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We were told to start introducing solid food to our 2nd baby (Adeline) at 4.5 months old from our pediatrician. Now, in MY opinion (which is just my opinion), that is WAY too early. So, I’m kind of a badass, and I waited until Adeline was 5.5 months old before introducing her to her FIRST solid food. Since my first born, I’ve ALWAYS made the food from scratch, & I find when you do it in bulk, it’s quick, easy and SO worth it. I'm sure you've heard a lot of the benefits of making fresh food for your baby. So, if you've been wondering how, or where to get started, then you've come to the right place. The good news is that is it is a lot easier then you've probably imagined. Plus, you'll end up saving money in the long run! So far, Adeline has tried Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Carrots, Pears, Apples, and Oatmeal. Her favourite by far, has been the pear & apple purees and her least favourite is, most definitely, anything other then fruit! Ha Classic.
Now, these purees are Stage 1 foods, and are just the beginning of the introduction of solid foods for your little ones. I will do a more in depth set of recipes in another post, but for now, I wanted to show you how easy it is to make your kiddos a healthy, and simple meal! Before getting into this post, make sure your babes is showing "signs of readiness" & again, talk with your pediatrician.
Let’s talk SUPPLIES and INGREDIENTS Before I get started with the recipes, here are the supplies I use to make baby food at home. Most of these things, you probably already have, but if not, I will link them. And I am also including my FAVOURITE, but not required, baby food maker .. you know, just in case you want to splurge. This bad boy comes with a recipe book, and it steams, cooks, and purees all in one with a few button pushes. It's pretty epic. Here's the things I used:
-Cutting Board
-Vegetable Peeler
-Sharp Knife
All products can be found on Amazon!
For this specific batch of baby food, the ingredients I used were:
-Avocados
-Apples
-Pears
-Sweet Potatoes
-Carrots
-Green Beans
-Ground Cinnamon
-Water
RECIPES
For each of these recipes, I cook (if needed), blend up the purees, and then pour the mixture into the silicone freezer trays. From here because I make in bulk, I than place them in the freezer. I highly recommend freezing them overnight to be sure they are completely frozen. The next day, I remove them from the tray, and put them in large freezer bags. Whenever it’s meal time, I take out a cube, and let it sit in the sink in warm water. (Yes, I’m the “crazy” mom who doesn’t microwave my childrens food– don’t judge.) If you want to microwave it, you do you.
From here, you can do 1 of 2 things: 1.) Have them eat whichever recipe alone, by itself, at baby’s specific temperature (or is it just my child who is very specific about the temp of her food?)
2.) Mix 1 Cube per 1 TBSP of Rice/Oat Cereal and mix it together!
Done! Super simple, easy, and quick, but healthy meals made for your little one.
Easy as 1,2,3..
Now.. on to the recipes..
Apple Puree: For this recipe, you can add in cinnamon to enhance the apple, however, I do not. It is perfectly safe to do that, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
1.) Peel Apples (I usually like to do 6 apples at a time)
2.) Cut the apples into chunks 3.) Fill a pot of water with about 2 inches from the bottom of the pot & boil it 4.) Put apples into boiled water 5.) Boil for 12-15 minutes 6.) Spoon out just the apple chunks & put into your blender 7.) Add some of the water that was used to boil the apples (it contains a TON of nutrients). I start off small (about ½ cup) & add more as needed, or until you reach your desired consistency 8.) Blend 9.) Pour mixture into silicone tray and freeze
I use the exact same steps above for pears, and also for sweet potatoes. With sweet potatoes, I add in a little sprinkle of cinnamon.
Sweet Potato and Carrots:
This recipe is pretty basic as well. I do find the carrots take slightly longer to cook then the sweet potatoes. So, in order to make your life easier, I suggest cutting the sweet potatoes bigger then the carrots in order to cook evenly.
1.) Peel both sweet potatoes and carrots 2.) Cut them both into chunks 3.) Fill a pot of water with about 2 inches in it as well 4.) Put veggies into a steamer basket 5.) Cover with a lid 6.) Cook/Steam for about 15 minutes 7.) Dump the ingredients into your blender with about half of the leftover water 8.) Blend, and add more water as needed 9.) Pour mixture into silicone tray and freeze
Avocados:
I used to think avocados were difficult.. until I made them! They are probably the easiest of all the recipes! 1.) Cut avocado in half (lengthwise) and remove the seed 2.) Scoop out the “filling” And either: A.) Mash with a fork & serve OR B.) Put the avocado in a blender, and add breastmilk or water and blend until desired consistency
*Avocados use more water than most fruits and vegetables to get a smooth consistency. Just keep adding more until you reach desired consistency.
These recipes are not limited to these fruits and veggies mentioned above! You can use these recipes for so many more recipes for baby food. This is just what I’ve made for my second daughter, so far. Some other ideas include: strawberries, bananas, broccoli, blueberries, green beans, raspberries, prunes, plums, etc. (Prunes, Pears, & Plums are GREAT if you’re baby is constipated). Of course, check with your pediatrician before starting/feeding solids, and ask them if they have any specific instructions/guidelines. Once baby has tried different foods, you can start with the fun part: mixing them together! Stay tuned for that blog post! how much and how often
I’ve been getting a ton of questions lately on this topic, so I figured, why not include it in this post. While some babies open their mouths and instantly become an eating machine, like my first daughter, other babies, like my second, take a little longer to discover their foodie personality. For the first couple of months, let them decide "how much". I've learned from personal experience that every baby is different. Some other factors can also come in to place too, like her mood/teething/appetite/etc. At first, I started out with 1 “cube” from the silicone freezing trays, (which I think is 1 ounce), and she gradually worked up to eating 2 cubes. As far as how many times a day, she is currently eating lunch and dinner at 7 months old, and in a few months, I will add in breakfast, if she's ready. To put it simply: If they're hungry, they will eat. If they're full, they will stop.
Thanks so much for taking the time and reading my first blog post. I hope this was helpful for you mamas (and daddys too!) Let me know if you have questions or need me to clarify anything! xo
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