Homemade Baby Food

I have been super excited about introducing Madison to solid foods for some time now. She will be turning 5-months old next week and I want to start her on some age-appropriate purees. My grandmother loves QVC and got me a Professional 1200 watt Ninja so that I can begin to make Madison's baby food at home. I have only used cheap blenders before this one so the power of that baby blew me away.

I felt like I needed a guide on how to properly introduce and prepare Maddy-girl's food so I purchased The Wholesome Baby Food Guide by Maggie Meade at Barnes and Noble. I love this book as it provides comprehensive directions on how to cook, store, and thaw (if necessary) 150+ recipes.

 

 

Making baby food at home is not only a healthy choice for your baby, but it is also super budget friendly. I purchased most of my fruits and vegetables at a local produce stand as well as a bag of frozen green beans from the grocery store. All together I spent less than $8 on over 2 weeks worth of food. GO ME!! =]

The following recipes only feature one fruit or veggie per recipe as I am following the "4-day rule" while introducing new foods to Simbies.

 

 

 

Homemade Applesauce:
 

Peel, core, and cut 5-10 large apples into slices or chunks (or whatever your food processor, hand mixer, or blender can tolerate). Place the apples into a saucepan and slightly cover the slices with water. Bring the water to a boil and steam the slices until tender, approx. 15 min. Place slices into your blender or bowl of choice and puree if needed. Add reserved water to thin the puree for beginners.

 

Sweet Potatoes:

 

Wash and peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into small chunks. I steamed my sweet potatoes my rice cooker/ steamer for times sake. --For more instructions on how to use your rice cooker as a steamer (if it has a steam basket) click here.-- Steam until potatoes are fork tender. Puree to a desirable consistency (add a little formula or breast milk to thin out).

Green Beans:

 

After making these, I feel bad for my poor baby. I think I will give Madison a taste of the green bean by themselves and, depending on her reaction, I may sweeten them with some applesauce. We shall see. I used steam-in-bag frozen green beans (without salt) for this recipe. You can use fresh green beans if you would like. Steam green beans and puree to desired consistency. Use the cooking water (or fresh water) to thin. You may want to use a sieve or a fine mesh strainer to eliminate some of the hulls to create a smooth texture (of course I didn't have either of these).
 

 

Storing:

 

If you choose to make large quantities of food at a time, you may want to invest in some ice-cube trays with lids or regular (BPA-free) ice-cube trays. To seal a regular ice cube tray be sure to use plastic wrap or press and seal (not foil) to cover the food before putting it in the freezer. Once the cubes have set, remove them from the tray and place them into freezer bags. Label the bags with the name of the food and date to remove any confusion on whether it is carrots or sweet potatoes. Try to use the baby food within one to three months for optimal freshness.
 

There has to be an easier (neater) way to do this. =)

 

2 different foods can be stored on the same tray if necessary.

 

 

 

Thawing:

 

Microwaving to thaw and/or heat baby food is by far the fastest and simplest method. Make sure you thaw and warm food in glass containers as they may be safer than microwaving in plastic.

 

You may also take out the cubes that you need for the next day and place them into a container with a lid in your refrigerator overnight (the method I plan on using, if possible). Then, you may heat your food accordingly.

 

Be sure to heat baby's food in short intervals and to stir thoroughly to eliminate any hot spots. Baby food should be served at body temperature or a couple degrees warmer. Baby's mouths are sensitive and can burn easily.

 

 

Enjoy!