Adventures in Baby Led Solids (Weaning)

So Mini girl is growing fast and exploring this amazing world. The time has come to introduce some new flavours and textures into her diet. There is this new 'thing' called Baby Led Solids (or Weaning) depending on which part of the world you are from. Abbreviated to BLS or BLW by savvy mothers.

This idea is not a new one, I am sure you would hear many a storing about this from your aunties or nana or maybe even your mother. The idea has gather motion with the publication of Gil Rapely's Book "Baby Led Weaning" .

So basically, no puree or prepared 'special' foods for baby. Introducing them to your diet with appropriate guidelines...the usual no nuts/egg/choke-able things. After 6 months, not around or before. Research has shown that babies under 6 months generally dont have the skills to sit up, bring food to their mouth and swallow it. They are just not physically developed enough to do this. Sure there may be some exceptions, but try to give a chunk of apple to a 4 month old...they drop it. If they do get it to their mouth it soon falls out.

It follows 'food before one is just for fun' a great saying that helps parent to feel at ease with their kids not eating three meals a day at six months of age. A breakfast or bircher muesli and juice, lunch of cucumber finger sanwiches and a roast leg o lamb for dinner. Or is that Iron fortified rice cereal, pureed pumpkin and rice for luncheon and pureed spinach and chicken for dinner topped of with some chocolate mousse.

So here are some photo's of Mini girl with her first piece of food, a chunk of apple.


And a few weeks later with some pumpkin soup. She was a bit confused about what to do with the soup, until she finally squished it in her palm and then brought it to her mouth.
This photo needs a bubble..."where is the food gone mumma?"

We followed BLW with our Midi girl and she has a varied palate and tries most everything put before her. The Maxi boy had rice cereal from from 4 months and the assorted puree of pear/apple/pumpkin etc...only now at almost 6 is he starting to try and love various things.

So BLW means babies don't 'choke' on food, as they self feed and regulate how much they put in their mouths and can spit large chunks out if need be. They may 'gag' but this is their natural self protection against choking, it is a skill that needs to be learned. Purees don't add anything but calories to the babies diet. Solid food isn't about calories and breast milk is their main source of nutrition form 6 months to 12 months and then onto 2 years, as recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation)

It is never to late to start BLW , even if you are using puree or mashed foods you can start BLW

Happy eating.

A Sweet Treat

My children have asked me for lots of things, a pet snake, a swimming pool, a puppy. Today I granted them one wish. A snake...no just kidding. The number one thing on my list of things not to feed my children. Doughnuts. I can hear you tsk tsk-ing on your computer chairs. But wait hear me out. I cooked them in a small amount of oil and the recipe has a small amount of sugar and butter. Anyways here is the recipe

4 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
3 Tbsp caster sugar
100g melted butter
4 1/4 cups plain flour
3 eggs
oil for cooking
caster sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Yeast, water, milk and 1 Tbsp sugar in a bowl, mix and set aside until frothy. (10 minutes or so)

Add butter, flour, eggs and remaining sugar to the mix and gently mix with a butter knife. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Add a little more flour if it is a bit too sticky. You want it coming away from the bowl and but still soft. Cover bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour (or doubled in size)

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out dough to 1cm thick. Use some sort of round cutter, I used a cup. If you have the correct tools for this go for it. I do not. The original recipe says to let them rise again, I didnt. This was not for any reason other than I misread the recipe and had three children hanging off me. So the point is, you don't need to let them rest again. After cutting out I poked a hole through the middle with my finger and stretched it out

In a high sided pot heat about 5mm of oil, this can be vegetable oil, sunflower out, peanut oil whatever you have that has a high smoking point. Not Olive Oil. Wait until oil is very hot and gently place the doughnuts in the oil.

Have some tongs handy and when dark brown turn. Place on paper towl when both sides are done. Then toss in cinnamon sugar. Eat.

Let me know how yours go...