Nutritionist Reveals How To Make Weaning-Friendly BBQ Food This Summer

• This National BBQ Week (3rd-9th June), iCandy has partnered with expert nutritionist Nicola Ragon-Paxton, to reveal which BBQ foods are great for weaning

• Grilled vegetables and tikka marinated paneer cheese kebabs are amongst some of best weaning-friendly BBQ foods to feed babies this summer

• Nicola also shares top tips on how to make mealtimes a little easier during the weaning phase

Barbecue (BBQ) season is fast approaching, with National Barbecue Week celebrated around the UK from 3rd June 2024. As families up and down the nation start to fire up their barbies, the parenting experts at iCandy have issued some top tips on how to make summer barbecues weaning-friendly, so that the whole family can enjoy the fun.

iCandy has partnered with Nicola Ragon-Paxton, a BANT registered nutritionist and expert in infant nutrition to find out her top tips for encouraging your baby to try new foods, as well as some suggestions on the best baby-friendly BBQ foods and which ones to avoid.

Top Five BBQ Foods That Are Great For Weaning

While burgers and hot dogs are often firm favourites among adults at a barbecue, other foods are more baby-friendly. Nicola shares her top five weaning-friendly barbecue foods:

1. Tikka marinated paneer cheese kebabs – paneer is naturally low in salt and by marinating at home you can also cut down on added sugar and salt.

2. Salad items – cut cherry tomatoes in half or better still use large tomatoes cut into wedges, pepper strips, avocado wedges, cucumber circles.

3. BBQ grilled vegetables – such as aubergine, pepper, onion, courgette.

4. Fruit salad – (no added juice needed, the juice from the fruit will be enough) with some full fat Greek yoghurt or cream.

5. BBQ grilled fish with lemon and summer herbs – salmon and seabass work really well – just be sure to check for small bones.

Nicola advises that it’s important to “Make sure all food is well cooked (particularly poultry) as babies are at greater risk of harm from food poisoning.”

“There are a lot of foods that you can make yourself at home to provide a more nutritious meal for your young ones. Making your own BBQ condiments such as hummus, potato salad (made with yoghurt dressing rather than mayo) or homemade burgers means you can avoid high levels of salt and other additives. Serving homemade salsa and guacamole can also be a nice alternative to ketchup or BBQ sauce, and they contain lower levels of sugar and salt.” continues the nutritionist expert.

Why BBQs Are Great For Baby-Led Weaning

Nicola says “If your baby is six months or older, baby-led weaning is a great, family-focused way of introducing solids and it especially lends itself to summertime when we tend to eat together, often outside, with lots of different foods.

“Sharing meals with babies at a BBQ can really encourage them to explore foods in a relaxed way, and the variety on offer is a great way for them to experience different flavours and textures. Remember, these early months are when your baby will be most open to different tastes!

“Many parents also find that they can relax a bit more when the mess is all outside, and it’s even better when it’s warm enough for the baby to just wear a nappy as this makes the clean-up operation much easier – hurrah!”

Cameron Appel, Vice CEO of iCandy added “When you’re eating outside with your baby, it’s also really important to ensure they keep cool and have enough fluids. Avoid covering prams with blankets as this could lead to overheating – a sunshade or parasol are a much safer option.”

BBQ Foods That Aren’t Suitable For Weaning

Nicola explains the foods she would avoid feeding little ones this BBQ season:

1. Sausages – they’re normally very salty and can be a choking hazard when cut into rounds. Minty pork mince skewers make a great alternative – just remember to take them off the skewer sticks!

2. Sauces – such as ketchup are very high in sugar and salt (once they get a taste it’s very hard to come back from this).

3. Halloumi – the popular cheese is a great addition to any barbecue spread, however it is a bit too salty for little tummies, so is best avoided.

How To Make Family Mealtimes Easier In the Weaning Phase

The weaning phase is an exciting phase of any baby’s development and it often marks the start of yet another big milestone in your little one’s life. To make the weaning phase a little easier during family mealtimes, Nicola has shared some top tips:

1. Offer foods in different sizes and shapes that are not a choking risk. Small foods, such as cherry tomatoes and grapes still need to be cut up, but avoid cutting things into small rounds as they can become lodged in the throat.

2. Bigger is better – this allows infants to pick up the food using the palm of their hand (palmer grasp), as the pincer grasp (using two fingers) develops closer to nine months old.

3. You can puree foods – as an addition to offering finger foods from six months – always make sure they have some finger foods to practice with at each meal as well.

4. Think of meal times as a sensory play session – touching, feeling, mushing, and smelling are all part of the process and it really doesn’t matter what (or what doesn’t) go in at this stage.

5. Keep the clean up for the end of the meal – there is nothing worse for a baby than being constantly rubbed with a flannel. Some research shows that babies who are allowed to get messy are less fussy as toddlers and older children!

Cameron Appel added “It’s also really important to choose a highchair which has a footrest, such as the iCandy MiChair. It helps your baby to sit up safely and helps them to enjoy the eating experience. If they are slightly wobbly, then it is fine to prop them up with cushions or highchair inserts. A footrest helps children to use their core muscles to sit up and also helps them to focus on the food rather than their feet.”

To find out more information on all things parenthood, from weaning tips to pushchair cleaning guides, please visit: https://www.icandyworld.com