The official recommendation is to introduce solids from six months, and each of these books signpost not only the best foods to start with, but also when to try potential allergenic foods (iStock/The Independent)
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One minute your little one is guzzling just milk, the next they’re developing their palate with finger foods, purees and more.
Making the transition to introducing solids can be overwhelming, from knowing what you can and can’t feed your baby, to coming up with healthy recipes to engage their taste buds – and attention – and balancing milk feeds.
Thankfully, this is where the experts come in, and there is a myriad of colourful and informative cookbooks available, written by food bloggers and writers to celebrities, chefs and expert nutritionists.
The official recommendation is to introduce solids from six months, and each of these books signpost not only the best foods to start with, but also when to try potential allergenic foods.
Whether you’re opting to follow a baby-led approach to weaning – where your little one takes the lead and feeds himself finger foods – or planning on feeding your baby purees, or a combination of both, we chose cookbooks which would cater for all tastes.
We were looking for books that not only covered recipes, but also included additional guidance regarding introducing solids to your baby.
While we were looking for books with flavoursome and inventive dishes, we also wanted to make sure the recipes were straightforward and practical and didn’t demand long lists of hard to find ingredients, so even the busiest of parents could get on board.
Happy reading, cooking – and weaning!
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When it comes to living and eating well, father of two and household favourite Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, certainly knows his onions. Written in collaboration with nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, Wick’s first cookbook for babies is packed with 100 recipes, nutritional advice, and colourful full-bleed high res imagery. The cookbook is easy to navigate, with chapters signposted according to your child’s age range – “six months”, “seven-nine months” and so on. Contrary to the cookbook’s title, recipes can take a little longer than 15 minutes to cook, but they are certainly worth the effort. We’d particularly recommend the raspberry and oat fingers and the spinach, banana, and sweetcorn mini muffins.
‘Ella’s Kitchen: The Cookbook: The Red One’ by Ella’s Kitchen, published by Hamlyn
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When it comes to weaning, Ella’s Kitchen is one of the standout brands on the market, and this cookbook is arguably just as indispensable as its products. It’s one of the only cookbooks we tested that is designed to appeal to children too. Recipes are presented in fun and colourful way, with plenty of photos that feature children getting involved and cooking. It’s packed with nutritional information that’s easy to digest (forgive the pun) thanks to a number of informative facts and tips peppering recipe pages. If you’re looking for a cookbook that will accompany your baby from weaning to toddler age, this ticks all the boxes.
‘Truly Scrumptious Baby’ by Holly Willoughby, published by Thorsons
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TV presenter, children’s book writer and mum-of-three Holly Willoughby’s debut cookbook is a favourite among parents, with Holly’s down-to-earth nature infusing her simple-to-follow recipes. Particular highlights include sample menus for each age range – helpful if you’re stuck for inspiration – and dishes such as "shooting star pasta" with lamb and aubergine and healthy alphabet soup add a touch of fun to the weaning process.
