Eating out with a Food Allergy

Center Parcs

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:50:13 GMT

Center Parcs Food

How we made it easier.... and cheaper!

We LOVE a trip to Center Parcs.

It’s one of those holidays that just ticks every box for us — fresh air, bikes, the pool, cosy evenings altogether… it’s such an easy win whether you’re going as a family or in a big group, and a perfect location for multi-generational trips too!

But if there’s one thing that can make or break the trip… it’s the food.

Because while eating out every night sounds nice in theory, it quickly adds up — and cooking full meals from scratch every evening isn’t exactly the relaxing break you had in mind either.

Over on my YouTube Channel I’ve just posted a video sharing how we managed food on our most recent trip! Because food at Center Parcs doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming.

With a bit of planning, you can keep things really simple — and actually enjoy your evenings instead of spending them cooking. So if you want to see how we…

prepped everything ahead of time
packed and transported food
and made it all work in the lodge

Then you can watch it here….

We kept everything really simple and focused on meals we knew everyone would eat, that we could easily cook or reheat in the villa with little effort from us.

Here’s what we prepped ahead:

Alongside this, we picked up fresh bits like milk, snacks and lunch items on the way.

If you want to make things even easier, I’ve put together a full Center Parcs food packing list with everything we took (including all the little extras people forget).

And don’t forget to check out my Amazon favourites ahead of your next Center Parcs trip.

Prep-Ahead Pulled Pork

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:49:34 GMT

The ultimate freezer-friendly pulled pork for quick, easy meals

If you love having easy meals ready to go, pulled pork is one you need in your freezer. It’s one of those recipes you can throw together, leave to do its thing, and come back to something that tastes like you’ve put in way more effort than you actually have.

It’s perfect for batch cooking and freezing, so you’ve always got something ready to go—whether that’s stuffing it into wraps, loading up a jacket potato, or throwing together an easy dinner with whatever you’ve got in.

This is my go-to pulled pork recipe for pizza nights, busy weeks, feeding a crowd, or prepping ahead for trips like Centre Parcs—it’s simple, reliable, and always comes out so good.

Ingredients:

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Boneless shoulder of pork (approx. 2kg)
2 litres apple cider
BBQ sauce

Method:

1. Mix together the spices, sugar & seasoning into a bowl. Set aside whilst you prepare the pork joint and place it into a slow cooker dish. Rub the seasoning all over the pork joint.

2. Wash hands and then pour in the cider into the slow cooker dish. Put the lid on and cook on low for around 6 hours.

3. Once it has cooked, lift the joint out of the slow cooker dish and into a glass dish. Cut the skin off and shred the meat using 2 forks. Then add in a good amount of bbq sauce and mix well.

4. Leave to cool and refrigerate within 90 minutes. Can be frozen for 3-6 months.

5. To reheat, defrost and pop it into a pan with a splash of water and a dash of extra bbq sauce. Reheat over a medium heat until piping hot all the way through.

This pulled pork is a favourite prep-ahead meal for us when going to Center Parcs! Watch how we saved ourselves a small fortune & made life easy for ourselves….

Lasagne Recipe

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:48:06 GMT

The ultimate make-ahead lasagne for busy weeks, hosting, and Centre Parcs prep!

If you love meals that make life easier later on, lasagne is about to become your best friend.

This recipe isn’t just delicious—it’s perfect for batch cooking and freezing, so you’ve always got a proper homemade dinner ready to go.

Whether you cook it fresh or stash it away for another day, it’s one of those recipes you’ll be so glad you made… especially on the days you really can’t be bothered.

Here’s my go-to lasagne recipe for hosting, batch cooking, or prepping ahead for Centre Parcs—this one never fails me!

Serves 12

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onion, diced
3 carrot, diced
3 celery stalk, diced
6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1kg Lean beef mince
2-3 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml beef stock
250ml red wine
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
18-24 lasagne sheets (depending on the size of your baking dish)
2 x 200g pack mozzarella, sliced
Approx 120g cheddar cheese, grated

For the white sauce

100g butter
100g plain flour
1100ml milk (any)

Method

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onion, carrot & celery for 5 minutes, until soft. Add in the garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the mince and cook until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients; wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes & seasoning and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and leave to simmer on a medium heat for around 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, make the white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and cook on low for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk whilst whisking to combine until you have a Loose sauce. Heat over a low/ medium hea, whilst whisking until the sauce thickens.
Once both components are ready. You can assemble the lasagne into 2 large baking dishes. Start with 1/6 of meat mixture at the bottom of each dish, top with a few slices of mozzarella and then the lasagne sheets and the white pasta sauce. Repeat twice so each dish has 3 layers. Top the final layer with the grated cheddar.
At this point, either bake in the oven (fan 180C) for 45 minutes, or allow to cool (for maximum of 90 minutes) and then cover & freeze. When ready, defrost in the fridge and bake covered with foil for around 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes until the centre of the lasagne is piping hot or reaches 75C.

This lasagne is always our go-to prep meal to prep ahead for any upcoming Center Parcs trips! Watch how we kept our Center Parcs food easy & to a budget here:

Hidden Veg Tomato Pasta

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:41:24 GMT

Hidden Veg Tomato Pasta Sauce

If your weeknights often feel chaotic, you NEED this in your freezer!

This hidden veg pasta sauce is blended smooth, kid approved and made for being your most trusted food in the freezer. Reheat straight from frozen when you need a quick, healthy meal in minutes. No chopping, no last-minute prep, just dinner.... sorted!

RECIPE:

1 onion, diced

1 aubergine, chopped

1 courgette, chopped

2 peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sprinkle of Italian mixed herbs

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

400ml Veg Stock

Handful of cheddar cheese (approx 50g)

1-2 tbsp pesto (optional)

Put everything into a pan, except the cheese & pesto
Bring to the boil and then cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes
Add the cheese & pesto. Blend.
Freeze in individual portions (I use these silicone food cube trays that I've had now for over 8 years! - Amazon aff link )
Once frozen solid, transfer the cubes into a freezer safe bag

To reheat, put 2 cubes per child into a microwaveable jug and reheat on full power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30-40 seconds. Serve with pasta or gnocchi.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Favourite

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:24:37 GMT

Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast muffins in our house are like gold dust – one minute they’re there, the next….. gone! Any time my 7 year old can have ‘cake’ for breakfast she sees is as a massive win, but if that ‘cake’ is free from refined sugar, made with oats & contain fruit – it’s a win for me too!

I’ve been making these muffins on repeat for weeks now and I LOVE them! These save my sanity on busy mornings, or sometimes I sub a couple of these in Mia’s lunchbox when she’s fed up of sandwiches. I’ll pop the recipe & instructions below but if you would prefer to watch how I made them, and get some inspiration for other quick make-ahead breakfasts, then make sure you click on the YouTube video below!

The only snag with these muffins is that you do need to wait a while when they come out of the oven before trying them – They will taste great but won’t be very easy to take out of the paper casing. However, once they’ve had chance to fully cool down, they’ll easily come out of the paper case.

RECIPE

Makes 12 breakfast muffins. Will keep for 2-3 days at ambient in an air tight container. Freeze for longer & defrost overnight or for 2-4 hours.

Ingredients:

140ml milk
100g oats
100g greek yoghurt
115g butter
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 overripe banana, mashed
100g honey
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
115g blueberries
60g chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 215C. To a jug, add the milk, oats & greek yoghurt. Stir and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter either in the microwave in short bursts or over a medium-low heat in a pan. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together; flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda and cinnamon.
In another bowl, mash the banana and add the rest of the wet ingredients; honey, egg & vanilla extract. Stir and add to the dry ingredients with the oat mixture & the melted butter. Add in the blueberries and chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Do not be tempted to over-mix.
Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cases and sprinkle with oats, if you like.
Bake the muffins at 215C for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to 180C and bake for a further 16-17 minutes, until the muffins are cooked. Do not remove the muffins from the oven when turning down the heat.
Once cooked, leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then pop them onto a rack to fully cool. These are best eaten once fully cooled, or the next day!

Make-Ahead Breakfast Favourite

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:07:16 GMT

Baked Pancake Sheet

I LOVE LOVE LOVE pancakes, BUT….. I hate standing at the hob cooking them all – it seems to take forever! This is a fantastic alternative for when you don’e have the time (or inclination) to flip pancakes. This sheet pancake recipe cooks in the oven in 18 minutes which means that instead of standing over hot frying pan, I can get cleared up, chop the fruit, set the table and overall, it’s a pretty productive cooking time. It’s also free from refined sugar so it’s also a healthier alternative and I can hand hand on heart say the kids love it!

It’s also one of my favourites because the mixture can be made the night before (see the notes at the bottom of the page) AND the leftovers freeze and reheat really well... making it a perfect option for busy mornings!

And if you would prefer to watch how I made them, as well as get some inspiration for other quick make-ahead breakfasts, then make sure you click on the YouTube video below!

New Paragraph

Make-ahead Breakfast Favourites

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:57:15 GMT

Super Easy Granola!

Since making my own granola, I’ve become a little obsessed and I haven’t ever looked back at shop-bought; in fact, I don’t think I ever will! This granola is SO good, keeps well in the cupboard for weeks and you can easily adapt it to the flavours you like!

Greek yoghurt topped with homemade granola and fresh berries on top is one of my favourite ways to start the day! And there’s no gate-keeping here so I’ve popped the recipe for you below.

And if you would prefer to watch how I made them, as well as get some inspiration for other quick make-ahead breakfasts, then make sure you click on the YouTube video below!

RECIPE

Make ahead up to 2 weeks in advance – longer if stored in an airtight container

420g rolled oats
150g mixed nuts
75g mixed seed mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
120ml oil (any - vegetable oil or coconut oil)
120ml honey & maple syrup mix (both or just one) 100g –
200g raisins
150g Chocolate chips (or as much/ little as you’d like!)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas mark 5
2.Mix the oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, honey/ maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract in a bowl

3.Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and bake the granola for 18-20 mins, stirring halfway through

4.Once golden, leave to fully cool for at least 30 minutes
5.Once cool, break into clusters and as many cranberries & chocolate chips as you’d like (the

more the merrier in my opinion!)
6.Store in an airtight container. Will keep fresh for up to 2-4 weeks.

Crispy Sesame & Sweet Chilli Chicken

PH935075 — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:19:32 GMT

Crispy Sesame Sweet Chilli Chicken

If you follow me on social media, you'll know I am never without my stash of homemade chicken nuggets in the freezer! They're so versatile, the kids love them AND they can be cooked straight from frozen in the air fryer in less than 20 minutes.... I mean is there a reason you don't have them in your freezer stash?!

Now the kids love these chicken nuggets just as they are (of course, with a huge dollop of ketchup on the side) and I serve them up with my homemade frozen chips, but we tend to go a little more adventurous with ours, aka spicy! Our current favourite is this sesame & sweet chilli sauce, and it's SO good I just had to share the recipe.

As a side note, if you're wondering how I make my homemade chicken nuggets and homemade chips, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel - you'll find it all on there!

RECIPE

Homemade chicken nuggets - see video here

Sauce Ingredients:

1 fat garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sweet chilli dipping sauce
1/2 tsp chinese five spice
1 tsp ginger puree
Sesame seeds, optional

Instructions:

Remove the tray inside the air fryer basket. Cook the homemade chicken nuggets in the air fryer for 18 minutes at 200, or until they are cooked all the way through to a minimum of 75C. Alternatively, cook in the oven allowing 5-10 minutes extra cooking time until thoroughly cooked all the way through.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding all the ingredients, except the sesame seeds, to a bowl.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce to the air fryer basket, coat the chicken and continue cook for another 2 minutes. Alternatively, heat the sauce in a small saucepan.
Serve the chicken drizzled with the sesame & sweet chilli sauce and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. We love this dish served with some white rice & vegetables.

Enjoy!

Kids Party…. On a budget!

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 14:53:06 GMT

Pizza Party... On a Budget!

Trying to feed 16 on a tight budget though can be tough, until I realised the perfect solution that will keep both the kids and adults happy….. A PIZZA PARTY!

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the cheap supermarket pizzas you can get, but also couldn’t justify the cost of going for more expensive options when you’re in the region of needing around 12 pizzas... which also meant takeaway was totally out of our price range too. So instead, I decided to make the pizza dough instead and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY with the cost saving; so much so I ended up triple checking my calculations myself!

By making the dough ourselves, we made enough dough for 12 pizzas for a TOTAL cost of £2.52… making each pizza base just 21p! Seriously , 21p!

Now of course, making it yourself does mean you need to add a little extra prep time leading up to the party and on the day, but I was happy to spend a little more time based on how much we were saving doing it ourselves. And the good news is, the dough is freezable so you can make it a couple of weeks in advance; which is exactly what we did.

Of course, once I realised how much we were saving on the pizza bases, next minute I was also making the pizza sauce too – making a huge quantity for less than half the amount it would have cost to go for a tinned option!

I’ll pop the recipes below and some instructions, but if you want to see the full extent of our party prep; check out the video here

Freezable Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 x 7g Sachet Yeast

320ml Water (luke warm if proving at room temp, cold if proving overnight in the fridge)

1tbsp Granulated sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1tsp salt

500g Strong white flour (or ideally 00 grade pizza flour)

Method

1. In a bowl, activate the yeast by mixing the yeast, water and sugar. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients; oil, salt & flour and mix until a dough is formed. If you have a stand mixer, use the kneading attachment to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and you can successfully do the ‘windowpane test’* (see notes). Alternatively, lightly flour a surface and knead the dough by hand. If the dough looks a little dry, add another splash of water whilst kneading.

3. Once the dough is ready, lightly grease a bowl with a spray or brush of oil and pop the dough inside. Cover with clingfilm and allow the dough to prove at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. If you are making this dough 24 hours in advance and don’t want to freeze it, prove the dough in the fridge instead.

4. Once the dough has risen, remove from the bowl, knock out some of the air and split into 4. Either use or freeze at this point! To freeze, just place each ball into a labelled freezer bag and remove as much air from the bag as possible to avoid freezer burn.

Pizza Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves

2 x 400g chopped tomatoes

3tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp light brown sugar

Fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions on a medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, except the fresh basil. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for 25- 30 minutes.

3. Add the fresh basil to the sauce and season. Blitz using a hand blender or processor.

4. Cool down the sauce within 90 minutes and either store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze.

Fluffy Freezable Pancakes!

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:55:15 GMT

Freezable Fluffy Pancakes!

Pancakes in our house are a win-win; it’s my kids’ favourite breakfast & I love the fact that I can load them up with fruit first thing in the morning… no questions asked!

There’s lots of pancake recipes out there… but this one has become a firm favourite in our house for over 2 years now and, it NEVER fails us! Sometimes we might toss in some chocolate chips but for the most part, we serve them as they are - loaded up with berries, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of Nutella! YUM.

I’ll pop the recipe below, but first, let me answer some of your questions when it comes to prepping these pancakes ahead of time for a super easy breakfast!

RECIPE

Makes: 10-12 pancakes

Suitable for: 6m+

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter

220g Self-raising flour

1.5tsp baking powder

1.5tbsp caster sugar (white or golden)

3 large eggs

180ml milk (any)

1tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan over a low heat. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl; flour, baking powder & sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, vanilla extract and a splash of milk. Mix using a balloon whisk or mixer.

Slowly add the remaining milk, whisking well between each addition to help reduce the formation of any lumps. Once smooth, add the melted butter and mix.

Over a medium heat, heat up a non-stick frying pan and pour in 2-3 rounds of batter; making sure the rounds aren't touching. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side and repeat until all the batter is gone.

Pro tip: To keep these hot whilst you cook the rest of the mixture, pop them onto a baking tray in the oven on a low heat.

Sterilising - Everything You Need to Know!

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:29:04 GMT

Whether you breastfeed, formula feed, exclusively pump or combination feed, chances are you have questioned yourself over sterilising; what needs to be sterilised , how often and until when?!

When our babies are little, it’s our natural instinct to want to do everything we can to protect them! So… here’s a run down of what you NEED TO KNOW when it comes to protecting them from germs and bacteria when it comes to their own feeding equipment!

BUT… Before we get into the detail of the ‘what, how and when’s’ of sterilising, I’ll start by answering the simple question of Why do we need to Sterilise?!

The most important factor to point out here is that babies under 1 don’t have the same immune systems as us adults, or even older children. Sterilising will help kill any bacteria present in your baby’s feeding equipment, ultimately helping to protect your baby from infections that may cause your baby to suffer symptoms of sickness and diarrhoea.

But don’t be daunted by the need to sterilise equipment! It really is straightforward once you get the hang of it and hopefully this blog will help you to answer some of your questions covering EVERYTHING you need to know about sterilising…

What needs to be sterilised?

Regardless of whether you are breast feeding or formula feeding, there is typically always something that needs sterilising!

If you’re formula feeding……

Before every feed, you will need to make sure that all parts of your baby’s bottle have been sterilised; including the bottle, teat, lid and any internal parts of the bottle such as anti-colic venting tubes.

If you’re breast feeding……

If expressing breast milk, the NHS advise that you should store expressed breast milk in sterilised containers or in special breast milk storage bags (which are pre-sterilised and ready to use straight away).

When it comes to sterilising breast pump equipment, this isn’t an area where there is a lot of research so often advice regarding sterilising breast pumps can differ between professionals.

In the UK, the NHS recommends that all equipment which comes into contact with your baby’s milk (including equipment used to collect, store or feed expressed breast milk) is sterile. However, the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, along with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, advise that after sterilising before first use, subsequently washing breast pump parts with hot soapy water is sufficient for healthy babies .

Ultimately, how often you choose to sterilise your breast pump equipment will be your own personal decision taking into account the health of your baby, what you feel comfortable with and are able to realistically sustain on a daily basis. It’s important to remember though that sterilising will always help to add an extra layer of protection for your baby; which may be particularly important if your baby is less than 3 months old, was born prematurely or has a weakened immune system.

If you haven’t used your pumping equipment in a while though, it’s always best to sterilise before using.

Anything else you need to sterilise?

As well as baby’s feeding equipment (such as bottles), it is also a good idea to sterilise other items which regularly go into baby’s mouth like dummies for the first six months of baby’s life - especially as these items seem to always end up on the floor!

Is it Necessary to Sterilise Weaning Equipment?

Once you’ve finally mastered sterilising baby bottles, it is then time for weaning! Along with a whole raft of questions you may have about weaning, in those early days you might wonder…. “ Do I need to sterilise weaning equipment?!”

Rest assured… if you’re weaning around the recommended age of 6 months, then there is no need to sterilise the equipment you use for food such as bowls, spoons or cups and washing in hot soapy water or using a dishwasher will be sufficient for these weaning essentials.

However, if you decide to wean before 6 months, it is recommended by the NHS that you do sterilise baby’s feeding equipment until they reach 6 months.

Don’t forget though that it is always important to follow good food hygiene practices at any age! Check out some of my other blogs about preparing first foods as well as tips on storing, defrosting and reheating your baby’s food here.

How to Sterilise

Before you start…

There are a few different methods to choose from when it comes to sterilising, but regardless of what method you choose, there are a few things you need to do first!

First things first; you need to physically clean all parts of the baby’s bottles or feeding equipment first using either hot soapy water or using the dishwasher. If using the dishwasher, make sure all of the hard-to-reach places; particularly inside teats, are thoroughly clean before sterilising!

Once you’re happy all parts are clean, rinse using cold running water and you’re ready to go…

TOP TIP: Remember to sterilise all the parts of the bottle separately! Don’t assemble bottles until after sterilisation has taken place.

Sterilising Methods

There are lots of devices on the market to help you when it comes to sterilising your baby’s feeding equipment either at home or on the go. Essentially, there are 3 main methods for sterilising:

Using steam
Using boiling water
Using a cold-water sterilising solution

Providing each method is done correctly, all are deemed to be effective so the method you choose is likely to come down to personal preference as well as how often you need to sterilise items, the price of sterilising equipment as well as the room you have in your kitchen!

After Sterilising

Always wash your hands before handling any sterilised equipment!

If you can, leave your bottles and teats in the unopened steriliser until you need them. However, once you have opened the lid to the steriliser, even if it is just to remove one bottle, always assemble all the remaining bottles inside the steriliser, being careful not to touch the teats and always ensuring any surface used to assemble the bottles is clean.

And remember…. Condensation in the bottles is completely normal! This is nothing to be worried about as the water inside the bottles is sterile… just don’t be tempted to dry the bottles as you may inadvertently transfer bacteria from the cloth into your freshly sterilised bottles!

How Long do items stay Sterile for?

Bottles and teats should stay sterile for approximately 24 hours if they have been assembled or left in an unopened steriliser.

When storing expressed breast milk, if you have used a sterile container to store your breastmilk in the fridge or freezer, there is no need to change the container or re-sterilise once milk is inside the bottle.

When is it okay to stop Sterilising?

To put it simply, it's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment such as bottles teats and breast pumps, until they are at least 12 months old.

Once your baby starts crawling and decides to start putting EVERYTHING in their mouth… you might be tempted to stop sterilising earlier than recommended - But it’s important you don’t! As I mentioned earlier, milk residues are breeding grounds for potentially harmful bacteria so during the first year of their life it is important to protect their health as much as possible.

By the time your baby has reached 12 months old, their immune systems will generally be much more resilient.

Although you may be counting down the days until you can stop sterilising, remember that there is no harm if you continue to sterilise bottles and feeding equipment for as long as your baby is using them, and sterilising will always add that extra layer of protection for your little one…. Just make sure you continue sterilising until they are at least 12 months old.

TOP TIP: Once you do decide to stop sterilising after this time; make sure you always wear rubber gloves when washing up any feeding equipment so you can get the water nice and hot!

Hopefully this blog has answered all of your sterilising related questions... and more!

References:

National Childbirth Trust (NCT), 2019. How to sterilise baby bottles, breast pumps and other feeding equipment. Accessed 7 ^th February 2021 [ https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/feeding/practical-tips/how-sterilise-baby-bottles-breast-pumps-and-other-feeding-equipment ]

NHS, 2014. A Guide to Weaning. Accessed 7 ^th February 2021 [https://nhsforthvalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/A-guide-to-weaning-April2014.pdf]

NHS, 2019. Sterilising Baby Bottles. Accessed 7 ^th February 2021 [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/sterilising-baby-bottles/]

Cooking & Reheating Baby Food

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 10:56:55 GMT

There’s no doubt that there are so many exciting things to think about when you begin the weaning journey with your little one like choosing a high chair, shopping for snazzy bibs, debating which cup and cutlery is best and deciding what amazing tastes to expose your baby to first... but it’s important not to forget that amongst all of this, any food you serve needs to be safe! Babies and young children don’t have the same immune system as us adults (or even older children) so we need to make sure we’re extra careful with their little tummies!

It is estimated that there are 2.4million cases of food borne illness in the UK every year but it’s not just restaurants that can give you food poisoning – You can also make yourself (or your family) ill whilst cooking at home too. The good news is that there are so many things you can do whilst preparing food to prevent this….

Keep it Clean

When preparing food for your little one, keeping clean is so important! In reality, this doesn’t mean having a ‘spotless’ kitchen but instead, a clean environment where you prepare food, with clean hands using clean equipment! Here’s some top tips to help you organise your kitchen to help you safely prepare meals for your baby and the rest of the family….

Wash your hands – Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing any food, and after handling raw meat
Clean work surfaces - Disinfect food preparation surfaces using a clean dishcloth before starting any food preparation. If you can, use a paper towel squirted with anti-bacterial spray to clean surfaces after preparing raw meat and poultry as this will help make sure that you don’t pick up food poisoning germs and spread them around the kitchen!
Clean utensils – Make sure equipment is clean before you start using it and if you can, opt for colour coded equipment to reduce the risk of cross contamination between raw and ready to eat foods. Never prepare ready to eat food such as salad on a board that was previously used to prepare raw meat.
Wash fruit and Veg – They might be low risk foods, but bacteria can also be found on fruit and veggies too so don’t forget to wash these thoroughly under cold running water before serving to baby. If you’re using frozen veggies in baby’s food, make sure that these are cooked before serving to your baby according to the back of pack information.
Don’t be tempted to wash raw chicken! Washing your chicken will not ‘wash off’ the bacteria (only cooking will make it safe to eat!). If you wash chicken, you are instead more likely to cause food poisoning by inadvertently spreading more bacteria around the kitchen.

Cooking

Cooking veggies by steaming/ boiling or roasting is pretty straightforward, but those first tastes don’t last for long and you’ll soon be branching out to more exciting foods for your baby to try, many of which may include meat or fish. Regardless of how you serve meat to your little one, it’s important to make sure that it is thoroughly cooked.

Remember - Just because it’s cooked on the outside, doesn’t mean it is cooked on the inside! Here’s how you can check that meat is safe to eat…

Use a food probe – Checking the temperature of the thickest part of meat is the most accurate way (and the way I would recommend) to check food is cooked, whilst also making sure it is not overcooked! If using a probe, make sure the probe is clean and the meat has a core temperature of 75C for at least 30 seconds.
Cut into the thickest part of the meat to make sure there is no pink meat visible
The meat must be steaming hot throughout
Meat juices run clear

Cool Foods Quickly

I am a huge fan of keeping leftovers to use as an easy meal another day! After cooking, make sure you cool any leftovers and pop into the fridge or freezer as soon as possible. Never allow food to sit out on the side for more than 2 hours after cooking.

Be aware that simply putting your hot food in the fridge may not be enough to make sure it is cooled down quickly and safely! There are lots of things you can do to help speed up the cooling of food such as dividing into smaller portions, using an ice bath or stirring regularly.

Keep Leftovers for Another day

Whether you have no children, young children or older children... reheating leftovers is always a good idea! As a rule of thumb, leftover food can be kept in the fridge and used within 2 days (1 day for rice) but if you want longer than this, then just pop your leftovers in the freezer .

Defrosting Purees

If defrosting baby purees, the best way to do this would be overnight in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours…

But, did you know that you can cook baby purees from frozen?!

Reheating Purees

Baby purees are often best served at room temperature, but don’t be tempted to partially reheat food for your baby to avoid having to wait for it to cool. Unless served cold straight from the fridge, baby purees should always be reheated until piping hot; which means steaming throughout, to kill off bacteria.

The best ways to reheat baby are:

On the hob
In the microwave

If cooking a portion of baby puree from frozen, make sure you increase the cooking time and stir regularly (every 20-30 seconds) to ensure there are no hot spots and that the puree is evenly heated so it is piping hot throughout.

Remember though that foods can only be reheated once so make sure you divide your puree into baby friendly portions before storing in the fridge or freezer!

Hopefully you find this blog useful in helping you prepare for the weaning journey with your little one!

Handling Leftover Rice

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 20:37:01 GMT

One of the things I ALWAYS get asked is whether it is safe to reheat rice! If you’re anything like me, I can never seem to gauge just how much rice to actually cook so I always seem to have left-overs. But, what’s all the fuss about with leftover rice?

It’s important to know that if cooked rice is not handled correctly, it can make you (or your little one) violently ill.

Rice contains bacteria called Bacillus cereus. Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacteria; meaning that it forms protective layers (spores) which survive the heat of cooking. If cooked rice is left at room temperature for too long, then the bacteria can multiply and produce toxins; which can cause food poisoning. It’s important to point out here that once these toxins are present, they will NOT be killed by further reheating; regardless of reheating until piping hot!

So, how can you handle leftover rice safely?

How quickly you cool rice after cooking is critical in ensuring that your leftover rice will be safe to use.

You should always make sure your rice is always cooled down as quickly as possible, but always within an hour and a half! This doesn’t mean just putting cooked rice straight in the fridge though……..

Simply putting hot rice in the fridge may not be enough to help cool it down quickly, especially as this will also raise the temperature of the fridge itself. Instead, I’d recommend stirring rice regularly and helping to speed up the cooling process either by:

Running it under cold water (this works great if you’ve not added anything to the rice!)
Dividing it into smaller portions
Stirring regularly
Using a homemade ‘ice bath’ – Like this….

Once your ric e has cooled down, cover it, put it in the fridge and use within 24 hours ! You can eat leftover rice cold from the fridge the next day but if you reheat, make sure you reheat fully until piping hot throughout.

Did you know? …. Y ou can also freeze leftover rice? ! Just make sure you still cool it down as quickly as possible after cooking and when you’re planning to use it, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until piping hot within 24 hours!

Allergens - Labelling & The Law!

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:47:34 GMT

The prevalence of allergies across Europe has sharply increased over the past 20 years and in the UK, it is estimated that over 2 million people are living with a diagnosed food allergy, excluding those with food intolerances. Whether you have personal experience of living with a food allergy, have dealt with it when weaning or have simply heard some of the tragic stories of others, there’s no doubt that allergies is something we have all become more aware of over the past few years!

Dealing with food allergies can be a daunting and overwhelming experience so if you or your little one is diagnosed with an allergy, you may feel anxious. Hopefully this blog will help to give you confidence in understanding food labels by identifying exactly what is required by law, what a food label should look like, may contains as well as busting some common food allergy myths!

�� Allergen Labelling

What’s required by law?

Since 2014, it has been a legal requirement for all food businesses in the UK to declare if any food they provide contains any of the 14 major allergens as an ingredient. Whilst you may have an allergy outside of the 14, these allergens are the only ones that are required to be declared by law:

Celery – (May also be listed as celeriac)
Cereals containing Gluten (such as barley, wheat, oats, rye, spelt)
Crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters)
Eggs
Fish
Lupin
Milk
Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
Mustard
Nuts (tree nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts)
Peanuts
Sesame
Soybeans (soya)
Sulphites

If you or your child is allergic to an allergen outside of the major 14, then you should still be able to identify whether it is present (or not) in pre-packed food by checking the full ingredient list…. It might just take a little longer to spot!

How to identify food allergens on packaging?

For any pre-packed food, you will always be able to find the allergens within a product by checking the ingredients list on the back of pack.

In compliance with European legislation, allergens must be emphasised on the label of prepacked food; which could either be bolded, highlighted or underlined. Just remember to check the food label every time, even if you’ve purchased a food before as ingredients and recipes can change!

Here’s an example of how easy it should be to spot any of the 14 major allergens when reading a food label...

Please note that from 1st October 2021, food defined as ‘pre-packed for direct sale’ will too come under the pre-packed food requirements with full ingredients required to be listed on the packaging with allergens emphasised…. This is the outcome of years of campaigning for ‘Natasha’s Law’ after she tragically died after consuming a sandwich from Pret a Manger in 2016.

May Contains - What's the De al?!

On most food packaging you will often see precautionary allergen labelling such as 'may contain'..... although you may also see other phrases such as 'Made in a Factory that also handles X' or 'Not suitable for'. You may have wondered to yourself whether this precautionary labelling is just manufacturers simply 'covering themselves' or could it actually contain the allergen?

Whilst there are many things a food manufacturer or business can do to remove the risk of an allergen cross-contamination, there may still be a real risk of cross-contamination where there is no guarantee that all traces will be removed; for example when several different products are made on the same site or using the same production line. This must be risk assessed by the manufacturer and therefore 'May Contain' labelling should only be used where there is a real risk of contamination.

For this reason, 'may contain' warnings must always be taken seriously, although the severity of your allergy will often determine whether you can tolerate products that carry a 'may contain' warning.

MYTH BUSTING

I have an allergy... Surely I can just choose the vegan option?

Not necessarily! Whilst food listed as vegan will not contain animal-based allergens such as egg, fish, crustaceans, molluscs and milk as ingredients, there may still be a possibility of unavoidable cross-contamination that could occur during production.

The Vegan Society does not claim that products registered with the Vegan Trademark are suitable for people with allergies, so make sure you always check the label for any additional 'may contain' information.

Misleading Foods….

There are a number of foods whic h, despite having the word ‘nut’ in their name are not members of the tree nut or peanut families and not regarded as any of the 14 major allergens! For example:

Co conut
Chestnut
Nutmeg
Butternut Squash
Pine Nuts

A little bit won’t hurt…..

For someone with a food allergy, even a trace of the food they are allergic to coul d trigger a severe reaction.

Ultimately, if you or your child suffers with an allergy, there is law in place to help you make informed choices about the food you eat or serve, although remember that it is always your decision whether you choose to eat something… or not.

Just make sure you ALWAYS carry your adrenaline auto-injector (such as your Epipen) on you and ....

If in doubt, don’t take the risk!

Top Tips for Washing Toddlers Hands

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:00:59 GMT

It is really important to embed a good hand washing routine as early on in life as possible. As your baby progresses into a toddler, it’s important to change your hand washing technique as they grow, keeping it fun whilst giving them lots of praise and encouragement! Here’s some ideas how you can start getting your toddler involved in washing their hands and help them to understand that it’s an important part of their daily routine…

Get a step stool so they can reach the sink themselves
Give them independence – Toddlers LOVE the feeling of being able to do something for themselves, so supervise to make sure they wash their hands properly but let them do the main work themselves.
Always communicate with them to tell them it’s time to wash their hands and why (it’s dinner time for example!)
Sing a song with them whilst they wash their hands. Hands should be washed for 20 seconds which is enough time to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice, but you could always sing along to a nursery rhyme or any other song your child loves to make sure they stay at the sink long enough!
Teach them the importance of washing their hands using body paint or glitter every so often so that they have a visual aid of how they need to wash their hands for them to be clean

.. And don’t forget to also wash your hands at the same time! Not only will this help keep everyone safe, but seeing you lead by example will be a great learning tool for your little one from any age.

Here are some nursery rhyme adaptations which you can use to sing to your toddler and translate 20 seconds of hand washing into toddler language!

Top Tips for Washing Babies Hands

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:49:44 GMT

Anyone who has begun weaning their little one can sympathise it gets MESSY! But what about cleaning your baby before mealtimes?!

We should always wash our own hands before eating and babies’ hands are no different... especially once they are old enough to start eating, crawling and getting into all sorts of mischief! Hand washing is the simplest, yet most effective way to stop the spread of bacteria and therefore keep our babies safe and protected from illnesses.

For some tips on washing your baby’s hands; including the logistics and what to use on baby’s skin, I’ve answered some of the common hand washing questions below….

How should you wash your baby’s hands?

One of the most straightforward ways to wash your baby’s hands is of course to hold your baby over the sink, balancing them on your knee and washing their hands with soap and water as you would your own (being careful not to press little one’s tummy into the sink whilst doing so).

However, if the logistics of doing this isn’t for you (especially when your baby is little), then you can also apply soap to their hands using a dampened soapy washcloth instead, using another dampened with just water to wipe away the soap.

Remember you can also put the bowl of soapy water in front of baby or toddler, using a cloth to make sure you get in between all of their fingers, and again use a damp cloth to clean off the soapy residue.

Just make sure when you’re drying their hands, the towel is clean and dry.

What to wash their hands with?

Soap and water are always best to wash hands with… regardless of age!

However, if you’re worried that your regular kitchen soap might be a little too harsh for your baby’s delicate skin, then you can always use some of their regular body wash instead! Truth is…. anything soapy will do the job when it comes to handwashing!

What about when out and about?

When out and about, always stick to using soap and water wherever you can.

If there is no soap and water available, hand sanitiser may be used if there is no alternative but make sure you rub it in until completely dry and keep your baby’s hands well moisturised as alcohol based hand sanitisers can be a little harsh for your baby’s delicate skin. Remember that alcohol-based sanitisers are best to be effective against viruses such as Norovirus and Coronavirus.

References:

WHO, “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Advice for the Public”, 2020

Batching Baby Foods!

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:21:08 GMT

The weaning journey with your little one is such an exciting time for so many reasons, but let’s be honest…. Regardless of whether you’re a ‘working mum’ or a ‘stay at home’ mum, preparing 3 meals a day can be nothing short of exhausting!

Grabbing a home cooked meal from the freezer after a busy day or when you quite frankly just need a break is why batch cooking, or freezing portioned leftovers, is an absolute lifesaver!

Whether you’re at the start of your weaning journey or not, this blog will give you some pointers about batch cooking to help you stock up your freezer safely. Remember that infants and young children do not have the same immune system as us adults so it’s always important to be extra careful when preparing and handling food for your little one.

What foods can be batch cooked?

You can of course make recipes specifically to portion and freeze, or you could just make more of what you’re already cooking so you can pop the leftovers in the freezer ready for another day! Whichever way you decide to batch cook, the good news is that you can freeze almost anything!!

That’s right… even if you defrost raw chicken, meat or fish from the freezer, you can still portion and freeze the leftovers of the cooked meal to reheat another day! It’s important to remember here that you aren’t ‘re-freezing’ the meat as it has been cooked in between.

The only exception to freezing of course are when you are simply reheating a previous meal, as you can only reheat food once.

Top Tips for Cooling Food Quickly

Hot food should always be cooled as quickly as possible, but always within 2 hours, to make sure bacteria does not multiply rapidly to levels which would make the food unsafe to eat.

Whilst you don’t want to leave your food on the side for so long you forget about it, don’t be tempted to simply put a bowl of hot food straight in the fridge for it to cool down. Putting hot food in the fridge will raise the temperature of the fridge and other foods around it; which not only puts other foods at risk, but also affects the capability of the fridge to cool down your food quickly! In addition, putting hot food in the fridge doesn’t guarantee it will adequately cool down quickly enough.

Instead, here are some tips to help you cool down your food as quickly as possible so you can pop it in the freezer (or fridge) and forget about it… until you’re in need of a homecooked meal in a hurry!

Di vide into smaller portions
Use an ice bath! I always recommend using a separate container to do this, but you can of course use your sink if you’d like.
Run food under cold running water – This won’t work for everything! But perfect for quickly cooling down foods such as rice, pasta or a hard-boiled egg for example
Regularly stir food whilst you are cooling it down as this will help to chill food more evenly, preventing ‘hot spots’ within the core of the dish
Spread out into a container with a larger surface area – for example….

Just make sure if you have foods on the side, you don’t allow flies to land on the food! Particularly in hot weather but is important any time of the year so you may find a mesh cover is a good investment!

Once cooled, your portions of batch cooked food can go in the freezer ready to save your sanity another day…. And voila!

How long can batch cooked foods last in the freezer?

Ideally, as a general rule of thumb, you should aim to use food that’s in the freezer within 3 months.

BUT…. It’s important to know that there are no safety concerns if you feed your baby food which has been in the freezer for longer than this! The freezer acts as a ‘pause button’ on bacteria, but just be aware that the quality of food in the freezer will deteriorate over time.

If you decide not to freeze some of your batch cooked food, remember you can always keep the leftovers in the fridge for 2 days or 1 day if the dish contains rice.

Happy Batch Cooking!

Eating Out with a Food Allergy

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 15:10:34 GMT

Having a food allergy doesn’t mean that you or your little one has to miss out! Given that a staggering 44% of the British adult population suffer from an allergy , there is so much more awareness now surrounding allergies; which is great for allergy sufferers and the law protects you to make sure you are able to make informed decisions about what (or not) to eat.

In my earlier blog I spoke about the 14 major allergens, allergen labelling and may contains for prepacked items (check out the blog here) but eating out with an allergy can understandably bring a whole new level of anxiety; particularly if this is something new to you as a parent of an allergy sufferer.

This blog has been written to help you understand what restaurants have to do by law, along with some helpful tips to help you when eating out so that you feel more comfortable and in control discussing allergies.

What are Food Businesses required to do…. by law?

Eating out or ordering in… Food businesses are under the same legislation when it comes to the provision of allergen information to customers. By law, food businesses must provide allergen information regarding the 14 major allergens to customers upon request.

However, how they do it is totally up to them! They may choose to provide allergen information in writing; for example, on a chalkboard, menu or allergen matrix, or they may choose to communicate allergen information verbally. If allergen information is not provided upfront, food businesses must instead display a notice advising customers of how to obtain allergen information.

Just be aware that the law doesn’t mean that they have to serve you an alternative if there is nothing on the menu you can eat! Of course, this makes for good customer service if they do, but the legal requirement is for businesses to provide the information to allow you to make a decision as to which foods you can enjoy safely…. if any.

Top 5 Tips to help you When Eating Out with an Allergy

1. Check before you go…

If you or your child suffers with an allergy, there’s no doubt that you’ll want to check the menu before you go. This will not only give you a good indication of the variety of food available, but you may also find that some restaurants (particularly chains) provide allergen information online too! If you do obtain allergen information in advance though, make sure you always double check with the waiter before you order… just in case!

Before heading out, you should also always make sure you check the Food Hygiene Rating. Whilst the Food Hygiene Rating is not solely based on the allergen management within a restaurant, it will provide you with a snapshot picture of the standards found at the time of inspection, including how food safety is managed on site. In particular, an inspection looks at:

• How hygienically food is handled, stored and prepared

• The cleanliness and physical condition of the premises; including pest control, layout, ventilation and lighting

• How food safety is managed and the confidence in management to maintain standards in the future

Where a premises has a low food hygiene rating, this indicates that their standards require improving; which is something you may want to bear in mind when eating out with an allergy.

2. Always Ask!

Once you’ve decided on somewhere to eat, make sure you make the restaurant aware of your allergies and always ask… Even if it’s somewhere you’ve eaten a hundred times before and know the menu off by heart!

A different chef, a last minute ingredient substitution or a recipe change is all it takes for an allergen to be present that may not have been present in the many times before.

It is shocking to hear that nearly one in ten of young people (16-24) with food allergies or intolerances keep their condition hidden, risking allergic reactions or even fatal consequences. If your little one has allergies, make sure you lead by example and always ask so that they grow up empowered to ask about allergens when eating out, ultimately helping them make safe food choices.

And remember that vegan does not mean it is safe to assume it is safe for allergy sufferers, so if you have an allergy, always discuss this with your waiter and don’t make any assumptions.

3. Keep it Clear

It can be extremely frustrating and stressful when you’re discussing allergies with a waiter who just doesn’t seem to ‘get’ your allergy or what you’re trying to tell them.

It is always best to use the allergen names that staff would find on the label or back of pack and therefore would be widely familiar with to avoid any confusion or miscommunication. For example, use ‘milk’ instead of ‘dairy’ when discussing your food allergies at a restaurant; which can be particularly important in situations where there may be a language barrier.

Alternatively, you could also carry an allergen card on you, which could include translations and universal infographics to help you ensure there is no misunderstanding with the restaurant about the nature of your allergy.

If in doubt, always check as your food arrives and if you’re not confident that they have fully understood, don’t take the risk.

4. Be aware of Cross-contamination

Unfortunately, most food businesses will not have the luxury of different equipment to cater for different allergens; for example, chips may be cooked in the same fryer that has been previously used to cooked fish therefore presenting a risk of cross-contamination. It’s always worth bearing this in mind when discussing your food allergies with the restaurant and don’t be afraid to ask them about the risk of cross-contamination when cooking.

In addition, if you can, it’s always best to avoid buffets as there is often a higher risk of cross-contamination from multiple people using the same serving spoons. However, if unavoidable, make sure you discuss your allergy with the restaurant, and they may even be happy to cater for you separately to ensure you can enjoy your meal safely.

5. And last but definitely not least…..

Always check you have your auto-injector with you (or two if your allergy is severe!).

No injector = No Food

If you’ve had a good experience, try to leave a positive review for others to see or let the business know that you appreciate their effort and understanding. On the other hand, if you have had a negative experience or believe you have suffered a reaction due to incorrect allergen information being provided, you can report this to your local authority Environmental Health team. Environmental Health officers will be in a position to investigate this with the food business on your behalf.

Hopefully this blog has helped to empower you with some tips to discussing your allergies when dining out, particularly if this is a new experience for you as a parent of an allergy sufferer. We want our children to grow up feeling empowered to ask about their allergens and changes are definitely on the horizon to make sure that this is the case for our little ones!