas…”Baby At The Table: A 3 Step Guide To Weaning The Italian Way”…Considering I have rarely used them in the past I do love a cook book and can flick through them for hours drooling over the beautiful looking recipes that sound divine but that seem far too complicated for me to ever attempt – but this book was different.
As well as being visually gorgeous, it was also so informative – with pages dedicated to how to get started with weaning, understanding what nutrients your child needs, what equipment you should have in your kitchen to prepare you and so on.
The recipes were broken down into sections such as Baby, Toddler, Speedy Family Dinners, One Pot Meals and Desserts & Bakes which makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.
The recipes are also interspersed with pearls of wisdom from the Chiappa sisters on how to encourage positive eating habits in children – a lot of these are approaches I already take such as keeping plenty of variety in meal times, and only offering one option – but others such as staying realistic and allowing for the fact that emergencies and delays happen and how to combat this were very helpful to me.
What I love most about this book is how simple most of the recipes are…a lot of them are nothing that you probably don’t already feed your child, but the way in which they prepare and present it makes it a bit more special and therefore more appealing – for example “Our Way With Toast” is really just Egg on toast but the way it is prepared makes it so much nicer and more interesting to a child.
There are also some great tips on getting the kids involved in the cooking process too, which I think is a vital part of helping them learn to enjoy and experiment with food.
Our favourite recipes from the book so far have been the Cheat’s Risotto (Perfect delicious risotto in 20 minutes, what’s not to love?!) , and the Baked Mac n Cheese which the kids can’t get enough of!
We also love this simple family recipe using chia seeds for a nutritious and tasty Chia Seed Pudding:
Ingredients:
– 1/4 cup Organic Chia Seeds
– 1 cup milk (you can use dairy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or any milk of your choice)
– 1-2 tablespoons sweetener (such as honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar)
– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
– Optional toppings: fresh fruits, nuts, shredded coconut, granola, etc.
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl or jar, combine the chia seeds, milk, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Stir well to ensure that the chia seeds are evenly distributed and not clumping together.
2. Cover the mixture and refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight. During this time, the chia seeds will absorb the liquid and form a pudding-like consistency.
3. Once the chia pudding has thickened to your liking, give it a good stir to break up any clumps that may have formed. If it’s too thick, you can add a bit more milk to reach your desired consistency.
4. Divide the chia pudding into serving bowls or jars. Top with your favorite toppings such as fresh fruits, nuts, shredded coconut, or granola.
5. Serve chilled and enjoy this nutritious and versatile chia seed pudding as a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert option for the whole family!
Feel free to customize this recipe by experimenting with different flavors and toppings to suit your taste preferences. Enjoy!
Over the coming weeks I have decided to challenge myself to be more adventurous with our dinner times and really encourage the children to try new things…and because these recipes are so quick and easy to follow I don’t feel concerned about wasting time on doing this, instead the book has me feeling excited about broadening our horizons with mealtimes….we will be trying the Salmon & Broccoli pasta, Chicken Pot Pie and Broccoli Balls and I’ll be sharing how we get on with them on my Instagram.
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