Top 10 Tips for Fussy Easters

1. Only buy the foods that you want your baby or child to eat.

2. Avoid empty calorie snacks like chips or soft drinks and keep a supply of healthy snacks on supply of healthy snacks on hand. Keep a ready supply of fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, cheese or other healthy foods in the fridge. When they're hungry, children won't wait.

3. Too much food on a plate can be off putting. Keep portions small and offer more if your child asks for it.

4. Introduce your child to fresh baby food rather than processed baby food. If they are used to a variety of fresh flavours in purees they are much less likely to reject these foods when introduced as solids.

5. Small children love to exert their independence. Let your child choose two out of three fruits or vegetables on offer. They'll be more inclined to eat sometimes they've chosen themselves.

6. Don't bribe or punish a child who refuses to eat.

7. Set a good example by eating with your child as often as possible. When your child sees everyone sitting at the table eating he'll follow your lead.

8. If your child isn't keen on veggies, 'hide' them in sauces and soup. What they can't see they can't pick out.

9. Keep offering foods that have been refusing previously - sometimes children need to be exposed to a new food several times before they'll accept it.

10. TRY to relax. Some parents worry so much about their child's diet that they turn small food issues into big ones. Children are easily put off their food by tension - or worse - learn to like the attention that food refusal brings.

Source : Coles Babyclub Magazine, Winter 2010

Chickpea Casserole

Serves: 6
Preparation time : 30 mins, plus 1 hour cooking
Suitable from 9 months

Ingredients:
420g canned chickpeas, drained
250g lamb, cut into small cubes
1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
300g washed baby potatoes, cut in half
1 large carrot
1/4 cauliflower, chopped
400ml salt reduced vegetable stock
tin foil
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Prehead the oven to 190'C. Add olive oil to a large stockpot and when it is hot, add onion and brown.

Add the lamb and brown all over. Add the rest of the ingredient including the stock, adding just enough liquid to cover the meat.

Cover the casserole with a sheet of tin foil to make it airgtight, place the lid on tightlly and put into the oven for 1 hour or until lamb is tender. Serve with cous cous.

For babies 6-12 months:
Take 1/2 cup of the casserole and puree with mashed cooked vegies.

For toddlers (14 months+)
Serve with toast soilders or a little mashed potato or cous cous.

Freeze
Cool casseerole and then freeze in portions in a covered plastic container for up to 3 months

Source : Coles Babyclub magazine, winter 2010

Veggie Bake

Servces :6
Preparation time : 30 mins
Suitable from 12 months

Ingredients:
450g canned tuna, drained (about 1 large can)
500g penne pasta
450g diced canned tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 broccoli head, washed and cut into small pieces
1/2 cauliflower head, washed and cut into small pieces
200g mozzarella cheese, grated
100g tasty cheese, grated

Method:
Prehead the oven to 180'C. Add pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook pasta until tender and drain. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir 1 teaspoon of olive oil through the pasta to stop it sticking together. Steam the carrot and sweet potato.

Add all the ingredients, except the tasty cheese, to the bowl of pasta and combine well. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with tasty cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

FOR BABIES 6-12 MONTHS
Puree or mash some tuna, cooked veggies, a few pieces of cooked pasta and some cottage cheese together.

Source : Coles Baby Club Magazine, Winter 2010