This has been on my mind for sometime now. Yes, I should have better things to think about but I’m a MASSIVE haggis fan and with Robert Burns Night just round the corner I’m looking for answers!
So, what’s in a haggis? I decided to check out a Simon Howie Haggis, available in most supermarkets and made by a local Perthshire butcher.
Be warned..if you don’t know what’s in a haggis and are a wee bit squeamish it might not be your meal of choice! I’ve always known it contained SHEEP GUTS and even when I was wee that didn’t put me off. I remember regularly having haggis which I often mixed with ketchup…Delicious and obviously nutritious, ha ha!!
There is it..lamb lungs. Yuck but yum.
Right, so we have :
Lamb lungs
Seasoning
Water
Beef Fat
Beef Liver
Beef Heart
Now, based on my ‘extensive’ knowledge of what babies can and can’t eat my general rule has been as follow..
🚫Nae nuts
🚫Nae honey
🚫Nae coo’s milk
🚫Low Salt
🚫Low sugar
The only ‘banned’ substance in this appears to be the ‘seasoning’ which contains salt..so let’s check out those all important percentages.
Fat is a biggie but as far as I know fat is good for babies 👍
So, we’ve got 0.1g sugar and 1.6g salt. Clearly the sugar is low but is the salt content? What is deemed ‘low salt’ with regards to babies? Or is ‘no salt’ really the ideal?
Whenever I stumble upon a tricky question like this I should really engage my brain, use that all important ‘Mummy knows best’ instinct and make an informed decision. However, that’s not how a Mummy brain works. Google needs to confirm all my thinking. Which, to be honest it usually does if I word the question right.
Ok, 2 questions..
1. Can babies have haggis?
2. What is low salt per 100g?
I tend to stick to NHS advice. For some reason I believe they know what they are talking about.
Yikes! Turns out haggis is high salt content. Yet, I find myself saying ‘everything in moderation’, and ‘it’s not like I’m giving the Wee One haggis every day!?’. Instinct is kicking in.
However, let’s canvas more opinion..
I always find an array of opinions with Mumsnet but this means nothing to be. I know plenty of people will have/haven’t given their baby haggis, what I want is expert opinion (this statement is by no means meant to offend any Mumsnet Mummies..you are all experts, just not the kind I am looking for!)
I feel truly Scottish now referring to The Daily Mail who suggest that haggis is as bad as the dreaded ‘Turkey Twizzlers’, clearly I am a truly terrible mother for considering haggis as ‘baby food’.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-374967/Haggis-bturkey-twizzlers.html
Right..Having scrolled through numerous forums, pages of Google, random Mummy Sites it is clear that I am struggling to find that all important ‘Doctor’ or ‘Mummy Expert’ who will tell me that I can give my Wee One haggis. I am left back at where I started, with Mummy Instinct.
My instinct tells me that yes it’s high salt but Robert Burns isn’t about salt, it’s Scottish history, it’s tradition…it’s our national dish!! If she had turkey (not Twizzlers just for the record!) for Christmas then a bit of haggis this January shouldn’t be something to get my knickers in a twist over. #dinnaefretpet
So, on the 25th January we will be serving haggis, neeps and tatties to the whole family and I can’t wait.
Just dinnae tell the Wee One it’s SHEEP GUTS!! Ha ha 😆
Cheers 🍻
PS This is my first #mummymonday #linky blog! Hooray 👏
