Baby and Family Menu

I am often scouring Pinterest and searching on Google for family friendly meals that will easily convert into beginner finger food for my nine month old daughter. In my search it seems that there are many many other mums out there who are doing the same. I decided that since my daughter is not currently starving that I would track a week or so of foods that have happened in our house and share them here. Maybe if a few of us did the same there would be some excellent, practical resources out there for sparking creativity in the kitchen (and easy ideas!). I hope the list encourages you that you're probably already doing a great job.

Photo credit: Donnie Ray Jones 

I try to avoid a lot of packaged food and always love things that are simple. I try to include variety but this is by no means a perfectly balanced meal plan. It is me doing my best during a pretty average week with its normal change ups and routine. Enjoy!


Sunday

Baby Breakfast ~ weetbix and boiled water with some cows milk added, dry toast fingers
Mum's Breakfast ~ coffee, mashed avocado on toast and a hard-boiled egg (3 leftover hard-boiled eggs go in fridge for later. I write the date on them with a marker.)



Baby Lunch ~ zucchini and mushroom slice (normal zucchini slice recipe, added mushroom, no bacon - batch in freezer), natural organic yoghurt (Jalna or Just Organic Aldi brand) with puréed apricot
Mum's Lunch ~ sushi from the shops down the road

Baby Afternoon Tea ~ diced ripe pear
Mum's Afternoon Tea ~ nut bar

Baby's Dinner ~ puréed salmon pasta (simple white sauce, tinned salmon, broccoli, cauliflower and cheese we ate for dinner then blitzed the leftovers - still getting through this after 2 months) mixed with pureed zucchini and cauliflower, tub of apple purée (unsweetened Aldi brand)
Mum's dinner ~ homemade burgers at the Brother-in-Law's birthday BBQ

Note: This is not my complete meal plan. I eat other stuff too, but it is what I try and eat at the same time. 


Monday

Baby's Breakfast ~ Weetbix with a mango slice (I flash froze mango slices and they mush up well as they thaw)
Mum's breakfast ~ muesli

Baby's Lunch ~ zucchini and mushroom slice, fingers of dry toast
Mum's Lunch ~ a small tin of baked beans, yoghurt 

Baby's Afternoon Tea ~ plain natural yoghurt 

Baby's Dinner ~ some finger sized pieces of our pasta, apple purée tub
Mum's Dinner ~ tuna pasta bake


Tuesday

Baby's Breakfast ~ hard-boiled egg - white chopped up, yolk mashed with half an avocado (I thought this was a great meal idea. She preferred my toast.)
Mum's Breakfast ~ avocado on toast

Baby's Lunch ~ zucchini and mushroom slice (half ended up being mushed together with puréed  salmon pasta as today we weren't heaps keen on it.)
Mum's Lunch ~ frozen meatballs and spaghetti I found in the freezer

Note: You'll notice some days have afternoon tea and others don't. This is because sometimes all bub needs is a breastfeed, but if lunch was later I do solids for afternoon tea instead of a feed before dinner. 

Baby's Dinner ~ mashed potato with zucchini and pumpkin purée, dry toast fingers (because the mash was not a favourite)
Mum's Dinner ~ leftover tuna pasta bake


Wednesday

I finally did the groceries yesterday afternoon so you might notice an increase in variety. 
Baby's Breakfast ~ porridge (Uncle Toby's plain oats sachets, she'll eat about half of one sachet and save the rest in the fridge for the next day) and berry purée, diced pear 
Mum's Breakfast ~ muesli with the added leftover pear

Baby's Lunch ~ mushroom and zucchini slice, diced banana
Mum's Lunch ~ chicken, lettuce and mayo sandwich at a cafe with Nanna

Baby's Dinner ~ leftover tuna pasta bake, yoghurt
Mum's Dinner ~ Leftover tuna past bake


Thursday

Baby's Breakfast ~ diced banana, Weetbix
Mum's Breakfast ~ breakfast loaf toast (like raisin toast but more fruit, it's quite nice)

Baby's Lunch ~ mushroom and zucchini slice, cucumber sticks, puree berry and natural yoghurt
Mum's Lunch ~ salmon fishcakes at mother's group lunch

Baby's Dinner ~ chickpea patty, Heinz egg custard
Mum's Dinner ~ Leftover tuna past bake (again)


Friday

Baby's Breakfast ~ porridge and berry puree (other half), diced banana
Mum's Breakfast ~ breakfast loaf toast with sliced banana 

Baby's Lunch ~ chickpea pattie, banana mini muffin (batch in freezer), diced pear
Mum's Lunch ~ cafe (yes I know, three cafes in one week, lucky me. I call it sanity saving though. You only get these years off a few times in your life, you may as well make the most of it. I can't help that Macquarie Shopping Centre is extremely exciting for my 9 month old. 

Baby's Dinner ~ diced roast chicken, steamed veggies and plain yoghurt
Mum's Dinner ~ roast chicken from slow cooker with steamed veggies


Saturday

Baby's Breakfast ~ porridge and apricot puree, some of my breakfast toast
Mum's Breakfast ~ breakfast toast

Baby's Lunch ~ (family lunch at the grandparents') macaroni cheese, cucumber slices, veggie and fetta quiche, Heinz egg custard Nanna just has to feed bub
Mum's Lunch ~ potluck spread of macaroni cheese, veggie and fetta quiche, tomato salad, bread etc

Baby's Dinner ~ chickpea pattie, more leftover macaroni and zucchini and mushroom slice
Mum's Dinner ~ leftover macaroni cheese


So there you have it. An entire week of what was eaten in our house. In a way I hope this makes you feel better about what you're already doing and possibly give you some ideas. I would love love love some ideas in return about what you do in your house. It is hard(!) to ensure variety and balance in your baby's diet and keep on top of your own. I think it's important to not beat yourself up or become too anxious about having perfectly executed and balanced meal plans. I've been doing this for only a few months and already feel like I've improved A LOT and have more ideas. I'm sure with other bubs to come that it will come more easily.

Enjoy!