Who has a lot of time to prepare food? Not the parent with a hungry child to feed. The recipes below are designed to be quick to make and can be used to feed the whole family. They are extracted from the 100 recipe suggestions in What Should I Feed My Baby? (published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson). Click here to link to more information.

Dried apricots deliver a good measure of iron and carotenoids. Unsulphured apricots are best. A cube of frozen apricot purée is ideal to add to puréed lentils, apple or brown rice.

• Makes about 185ml (6 fl oz) or 12 cubes

• 250g (8oz) dried apricots

• 125ml (4fl oz) filtered water

METHOD - Place the apricots and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat so the water is simmering and cook until the apricots have absorbed all the water and softened substantialy, 15-20 minutes. Check the apricots occasionally to be sure they’re not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the apricots to a food processor and purée. Let cool, then freeze in ice-cube trays. When the cubes have frozen, store in air-tight freezer safe containers. The cubes will keep for about 2 months.

This is a delicious, versatile and nutritious staple – no household with babies should be without a few cubes in the freezer at all times. Lentil purée combines well with both sweet and savoury options.

• Makes about 500ml (16 fl oz) or 32 cubes

• 200g (7oz) tiny red lentils

• 400ml (14 fl oz) filtered water

METHOD – Place the lentils and water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat so the liquid is boiling gently and cook until the lentils are tender and form a purée when stirred with a wooden spoon. Check the lentils occasionally to be sure there is enough water and that they are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. The lentils will take about 15 minutes to cook through.

Remove the lentils from the heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to make a purée. It will not be perfectly smooth, but will be a very appealing, homogenous texture. Let cool. When the purée has cooled, freeze it in ice-cube trays. When the cubes have frozen, store in air-tight freezer safe containers. The cubes will keep for about 2 months.

You can make a purée with just about any fruit or vegetable. If the fruit has seeds such as kiwi or raspberries, you will need to seive these out for small children. Experiment with purées made from:

• Sweet Potato • Butternut Squash

• Flageolet Beans • Black-eye beans

• Pumpkin • Brown rice

• Peas • Carrots

• Apple • Fresh Apricots

• Peaches • Swede (Rutabaga)

• Parsnip • Kohl Rabbi

Lentils can be use instead of chickpeas

• 4 servings

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp mild curry paste or 1 tsp mild curry powder

• 180g (6oz) cooked chickpeas

• 180g (6oz) frozen spinach or cooked fresh spinach

• 125ml (4 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk

Add the onion to the olive oil over a medium heat and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste or powder, stir, then add the chickpeas, spinach and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering merrily, then cook for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about one-third. Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning and serve. Purée if necessary.

Serve with brown rice or with quinoa, and yoghurt with grated cucumber in it.

These are also good served on top of a bed of steamed spinach seasoned with fresh lemon juice.

• 4-6 servings

• 500g (1 lb) salmon fillet, skinned, rinsed and cut into chunks

• 1 large egg

• 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 1 small bunch chives

Place the salmon in a food processor and blend until homogeneous. Add the egg and blend until smooth. Chop the parsley and chives, add to the salmon and egg and blend once or twice, just until incorporated.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Using 2 teaspoons form the salmon mixture into small balls and drop them into the boiling water without crowding the pan. Let them cook until they are pale pink through and rise to the surface of the water, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, let drain, then arrange on a plate. Serve when they are cool enough to handle.

This will quickly become a family favourite. The crunchy topping can be added to all kinds of savoury and sweet dishes.

• 4-6 servings

• 500g (1 lb) courgettes, trimmed and finely grated

• 1 small onion, finely grated

• grated zest from 1/2 lemon (if desired)

• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 tsp melted unsalted butter

For the topping:

• 45g (1.5 oz) rolled oats

• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• Preheat the over to 180C/350F/Gas 4

In a medium bowl, toss together the courgettes, onion, lemon zest and juice and melted butter. Place in a small baking dish measuring about 28x18 cm (11x7 in).

Place the oats in a small bowl. Pour in the oil and toss the oats until the oil has soaked into them. Sprinkle the oats over the courgette mixture and bake in the middle of the over until the courgettes are tender and the topping is crisp, about 25 minutes.

This dessert is wonderfully sinful, and yet it is 100% healthy!

• 4-6 servings

• 3 good sized banana

• 4 cubes dried apricot purée (see recipe above)

• 2-3 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 70g (2.5 oz) berries (optional)

• Unsweetened flaked coconut, to serve (optional)

Peel the bananas and place the flesh in a food processor with the apricot purée and lemon juice. Purée until light and foamy. Add the berries if desired, purée, then transfer to a serving dish. Chill, covered, for up to 1 hour. To serve, dust with coconut if desired.

Pudding has never tasted so good, with a delightful contrast of textures.

• 4-6 servings

• 500g (1 lb) fresh, sweet, pineapple rings

• 5 tbsp pineapple or apple juice

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 120g (4 oz) rolled oats

• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• plain yoghurt to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Place the pineapple rings in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the juice over them.

In a small saucepan, melt together the butter and the molasses. Place the oats in a medium bowl, pour the butter and molasses over them, then toss until all the ingredients are combined.

Sprinkle the nutmeg evenly over the pineapple, then sprinkle the oat mixture evenly on top, making sure the pineapple is covered with topping and slightly mounded with it in the middle.

Bake in the middle of the oven until the topping is crisp, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the over and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. To serve use a spatula to lift the rings and serve with yoghurt if desired.