How to Serve Up a Treat for Your Children

IF you are a new mum, nervous about making the leap from breast or bottlefeeding to solid foods, or the parent of a fussy toddler, Annabel Karmel is the answer to your prayers.

The 44-year-old mother-ofthree is something of a heroine with parents struggling to convince their offspring there’s life beyond spaghetti hoops and Happy Meals.

She is a crusader determined to give babies and toddlers a healthier start in life.

"It is fantastic when parents tell me that they love my books.

I get about 50 emails a day from people asking for such and such a recipe that they have lost, or telling me how much their children enjoy a particular meal.

"That gives me a lot of satisfaction, as this has been a real labour of love for me. I have spent years on it. It was my therapy, I suppose, for getting over my daughter’s death."

Annabel’s first daughter, Natasha, died when she was just three months old. "It had taken me so long to get pregnant, that I was so happy when Natasha was born – life was just amazing, " she says.

"Then, one morning, I went in to find her looking not quite right, as she lay in her cot. I called the doctor, who came out, and told me I was just a new mum, fussing over nothing."

The next day, however, Annabel became more and more concerned that something was wrong and called her doctor again.

"This time, Natasha was admitted to hospital – and five days later she died in my arms.

"And she had been such a happy, normal baby. I had no way of knowing she had an infection which had spread to her brain.

When your baby dies, your first baby, you are no longer a mother, " she says. "My whole life fell apart.

"I was a musician at the time – I sang, and played the harp – and I could no longer do it. It felt superficial, empty. I gave it all up, and decided I wanted to do something with children, although I didn’t know what."

Three months later, Annabel and her husband Simon discovered they were expecting another baby.

"The birth was horrendous, " says Annabel. "My waters broke upstairs in the house, and suddenly, the baby’s head started to appear. We waited more than two hours for an ambulance to come and my husband had to deliver the baby himself."

Happily, Annabel, Simon and their son Nicholas, now 16, survived his traumatic arrival, and the couple went on to have two more children, Lara, 15 and 12-year-old Scarlett.

"Nicholas was the world’s worst eater, " says Annabel.

"And as I spoke to friends, and other mums at the nursery, I realised that everyone seemed to be having the same problems getting their children to eat.

"I looked for a book for some advice, but all I could find was the same thing – boil a bit of liver in some milk and puree it – it was disgusting.

"So, I thought, I love cooking, why don’t I have a go at writing a recipe book?"

Karmel’s The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner was published in 1991.

It became the children’s food bible, selling more than a million copies in 22 countries and she has since written a further 11 recipe books, and become a respected authority on children’s nutrition.

Yesterday she was at The Baby Show in Glasgow’s SECC to talk about the myths surrounding feeding your baby.

"There is a lot of misinformation out there and parents are very confused, " she says.

"For example, there is a new World Health Organisation directive which says that babies should be fed exclusively on milk, preferably breast milk, for six months, whereas previously it was four months.

"So you have a situation where it says on baby food jars that they are suitable from four months, but your doctor or health visitor is telling you not to introduce solids until six months."

She adds: "So what should a parent do? I think every baby is different, and you know your own baby. So if you have a big baby, say, and he or she is becoming unsettled at night, you might think about starting solid foods earlier."

Annabel also has advice for parents concerned about "healthy eating".

"Many parents know their own diets should be low fat and high fibre – but that’s not good for your baby.

Babies need butter, and cheese, and eggs.

"And while many people are cutting down on their intake of red meat, it is an important source of iron, which is important in a baby’s diet."

For parents concerned they don’t have the time or the energy to cook meals every night, Annabel is keen to reassure them.

"Making your own fresh food is not as difficult or as timeconsuming as it might seem – and it’s worth it, " she says.

"I am very sympathetic to busy parents – I have three children myself, so I know what it’s like.

"But I try to make the recipes as quick and easy as I can so you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen.

"You can plan your baby’s menus in advance, and in just a couple of hours, prepare a whole month’s supply, freezing extra portions in ice cube trays.

"You can turn many baby purees into soups for the whole family by adding stock and seasoning, and many family meals, like chicken casserole, can be suitable for your baby if you set a portion aside and cook it without salt or spices.

"Poor nutrition can cause problems which will plague your children for the rest of their lives. In childhood, eating habits are formed for life, so surely it’s worth the time to make sure you give them the healthiest start."

This year Annabel plans to publish another two books – Favourite Family Recipes and My First Cookery Book, which is aimed at children.

"I love what I do, " she says.

"To know I have helped to improve the lives of families around the world is very satisfying. And I honestly believe that it happened because of Natasha. My daughter died for a reason. This was my way of giving something back."

For more information:

www. annabelkarmel. com