When my first child started eating solids, I soon felt overwhelmed by the work involved in preparing meals. After some trial and error, I found an effective method that works well for me and allows me to quickly cook small home-made meals.
The secret is to cook in large quantities and freeze.
To do this, I first used glass jars (I prefer to freeze in glass jars rather than plastic, it’s healthier to defrost in the microwave). At first, I used to reuse the container of the small pots bought in the shops. Finally, I bought a set of empty jam jars that allow me to store and freeze the dishes I cook.
By cooking two dishes a week in large quantities, I soon have a stock of varied home-made menus. Each dish is then fed to my baby once a week for 4,5, 6 weeks depending on how many jars I manage to fill. My food processor helps me to cook in large quantities. It’s also cheaper to buy meat in larger quantities and cooking it directly avoids waste.
It works for purees, fruit purees and chunky dishes for older children. I run with about ten recipes, my baby eats a varied and balanced diet and I only must take out a jar every day when he is looked after at lunchtime.
BUY GLASS JARS FOR TODDLERS’ MEALS
Here are some recipe ideas, but you can vary them endlessly:
- Pasta, salmon, a little yoghurt, grated cheese
- Chicken, rice, pepper, cream
- Pasta Bolognese: minced beef, carrots, tomatoes, grated cheese
- Lamb, tomatoes, carrots, polenta
- Veal, pumpkin, potatoes
- Chicken, rice, mushrooms, cream
- Sausages, courgettes, pasta
- Veal, onion, carrots, pasta
- Monkfish, sweet potatoes, potato
Good luck in this new stage of life as a mother and don’t hesitate to share your tips and recipes in the comments :).
