Cauliflower and broccoli cheese is one of Thomas’ favourite meals, he loves anything cheesy so this is a good way to get plenty of vegetables into him. Dont feel like you need to restrict yourself to cauliflower and broccoli, I also add a bit of carrot or leeks or even peas in the mixture for good measure.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Potato
• Cows Milk or Formula milk
• Cheddar cheese

Peel and wash the vegetables and potato cut into small chunks and steam on the hop. I find steaming the best way to preserve the goodness and flavor of the vegetables. I dont have an expensive steamer all I use is a collander in a pan with a lid. While the vegetables are softening, make a quick and easy cheese sauce pouring some milk into a pan, add the cheese and heat you may need to add a spoonful of cornflower to thicken the sauce. Once the vegetables are soft mash them together with the potato adding a little milk if required then pour over the cheese sauce and mix together.  I use a mature cheddar cheese as the flavor is stronger which makes a tastier cheese sauce, but if this is the first time you baby will be trying this it is best to stick to a mild cheddar.

Another thing I do is keep a few of the broccoli and cauliflower florets whole and let Thomas pick them up from his high chair tray and eat as finger foods. Its funny to watch Thomas chase a pea around his tray, I use the small garden peas picking them up is only half the battle, its getting them into his mouth which can be a struggle. Its all fun, all part of the learning process, Thomas picking up garden peas and putting them in his mouth will help his hand eye coordination skills, I look at it as a game I dont mind a bit of mess I can always get the hoover out at the end.

Try buying your ingredients from MySuperMarket.co.uk My SuperMarket compares all the prices from the main supermarkets to give you the best price for your goods. Its a really good compare website that works for you, its worth giving them a try see how much you can save.

I have recently tried Thomas on some bread fingers with egg as a finger food, he loves it! Egg bread fingers are a perfect way to introduce egg to your little one, I am aware that Thomas will be having his MMR vaccination soon with him now being 12 months old, one of the things the doctor asks before having the MMR is have they ever tried egg. If the baby has never tried egg then they can not have the MMR as there is a possibility of a reaction to the the vaccine. So I tried Thomas on some egg bread fingers he loves holding them from one hand to the next, sucking them and chewing them a perfect finger food that also introduces egg. Below I have explained how to make Egg bread fingers:

Ingredients:

• Bread can be white or wholemeal
• 1 x Egg
• Some full fat cows milk / or formula milk
• A little butter and oil for frying

All you need to do to make egg bread fingers is to trim the crusts off your bread and cut the slice of bread in half. Beat an egg and milk in a bowl and dip the bread into the bowl covering both sides of the bread in the egg mixture. Next use a frying pan heat a little butter and oil, add the bread to the pan and fry until both sides are golden brown. Allow to cool then cut the bread into fingers and serve.

Thomas loves finger foods, it gives him a sense of independence allows him to eat the amount he wants to eat and when he wants to eat rather then having a spoon coming at him. I try to give Thomas finger foods throughout the day for example in the mornings he has Weetabix with banana pieces in, I always save half the banana for when he has finished his weetabix, while I am pottering about after breakfast I give him the half of banana to hold and suck. Another good finger food for babys is toast with a little butter on, they will sit there and suck the toasted finger.

Here are some other great baby finger foods I have tried with Thomas:

• Cheese chunks
• Baked beans
• Rice cakes
• Bread sticks
• Cheese Strings
• Sliced pears
• banana
• Toast fingers
• Egg Bread Fingers

I find it can be expensive buying all the ingredients to make super healthy and satisfying meals for your baby, you want to use the best ingredients you can. I use MySuperMarket.co.uk to do my shopping Online. My SuperMarket will compare the prices of the goods you want to buy with all the main supermarkets and tell you the cheapest place to buy your shopping. Its worth using My SuperMarket every time you shop as one basket of goods may be cheaper at Tesco although another basket with different types of foods in may be cheaper at Asda!

Its worth giving everything a try, introduce a wide range of flavours, colours and textures to your baby to try to get them used to trying different things this will hopefully prevent any fussy eaters in the future.