Any tips for making your own baby food?

Christie - posted on 10/18/2009

If you have one of those baby food grinders, just bring it to the table and grind up whatever you are having for dinner, if possible. That is what I did. (Use some judgment about things like spicy foods, and be a little conscious about age appropriate. ) Make it easy on yourself!

Jen - posted on 10/18/2009

Also, in my opinion, I never liked the thought of pureeing meat. I waited until he was able to eat it on his on, in small bites, before introducing it. Also, I always served him about 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt for lunch. Still today, he loves his yogurt!

Dawn - posted on 10/18/2009

from 6 months and as long as they can sit up in a high chair, they can eat most things adults eat. make sure you cut out the salt though. you don't even need to mash it either. look out for info on baby led weaning.

Kathryn - posted on 10/18/2009

i tried sweet potato and carrot my daughter loved it. I also pured plums, apricots and things like that. try apple pear and cinnamon my daughter loved that or sweet potato and cinnamon. sweet potato and pear. buttenut squash is usually a hit as well. Just so you know avacado and bananas cant be frozen :) You can pretty much puree anything that you want, my daughter liked the sweeter stuff when she just started. But now i make her cauliflower and homemade cheese sauce and she loves that :) There are soo many things you can make for them i loved concocting things for my daughter, but i know what you mean i always worried she was eating too much of one thing and was going to get boerd :P. I bought an annabell karmel book she has some amazing recipies i just started off with her book 100 best baby purees :) Good luck

Regan - posted on 10/17/2009

I started my son on orange veggies, then moved on to fruits. He didn't like peas, so I mixed in a little carrots, uping the amount of peas every day until he was eating straight peas. When he got older I started adding more things. Wild rice, cous cous, etc for grains. When he was about a year he really enjoyed curried cous cous with red peppers and cauliflower. By making your own baby food you can introduce new tastes than others aren't getting from the store bought foods. DS also really enjoyed cranberry-cherry babyfood!



If using dried fruits (out of season or whatever reason) make sure to avoid fruit that is dried with sulfides! Also remember to give 4-5 days between introducing new foods to watch for a reaction. Just because they react once doesn't mean they always will. DS reacted to mangos when about 11 months old (mild rash) but I tried them again at 14 months and he loved them.



DS is now just over 3, and loves his veggies and fruit. He will eat anything put in front of him. I think a lot of it has to do with him eating a variety of foods from a very young age.

Aniesha - posted on 10/17/2009

My son loves sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot (pretty much anything orange!), & zucchini. They're all pretty sweet, & I usually mix in a scoop or two of formula too.

Rebecca - posted on 10/17/2009

You can really do anything you feel like, you can do chicken (the thighs are the best as they are high in iron) you just boil it in a bit of water and then add the boiled chicken to a blender or magic bullet with a bit of the water you boiled the meat in then blend it up to the consistancy you want.....any foods can easily be made this way!

Mandi - posted on 10/17/2009

look at this site
wholesomebabyfood.com

they have a ton of recipes

When my baby was younger, I did the same as you. Just one flavor foods in the ice cube trays. As he started eating more I started mixing food and then pureeing them. Once he was a little older I started mixing some pureed foods with some soft cooked foods and put it all in the same ice cube (so he had like a little meal that you would buy in the jar)

I would suggest going to the store and looking at the combinations they have, and then make it yourself at home. I did this with the oatmeal and fruit, and the little meat meals. Now, If we have something like say rice and beans. I just take the left overs and mix it together and freeze it. Then if we are eating something he has a hard time with I just pull out the little cubes and he eats.

Jen - posted on 10/17/2009

Butternut Squash is easy, as is broccoli, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, avocado & banana mixed together. Peas do not puree perfectly, and should be put off until you feel your baby is able to chew or not choke on the skins. Oh, sweet potato with a little applesauce and cinnamon was one of his favorites. Have you read Super Baby Food? It's a great resource; I used it ALL the time for a guideline of safe and age-appropriate foods for my son.

Dawnetta - posted on 10/17/2009

I have never frozen it, just served fresh but its super easy!! Zuchini. It is actuallly really good (even I would eat it)! just cut into 1 inch discs steam & puree, I use my Beaba babycooker or a pan steamer & magic bullet to puree. the skin gives it a vibrant gren color! Super easy VERY healthy & tasty!! I would often also make bland versions of our dinner, just cut a piece of our meat & a few veggies. Steam & puree. I love pork chop with pear & squash -so did my daughter. Good luck!

Jessica - posted on 10/17/2009

Check out wholesomebabyfood.com - Tons of awesome recipes and great info!

Nicole - posted on 10/17/2009

So far I've had good luck making and freezing sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, peaches and broccoli.

Michelle - posted on 10/17/2009

I bought a book called "Cooking for Baby" by Lisa Barnes ... It has great recipes for each age rage as you introduce foods! I have only made apples from it though cause I only feed my daughter solids once sometimes twice ... Breastmilk is still pretty much her only source of nutrition! I got the book from Target by the way.

Avi - posted on 10/17/2009

Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, peas, beans, apple, pears, pasta, corn
Even meat, chicken, roast beef, pork
Banana and avocado i serve just mashed

Belinda - posted on 10/17/2009

what i did with my frist son was boil up some pumpkin , potato and sweet potato then puree it my son loved it . i cooked and pureed just about every vegie you could think of he thought it was great.

Chrystle - posted on 10/16/2009

Its been a while since I have had to worry about baby food my oldest is 3 But i have heard of people basically feeding there baby what ever is is they may be eating for that meal just put it in the magic bullet or what ever and feeding them I think at that point most babies are just excited to be finally eating something rather then always watching. Not much help I'm sure But good luck all the same. :-)

Tammy - posted on 10/16/2009

i did sweet potato. i tried doing peas but i think they werent steamed long enough, they just didnt puree very well. my baby only ate pureed foods for a little over a month, now she will have nothing to do with it. she will only eat soft foods that she can pick up and feed herself. maybe try to get some ideas from premade baby foods, like carrots, chicken with gravy, oatmeal and blueberries...