Ingredients (Makes 1 baby portion)

• 3 tbsp of pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 tbsp flaked salmon
• 1½ bowl thin porridge

Method

• Steam pumpkin cubes for 10-15 minutes until soft. Mash pumpkin and fish together using a fork. Set it aside.
• Bring porridge to a boil. Stir in mashed fish and pumpkin. Lower to medium heat.
• Cook for another 2 minutes and serve.

Cooking Tip

Instead of pumpkin, you can use melon-type or root vegetables such as winter melon, palm melon, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.

Ingredients (Makes 1 baby portion)

• 6 level tbsp. infant rice cereal
• 160ml breast milk or formula milk
• 5 pieces of spinach leaves
• ½ egg yolk

Method

• Wash the spinach and soak in water for 1 hour. Blanch in water. Drain, chop finely and grind through a strainer to make a smooth vegetable puree.
• Place an egg in a pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook the egg for 10 minutes until done. Remove egg shell and take out ½ the egg yolk.
• Mash with a fork and mix with a small amount of water to form a puree.
• Mix milk with baby rice cereal as per instructions on the packaging. Add vegetable and egg yolk puree and mix well to serve.

Cooking Tip

Most infant rice cereal is enriched with iron, making it an important source of iron for babies not ready to eat meat.

Ingredients (Makes 1 toddler portion)

• ½ bowl pumpkin (skin and seeds removed, cut into pieces)
• 2 broccoli florets
• 2 slices salmon (about 2 tbsp)
• 2/3 bowl water, 1 tsp corn starch
• ½ to 1 bowl cooked shell/spiral pasta

Method

• Steam pumpkin pieces and broccoli florets until soft. Chop broccoli into 1cm cubes. Mash pumpkin and set aside
• Heat oil in a pan, pan-fry salmon until golden on both sides. Break the fish into pieces with a spoon.
• To make the pumpkin sauce:
  1. Cook mashed pumpkin with some water;
  2. In a bowl, combine cornstarch with 2/3 bowl of water and mix well;
  3. Add cornstarch mixture to mashed pumpkin to create a thick sauce. Cook until thickened and set aside. Remember to keep stirring so that the sauce does not clump together.
• Put cooked pasta in a bowl. Add salmon pieces and broccoli, pour pumpkin sauce and serve.
• You may also add a few drops of lemon juice to reduce the fishy taste.

Healthy Eating Tip

Increase your toddler’s vegetable intake with sauce or soup with mashed vegetables. Instead of pumpkin, you can also use avocado, spinach, tomato or green peas to make the pasta sauce.

Cooking Tip

Instead of pan-frying, you can either steam or bake the fish in the oven. You can also use other fish such as sole fillet, thread fin or cod.

Ingredients (Makes 1 toddler portion)

• 1 block tofu, cut into small squares
• 25g of spinach/chye sim, chopped
• ¼ of a small carrot, cubed
• 1 tbsp of corn
• 2 tbsp steamed chicken, shredded
• 1 bowl rice noodles or bee hoon (cooked and cut into 2 to 5cm pieces)
• Water

Method

• Remove spinach roots. Rinse and soak in water for 1 hour, then blanch spinach/chye sim for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Add carrots, corn, tofu and the shredded chicken into boiling water. Let it boil for approximately 5-10 minutes before adding in the chopped spinach/chye sim.
• Let the soup simmer until all ingredients are cooked.
• Mix cooked rice noodles or bee hoon with the soup and bring it to boil before serving.

Healthy Eating Tip

Fresh or pre-packed tofu and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium and is ideal for your child’s healthy bone growth and development.

Cooking Tip

Instead of spinach, you can use other dark green leafy vegetables such as bok choy, chye sim, kale and mustard green that are also high in calcium. Replace chicken with tofu if you’re making a vegetarian meal.

Ingredients (Makes 1 toddler portion)

• 3 fresh or frozen shrimps
• 2 broccoli florets
• ½ a small carrot
• ½ bowl soft rice
• ½ tsp minced ginger and garlic

Method

• Remove the intestines from the shrimps. Rinse and pat dry.
• Cut the shrimps and broccoli into small pieces. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute.
• Shred the carrot and set aside.
• Heat a little oil in a pan. Lightly stir-fry garlic and ginger. Stir in the carrot and shrimp and then the broccoli and stir-fry until cooked. Set aside.
• In a pan, bring cooked rice and 2-3 tablespoons of water to a boil. Stir in the broccoli, carrot and shrimp pieces. Cook until the rice becomes soft and creamy.

Cooking Tip

Instead of pan-frying, you can either steam or bake the fish in the oven. You can also use other fish such as sole fillet, thread fin or cod.

Ingredients (Makes about 1 toddler portion)

• 1½ tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 large potato, washed and cubed
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large can (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 200g frozen peas
• 350ml water
• 1 large can (400g) reduced-salt, reduced-sugar mixed beans – chick peas, kidney beans
• 200g minced meat (chicken/pork/beef/lamb)

Method

• Heat a little oil in a large pan and lightly stir-fry the onion and garlic until they start to soften.
• Add all the other ingredients to the pan and stir well.
• Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
• Serve with ½ bowl of rice or 2 pieces of toasted bread, as desired

Healthy Eating Tip

Stews can be a good way to get your child to eat more vegetables and get enough fibre in their diet.
If on a vegan/vegetarian diet, alternatives such as beans is a good way to ensure that your toddler has enough protein in his diet.

Ingredients (Makes about 12 toddler portions)

• 500g macaroni
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 200g low-fat soft cheese
• 200ml semi-skimmed milk

Method

• Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 15 minutes until soft. After the first 10 minutes, place the broccoli in the same pan as the macaroni or separately steam the broccoli.
• Drain the macaroni and broccoli and then stir in the low-fat soft cheese and milk.
• Heat through if necessary before serving.

Healthy Eating Tip

Mixing in vegetables with foods that your toddler is familiar with (e.g. pasta) can encourage your toddler to eat more vegetables.

Cooking Tip

You can use other green vegetables such as spinach, green peas or chopped green beans instead of broccoli. If desired, you can briefly bake the mac and cheese to get a crispy crust which your child may enjoy.

Ingredients (Makes about 12 rolls)

• 12 rice paper wrappers
• 1½ cups finely chopped strawberries
• 1 mango, ½ diced and ½ mashed to form a puree
• 1 kiwi (green or yellow), finely chopped
• Warm Water
• 2-3 tbsp of plain yoghurt

Method

• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the warm water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat.
• In a row across the centre, spread some mango puree as a sauce. Add 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped fruits (kiwi, strawberry, mango), leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side.
• Fold uncovered sides inward, and then tightly roll the wrapper.
• Mix plain yoghurt and the remaining mango puree to make the yoghurt dip.
• Best serve the rolls slightly chilled.

Ingredients (Makes 4 toddler portions)

• 1 small tub plain yoghurt
• 1 cup chopped strawberries or whole blueberries (need to cut into pieces)
• 4 tbsp of plain corn flakes, lightly crushed

Method

• In a small glass or bowl, slowly layer with plain yoghurt, chopped fruits and cereal as shown in the picture.
• If desired, flavoured yoghurt can be made by mixing plain yoghurt and fruit of choice that has been mashed. For example, you can add mashed bananas.

Healthy Eating Tip

You can make your own fruit yoghurts using plain yoghurt and the fruit of your choice. This is healthier than buying flavoured, high-sugar yoghurts from the supermarket.