I promised on instagram earlier this week that I would finally start blogging again. (p.s. I was encouraged by all of the feedback I received – THANK YOU, ladies!) I had several messages requesting this post! So, let’s chat baby food, shall we?
These days stores offer plenty of organic options for babies, thankfully. Squeeze pouches are great, especially for moms who are always on-the-go. But, to be real, the cost of the pre-made ones can really add up. (I just ordered these reusable squeeze pouches to attempt a DIY version for days we are out of the house. I will report back on how they work!) I figured out how to make homemade baby food when Davis was 6 months old, and I decided to make it a priority for Ridge as well.
It basically involves steaming, pureeing, and freezing healthy ingredients. So far I have only incorporated vegetables, fruits, oats, and quinoa. Ridge did really well with all of the purees from 5 1/2 months on. And now, at 8 months, he is alllll about picking up food and feeding himself, so we are including more finger foods in his meals. Honestly, it is d-r-a-m-a if we neglect to put some kind of food on his tray that he can pick up and put in his mouth himself. Gotta love it.
Baby Food Flavors:
- sweet potato
- butternut squash
- butternut squash with spinach*
- carrot
- green pea
- broccoli
- broccoli with apple
- pear
- green bean with pear
- avocado with banana
- oatmeal with blueberries
- oatmeal with peaches
- oatmeal with strawberries and banana
- mango
- quinoa with strawberries
Ice cubes are around 1 oz each, so each of these puree cubes are around that amount. When we first started the purees, I just did 1 or 2 cubes at a time. Once Ridge got used to eating solids, we did 2-4 at each meal. By 7-8 months old, we were giving him 6 cubes for each meal. Now I give him a few cubes of purees plus some finger foods.
To make the vegetables and the pear:
| Servings |
cubes (around 1 oz each)
|
- 2 cups of either sweet potato, carrot*, green pea, broccoli, apple, green bean, pear, or butternut squash with spinach** peeled and diced
Ingredients
|
|
- Peel, dice, and steam the selected produce. For a combination, like broccoli with apple, I will steam the two together. I just use a pot with a steamer insert and about an inch of water in the bottom of the pot. Add the vegetables to the steamer basket when the water is lightly boiling. Cover with a lid.
- Once the pieces can be easily pierced with a fork or cut with a knife, remove from the steamer and place in a blender. Add some or all of the cooking water to the blender. *I read somewhere to use fresh water for carrots, not the water it was cooked in.
- **For the butternut squash and spinach combination, place the cooked squash and liquid in the blender while still hot. Add a large handful of fresh baby spinach. The spinach will wilt/cook while being pureed.
- The puree needs to be smooth and somewhat liquified, especially for a younger baby. Blend until there are no chunks of fruit or veggie left.
- With the help of a small spatula, pour the mixture into ice cube trays. Allow to cool.
- Wrap the tray all the way around with saran wrap.
- Freeze for at least 12 hours. Once frozen, remove*** and place into labeled freezer bags. I always put the type of food and the date.
- **If the cubes are difficult to remove from the ice cube trays, turn them sideways and run the tray under warm running water. Be careful not to get the water onto the food. This will help loosen the pureed cubes from the tray.
To make the avocado and banana:
The avocado and banana is the simplest to prepare. Place a ripe avocado and a banana (or more of each) to a blender and puree. Then follow the same steps for freezing. Make sure the ice cube trays are wrapped tightly.
To make the grains combinations:
| Servings |
cubes, 1 oz each
|
- 1 cups of either rolled oats or quinoa
- 3+ cups water
- 1-2 cups fruit (strawberries, peaches, bananas, or blueberries) fresh or frozen
Ingredients
|
|
- Prepare the oats or the quinoa according to package directions. Typically 2 cups of water to 1 cup grain. Simmer until the grains are fully cooked.
- Place the cooked oats or the cooked quinoa to a blender. Add in another cup of water. Place the fruit in the blender.
- Puree together until smooth. Add extra water if needed.
- With the help of a small spatula, pour the mixture into ice cube trays. Allow to cool.
- Wrap the tray all the way around with saran wrap.
- Freeze for at least 12 hours. Once frozen, remove and place into labeled freezer bags. I always put the type of food and the date.
If you are in the market for a blender, I cannot recommend this one enough! Todd and I hesitated spending the money on a nice blender for years, but I am very glad we bought a Vitamix. And this one is refurbished, not too terribly expensive, and completely worth the money.
[…] helpful when traveling or just running errands or going to the pool or a play date. I gave my recipes for homemade baby food purées in this post. Putting those purées into squeeze packs is extremely helpful now that he’s a bit older […]