High-energy + nutrient-dense foods for babies

Babies eat small amounts and need more calories per mouthful than older children and adults

When weaning and feeding babies we need to focus on nutrient-dense foods that pack in energy, healthy fats, and key nutrients like iron and protein

Puréed veggies and fruit- whilst high in vitamins and other minerals- will not ALONE provide enough calories, iron, protein and fat for babies high needs

So what do I recommend?

It’s absolutely to fine to offer tastes of veggies initially but once you are happy baby is tolerating some basic first foods, you need to progress onto foods with higher fat, iron and protein content

As soon as food starts to displace milk volume we need to ensure it is nutrient dense food

Healthy fats + high-energy foods

• Avocado: has the highest energy and healthy fat content of all fruit - offer it mashed into other veggies or fruit purées, or offer whole ripe slices

• Smooth nut butters (e.g. peanut, almond, cashew): or whole nuts which have been pre-ground to a fine powder- both can be stirred through any purée

• Full-fat yoghurt: I like full fat Greek yoghurt or plain coconut yoghurt. I like to serve yoghurt plain or mixed with smooth nut butter/ground nuts and seeds

• Full-fat cheese: grated or sliced thinly (wafer thin, NO chunks). Or soft and cream cheeses - like cottage cheese and ricotta - mashed into veg

• Eggs: scrambled and mashed with a fork or blended into a puree. For babies having finger foods try boiled egg cut into wedges or omelette fingers

• Oily fish (e.g. salmon, trout): great for brain health too! Try flakes of cooked salmon fillet whole for BLW or mash the flakes with a fork into some full fat yoghurt or a veggie puree

• Red meat: soft-cooked beef brisket, pulled pork, or slow-cooked lamb - you can blend meat into a puree with some milk or a low salt stock homemade stock to thin the texture

• Hummus: as a dip for flatbread fingers, veggie sticks or spread on toast

• Coconut milk: full fat canned coconut milk can be used in purées, and liquid meals like curries, soups or sauces

• Seeds + tahini: blend ground seeds or tahini into any puree (linseeds and chia seeds are small and baby safe, or use any seeds which are pre-ground to a fine powder)

• Extra virgin olive oil: drizzle over roasted veg or mix into mashed potato

Making purées 

When making purées after those first few tastes, try diluting the puree with babies usual milk, homemade meat or veg stock, canned coconut milk or full fat yoghurt

Diluting a veg or fruit puree with water- and filling babies belly with this regularly (past those first few tastes)- does not provide babies with the energy density they need

Iron-rich foods

Babies also need iron-rich foods, focus on including the following regularly:

🥩 Red meat:  soft-cooked beef brisket, pulled pork, or slow-cooked lamb - you can blend meat into a puree with some milk or a low salt stock homemade stock or offer finger length pieces of slow cooked, tender, meat for BLW

🐟 Oily fish: like salmon – great for brain health too! Try flakes of cooked salmon fillet whole or mashed with a fork into some full fat yoghurt or a veggie puree 

🫘Lentils, chickpeas + beans (mash or blend them to make them baby-safe): try chickpeas or a butter bean mash

🥚 Eggs: boiled and cut into quarters or omelette fingers for BLW. Or egg yolks mixed into veggie purees, or try eggs baked into savoury muffins or frittata cups

🥜 Nut butters: whole nuts are not baby safe, use smooth nut butter only or nuts which have been pre-ground to a fine powder

🌱Seeds + tahini: add ground seeds to any puree or mashed dish, or stir through yoghurt (linseeds and chia seeds are small and baby safe, or use any seeds which are pre-ground to a fine powder)

🥦 Dark green veggies: try soft cooked broccoli florets, or spinach and kale blitzed into a sauce or shredded finely 

🌱Tofu: try blending into sauces/smoothies or serve whole as a finger food

TOP NUTRIENT TIP: Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, or fruit) to help absorb it better!

Recipe tips

• Add full fat Greek Yoghurt, coconut cream or yoghurt, to fruit and veggie purees

• Serve smooth nut butter with anything you can think of!

• Have a bag of ground seeds + nuts- like linseeds and walnuts - on the counter ready to sprinkle on anything

• Make a nut dust (add any nut - like to a high powered blender) to sprinkle on meals or add to cooked sauces and recipes like pancakes, muffins and frittatas 

• Chicken, meat, fish are all calorie and nutrient dense

• Make an oat, nut + seed granola and blend into a dust so it’s baby safe

Make a batch sauce / blend

• Add some veg and some protein/fat like ground nuts, seeds or blended pulses

• High calorie sauces like pesto and creamy nutty sauces can be made in batch and frozen into ice-cube trays

• Try my super-green blend, my tomato and cashew pasta or my homemade pesto!

• Pesto or my super green blend can be stirred into mashed veggies