When it comes to introducing meat to your baby, it is a great idea to wait until you have enough vegetables in their diet that you can create a delicious meat and veggie dish. I introduced chicken to my baby at 8 months of age. By this time, he had already had bone broth, lamb, pork, and egg, as well as a pile of different vegetables and fruits.

Animal proteins are more difficult to digest than plant proteins, especially in a baby's digestive system. They are still in the beginning phases of producing digestive enzymes, and being about to break down solid foods. You'll probably notice that sometimes undigested food comes right out the other end!

I've created a simple recipe for you to introduce chicken to your baby. It becomes a bit of a slow-cooked stew. During a week of teething, out of sheer exhaustion I made a giant batch of it, so you'll find the quantities I give are for preparing and freezing.

Slow Cooked Chicken and Vegetables for your baby

Ingredients:

1/4 Japanese pumpkin
1 Medium zucchini
2 Carrots
4 Leaves silverbeet
2-3 Cups of bone broth (depending on your desired consistency)
1 Chicken breast - organic, pasture-raised

Method:

Roughly chop the vegetables (except silverbeet) and place either in thermomix or pot
Cover in bone broth (add water if your bone broth is in the form of stock or paste)
Pot: Bring to boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until vegetables are soft
Add silverbeet in the last 5-7 minutes
Thermomix: Place vegetables and bone broth in thermomix, cook on reverse, speed soft, 15 minutes, 100 deg
At this point, you should have a chunky-style vegetable soup
Add vegetables with diced chicken breast in slow cooker or crock pot
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours

Once complete, blend to desired consistency. As I prefer chunks, I blended in the thermomix on speed 4-5 for 30 seconds.

This meal went down an absolute treat in our household! Next time I'm planning on adding some peas in for a little more texture.