Christine Bailey - The Top 100 Finger Foods for Babies & Toddlers: Delicious, Healthy Meals for Your Toddler

Christine BaileyDELICIOUS, HEALTHY MEALS FOR YOUR CHILD TO ENJOYThe Top 100 Finger Foods For Babies & Toddlers Christine Bailey First published in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2012 by
Duncan Baird Publishers Ltd
Sixth Floor, Castle House
7576 Wells Street, London W1T 3QH Conceived, created and designed by Duncan Baird Publishers Copyright Duncan Baird Publishers 2012
Text copyright Christine Bailey 2012
Commissioned photography Duncan Baird Publishers 2012 The right of Christine Bailey to be identified as the Author of this text has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Managing Editor: Grace Cheetham
Editor: Alison Bolus
Managing Designer: Manisha Patel
Designer: Luana Gobbo
Commissioned Photography: Simon Smith
Food Stylist: Mari Williams
Prop Stylist: Lucy Harvey British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-84899-011-1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Typeset in Helvetica
Colour reproduction by Brightarts
Printed in China by Imago My sincere thanks go to Grace Cheetham for commissioning me to write this great book. Thank you also to my amazing editor, Alison Bolus, for all her tireless patience, support and feedback. I would also like to thank my wonderful husband, Chris, and my three fantastic children, Nathan, Isaac and Simeon, for tasting every recipe numerous times and providing me with plenty of inspiration, love and support.Publishers Note The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have any special dietary requirements or medical conditions, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional before following any of the information or recipes contained in this book. Duncan Baird Publishers, or any other persons who have been involved in working on this publication, cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, inadvertent or not, that may be found in the recipes or text, or for any problems that may arise as a result of preparing one of these recipes or following the advice contained in this work. Notes on the Recipes Unless otherwise stated:
Use medium eggs, fruit and vegetables
Use fresh ingredients, including herbs and chillies
Do not mix metric and imperial measurements
1 tsp = 5ml 1 tbsp = 15ml 1 cup = 250ml Symbols are used to identify even small amounts of an ingredient. Where optional ingredients are listed, the symbols reflect both ingredients, so a recipe using olive oil, with coconut oil as an alternative, will not show the nut-free symbol, in case the reader chooses the alternative. Dairy foods may include cows, goats or sheeps milk. Check the manufacturers labelling to ensure cheeses are vegetarian.

Give only the relevantly identified foods to those children with a food allergy or intolerance.

Suitable for Vegetarians These recipes contain no meat, poultry, fish, seafood or animal byproducts, like gelatine. Suitable for Vegans These recipes do not contain any meat, poultry, fish, seafood or other animal-derived ingredients, such as animal fats and gelatine. They also contain no eggs, dairy products or honey. Gluten-free These recipes contain no gluten a protein found in wheat, rye and barley as well as products containing these grains. Egg-free These recipes do not contain any egg or egg-based products. Dairy-free These recipes do not include any dairy products, including cows milk, sheeps milk and goats milk, and products derived from them. Nut-free These recipes do not contain any nuts or nut-derived products. Nut-free These recipes do not contain any nuts or nut-derived products.

You may be able to substitute nuts with seeds. Seed-free These recipes do not contain any seeds, or their oils. Soya-free These recipes do not contain soya or soya-based products, such as tofu, soy sauce, miso or soya milk. Sugar-free In this book, the label sugar-free refers to food that is naturally sweetened with fruit only. I use xylitol as a sweetener in many recipes, but have classified it as a sugar.

Every parent instinctively wants the best for their child.

We want to help them grow up to be intelligent, happy and healthy, fully equipped to live their lives to the full. It is during childhood that they experience the most rapid growth and development, physically, mentally and emotionally. So if were looking to maximize their potential, it is essential that we ensure that they are optimally nourished. The period between birth and 5 years is one of rapid growth and development, when childrens energy demands soar as they become more independent. To fuel all of this activity, they need nutrient-dense foods in a form that will appeal to their little mouths and hands. This is where finger foods can be so important.

By providing children with a wide range of nutrient-dense bite-sized foods, you can introduce them to new tastes and textures, encourage independent eating and nourish their active bodies.

This book provides you with nutritional information on which foods to include in your childs diet, as well as featuring 100 delicious finger food recipes. The recipes are designed with pre-school children in mind, including many to tempt your little baby to start eating finger foods, but are equally suitable for older children and adults. Each recipe is packed with nutrients to optimize your childs growth and development, support immune health and provide essential nutrients for brain function. All the recipes are designed with our busy lifestyles in mind: most are quick and easy to prepare, with many suitable for freezing.