This new book on baby-led weaning is crammed with useful recipes, and takes a relaxed approach to BLW

Words Holly Kirkwood

Baby-led weaning (BLW) has never been more popular, yet there are still so many things to consider. With baby groups, parenting forums, friendship circles and experts endlessly discussing the merits of letting a child feed themselves from the very start of weaning, feeding expert Annabel Karmel has arrived to the rescue, sharing her ideas about the best ways to get little ones to really enjoy their food, and exploring all the new tastes and smells opening up to them, in her newest book.

Baby-Led Weaning actually champions a flexible approach to feeding: it’s a recipe-filled guide designed for those wanting to explore baby-led weaning exclusively, as well as for families looking to introduce BLW alongside purees.

No ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to weaning, says Karmel, and this fab collection of 120 family friendly recipes is paired with simple tips and advice for everyone.

“The most important aspect of weaning is to introduce a wide variety of healthy foods, flavours and textures early on, and encouraging self-feeding of soft finger foods and family meals undoubtedly encourages good habits from the start” maintains Annabel.

“Whilst many families thrive on self-feeding, others find that offering a mix of both works best for their baby.  The reality is, you don’t have to commit to one method, and my new book shows you how to incorporate baby-led weaning into the family routine, whether you adopt self-feeding exclusively or combine with spoon-feeding.”

Recipes for the whole family cover breakfast, vegetable dishes, poultry, fish, meat, snacks and more. Using everyday mealtime ingredients, the whole family can explore a world of food with recipes such as Speedy Crostini, Cauliflower Panko Breadcrumbs, Thai Rice Veggie Wraps and Tasty Beef Quesadilla.

With such a variety of recipes, it’s an indispensable guide for the mum who worries about which approach is best, and you can have plenty of fun expanding your repertoire in the kitchen along the way – although don’t worry, everything inside is super easy to make and you don’t have to be masterchef, thank goodness.

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