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10 Homemade baby food recipes for 10 to 12 months

Danielle — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 18:53:57 +0000

Your baby is finally ready to start trying more solid food by the time they are 10 to 12 months old. By 10-12 months, it is time to introduce new textures and flavors to your baby. Let your baby use their new teeth with easy to eat food.

In general, your 10-12 month-old baby can eat any type of cereal and grains, berries, citrus, corn, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes, whole eggs, any fish, whole milk, and soft cheeses. With all these types of food, now is the time to make new solid foods instead of pureed foods.

We’ve done the research and found a few easy to make and new recipes that your baby will love.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup of finely chopped kiwi
¼ cup of finely chopped mango
¼ cup of finely chopped banana

How To

1. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt and coconut.
2. Add fruit and stir gently to combine.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 1-day.
4. Eat!

This tropical fruit salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of shredded carrots
2 tablespoons of frozen petite peas
2 tablespoons of water
½ cup of cooked brown rice
1 large egg, beaten

How To

1. In a small frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add carrots into the pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until carrots are tender.
3. Add peas and water.
4. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until peas are tender.
5. Stir in rice and cook until warm.
6. Add egg and stir constantly until the egg is fully cooked.
7. Cool and serve.

You can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Quinoa, Black Beans, & Corn

Ingredients

¼ cup of rinsed quinoa
½ cup of water
1 teaspoon of olive oil
½ cup of canned low-sodium black beans, drained
¼ cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels

How To

1. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and water.
2. Bring it to boil over high heat.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until quinoa is soft and the liquid is absorbed.
4. Let it stand, covered for another 10 minutes.
5. While quinoa cooks, warm up olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
6. Add beans and coon and cook (stirring and mashing slightly).
7. Add mixture to quinoa and stir.
8. Cool and serve.

It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Sweet Spinach

Ingredients

1 medium/large ripe banana, peeled and broken in half
2-3 cups of organic baby spinach

How To

1. Pour water into a pot until it’s 1 inch deep, and on high heat, bring to a boil.
2. Place spinach into a steamer basket and put the basket in the pot. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the steamer basket.
3. Cover with a lid.
4. Steam spinach for 5-7 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
5. Place banana and spinach into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.
6. Serve.

It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Yogurt Pancakes

Ingredients

2 ½ cups of self-rising flour
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups of whole milk
1 1/3 cups of vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 cup of blueberries
2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

How To

1. Mix ingredients except vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl. The mixture will be lumpy.
2. Coat a large skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
3. Once the skillet is hot, reduce to medium-low and add ¼ cup dollops of pancake batter.
4. Let the batter cook for 2 minutes and then flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
5. Once each side is golden brown, remove from skillet.
6. Repeat process with the rest of the batter. And, add more vegetable oil to skillet as needed.
7. Serve with cut blueberries.

The pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month and reheat with a toaster.

Fruity Tofu Smoothie

Ingredients

1 mango, chopped
1 banana, chopped
1/3 container of silken tofu

How To

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend.
3. Increase the amount of tofu for a thicker consistency (great for scooping as a desert).
4. Serve.

Salmon, Asparagus, & Peas

Ingredients

1 small wild salmon fillet, pin bones removed
1 teaspoon of olive oil
4 spears asparagus, trimmed and finely chopped
¼ cup frozen petite peas
1 slice lemon, for squeezing (optional)

How To

1. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel.
2. Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.
3. Add the salmon into the skillet with the skin side down and reduce heat to medium low.
4. Cook while gently pressing on the fish until the skin is crisp for about 6 minutes.
5. Turn the salmon over and cook it until it is opaque.
6. Transfer the salmon to a paper towel and remove the skin.
7. Let the salmon cool.
8. While the salmon is cooking, bring a small saucepan half full of water to a boil.
9. Add peas and asparagus and cook for 4 minutes or until tender.
10. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool quickly.
11. Flake salmon into small pieces, so they are small enough for your baby.
12. Place on plate and sprinkle lemon juice.
13. Serve.

Place the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one day.

Raspberry Pear Oatmeal

Ingredients

¼ cup of old fashioned rolled oats
1 ripe pear
Handful of washed raspberries

How To

1. In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup of water to boil over high heat and add oats.
2. Lower the heat to medium and let the oats cool for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until all the water is absorbed.
3. While the oatmeal is cooking, place the pear and raspberries into blender and blend until smooth.
4. Combine cooked oats and the pear and raspberry blend in a bowl.
5. Serve.

Pasta with Spinach & Ricotta

Ingredients

1/2 cup of small-shaped whole-wheat pasta, such as mini shells or macaroni
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 cup of baby spinach
1/3 cup of whole-milk ricotta
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest

How To

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook according to the package’s directions.
3. Drain and reserve some of the cooking water.
4. In a small frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the spinach and cook for two minutes or until the spinach is wilted and tender.
6. Transfer to a chopping board and chop finely.
7. Place spinach, ricotta, and lemon zest and stir.
8. Add the pasta and stir to combine.
9. If the mixture is too thick, add a little bit of the cooking water.
10. Cool and serve.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Chicken Curry with Green Beans & Zucchini

Ingredients

1/3 cup of finely chopped green beans
1/2 small zucchini, finely diced
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
1 cup of unsweetened canned coconut milk (well shaken)
1/2 cup of cooked, shredded, and finely chopped chicken
1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, or to taste

How To

1. Place the zucchini and green beans in a pan with a fitted steamer basket.
2. Pour in 1 inch of water into the pan.
3. Over medium-high heat, cover and bring to boil.
4. Steam the vegetables for 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the steamer basket.
6. Rinse the vegetables under cold water.
7. Set aside.
8. In a saucepan, warm up the oil over medium-low heat.
9. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until vegetables are tender.
10. Add the coconut milk and simmer.
11. Cook for about 5 minutes to let the flavors blend.
12. Add the chicken and vegetables.
13. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens.
14. Stir in basil and lime juice.
15. Remove from heat and cool.
16. Serve.

With the leftovers, you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

These are just 10 recipes that you can try out for your little one. For more great suggestions, check out these 8 reviewed baby foods. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different healthy ways of preparing your baby’s food. If you have any questions and concerns, contact your child’s pediatrician. And, if you notice your child has a rash or reaction to any food, contact their pediatrician or go to the hospital right away. Check out more food, nursery, toys, and more for baby here.

Bio: Clara Doyle is a writer, She is motivated by exploring the varying mechanisms of writing to explain trending fashion, beauty, and child products, lifestyles, travel, and more to people of all ages.

The post 10 Homemade baby food recipes for 10 to 12 months appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Baby Food Recipes: 10 Months

Emily DeJeu — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 12:00:45 +0000

Your 10 month old baby is probably a “solids pro” by now! He’s tackled all kinds of tastes and textures, and has started enjoying some real meals. By 10 months, your baby will be ready to start eating more and more table food. You can start chopping or slicing the foods you’re eating at mealtime and offering them to your baby (provided the foods you’re eating aren’t too crunchy or chewy, and aren’t allergenic.) This means you’ll need to make fewer purees and mashes to freeze.

Cereal Recipes

Infant cereal starts become less a part of your baby’s diet at 10 months. Instead, you can start to offer your 10 month old baby other types of grains, like bread, crackers, and pasta. However, you’ll probably still want to offer a few tablespoons of baby cereal to your 10 month old. You can purchase ready-made, powdered cereals at the grocery store, but you can also make your own (for a lot less money!) Visit our Baby Cereal Recipes for step-by-step instructions on how to make your baby’s rice and oatmeal cereal from scratch.

Fruit Recipes

Visit our Baby Food Fruit Recipes to see a sampling of delicious fruit purees and your 9 month old baby is sure to love. By 10 months, your baby is eating a whole rainbow of fruit, including blueberries, melon, and kiwi!

Vegetable Recipes

Visit our Baby Food Vegetable Recipes for a listing of veggie purees and mashes that’ll keep your 10 month old on the path to healthy, nutritious eating. At 10 months, your baby’s ready to start eating broccoli and spinach. (Don’t jump to any conclusions; he may love those veggies!)

Protein Recipes

At 10 months, your baby’s probably gobbling up poultry and beans (and possibly eggs, if she’s not allergic.) Now, she’s also ready to try meat (including beef) and even tofu! Visit our Baby Food Protein Recipes for tips on easy ways to prepare meat and tofu.

Meal Recipes

Up to this point, making homemade food for your baby has meant whipping up lots of single-ingredient purees and mashes. Well, it’s time to change that mindset; as a 10 month old, your baby is ready for you to cook “real” food for her! This can mean offering her small amounts of table food (as long as that table food contains ingredients that she’s already tried). It can also mean creating special dishes just for her. 🙂 Visit our 5 Great Recipes page for meal ideas. Your 10 month old will love the broccoli cheddar nuggets, the sweet potato pancakes, and the Hawaiian pork and rice dinner!

Feeding Fact

We’re way past the smooth, runny purees of just a few months ago; now, your baby should be comfortable with thick, chunky mashes. You can also start offering (very) small pieces of food at this point. Try chopping a chicken breast, or cutting a slice of cheese into tiny cubes. Your baby may not be able to feed himself yet, but you can feed him these tiny pieces.

For ideas that’ll help you create a feeding and sleeping schedule for your 10 month old, check out the recommended 10 month schedule available at BabySleepSite.com.

Everything You Need To Know About Starting Solids – All In One e-Book!

What if you could find everything you needed to know about starting your baby on solid foods – when it’s best to start solids, how to introduce solids, complications, food allergies, etc. – in one easy-reference guide? Now you can! Your Baby’s Start To Solid Foods: A Comprehensive Guide will walk you through every step of starting solids. Plus, your e-Book package includes several bonus materials, designed to maximize your success in starting solids. You’ll get a thorough guide to treating constipation, a dietitian’s advice on how to avoid 5 common solid-foods mistakes, and a weekly meal plan for your baby’s first year. Grab your e-Book today, and ensure your baby has the healthiest possible start to solid foods!

What are your 10 month old baby’s favorite foods? Share your recipe and feeding ideas below!

The post Baby Food Recipes: 10 Months appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Baby Food Recipes: 9 Months

Emily DeJeu — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:00:43 +0000

By 9 months, your baby is eating three meals of solids each day, and is starting to eat more and more at each meal. This is an exciting season for your baby, since 9 months marks the time that you can start offering her “real” food and cooking actual meals for her! She’ll still need plenty of baby food, but it’s okay at this point to start offering her bits of table food (mashed or chopped carefully, of course!)

Cereal Recipes

Infant cereal starts become less a part of your baby’s diet at 9 months. Instead, you can start to offer your 9 month old baby other types of grains, like bread, crackers, and pasta. However, you’ll probably still want to offer a few tablespoons of baby cereal to your 9 month old. You can purchase ready-made, powdered cereals at the grocery store, but you can also make your own (for a lot less money!) Visit our Baby Cereal Recipes for step-by-step instructions on how to make your baby’s rice and oatmeal cereal from scratch.

Fruit Recipes

Visit our Baby Food Fruit Recipes to see a sampling of delicious fruit purees and your 9 month old baby is sure to love. By 9 months, your baby is eating a whole rainbow of fruit, including blueberries, melon, and kiwi!

Vegetable Recipes

Visit our Baby Food Vegetable Recipes for a listing of veggie purees and mashes that’ll keep your 9 month old on the path to healthy, nutritious eating. At 9 months, your baby’s ready to start eating broccoli and spinach. (Don’t jump to any conclusions; he may love those veggies!)

Protein Recipes

At 9 months, your baby’s probably gobbling up poultry and beans (and possibly eggs, if she’s not allergic.) Now, she’s also ready to try meat (including beef) and even tofu! Visit our Baby Food Protein Recipes for tips on easy ways to prepare meat and tofu.

Meal Recipes

Up to this point, making homemade food for your baby has meant whipping up lots of single-ingredient purees and mashes. Well, it’s time to change that mindset; as a 9 month old, your baby is ready for you to cook “real” food for her! This can mean offering her small amounts of table food (as long as that table food contains ingredients that she’s already tried). It can also mean creating special dishes just for her. 🙂 Visit our 5 Great Recipes page for meal ideas. Your 9 month old will love the broccoli cheddar nuggets and the sweet potato pancakes!

Feeding Fact

For ideas that’ll help you create a feeding and sleeping schedule for your 9 month old, check out the recommended 9 month schedule available at BabySleepSite.com.

Everything You Need To Know About Starting Solids – All In One e-Book!

What are your 9 month old baby’s favorite foods? Share your recipe and feeding ideas below!

The post Baby Food Recipes: 9 Months appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

How To Make Homemade Baby Food: 5 Great Recipes

Emily DeJeu — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:00:19 +0000

Once your baby reaches the 8 or 9 month mark, she’s ready to move past single-ingredient purees and on to food combinations. These combos can be simple, of course (mixing mashed blueberries into oatmeal, stirring pureed broccoli into brown rice, etc.) Or, if you’re feeling fancy, you can whip up more sophisticated meals.

For information on when to introduce specific fruits into your baby’s diet, along with serving sizes, visit our solid food charts.

Here are 5 nutritious, tasty recipes that we think you’ll love, and that are sure to be both fun to prepare and fun to eat!

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Nuggets (introduce after 8 months)

This recipe is adapted from Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food.

1 16- oz package frozen broccoli (cooked, drained, and chopped?)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (You can also use powdered baby cereal. See our homemade baby cereal post (LINK TO POST for information on how to make your own cereal powders.))
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 large eggs (It’s now considered safe to offer babies both egg yolks and whites around 8 or 9 months. Ask your pediatrician if you’re uncertain about offering eggs at this age.)

Heat oven to 375 and lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.
Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. Add seasonings if you like – garlic powder, pepper, extra basil, & oregano, for example.
Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares, “squiggles”, etc. Place on greased baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes; flip nuggets over, and bake for another 5 – 10 minutes (20-25 minutes total baking time.)
Serve warm.

These are great for babies who are able to chew and mash food with their gums. They’re also great for toddlers and big kids — they’re like vegetarian chicken nuggets!

Sweet Potato and Apple Pancakes

Apple and sweet potato make a naturally delicious (and healthy!) combination. Serve these pancakes for breakfast, or whip them up for a mid-afternoon snack. The pancakes can be stored in the freezer for up to a month, so if you have time, make a double batch and freeze some for later.

4 oz 1 cup whole wheat flour
2 oz 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 heaped tbsp rolled oats
2 1/2 oz about 2/3 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 large beaten eggs
16 fl oz (2 cups milk – we used whole milk)
4 oz 1/2 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato
1 apple (cored and chopped into bite sized pieces (remove skin for younger babies; you can leave it on for older babies))
little oil

Lightly steam the chopped apple or simmer it in a very little water until tender.
Mix the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, wheat germ, baking powder and spices together in a bowl.
Place the sweet potato in a separate bowl and slowly stir in the milk. Add the eggs and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until everything is just moist, then stir in the cooked apple.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and spoon in the mixture to form individual pancakes. Remember – this recipe produces a fairly thick mixture… if you like yours to be runnier, then thin with a little more milk.
Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden, then cool and serve.

Source: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com

Hawaiian Pork and Rice Dinner (introduce after 9 months)

This recipe is adapted from homemade-baby-food-recipes.com.

1/4 cup ground pork
2 cups water
1/4 cup rice (uncooked)
1/2 cup peaches (peeled and sliced (fresh preferred))
1/4 cup pineapple chunks

Bring pork and 1 cup of the water to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes.
Drain, refrigerating reserved liquid.
Add rice, remaining 1 cup water, peaches and pineapple to meat. Simmer 15 minutes.
Remove any grease from reserved liquid and return juices to pot.
Continue to cook mixture for another 5 minutes. Mash or puree before serving.

With flavors of peach and pineapple, this dinner offers baby a taste of the tropics!

Italian Green Veggie Pasta (introduce after 11 months)

This recipe was originally published on Weelicious.com

1 Medium Zucchini (sliced?)
1 Cup Broccoli Florets?
1/4 Cup Tomato or Marinara Sauce?
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Prepared pasta (Small pasta shapes are best for babies who are ready for finger-feeding.)

Place the zucchini and broccoli florets in a steamer pot over boiling water, steam for 5 minutes and allow to cool.?
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.?
Toss with prepared pasta. Serve.

Even if your baby isn’t normally a fan of broccoli or zucchini, we’re betting she’ll gobble up this pasta. Combining these veggies with tomato sauce and cheese makes them event tastier!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins (introduce after 11 months)

This recipe was originally published on NurtureBaby.com.

½ cup 100% whole wheat flour
¾ cup All-Purpose flour
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1-¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (melted)
½ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt* (2% or full fat recommended)
½ cup hot water
*Greek yogurt is recommended (as it has a much richer consistency. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, you can substitute with sour cream.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flours, salt, and baking soda together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until golden brown. Add melted chocolate and stir until well blended.
Add flour mixture, alternating with yogurt. Stir just until combined and then add hot water a little bit at a time.
Mix thoroughly and dole into lined cupcake tins.
Bake for 19-22 minutes and make sure not to over bake, as the cakes will dry out.
Eat these warm as muffins, or frost with your favorite frosting.

Babies cannot live on fruits and veggies alone! Sometimes, a little dessert is necessary. To give your baby the healthiest start, avoid serving him foods with lots of sugar until he’s a bit older; wait until 11 or 12 months to offer him these chocolatey muffins.

For tips on how to safely and conveniently store your homemade fruit purees, visit our food storage page.

Everything You Need To Know About Starting Solids – All In One e-Book!

What are your baby’s favorite meals? Share your recipes below!

The post How To Make Homemade Baby Food: 5 Great Recipes appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Proteins

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 12:00:16 +0000

Once your baby’s gotten used to eating fruits and vegetables, it’s time to start thinking about adding proteins into her diet. Keep in mind that for the first year of your baby’s life, breastmilk and/or formula will be her main source of protein. But starting around 7 months, you can begin adding in other protein sources, too.

Proteins are a key part of your baby’s diet, since they’ll help him grow and develop properly. And introducing protein into your baby’s diet will help him experience some new textures and flavors — always exciting!

For information on when to introduce specific fruits into your baby’s diet, along with serving sizes, visit our solid food charts.

Ready? Time to whip up some proteins!

Simple Meat and Poultry Recipe (introduce poultry at 8 months; introduce meat at 9-10 months)

3/4 – 1 cup cooked meat (chicken, turkey, beef, or pork, cut into small chunks)
1/4 cup water (if you’ll be pureeing the meat)

If your baby’s familiar with finger-food, you can simply serve her the small chunks of meat and let her self-feed.
If your baby isn’t quite ready for finger-food, put the chunks into a food processor and mix to desired consistency. For older babies, the meat can be ground; for younger babies, add water and puree to a thinner consistency.

When cooking meats for your baby, be sure that they are well-cooked. Never feed your baby rare or undercooked meats.

Simple Egg Recipes (introduce at 8 months)

1 egg
1 1/2 – 2 cups water (if boiling egg)

For hard-boiled eggs:

Boil the egg until firm (16 minutes for large egg; 19 minutes for extra-large egg). Allow to cool completely.
Carefully peel the shell from the egg. Mash, dice, or slice egg, depending on the age of your baby.

For scrambled eggs:

Crack egg into a bowl and beat.
Grease a small sautee pan and heat over medium heat.
Add egg to hot pan; scramble until egg is set.
Allow to cool before serving to your baby

Eggs are a highly allergenic food, and experts used to recommend waiting to introduce them into a baby’s diet until 12 months (or, at least, waiting to introduce egg whites, since that’s the “allergenic” part of the egg. Now, however, health experts suggest introducing them earlier, since there’s no link between delaying eggs and preventing egg allergies. If your family has a history of egg allergies, however, ask your doctor if you should wait and start eggs later.

Simple Fish Recipe (introduce at 11-12 months)

1 fillet of boneless whitefish (like cod, haddock, pollock, or tilapia)
1/4 cup water (if you’ll be pureeing the fish)

Bake, broil, or grill the fillet, until fish is done and flakes easily.
If your baby’s familiar with finger-food, you can simply flake the fish and serve it to him that way.
For younger babies, grind the fish in a food processor. You can leave it ground or add in a bit of water and puree it to an ever thinner consistency.

Of course, animal products like the ones listed above aren’t the only sources of protein. If that were the case, vegetarians wouldn’t stand a chance! No, there are plenty of vegetable products that are packed with protein, too. Beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and soy products are all great sources of protein.

Simple Lentil Recipe (introduce at 7-8 months)

1/4 cup lentils (red, green, or brown)
3/4 cup water or low-sodium stock (vegetable, beef, or chicken)

Sort lentils, removing any discolored/damaged ones. Then, rinse lentils.
Bring water or stock to a boil. Add lentils.
Cook until tender (15 minutes for red lentils, 20 minutes for green lentils, or 30 minutes for brown lentils).

Brown lentils are typically the easiest to find in the grocery store. However, red and green are also good choices. Red in particular are great for babies — they’re naturally sweet, and they cook fast.

Simple Bean Recipe (introduce at 7-8 months)

1/2 cup soft (cooked beans (use dried or canned — see below for details))

If using dried beans, cook according to package directions. Be sure to sort and rinse dried beans carefully. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.
If your baby’s familiar with finger-food, you can simply serve her the beans and let her self-feed.
For younger babies, mash beans gently. You can also place beans in a food processor, add water, and puree.

If you plan to use dried beans, allow plenty of prep and cooking time. Dried beans must be soaked overnight and then boiled for at least an hour before they’re soft enough for baby to eat.

Homemade Hummus Recipe (introduce at 7-8 months)

This recipe came from www.homemade-baby-food.com, which no longer exists.

1 – 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or garbanzo beans
2 tbsp. tahini paste*
2-3 T lemon juice*
2 cloves garlic*
2-3 T olive oil
*For younger babies (simply leave these ingredients out and puree chickpeas with oil.)

Drain the beans (if using canned). If using dried, follow package directions to prepare and cook beans. Be sure to sort and rinse dried beans carefully.
Puree all ingredients in a food processor.
Serve this to younger babies as is; for older babies, spread this on crackers or bread.

If you’re using dried beans, be sure to allow plenty of prep and cooking time. Dried beans must be soaked overnight and cooked for at least an hour before they’re soft enough for baby.

Simple Tofu Recipes (introduce at 9-10 months)

1 package of tofu (silken, soft, firm, or extra-firm, depending on which recipe you use)

For self-feeding babies:

Cut tofu (firm or extra-firm) into small cubes and offer them to your baby.

For mashed tofu mixtures:

Mash tofu (soft) into desired consistency.
Stir into fruit or vegetable purees.

For tofu smoothies:

Blend silken tofu with fruit juices and purees to create a delicious, protein-packed drink for your baby.

Tofu is made from soy, and soy tends to be a common allergen. If soy allergies run in your family, ask your doctor about waiting to introduce soy to your baby.

Protein mashes and purees are just fine on their own, of course. But stirring in some other ingredients can make for a delicious and complete meal! For example, toss chicken cubes with a vegetable puree and serve alongside brown rice. And it’s not just vegetable purees that combine well with meat — fruits can, too! Pork and applesauce? Tilapia with pureed mangoes? Sounds good to us!

For tips on how to safely and conveniently store your baby’s homemade proteins, visit our food storage page.

Everything You Need To Know About Starting Solids – All In One e-Book!

What are your baby’s favorite proteins? Any favorite protein recipes? Share them below!

The post How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Proteins appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Vegetables

Emily DeJeu — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 12:00:05 +0000

Vegetables — what’s not to love? Veggies are generally low in fat and calories but are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. Your baby needs all the nutrition vegetables have to offer — use the vegetable puree recipes below to make sure she gets it!

For information on when to introduce specific fruits into your baby’s diet, along with serving sizes, visit our solid food charts.

For information on whether or not you should invest in organic veggies, visit our post comparing organic and non-organic produce.

For tips on how to cook your vegetables, visit our cooking techniques page.

For tips on how to puree your vegetables, visit our pureeing techniques page.

Enough background information — on to the cooking!

Homemade Green Bean Puree (introduce at 4-6 months)

16 oz. 1 pound fresh green beans (can also use frozen)

Wash green beans and snap off the ends (skip this step if using frozen).
Boil or steam green beans until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Immediately after cooking, plunge green beans into a bowl or sink full of ice water. This will help stop the cooking process.
Once the green beans are cool, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if green beans were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

It’s virtually impossible to create a smooth puree from green beans, since the skins tend to be tough. For this reason, you may want to consider waiting until your baby’s old enough to handle chunkier textures before introducing green beans.

Homemade Carrot Puree (introduce at 7-8 months)

16 oz. 1 pound fresh carrots (can also use frozen)

Wash carrots. Peel and cut into small chunks (skip this step if using frozen).
Boil or steam carrots until tender. If boiling, DO NOT reserve cooking water. Adding the cooking water back into your carrot puree increases your baby’s risk of nitrate poisoning
Immediately after cooking, plunge carrots into a bowl or sink full of ice water. This will help stop the cooking process.
Once the carrots are cool, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if carrots were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

Homemade Pea Puree (introduce at 7-8 months)

16 oz. 1 pound fresh peas (can also use frozen)

Open pea pods and scrape out the peas (skip this step if using frozen).
Boil or steam peas until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Immediately after cooking, plunge peas into a bowl or sink full of ice water. This will help stop the cooking process.
Once the peas are cool, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if peas were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

Homemade Broccoli (introduce at 9-10 months)

16 oz. or 2-3 heads of fresh broccoli (can also use frozen broccoli florets)

Wash broccoli. Cut florets from stems; reserve the florets and discard the stems (since florets are more tender and easier for baby to eat than stems). Skip this step if using frozen.
Boil of steam broccoli until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Immediately after cooking, plunge broccoli into a bowl or sink full of ice water. This will help stop the cooking process.
Once the broccoli is cool, puree it, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if broccoli was boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

Now that your baby’s older, consider lightly mashing the broccoli, leaving some chunks. You could even cut the broccoli into tiny pieces and encourage him to try picking it up and feeding himself.

Homemade Sweet Potato/Yam Puree (introduce at 4-6 months)

Several medium sweet potatoes

Baking Method:

Wash sweet potatoes, then prick all over with a fork.
Wrap tightly in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, or until soft.
Allow sweet potatoes to cool completely. Cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop out into a dish.
Puree the sweet potato mixture until smooth, adding breastmilk, formula, or water to achieve your desired consistency.

Boiling/Steaming Method:

Wash and peel sweet potatoes, then cut them into small chunks.
Boil or steam the sweet potato pieces until tender. Allow pieces to cool completely.
Puree the sweet potato pieces until smooth, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (if boiling, use the cooking water) to achieve desired consistency.

Homemade Squash Puree (introduce at 4-6 months)

One large (or 2 medium winter squash (like acorn or butternut))

Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds.
Pour a small amount of water (just enough to cover) into the bottom of a baking sheet. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30-45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. It’s is done when the squash is tender and the tough outer skin begins to wrinkle and soften.
Allow the squash halves to cool. Scoop out the squash and puree until smooth, adding breastmilk, formula, or water to achieve your desired consistency.

Steamed Spinach, Kale, or Collard Greens (introduce at 9-10 months)

16 oz. 1 pound fresh spinach, kale, or collard greens

Wash spinach or greens carefully. If using kale or collard greens, carefully remove the tough stem that runs down the middle of each leaf.
Steam the spinach or greens in a steamer basket until tender.
Remove steamer basket and allow greens to cool completely.
Puree greens, adding fresh water to achieve desired consistency.

Once you’ve made a veggie puree, you may find yourself wondering how you’re going to store it. For tips on proper food storage, visit our food storage page.

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What are your baby’s favorite veggie recipes? Share them below!

The post How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Vegetables appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Fruits

Emily DeJeu — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:00:26 +0000

Few things taste better than fresh fruit. Sure, chocolate is divine, but a fresh, juicy strawberry? Heavenly! And we bet your baby agrees. She’s bound to love the natural sweetness of fruit, and you’re bound to love the loads of vitamins and minerals that fresh fruit provides.

One of the best ways to ensure that your baby is getting plenty of fresh fruit in her diet is to make some fruit purees yourself. Use the recipes below to get started.

For information on when to introduce specific fruits into your baby’s diet, along with serving sizes, visit our solid food charts.

For information on whether or not you should invest in organic fruits, visit our post comparing organic and non-organic products.

For tips on how to cook your fruit, visit our cooking techniques page.

For tips on how to puree your fruit, visit our pureeing techniques page.

Let’s get cooking!

Mashed Bananas/Avocados (introduce at 4-6 months)

To pick a ripe avocado: look for avocados with dark green skin. You can also check for ripeness by doing a “thumb test.” Press the avocado with your thumb; if it leaves a small indentation, the avocado’s ripe.

1 ripe banana (ripe bananas work best; they mash easily and tend to have a sweeter flavor.)
OR
1 ripe avocado (see note for information on how to choose a ripe avocado.)

Peel the banana. If using an avocado, cut the avocado in half and remove the stone in the center. Cut the banana into several large chunks, and place the chunks in a small dish. If using an avocado, scoop the avocado from the skin using a spoon.
Mash the banana or avocado with a fork or a potato masher. You can thin with breastmilk or formula, if necessary.

You can freeze mashed banana of avocado the same way you’d freeze any other fruit puree. You’ll simply need to add a little lemon juice to prevent browning. However, given how easy it is to mash bananas and avocados, you’ll probably prefer to make them fresh each time you serve them to your baby.

Homemade Applesauce (introduce at 4-6 months)

Several apples (cooking apples are best, as they retain their flavor and texture better. Click here for a listing of good cooking apples.)

Wash, peel, and core the apples. Then, cut the apples into medium-sized chunks.
Boil or steam apple chunks until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Allow apples to cool; then, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if apples were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

Applesauce is one of the few store-bought products that’s almost identical to the homemade version. If you simply don’t have time to make your own applesauce, buying it is perfectly okay, so long as you buy the “good” kind! Look for applesauce that’s labeled “natural” or “no sugar added”. The only ingredients listed should be apples, water, and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Avoid applesauce that has any added flavors or sugars (like high fructose corn syrup).

Homemade Pear Puree (introduce at 4-6 months)

Several ripe pears

Wash, peel, and core the pear. Then, cut the pear into medium-sized chunks.
Boil or steam the pear chunks until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Allow pears to cool; then, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if pears were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

Homemade Peach, Nectarine, Apricot, or Plum Puree (introduce at 7-8 months)

Several ripe peaches (nectarines, or plums)

Baking Method:

Wash fruit. Cut in half and remove the pit from the center.
Pour 1/2 an inch of water into a baking dish; place fruit cut-side down in dish.
Bake at 375 – 400 until the fruit is tender and the skin begins to pucker and wrinkle.
Peel skin from fruit. (If the skin seems soft enough, you can simply leave it on).
Allow fruit to cool; then, puree it, adding breastmilk, formula, or water to achieve your desired consistency.

Blanching Method:

Fill a large pot halfway full of water. Bring to a boil.
Wash the fruit. Add fruit to water; boil for 4-5 minutes.
Peel the skin from the fruit. (If the skin seems soft enough, you can simply leave it on.)
Cut the fruit in half and remove the pits from the center.
Allow fruit to cool; then, puree it, adding breastmilk, formula, or water to achieve your desired consistency.

Apricot and plum purees can be slightly bitter. If this is the case, you can add a bit of white grape juice as you puree; this will offset any bitterness.

Homemade Mango/Papaya Puree (introduce at 7-8 months)

Mangos are ripe when their skin changes from green to a golden-red and when they’re “thumb tender” (when you press your thumb into the fruit, it leaves a small indentation). Papayas are ripe when their skin turns golden, and then they’re thumb tender.

1 ripe mango or papaya (see note for information on how to pick a ripe mango or papaya)

Peel and de-seed the fruit. Then, cut the fruit into chunks.
At this point, you can simply mash the raw chunks and serve it to your baby. If you prefer to cook the fruit (to make it a bit softer, or to break down the sugars making it easier for your baby to digest), simply steam the chunks until tender (5-7 minutes).
If cooking, allow the fruit to cool. The puree it, adding breastmilk, formula, or water to achieve your desired consistency.

Homemade Blueberry Puree (introduce at 9-10 months)

1/2 – 1 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 – 1 cup water

Rinse the blueberries well (skip this step if using frozen).
Boil or steam the blueberries until tender. If boiling, reserve the cooking water.
Allow the blueberries to cool; then, puree them, adding breastmilk, formula, or water (use cooking water if pears were boiled) to achieve your desired consistency.

You can also leave the blueberries raw and simply mash them well with a fork, since by 9 months, your baby is ready for more texture in his food anyway.

Mashed Melons — Honeydew, Watermelon, or Cantaloupe (introduce at 9-10 months)

1 melon

Slice the melon. Cut the melon from the rind, removing any seeds.
Cut the melon into small chunks and mashed with a fork.

Mashed Kiwi (introduce at 9-10 months)

Several ripe kiwi

Peel the kiwi; then, cut into small chunks.
Mash the kiwi with a fork. You don’t have to remove the seeds; by this age, your baby should be able to tolerate the added texture, and the seeds themselves are digestible.

Fruit purees and mashes are delicious alone, but they can be even tastier combined (once your baby’s old enough for mixed foods). Blueberry applesauce? Peachy mashed bananas? Kiwi mango tango? The sky’s the limit! What’s more, fruit is a delicious “add-in” — add it to baby cereal, or to cottage cheese and yogurt.

For tips on how to safely and conveniently store your homemade fruit purees, visit our food storage page.

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What are your baby’s favorite fruits? Any favorite fruit recipes? Share them below!

The post How To Make Homemade Baby Food: Fruits appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Should You Use Organic Fruits and Veggies to Make Your Baby’s Food?

Emily DeJeu — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 12:00:21 +0000

When you make homemade baby food, it’s best to use the freshest produce possible (although using frozen fruits and vegetables is considered fine, too). But there’s another factor to consider before buying produce for your baby: organic or non-organic?

Facts About Organic Produce

The “organic” label can be applied to any produce that is grown using natural, non-synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and that isn’t highly processed. Organic foods have gained lots of attention in recent decades, and have been praised as a healthier, more natural alternative to non-organic produce.

However, if you’ve ever done a price comparison, you know that that organic doesn’t come cheap! Organic produce is anywhere from 20% – 100% more expensive than non-organic. The reasons for these higher costs are many, and the higher costs themselves prevent many people from buying organic at all. It’s estimated that only 10% of the American population buys only organic produce, simply because the cost is so high.

Comparing Organic and Non-Organic Foods

Of course, as parents, we want to give the best to our babies. So, is the high price of organic produce worth it if it means healthier food for our little ones? Or is it safe to stick with non-organic fruits and veggies?

The chart below offers some basic information to help you make your decision.

Factors to Consider	Organic Fruits/Veggies	Non-Organic Fruits/Veggies
COST	Organic produce is significantly more expensive than non-organic.	Non-organic produce is far less expensive than organic.
VARIETY	You may be a bit limited if you buy organic. For example, it might be tough to find organic blueberries! However, as more and more stores carry organic produce, that will likely change.	A wider variety of fruits and vegetables are available if you choose non-organic produce.
NUTRITION	There’s conflicting research about whether or not organic produce is healthier — some studies indicate that it is, while others indicate that it’s nutritionally identical to non-organic.	All fruits and veggies are considered nutritious, so there’s really no such thing as an “unhealthy” piece of produce! We all need to eat plenty of fresh produce, regardless of whether it’s organic or not.
SAFETY	Organic produce is grown without synthetic, chemical pesticides, so people who eat it have less pesticide exposure than those who eat non-organic produce. And since synthetic pesticides are considered toxins, this makes organic produce a slightly safer option.	People who eat non-organic produce are more exposed to pesticide residue. Keep in mind, however, that non-organic produce has pesticide levels that are well-below what the FDA considers dangerous.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT*	Organic produce is considered more environmentally-friendly than non-organic produce, since it uses more natural farming methods and processing.	Non-organic produce is considered to be less “green” than organic, but see our note below for more details.

*NOTE: Many environmental experts advise that people who want to live a “green” lifestyle focus on eating local foods, rather than organic ones. Think of it this way: if you live in Boston, and you buy organic strawberries shipped from California, your food takes a huge amount of fuel to make its way to your shopping cart! Better to buy local strawberries (even if they aren’t organic) if your primary concern is the environment. Of course, if you can find local, organic produce, that’s perfect!

Should I Feed My Baby Organic Food?

So what do we make of all this information? Here’s the bottom line, as we see it: to help your baby stay as healthy as possible, feed her plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Period. Organic produce may be slightly healthier, so if you can afford the price, go for it! But if buying organic is simply out of your budget’s reach, don’t lose a moment of sleep over it.

What if you can’t afford to switch entirely to organic but are still concerned about pesticide and chemical exposure? Researchers recommend focusing on the “dirty dozen”: these are 12 fruits and vegetables that tend to have the highest levels of pesticides. When it comes to these fruits and veggies, buy organic; then, buy non-organic varieties of everything else. This’ll help maximize your food budget while minimizing your baby’s exposure to pesticides.

The Dirty Dozen

Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines (imported varieties)
Grapes (imported varieties)
Sweet Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries
Lettuce
Kale/Collard Greens

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Organic? Non-Organic? A little bit of both? How do you decide what kind of produce to buy for baby?

The post Should You Use Organic Fruits and Veggies to Make Your Baby’s Food? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.