When child nutrition guru Annabel Karmel was in Dubai to talk about her recent launch of healthy, ready-made kiddie’s meals, now being sold at major supermarkets all over the city, we simply had to meet her. The leading expert and best-selling author on baby food and nutrition was effortlessly elegant, vivacious and tenacious - well I suppose you have to be when combating a fussy eater!
What inspired you to become a children’s chef?
It was not inspiration that drove me but circumstance. I had taken a long time to get pregnant with my first child, Natasha, and when she died at only 3 months in my arms I thought I would never be normal again. So when my second child, Nicolas, was born I was determined to give him the healthiest start in life. He turned out to be an extremely fussy eater so I had to find ways to get him to eat. For example, when I realised he liked to eat with his fingers I turned things into balls that he could pick up. I then began sharing all my ideas and recipes with other mums at the playgroup I was running. Without that playgroup the first book would never have come about as it was those mothers who suggested I collate all my recipes into a book.
What is the best advice you give to parents of fussy eaters?
- A hungry child works wonders! When they are hungry it is a good time to try them with something new and healthy.
- Make the food look attractive.
- Prepare food in different ways such as raw or cooked.
- Keep trying new things. Do not get into a pattern of just 5 or 6 meals.
- Try hiding things. I used to hide pieces of apple in chicken balls for Nicolas.
What are your favourite foods?
Sushi and Japanese food. I like simple, pure ingredients so you can taste the food rather than masking the flavours.
What is your favourite restaurant?
La Petit Mason is my favourite restaurant in Dubai, but I also like Zuma and La Serre.
What is your favourite cook book?
My first book was very special to me as I dedicated it to Natasha. It was so hard to publish and once it was done that was what started everything.
Can we expect to see more of you in the Middle East?
Yes. I am just back from Australia where I have been launching my frozen ready meals for children. The meals are frozen within hours of being cooked so they retain their goodness.
What would you say is your proudest achievement?
Receiving my MBE from HRH Queen Elizabeth and knowing that I had made a difference to people’s lives and child nutrition.
Annabel Karmel is on a mission to help guide parents and schools on feeding children delicious, nutritious meals with the use of her 39 books (which have sold more than 3 million copies), her smartphone app, (equipped with nutritious recipes), and now her line of ready-made healthy meals found in Waitrose, Spinneys, and other major supermarkets in Dubai.