I thought I was finished making baby food a while ago when I posted my last baby food recipe at the end of November. It turns out I was wrong! My son, who is now 16 months old, refused to let me feed him at 10 months. Since then, he’s been feeding himself a very picky diet of organic cheese, cereal, dried fruit, bread, crackers and the occasional strawberry. Anything else lands directly on the floor. Did you see a vegetable in that list? Nope. He will stick a handful of sand into his mouth no problem. A perfectly roasted and maple glazed carrot? No way! Since he started self-feeding, he gets his vegetables from those expensive organic baby food pouches or when I add spinach or zucchini to his daily fruit smoothies.
Those store-bought organic baby food pouches can get expensive; costing almost $2 each for just 4 ounces. He eats up to three of them a day. This is why I purchased refillable snack pouches and started making my own homemade baby food recipes again, like this apple, blueberry spinach and banana puree. I’ll be posting more “sneaky veggie” baby food recipes as I go along. They all focus on adding vegetables and protein to tasty fruit purees and are so yummy, little ones don’t mind a bit.
Apple, Blueberry & Spinach Puree
This recipe for apple, blueberry, banana & spinach puree is one of our favorites. It has a beautiful blue color (which hides the spinach well). It’s so tasty; I sometimes squirt some into his milk and give it a shake to make blueberry milk!
I have to mention the reusable pouches I bought. I’m trying two different brands right now to see which ones I (we) like better, the Squoochi or the Little Green Pouch. Have you tried them? So far, I love that they both are dishwasher safe and freeze well. Also, the tops are all interchangeable with the store-bought pouches—a handy thing in case you lose one. I use my handy Cuisinart Mini Prep to get a smooth puree. It’s easy to clean and the perfect size for small batches of baby food.
I hope your little ones enjoy this recipe. Stay tuned for the next hidden veggie recipe! Until then, check out 10 delicious homemade baby food recipes.
Ingredients
Method
In a small saucepan, heat apple and blueberries over medium heat. Add water or juice and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the apples are soft and the blueberries break down. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Allow to cool.
Using a food processor, puree the apple mixture with the banana. Add water, milk or formula if you want a thinner consistency.
http://loveandduckfat.com/apple-blueberry-spinach-puree-homemade-baby-food-recipe/
Disclosure: this post contains an affiliate link to a product I use and purchased myself.
Now that my little one is approaching toddler-hood, I look back with fondness on all the homemade baby food recipes I made for him. I miss the days of spooning food into his little mouth. Those days seem to be long gone for my 15-month-old, who decided very early on to self-feed.
I rounded up 10 of our favorite homemade baby food recipes to share. Nearly all of these are complete meals—meaning they contain more than just one ingredient. They are a good, healthy balance of fruit/veggie with healthy proteins; ideal for babies 6 to 9 months who have moved on from eating single-ingredient meals. I use organic ingredients in all of my baby food recipes and puree them at home in a food processor.
I hope your baby enjoys these homemade baby food recipes as much as mine did! Cherish every moment because it will pass before you know it. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving dinner for baby. Fresh green beans, mashed potato, turkey and sage, made creamy with the addition of yogurt.
Chicken with sweet potato, white potato, carrots and herbs, cooked in a nutritious chicken broth.
An Italian-inspired recipe full of roasted veggies like zucchini, eggplant, green peppers and tomato, with quinoa and Parmesan cheese.
The baby food version of this hearty comfort food. Chicken, celery, carrots and potatoes stewed with bay leaf and thyme.
A smoothie just for baby–a great way for baby to get more nutrition with chia and fresh fruit. Just mix with milk, breast milk or formula!
A healthy version of this classic dessert; naturally sweet and delicious.
All the flavor of the family favorite made just for baby!
Chicken, carrots and lots of sweet green peas make this a favorite baby food recipe.
A one-pot combination of fresh ingredients, simmered in chicken stock for lots of flavor and extra nutrition.
Sweet and packed with healthy vegetables and protein from the addition of quinoa, this recipe is easy to customize.
Some more recipes for self feeding:
10 homemade baby food recipes!
In the last several months, my once adventurous eater has become super-picky; something many parents deal with. My 14-month-old son, Grayson, won’t eat baby food despite my many recipes (he wants to feed himself). He won’t eat vegetables or fruit. He doesn’t like meat or pasta, either.
For months now, it seems he eats nothing but bread and cheese, with the occasional blueberry. He’s stuck in a perpetual land of appetizers and hor d’oeuvres! I haven’t been too worried about it, because Grayson is in the 90th percentile for weight. I’m still breast feeding him a few times a day and he takes a few sips of milk from a sippy cup. He also sucks down a mango puree (the only flavor he likes) once a day. Still, I would like for him to eat a balanced meal every now and then.
Since Grayson is good at sucking liquids through a straw now (there were a few months where a cup or breast were the only option—bottles were out the door at 8 months), I figured why not try a little strawberry smoothie in his milk?
Baby Food Recipe | Strawberry Smoothie
It was an amazing moment. For the first time ever, Grayson drank down his whole cup of milk.
Now I make a new smoothie for Grayson every few days. I make a big batch (really, just a normal adult-sized batch) and mix them with his usual milk or water. I rarely serve him JUST a smoothie, because they can be thick and very sweet—naturally sweet.
I hide vegetables, vegetable juice, chia seeds, protein powder, and lots of fruit in his smoothies, so now I rest easy knowing he is getting all of the nutrition he needs.
This recipe for a strawberry smoothie was the one I started with. You can easily customize it for your baby and I’ve included lots of substitutions. Enjoy!
Baby Food Recipe | Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients
Method
Add all ingredients to a blender. Process until smooth. Add additional water, juice, milk, breast milk or formula to thin to desired consistency.
http://loveandduckfat.com/baby-food-recipe-strawberry-smoothie/
Give your baby their very own turkey dinner any time of year with this delicious homemade baby food recipe. Your baby will love the rich, comfort-food flavors (mine does!) of creamy mashed potatoes, green beans and roasted turkey. Even though it tastes yummy, you won’t find anything but healthy ingredients in this turkey dinner. Full of fresh green beans, potatoes, lean turkey and creamy yogurt, it tastes just as good as an adult version without the added salt and fats. It freezes well too, so you can make a big batch to freeze for later.
This recipe is appropriate for babies 7 months old and up, who are eating yogurt. Make it a smooth puree for youngsters and chunkier for bigger babies. Either way, this is sure to be a big hit!
Baby food recipe |Turkey Dinner
Ingredients
Method
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the green beans, potato, turkey, broth and herbs. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Allow to cool.
To puree, add the cooled mixture and yogurt to a food processor and blend until smooth, adding more broth if necessary. Puree until you reach the desired consistency.
With all of the pumpkin recipes floating around this time of year, I needed to make a sweet pumpkin treat for baby! This baby food pumpkin pie is full of healthy ingredients and low in sugar. It tastes yummy and can be served two ways as a meal for baby. Instead of sugary condensed milk, this delicious recipe has Greek yogurt and just a touch of maple syrup (maple syrup is low glycemic), along with fresh roasted pumpkin and warming spices.
You can puree this and serve it as-is or pile it in baby-sized baking dishes. If your baby is younger, between 6-9 months, the simple puree is better because it has a smooth texture. If your baby or toddler is eating a little texture in her food, bake up a mini crust-less pie. Baking this recipe concentrates the flavor so it tastes even yummier.
This may be one of my last pureed baby food recipes. My son, Grayson is almost a year old and he rarely eats baby food (even homemade!). He wants to feed himself, so we are moving on to finger foods.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 350° F/180°. Cut the pumpkin in half crosswise. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds.Oil the bottom of the pan with a little bit of olive oil. Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and a knife goes in easily.
Allow to cool, then scoop the cooked pumpkin away from the outer skin with a spoon. You should get 1 1/2 - 2 cups of puree.
Using a food processor, puree the pumpkin (1 1/2 cups), yogurt, oatmeal, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Taste for seasoning and add more maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice to taste.
Fill 2-3 small baking pans with puree about 1 inch thick and place into a 350° F/180° oven for 20-30 minutes, until the top is slightly browned on the edges. Remove and sprinkle with cinnamon.
One of the few pre-packaged baby foods my little one eats on a consistent basis is Happy Family’s organic Amaranth Ratatouille. It’s slightly textured with grains of quinoa and filled with yummy vegetables. I decided to make something similar at home and it tastes even better than the one in the store. This homemade baby food quinoa ratatouille is filled with zucchini, eggplant, sweet peppers, squash and tomato, with the addition of quinoa.
If you haven’t jumped on the quinoa train yet, making it for your baby is a good start. It cooks quickly and is full of protein, fiber, iron, antioxidants and other good-for-you stuff. The tiny seed is small enough for baby to eat, which is why you find it in many of my recipes, and in the store brands as well. Did you know The Food and Agriculture Organization of the Nations named 2013 “The International Year of the Quinoa?” I just found that out.
Back to the ratatouille. This is the same dish featured in the movie by the same name, and the baby food version is yummy. I tried some, my husband tried some. Grandma would have eaten the whole bowl if we let her. It’s really flavorful and healthy too!
Homemade baby food | Quinoa ratatouille
Quinoa ratatouille
Ingredients
Method
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, eggplant, sweet pepper, zucchini, tomato, tomato paste, quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa has "sprouted" and the vegetables are tender. Add more broth if necessary during cooking.
Remove from the heat and stir in fresh herbs and cheese. Puree in a food processor until you reach the desired consistency, adding additional vegetable broth or water if needed.
http://loveandduckfat.com/homemade-baby-food-quinoa-ratatouille/
