Dexter rarely eats baby food anymore. They used to be a real help to us when he wasn’t on solids, but now he tends to eat a mashed up version of mummy and daddy’s food. That said, when Craig and I are having a sneaky takeaway, we fall back on branded baby meals so we know he’s getting something more nutritionally balanced than a Herbie’s Pizza.
In the past, we’ve been decidedly uninspired by the choice in the baby aisle. The lunchtime pouches are great as they tend to be pure fruit which we know is packed full of goodness, but the hot meals tended to be really bland and regardless of the brand or concoction you selected, it all tasted like baked beans. When Plum contacted me about trying their Little Foodies range of meals for 1-3 years, I expected more of the same. Fortunately I stand corrected as these really are some seriously yummy dinners.
Rather than offer you just my opinion of the meals, I decided to try and talk on behalf of my 13 month old to offer you some real insight into what he thought.
Caribbean Jerk Mango & Chicken with Wholegrain Rice
Plum say… Is a delicious blend of lightly spiced organic chicken with bits of juicy mango, a touch of coconut and nutty-tasting wholegrain rice for extra nutrition and a bit of fibre. A wonderful way to introduce little ones of the delights of island cuisine!
Mummy says… You could really taste the spices and thankfully the mango wasn’t too overpowering. The rice was a welcome introduction to baby food and really helped bind the meal together for ease of serving. The nutty texture was something new for Dex to try and went down well. I also loved all the chunky vegetables (sweetcorn, peppers and peas) as it meant that every spoonful had a different flavour = 4/5
(I think) Dexter says… I really liked this dinner. I love chicken but for some reason mummy thinks she’s allergic to it so I don’t get it very often. It was nice to have lots of colourful vegetables as I love these. I decided I wasn’t keen on pepper but really liked sweetcorn (mummy doesn’t usually let me have this as she thinks it makes my nappies a mess, I’m not 100% what she means as I can’t see down there yet) = 4/5
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricots & Bulgur Wheat
Plum say… A perfect hearty meal for a hungry toddler. It’s a scrumptious, slow-simmered stew that combines our award-winning organic Welsh lamb with sweet apricots, chickpeas, delicious veg, and a touch of mild North African spice – so delicious that they’ll never suspect it contains three portions of veg!
Mummy says… The lamb was seriously scrummy. At last a lamb based meal that actually tastes like one! Love that it contains 3 portions of vegetables - we’re lucky that Dexter loves his these anyway. Once again a great consistency that resembles daddy’s cooking = 4/5
(I think) Dexter says… Loved this one. I really like lamb, and all the vegetables and chickpeas made it less runny than some of the others. This makes it ideal for whacking away mummy’s hand and making it spatter up the walls (after you’ve had your fill of course - you won’t want to waste too much of it) = 5/5
Neapolitan Tomato & Beef Ragu with Ditalini Pasta
Plum say… Our twist on an Italian classic (minus the salt and sugar that sneakily hide in most pasta sauces!) Our slow-cooked ragu incorporates a whopping eight different kinds of vegetables to give your little one a balanced blend of vitamins, and we’ve left the tiny pasta tubes whole to provide a bit of a chewing challenge.
Mummy says… The most disappointing of the lot. No matter how you dress it up, we’re back to the old tomato-based dullness that gets on my nerves. I appreciate the pasta tubes were there which is fab, but the taste wasn’t dissimilar to any other tinned pasta dish Dexter will eat at lunchtimes (baked beans with sausages, spag bol, spaghetti shapes etc). It wasn’t enough of a departure from lunchtime to really get him excited about his dinner and I ended up trading it in for one of the other dishes. I do appreciate if your tots don’t have the same lunches as Dexie, this might go down a little better. It certainly wasn’t horrible, just bland = 2/5
(I think) Dexter says… Mummy didn’t let me try too much of this. It wasn’t horrible at all. Tastes just like most of the other stuff they feed me out of tins for lunch. Not sure if this is why mummy took the bowl away, or because she suspected I’d pick the tubes out of my mouth and drop them on the floor. Sometimes at dinner I’m too tired to chew so prefer smaller chunks = 3/5
Vegetable Biryani with Wholegrain Rice
Plum say… Perfect for young vegetarians – a moreish mixture of spinach, tomatoes, onions, raisins and chickpeas, flavoured with coconut and mild Indian spices. It also contains 3 of your toddler’s 5-a-day portions of fruit and veg, which is handy if the rest of the day has been a wash nutrition-wise!
Mummy says… YES, YES, YES - this was beautiful. To me, it tastes like Bombay potatoes smothered in delicious rich sauce. It was honestly delicious and I would have been more than happy with an adult sized portion for myself. It really was completely different from anything that Dexter has tried before and exactly the sort of meal I would keep in the cupboard for takeaway days. Perfect = 5/5
(I think) Dexter says… I wasn’t sure what to make of this at first. I couldn’t taste meat which is my favourite part of dinner, but I must admit it was seriously tasty. The chunks of chickpeas were nice and big but soft enough to squash down with my gums (great for when I’m teething). I think I’d prefer to have this one on a cold day as I was a little hot after eating it = 4/5
All in all - I have to congratulate Plum for experimenting with flavours and offering tots something new to try. Obviously every child will have their favourites but Dexter seemed to like them all. Each meal is über nutritious and contains at two of his daily portions of vegetables which is reassuring as Dex gets plenty of fruit throughout the day, but rarely vegetables. There’s also a great mix of tangy and savoury recipes depending on what we feel he’s missed out on throughout the day. The chewy bits and chunks were fabulous for holding his attention too.
The packets were dead easy to prepare - you just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. My only suggestion would be to make the packets resealable for if you are on-the-move or if your child likes to take a big break before finishing.
Having been sent some extra information from Plum, I was really pleased to see they seemed to speak my language. Although these meals would be more than fine to eat frequently for dinner, Plum instead pointed more towards the occasional times you’d need them as an alternative to home-cooking. For example, they suggest their meals are ideal for when your little ones are eating earlier than you, for taking to a friend’s house or restaurant, at day-care, or for taking on holiday. This messaging is subtle but appreciated as I think it shows greater integrity than some of their competitors.
Well done Plum - we’re very impressed and will buy again.
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