Quiche / Egg Muffins

These healthy, handy little quiche muffins are quick and easy to make and are perfect for lunchboxes (yours or children’s), toddler meals, weaning feasts, substantial snacks and picnics. They also make great use of leftovers – you can put almost any old veg, cheese, herbs and shredded meat into them that you have lying around….

Banana pancakes

These have been made too frequently in the short time since I remembered about them; I’m almost sick of them already. Almost. Our local greengrocer has a box of squashy cut-price bananas which I raid almost daily to use in kefir smoothies, banana ice cream (i.e. frozen bananas chucked in the blender) and porridge; they’re…

How to persuade fussy eaters to enjoy eating a varied diet

Some people are born with the genetic inclination to like certain foods, healthy or sugary. This might give a small advantage or disadvantage in learning to enjoy eating healthily, but the way we teach ourselves to eat (and it is teaching and learning) counts for much more. Apart from anything, having a child who is…

Sweet potato and mackerel bites

Mackerel is one of those relatively strong flavours that I’m surprised how readily babies and small children take to – mackerel pate has been a favourite food of my daughter’s since she weaned. She’s always been a fan of various versions of these, but they’re definitely not ‘just’ for children; they make just as good a…

Banana, oat and coconut sugar-free biscuits

This is a great first baking recipe for tiny hands to help with – lots of squishing possibilities, helpful tasting, pouring, scrunching and mixing, and ONLY THREE ingredients. Also fool-proof to make, even if you’re trying to prevent a toddler from simultaneously falling off the chair they’re standing on, eating all the banana and smearing dough…

Sweet potato and chickpea burgers with halloumi

This is an incredibly cheap, quick, healthy and satisfying meal (don’t scrimp on the cheese). In these hastily executed dinner photos I decided to add the halloumi to the side salad – this was a mistake. It’s much better in the burger. The burgers would also be a great kid’s or weaning meal, and freeze…

Sugar-free carrot and date loaf cake

If you’re planning to freeze any of the loaf, you can spread the ‘icing’ on your slice like jam. As this isn’t super-sweet, it makes an excellent breakfast or afternoon tea with a cuppa. Ingredients 200g carrots, grated (about 2 medium carrots) 1 apple 150g dates 75g raisins 75g walnuts, chopped small (optional, only for babies over 1)…

Sue Quinn’s no-bake low-sugar cheesecake

A quick post, mostly to remind myself that this cheesecake by Sue Quinn is an extremely useful, quick and delicious pudding (that link takes you to the Sunday Times paywall, but you can read the recipe). I used around 170g of (shop-bought) low-sugar raspberry jam instead of her home-made blueberry jam, beating most of it into…

Herby cornbread muffins / loaf

Very easy to make, these make a change from the usual bread roll to have alongside soup or salad – definitely best served warm, even if you just bung one in the microwave for 10 seconds. These would be good with all sorts of additions: more cheese (of course); dried herbs; crispy bacon bits stirred through…

Sugar-free banana bread

  Makes one very large or two medium sized loaves. Ingredients 4 large, very ripe bananas 180g dried apricots or dates 120g butter 2 eggs 250g self-raising flour 50g wholemeal flour 1 medium apple or 80g apple compote 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method Preheat oven to 180C…

Baby’s first sugar-free flapjacks

This is based on a recipe that went viral among my group of ‘mum-friends’ – for a while, at any playdate, someone would pull out a tupperware of these flapjacks. They were so popular with all the children we called them baby crackjacks…They work with any dried fruit you have around, and freeze well. You can…

Sweet potato falafels

These freeze well, and are as good for babies (leave out the chilli!) as they are for party snacks, picnics or lunch boxes. Ingredients About 450g sweet potato 200g gram or plain flour 1 tin chickpeas, drained 1 small onion 4 cloves garlic A small bunch each of fresh coriander, parsley and mint 1/2 teaspoon…