I have always found the use of the words ‘Tea’, ‘Supper’ or ‘Lunch’ a difficult one to come up with and although I did grow up with tea in the evening (coming from the west of Ireland) I think it's confusing for a parent trying to feed their young child. Instead I am much more a fan of offering two dinners and a breakfast to your weaning baby.
This question comes up regularly during my weekly Weaning Wednesday Q&A that I hold over on our Instagram Channel. Please join us and submit your questions.
Let's talk about Dinner 1 first:
When: Usually around 12 to 12:30 and just before your baby goes down for their afternoon nap.
What: It's best to include the protein at this meal. Offering a balanced meal to include a protein, carbohydrate, fruit and or vegetable.
My advice is to batch cook your baby’s dinners in advance and portion using our weaning pots. Defrost in the fridge the night before serving.
- Chicken and Bean Chilli
- Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry - Slow Cooker eBook
- Beef and Lentil Ragu
- Sweetcorn and courgette fritters
Dinner 2
When: Around 5 to 5:30pm
What: You can skip the protein at this meal but its also ok to include. Include a carbohydrate and vegetable and try to change it up each day.
Here are some recipe suggestions that can be found on my website:
Most of these recipe are easy to whip up on the day. Have a few sauces prepared in advance to speed up the process.
So the next time you are stuck for ideas on what to offer to tea or super think of it as a dinner and you can offer a whole variety of textures and flavours.
Our Weaning Advice page provides information and advice on weaning your baby. It includes recipes, tips, and articles on a variety of topics related to weaning, such as introducing finger food, adding herbs and spices to baby food, and healthy snacks for your baby, and lots more
