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CREDO: Treats Are Important If You Ban Foods, Children Want Them More' ; THE BABY-FOOD EXPERT AND WRITER ... AND MOTHER OF THREE TEENAGERS

Posted on: Sunday, 5 March 2006, 13:00 CST

By ANNABEL KARMEL

I believe that if you don't want your children to grow up to be fussy eaters, you need to introduce variety to their diet as early as possible. Children have much more sophisticated tastes than we give them credit for. Salmon teriyaki, egg-fried rice, soya sauce, sushi - al these things children love.

I believe that when you lose a child you understand what unhappiness realy is. My first daughter Natasha died at 13 weeks and it was devastating. I said I would not believe in God if I did not become pregnant within three months. I did and that puled me through.

I believe that the death of my baby led me along this career path. I used to be a musician, a harpist, but when Natasha died it suddenly felt superficial and I stopped. My second baby was not a good eater and that's how I became interested in baby recipes.

I believe that when you are younger, you think you should hide your vulnerabilities. As you get older, this becomes less important.

I believe that Jamie Oliver has done a fantastic job in terms of raising awareness in relation to school dinners. The Government spends more money on prison food than children's dinners. But it is important not to expect an overnight transformation. You can't expect children to switch straight away from pie and mash to tofu salad.

I believe that there is something greater than us and I believe in being a good person and respecting others, but I'm not religious.

I believe in family values. Of course I do, I am Jewish.

I believe the biggest gift you can give a child is a talent or skill. I made all my children learn the violin and surrounded them with music. I had to bribe them to practise at first but they al became wonderfull musicians. One of my sons performed a concerto at the Albert Hal at the age of 11 and was given a music scholarship at St Paul's. They get so much pleasure out of it and it is something they willl have forever.

I believe skiing is a great way to enjoy yourself.

I believe that organic jarred baby food is low quality,

deficient in vital nutrients such as iron and high in sugar. It is not good enough for growing babies.

I believe that the best way to feed your baby is to make fresh food from good quality ingredients. You do not have to be a cordon bleu chef. Mushing up a banana is not difficult.

I believe that treats are very important. I believe in healthy eating but if I make a cake it will be full of sugar. If you ban foods a child will just want them more.

I believe bridge is a good way to keep you mentally stimulated. I play with eight of my girlfriends every week. It's very cerebral.

I believe supermarkets are very calming. I love wandering around the aisles, looking at the fruit and veg displays, all the colours and the special offers.

I believe I have a shoe fetish. I have about 70 pairs and I blame it on the fact that I have very smal feet and I always seem to fit into display pairs. My current favourites are non-leather Stela McCartney shoes that tie up very prettily around the ankle.

I believe that going to the cinema is a wonderfull form of escapism. I'm a Gone With The Wind girl -I love epic romances like Cold Mountain. My ideal evening would consist of going to the cinema and then having dinner and a deep chat with a close friend.

I believe that to have a real friendship you need to reveal your vulnerabilities. I like to have friends that are not perfect so I can help them.

After-School Meal Planner is published on 9 March (Ebury Press, pounds 14.99) www.annabelkarmel.com

Source: Independent on Sunday, The

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