The hugely popular Annabel Karmel is a master in the kitchen and a success on the shelves. As the world’s leading expert she is the best selling author on the subject of baby and children’s food and nutrition. She has 14 titles to her name; with her first book Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner, still going strong in the Top 20 Non-fiction bestsellers. Therefore it seems certain her latest addition, The Fussy Eaters’ Recipe Book, which is already in the bestsellers list, will also be a hit with parents everywhere. In addition to her range of recipe books Annabel has also launched a ‘Make Your Own’ range of equipment to help mothers prepare baby food. This range is available from Boots. More recently her Sainsbury’s ‘Eat Fussy’ range has hit the shelves. This range offers chilled meals for 1 to 4 year olds that are healthy and easy to prepare. She spoke to Female First to give her top tips for a happy and healthy child.You’ve written books aimed at children of all ages, but do you believe it is important to put children on the right path from an early age?
Yes, it’s vitally important for two reasons. Firstly they need certain nutrients from six months, particularly iron; therefore red meat is important in a diet. Secondly essential fatty acids found in such foods as oily fish. Both of these, in substantial amounts, are hard to find in jarred baby food so it’s best to make it yourself. It’s also better to make fresh food from the start as it enables children to make the transition into family food with much more ease.Is making fresh food not time consuming?
It does take time but what I do is freeze everything in ice cube trays so I’m only cooking once a week. Then I can heat what I need daily and I’m not constantly cooking.Do you think there is a limited knowledge about baby food and what we should and shouldn’t give them?
I think it’s very confusing right from the beginning, when do you go from baby food to solids that kind of thing. But there is a new recommendation that you should be giving solids at six months and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, whereas a year ago it was from four months. Jars say from four months so it’s hard for parents to know what is right. I personally prefer to give solid food a little bit before six months, in order to give the child meat and fish, so I would recommend giving solids at about the five month mark, perhaps starting with fruit and vegetables then moving on to the fish and the meat. The reason for the recommendation is due to underdeveloped countries where the breast milk is sterile; therefore they are worried about parents giving children solid foods that may not be hygienically prepared, causing problems health wise. It doesn’t so much apply to our country. Are there any foods you really wouldn’t recommend eating or giving to young children?
Well there are certain foods you really can’t give very young babies, undercooked eggs, or anything to do with peanuts until they are at least 8 months old. You can’t give honey before a year or shellfish at the risk of allergy. I would be much more careful with a child if their parents had any form of food allergy or if they had hayfever or eczema. I’d also worry about wheat and certain intolerances. For a normal baby I would give eggs and fish from six months. Most people hold off giving these foods but I find it is more detrimental not to, as the child could lack certain nutrients enabling the brain not to develop as it should. I recently read that what a mother eats at pregnancy has a profound effect on her baby. Do you agree with this?
It’s very hard to know to be honest. Some people say if you eat lots of spicy foods then your child won’t be a fussy eater but I don’t think that it is true. By the time it all gets mashed up and goes into the amniotic fluid to feed the baby, it all tastes pretty much the same. I don’t think it makes a lot of difference though. I think the best thing to do whilst pregnant is to just maintain a healthy diet; you don’t want to be dieting whilst carrying.What are your favourite recipes from your new book The Fussy Eaters’ Recipe Book?
Well there is a really lovely burger recipe which started off as a mistake. I meant to put tomato relish into the burger but my mother had done the shopping that week and had got me tomato chutney instead. But I put it into the burger anyway and it was the best burger I had ever made. My fussy junk food recipes are very popular; especially the maple glazed grilled chicken that comes out a lovely orange colour. The marinade consists of tomato ketchup, maple syrup and sweet smoked paprika. My children love it. My hidden vegetable tomato sauce is also extremely popular, as are the quesadillas. I think children like ethnic style foods like that.
How did you come to write these recipe books?
I lost my first child and when my second came along he was a very difficult eater. I felt quite vulnerable after losing a child and wanted to make sure he ate well. That led to the book The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner which has become the bible for feeding babies. That started a whole career for me because that book was so popular. I love what I do, I am passionate about feeding children and it doesn’t even feel like work to me. I’m very lucky to be able to expand my hobby into my profession. Somebody told me that not being a trained chef works to my advantage as I cook like any normal housewife. Anybody can follow my recipes.
Children are known to eat what they like the look of, do you purposely create recipes that are aesthetically pleasing for this purpose?
Yes, I know that mothers don’t always have the time to make food more appealing but I like to do it with the children and it’s a bonding experience. If you cook with your child you are teaching them not just about cooking but about time and measuring, things like that.
What’s the best advice you can give anyone, child or adult, on maintaining a healthy diet?
Make as much as you can from fresh ingredients and give as many fresh foods as you can. Having something ready prepared in your fridge for your child when they re hungry makes it easier for your child to eat healthier. Timing is important, try and have something ready when they get home from school. That is a window of opportunity, a time when they’re so hungry so they will try something new.
The Fussy Eaters Recipe Book is out now by Ebury Press, £14.99
Rebecca Williams- Female First