We've Been Sick And...

The child brings the germs home from daycare/school and gives them to the adults because sharing is caring, right?!?!

It's been 2 weeks full of tissues, antibiotics, and decongestants around here and I wanted to share what I do during weeks like this when life is too chaotic or I just genuinely don't feel like cooking.

When starting solids, I've seen lots of "rules" surrounding what to offer, how much of it should be eaten, dozens of things that must be avoided, etc.  When it comes to sodium, calories, fat, and carbohydrates, everything is good in moderation.  The only rules I recommend stick too are 1) no honey before 1 year of age and 2) offer foods that match your child's skills.

So here's what I cooked the past 2 weeks and how you can modify them for baby led weaning when starting solids:

Grilled Cheese

A classic, and so easy.  We use butter or mayonnaise on our bread when we cook it.  As you see in the picture, there are different slice sizes to match different chewing skills.

>>The tip: let it sit for 1-2 minutes, THEN slice it.  If you try to slice it too quickly then the bread will smash down making it hard to chew.

Store-Bought Salmon Burgers

These can be served in a bowl to make it easier for a little-one’s hands to pick up, or offer with a utensil. Everything was small enough to be easily smashed.

>>Cooking Tip: bake these to keep the crusting to a minimum for new chewers.

Hoagies

Subs, grinders... where I'm from they're hoagies.  We love them and adding aaaaaaaaall of the things to them.  Not pictured is a toasted roll, but when sliced thin it's also an option. We use ham, turkey, salami, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.  Some of us like mayo, other don't.

>>Tip for the meat: don't toast, and offer shredded.  You can ask for shredded meat from your deli counter or just really pick it apart yourself. Also, try not to add seasonings that contain sodium/salt.

Here's to happy meals shared!!  Emphasis on the MEALS shared... I've had enough with the germs shared haha!!

-Marie

Infant Feeding Specialist

Speech-Language Pathologist

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

Certified Infant Feeding Educator

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