High-energy + nutrient-dense foods for babies

If your baby eats small amounts and needs more calories- focus on nutrient-dense foods that pack in energy, healthy fats, and key nutrients like iron and protein 

Healthy fats + high-energy foods

• Avocado – mashed, sliced, or spread on toast

• Smooth nut butters (e.g. peanut, almond, cashew) – stirred into porridge, yoghurt, into a curry sauce, noodle dish, or spread thinly on toast/bagel/crumpet (whole nuts are not baby safe, use smooth nut butter only or nuts which have been pre-ground to a fine powder)

• Full-fat yoghurt – serve plain or mix with fruit/smooth nut butter/chia seeds/ ground linseeds

• Full-fat cheese – grated, sliced thinly (wafer thin, NO chunks), or melted into food. Or cream cheese - stirred through cooked pasta, mashed into veg. on half a toasted bagel or a toast finger

• Eggs – scrambled, boiled, poached or made into an omelette, baked into savoury muffins, or made into pancakes

• Oily fish (e.g. salmon, trout) – flaked and mixed into meals

• Hummus – as a dip for flatbread fingers, veggie sticks or spread on toast

• Coconut milk – in curries, or sauces

• Extra virgin olive oil – drizzle over roasted veg or mix into mashed potato

Iron-rich foods

🥩 Red meat - soft-cooked beef brisket, pulled pork, or slow-cooked lamb

🐟 Oily fish - like salmon – great for brain health too!

🫘Lentils, chickpeas + beans (mash or blend them to make them baby-safe)- try chickpeas or a butter bean mash

🥚 Eggs - scrambled, boiled and cut into strips, or omelette fingers. Or baked into savoury muffins, or made into pancakes 

🥜 Nut butters -whole nuts are not baby safe, use smooth nut butter only or nuts which have been pre-ground to a fine powder

🌱Seeds + tahini - add seeds to any sauce or stir through yoghurt or sprinkle on toast (linseeds and chia seeds are small and baby safe, or use any seeds which are pre-ground to a fine powder)

🥦 Dark green veggies - try soft cooked broccoli florets, or spinach and kale blitzed into a sauce or shredded finely 

🌱Tofu- try blending into sauces/smoothies or serve whole as a finger food

TOP NUTRIENT TIP: Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, or fruit) to help absorb it better!

Recipe tips

• Add full fat Greek Yoghurt to fruit

• Serve smooth nut butter with anything you can think of!

• Have a bag of ground seeds- like linseeds - on the counter ready to sprinkle on anything - toast / oats / sauces / pasta 

• Make a nut dust (add any nut - like to a high powered blender) to sprinkle on meals or add to cooked sauces and recipes like pancakes, muffins and frittatas 

• Chicken, meat, fish are all calorie and nutrient 

• Make granola and blend into a dust so it’s baby safe- or make using oats and baby sage seeds only- like linseeds and chia - and avoid honey / sweeteners - or use only in moderation (one spoon for a larger / batch portion)

Make a batch sauce / blend

• Add a source of veg and some protein/fat -like nuts- to sauces  

• High calorie sauces like pesto and creamy nutty sauces can be made in batch and frozen into ice-cube trays

• Try my super-green blend, my tomato and cashew pasta or my homemade pesto!

• Pesto or my super green blend can be added to pasta, stirred into mashed veggies, or spread on toasted pitta

• Creamy sauces can be served with preferred whole veggies, pasta, meat or fish