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PICCOLO’S INFANT NUTRITIONIST Alice Fotheringham BIRNGS HER FAVOURITE SEASONAL FARE TO THE TABLE

This nutritious, immunesystem-boosting soup is ideal as a lunch for chillier spring days

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 portions Suitable from 8 months Suitable for freezing

Chicken thigh is more nutrient-dense than chicken breast, so it’s good to use in this delicious baby noodle soup.

INGREDIENTS • 1 tsp olive oil • ½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped • 1 celery stalk, chopped • 150ml water • 1 cube Piccolo chicken stock • 1 skinless chicken thigh or breast, chopped • 50g fine noodles or Piccolo baby pasta • 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme, chopped

METHOD Heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan. Once hot, add the onions and cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes until the onions go translucent. Add the carrots and celery to the onion mix and continue to cook for a few minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for a few minutes while you prepare the stock. Bring the water to boil and in a jug mix the stock cube in the water until it has dissolved with no lumps left.

Add the stock to the vegetables and chicken, along with thyme and stir. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the noodles or pasta and simmer until chicken and pasta are cooked through and tender, which should take around 15 minutes. If needed, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.

This early-pregnancy recipe is rich in protein and will quell your craving for comfort food

QUICK CREAMY BROCCOLI AND ALMOND SOUP WITH PARMESAN TOAST

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 2 portions Not suitable for freezing Best for first trimester of pregnancy Vegetarian

Chances are you’ll be feeling tired and nauseous in your first trimester and only simple comforting foods are what you can stomach. Piccolo’s founder Cat and I survived on a lot of easy pasta dishes and baked potatoes in our first trimesters, but tried to include lots of greenery and good proteins where possible with smoothies, homemade pesto, nuts and seeds. These are just a few ways you can get in extra nutrients during this stage of pregnancy

This soup takes minutes to make and is rich in folate and vitamin C. The almonds and peas are a good protein source, too.

MAKE THIS BABY FRIENDLY: This also makes a delicious vegetable purée for babies. Simply hold o adding any salt and pepper seasoning to ensure that it’s suitable from 6 months. INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 head broccoli, chopped up into small pieces, including the stalk • 100g frozen peas • 60g almonds • 150ml boiling water • 1 garlic clove • 1 Piccolo vegetable or chicken stock cube • Splash of milk or plant milk • Salt and pepper to taste • 2 slice of wholemeal bread • 60g parmesan, grated

METHOD In a pan, boil the broccoli, peas, almonds, garlic and stock in the water for 6-8 minutes until the broccoli is soft. Remove from the heat and ladle out half of the liquid and set aside.

Blend the ingredients together, adding more liquid if needed for the desired consistency. Add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the grill on to medium, toast the bread on one side for a minute, then sprinkle the parmesan over the uncooked side and grill for 2 minutes until melted. Serve with the soup.

PEARS, SWEET POTATO, CARROTS & POMEGR ANATE

Preparation time: 20 minutes Suitable for children of one year and above

This recipe is not only delicious and healthy, but because it’s crammed full of interesting ingredients like sweet potato, pomegranate and acerola cherries, it’s a great way to introduce bigger kids to more complex flavours that pack a nutritional punch too.

INGREDIENTS • 20g quinoa • 1 medium ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped • 1 sweet potato • 1 carrot • 30ml pomegranate juice • 10g oats

METHOD Rinse the quinoa in cold water, then add it to a pan of cold water along with the carrot and sweet potato, and cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the grains are cooked and the vegetables are soft.

In a blender mix the pear, cooked quinoa, carrot and sweet potato with the oats and pomegranate juice. Add more water or juice to taste and achieve the required consistency.

Alice Fotheringham is a co-founder and infant nutritional therapist at Piccolo. Piccolo makes a range of organic baby meals, snacks and ingredients to fuel your family for a lifetime of adventures. Piccolo is committed to adding no sugar, salt or palm oil. 10 per cent of Piccolo’s profits go to charity. Visit mylittlepiccolo.com or follow on Instagram @mylittlepiccolo

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