The best healthy baby and toddler weaning recipe books

Transitioning from the bottle to the bowl? Laura Pepper Wu shares her pick of the best weaning cookbooks

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h, weaning. Just when you think you’re getting the hang of this parent malarkey, your health visitor gives you the go ahead to introduce solids.

Suddenly you’re expected to whip up delicious and nutritious meals – that won’t get thrown straight on the floor – three times a day.

The questions are endless. How much should they eat? How often? How do I know he’s getting enough iron? How do I cook without salt? Why does this taste like cardboard? Will I ever leave the kitchen and, for the love of God, have they invented robotic mops yet?

Enter: baby weaning recipe books. Take the hassle out of trying to invent your own baby-friendly meals and get inspired with recipes that the whole family will devour, allowing you to sit back and relax. Or at least, go and worry about something else.

The Flavour-Led Weaning Cookbook by Zainab Jagot Ahmed

Best for: Families who prefer to eat spicy and flavourful, home-cooked meals and for raising fuss-free eaters.

Who says baby food has to be bland and boring? New thinking suggests that the more flavours you introduce early on, the more adventurous your budding little eater will be later in life. Since we all want to reduce the chances of fussy eating, table hysterics, restaurant tantrums and encourage a seamless transition to the family’s meals, this approach makes a lot of sense. Plus, spices and herbs take the place of salt and sugar to create flavourful and adult-approved dishes.

Divided into four stages, Flavour-led Weaning takes you through a complete journey from first tastes until 12 months+ when recipes such as Orange Chicken Korma, Aubergine and Courgette Bake and Hearty Lamb Hotpot are served up.

£14.99, Waterstones, Buy it now

River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Nikki Duffy

Best for: Families who prefer to eat locally grown, seasonal and organic produce. Parents who need a cheerleader to get them through mealtimes.

The main message in this pleasant-to-read book is that “feeding time = quality family time”. This is a philosophy that is perhaps lost on so many of us who find family meals to be overwhelming and downright stressful. Duffy skillfully acknowledges the challenges involved in trying to feed a child who won’t comply, and asks us to relax and enjoy the ride. A novel idea when baby is feeding everything to the dog again, but we appreciate her calming voice and confidence in us. Divided by the season, all recipes are wholesome, nutritious and require no obscure ingredients.

£14.99, The Book People, Buy it Now

Annabel Karmel’s New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel

Best for: Parents searching for nutritional advice for their new eaters and those awe-inducing mums and dads who like to plan their weekly meals ahead of time.

Hailed as the British baby-weaning expert, Annabel Karmel is the author of a wide range of children’s nutrition and recipe books. This particular one is the updated 25th anniversary edition of her original meal planner, and it’s a long-standing best seller for good reason. Following a full break down of nutritional requirements, allergy info and preparation guidelines, the book is categorized into recipes and a meal planner for each weaning stage. With beautiful illustrations and nutritional advice weaved into each section, you’ll find 200 recipes that will keep you inspired for months.

£14.99, Waterstones, Buy it now

Baby-Led Weaning Recipe Book by Annabel Karmel

Best for: Families who wish to implement baby led weaning and parents who aren’t squeamish about tomato sauce ending up in the strangest of places.

The exact opposite of spoon-feeding, baby led weaning (or BLW) lets independent eaters explore tastes and textures by feeding themselves. Yes, there’s a lot more mess – but you’ll never have to do the ‘choo choo train’ trick again. Many babies and toddlers prefer the excitement of independent feeding and, with the right recipes, little eaters can benefit from the shared social experience of eating with the whole family. This recipe book includes 120 recipes that are simple and easy to prepare, and, with Annabel, you’re safe in the knowledge that nutritional needs have been well taken care of.

£14.99, Waterstones, Buy it now

Ella’s Easy Family Cookbook: The Orange One

Best for: Families who are going broke buying Ella’s Kitchen pouches and families who like to eat their weekday meals together.

Illustrated in the same kitschy design as the Ella’s Kitchen food pouches, this cookbook offers up 100 recipes that are quick to prepare, creative and include ingredients you can get from a standard supermarket. Divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner and ‘tasty treats’ sections, the whole family can get on board with recipes such as buckwheat pancakes, bean burgers and Thai noodles.

There’s also a pull-out family meal planner and shopping list that you can pin to your fridge if you’re feeling super organised.

£14.99, The Book People, Buy it now