Bring the flavours of the south of France into your baby’s meals with this creamy provençal chicken dish, made with fresh organic chicken breasts, creamy cheese, and aromatic herbs de Provence.

When my son started solids we were visiting family in Italy. It was then that I decided to embrace the Mediterranean diet for babies. Once I was able to get past the initial skepticism this particular approach to starting solids, I actually discovered that it was more effective, and consequently much easier to implement on a daily basis.

Fast forward almost two years, and this time around I feel prepared and much more confident in the kitchen. I’ve been reminiscing about my past experience with introducing solids to my son, now that my 6 month old daughter has started her solid food journey. My son was a keener, but my daughter not so much. She’s been lazy in her infancy to say the least – sleeping 4-5 hours every afternoon plus keeping to a routine 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. sleep schedule. (Yes, we’ve been lucky!). She likes to sit and play, sleep, and eat. While my son was literally reaching for our spoons at 4 months, my daughter has shown much less eagerness to start solids – once again, most likely due to a combination of routine and laziness! Introducing solids to her was slightly more of a challenge however, she did catch on quick and has trumped her brother in terms of her ravenous appetite!

Preparing homemade baby food can seem disconcerting however, if you incorporate baby’s meals into your family’s meals then you can kill two birds with one stone – leaving you with no excuses as to why you do not have the time or energy to prepare homemade  baby food. Take for example this recipe for creamy Provençal chicken, which was the result of preparing some sautéed chicken breasts for dinner for the family. I was inspired to create a baby-friendly version that my daughter could enjoy too. I simply set aside a portion for her then pureed it with some broth, cheese, and herbs de Provence, which are reminiscent of my time spent living in Nice, France. The combination of flavours is unique yet not too overpowering, and just a touch goes a long way.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!