Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Making our own baby food seemed appealing because I know exactly what's in it and there are no need for preservatives if you freeze it! Plus its EASY!

Yummy Carrots (still frozen)!

Starting Solids 101:
We introduced Emma to solid foods when she was 4.5 months old because she seemed to want more milk than I was producing and because we got the okay from our pediatrician. (And it's super fun). We started by giving one ounce, once a day. She is now 5.5 months old and she has had six different kinds of food. We give the same food for three days in a row to see if she exhibits any signs of allergic reaction. Below are some basic baby food "recipes" that I've tried with success! I dollop all pureed foods onto parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then I transfer to labeled ziplock bags. Take out a dollop or two a few hours before you want to feed. You don't need to warm baby food up--room temperature is fine. We fed vegetables before introducing fruits so that her "sweet tooth" wouldn't be sparked too soon, but I don't know that it really matters. We feed after she's nursed or had formula so that she gets filled up on the good stuff first. If she doesn't seem interested, cries, or turns her head away, we don't give any more. For us, feeding solid foods at this stage is much more about having fun and introducing the concept of a spoon than about nourishment (breastmilk/formula is perfectly sufficient nutrition for babies up to 6 months old). Enough talk! Here's the 4-1-1 on baby food recipes:

Applesauce:

Store-bought organic applesauce only has two ingredients: organic apples and water making it perfect for babies. No mashing, mixing, or watering-down required!

Avocado:

Many recommend avocado as the first solid food you introduce your baby to since it is rich in fatty acids and doesn't require any cooking or pureeing! Just mash a small bit of avocado flesh and start feeding!

Banana:

Just peel and mash! Great for on-the-go!

Carrots:

Boil sliced carrots until tender. Drain. Puree in blender. Do not add the leftover water with carrots as it can contain harmful nitrates. Add tap/filtered water to the pureed carrots until you are happy with consistency.

Peaches:

The first fruit I cooked for Emma. I peeled and diced a few peaches (although I hear that frozen works fine too) and placed them in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of water (just enough to keep them from sticking to the pan). I simmered them until they were tender then I pureed them in the blender. I didn't have to add any water to mine--the consistency was perfect with the peaches alone.

Peas:

Boil fresh or frozen peas until tender. Drain, reserving some water. Mix in a blender until pureed. Add a few tablespoons of the water you used to boil them in until you're happy with the consistency.

Sweet Potato:
Emma's first. Stab an unpeeled, raw sweet potato in several locations to allow steam to be released. Place in microwave for 4 minutes (or hit the "potato" button if your machine has that option). Let cool. Peel and mash. You can add water or breastmilk or formula to make it an easy consistency for your baby to swallow.

"More peas please!"