Our resident Nutritionist Betty O’Neill shares some of her favourite recipes to make food prep for your baby super simple and nutritionally satisfying! 

Introducing solid food to your baby is another step in their life. It can be a learning curve and it can be great fun – messy fun I admit. I remember with my three kids the faces they made with new tastes.

Here I have included some simple recipes using Lidl's fresh, quality products to get you start introducing solid to your baby- best of luck!

Six Months

Recipe Overview:A baby’s first food should be vitamin and mineral rich vegetable and fruit. Ensuring that they will get use to the taste, try foods on their own first.

Preparation Time:5 minutes

Cooking Time:5 minutes

Ingredients:2 Gala apples and water

Method:Peel and chop the apples. Put into a saucepan. Add a small amount of water, about 2 tablespoons. Boil for about 3-4 minutes, reduce heat, and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

When it is cool, pop the apples into a blender or liquidiser.  

Tip:This meal will contain fibre, vitamin A, and C.

Bonus Tip:Make a double portion and store in your freezer in an ice cube tray

Six - Eight Months
Recipe Overview:Babies move to mashed foods from a spoon, gradually becoming lumpier in texture. This is where you can start to have more combinations.

Preparation Time:10 minutes

Cooking Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:2 new season Maris Piper potatoes, 1 small broccoli, and 1 Organic Irish Salmon. 

Method:Chop the potatoes and broccoli. Put in your steamer, steam for at least 20 minutes.

Turn on the oven to 180C, gas 4 or 350 F. Get a tray or casserole dish, and place your salmon fillet on a parchment sheet, with a small amount of butter. Cook for 12 minutes.

When all the food is cooked, take a small portion for your baby and mash up thoroughly. Check for small bones in the salmon.

Tip: This meal will contain all the macronutrients and healthy omega 3’s for your baby’s health.

Bonus Tip:With this meal, you will have enough for tomorrow dinner- store in your fridge.

Eight to Twelve Months

Recipe Overview: The aim is to move your baby onto eating family meals. Introducing lumpy foods is important to develop their ability to eat on their own.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:500 grams Irish Hereford lean diced beef steak, 1 carrot and parsnip mix, 1 onion, 1 Knorr stock pot beef, 1 tablespoon of double concentrated tomato paste and 2 Rooster potatoes

Method:Peel and finely chop the vegetables. In saucepan sauté the onion until soft. Add the meat, brown slightly. Add the other ingredients. Simmer on a low heat for about 2 hours. Boil the potatoes in a different saucepan for 30 minutes.
 
Tip:Now your baby can start to eat all of the rest of the family’s meals.

Bonus Tip:Cook this stew in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours –saves  a lot of time.

Food on the Go!
If you are like me and some days don’t go according to plan, and you are not prepared, Lidl’s award-winning  Lupilu 100% organic baby food is the best option for when you need something ready in a hurry. Hurray for Lidl! 

For more information on the ingredients mentioned in this article, check outLidl's websiteor in stores nationwide.