Our Favorite (and Easy) Baby Food Recipes

First Lunch Puree

¼ to ½ ripe avocado

½ ripe banana

3 T jarred carrot puree or to taste

Other fruit as introduced

Blend in handy chopper until smooth

 

Baby Yogurt Lunch
(great lunch for the whole family)

1 small container baby yogurt

¼- ½ avocado

Fresh or frozen fruit to hunger and taste including banana, peaches, mango, or pears

1-2T wheat germ

1T flax seed oil

Blend in handy chopper or mash to desired texture.

 

Pear Apple Sauce

(great batch recipe)

Peel and slice pears and apples into uniform pieces and place in a baking dish.  You may also leave the skin on for cooking and peel before pureeing. 

Add enough water to coat the bottom of your baking dish.

Cover dish and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency; puree and freeze or serve immediately.

Growing up: once introduced, add a sprinkle of cinnamon before cooking

Pumpkin Apple Sauce

(fall favorite for the whole family)

Peel and slice 5-6 apples and place in baking dish

Pour can of organic pumpkin over apples (fresh is more trouble and can have a chunkier texture)

Cinnamon to taste.

Enough water or apple cider to coat bottom of baking dish.

If you are not using sweet apples, you may need to add a sprinkle of sugar to taste, especially as the pumpkin flavor can be a little drab.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until apples are soft.

Puree and serve, refrigerate or freeze immediately.  Both of my children love this and will eat it for every meal and snack, so it never stays around long enough to freeze!

Butternut Squash Puree
(Parents should try Butternut Squash White Bean Soup)

Cut the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds

Put the halves face down on a in a dish filled with about ¼ in of water and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Turn the squash face-up and continue cooking until soft/you can easily make a hole in it with a fork

Scoop out meat, place in food processor, and add liquid as needed to achieve desired consistency
Growing up: In a bowl with a touch of water, combine fresh spinach leaves, a clove of minced garlic and an onion slice. Cover with a plate and cook for three minutes in the microwave. Puree cooked spinach mixture with squash puree, a little cheese and rice cereal. Add your Great Northern beans or serve them separately as a finger food.  As beans may be a choke hazard, watch your child closely.

Sweet Potato Puree
(Parents should try Sweet Potato Enchiladas)

Wash the potato and puncture it with a fork or knife.

Place in an oven at 400 degrees until soft or

Place in a covered dish in about 1/2 inch of water and microwave until soft.

Once ready, hold hot potato in oven mitt and make an incision in the skin, which will easily peel to reveal the meat.

Once introduced, cook with a sprig or rosemary and olive oil.

Growing up: Cut uncooked potatoes into strips and place on cookie sheet covered with foil.  Brush with EVOO and sprinkle with rosemary and a pinch of salt to taste.  Bake at 400 degrees until soft.

Green Bean Puree

(also appropriate for chicken, summer squash, etc.)

Place washed and prepared beans in casserole dish.

Surround beans with fresh peeled and cut garlic and chopped onion, a dash of pepper and some parsley or rosemary.  Quantities used will be according to taste.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees until thoroughly cooked and soft.

Immediately puree and freeze or serve.

Growing Up: Combine green bean puree with baked chicken, rice, rice cereal, or a baked potato, and Plain Yogurt for a kick of taste and calcium. 

Super Oatmeal

1. Empty your packet of oatmeal into a microwave safe bowl (I used my everyday china's cereal bowl)
2. Pour your fruit over the top (don't be afraid to mix it up); generally 2-3 tablespoons, depending upon the fruit, is perfect, but more is great.
3. Add your milk.  How much depends upon what fruit you used (some contribute more juice than others) and how wet your child prefers their oatmeal.  I got it wrong most every morning, so my son grew to love moist oatmeal!
4.  Heat per the instructions on your oatmeal, though if you can get away with less, it will save you time in the cooling phase, as kids are notorious for not liking food too warm.
5.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, stir well, and place on granite counter (amazing for rapid cooling) or in freezer to cool for consumption.

Toddler Salad

For one child, dice the following:

1/4 of an Avocado

2/3c tomato

1/2c cucumber

1/4c onion

1/4c bell pepper

Pour off 80% of the olive oil from a bottle of Newman's Own Italian or Oil and Vinegar dressing and save for cooking.  Shake the remaining dressing well and sprinkle over salad.  Mix well, breaking up the avocado, which will help the dressing to go further.

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

(1 serving)

3/4c Low Fat French Vanilla Yogurt

4T canned pumpkin (or more to taste)

1T wheat germ

a pinch of cinnamon

1/2t brown sugar

Mix all of the above in a cup and place in the freezer for 1.5 hours.