Homemade Baby Food

I was asked last week how Brain and I made our homemade baby food for Liam when he was 6 months old, so I thought I might post a “how to” on making homemade baby foods.  (Note: We started spoon feeding with Liam between 5-6 months old but only after we obtained the “go ahead” from our pediatrician.) I am a big believer in making infant meals yourself rather than feeding them the store bought kinds.  You should always know what goes into your child’s foods and the best way to do this is by making it yourself with fresh fruits and veggies. 

To start out: The Basics

We selected a variety of veggies, both fresh and frozen bags, and then individually steamed each batch until soft and tender.

Some of the veggies we started first with Liam: Butternut Squash, Carrots, Green Beans, Green Peas and Sweet Potatoes.

After a vegetable is steamed, dump all the pieces into a blender or puree machine with 1/3 cup water and blend. (We used the water from steaming the veggies in everything EXCEPT for the Carrots which leak out some toxins that you do not want to put back into the baby food) You will need to gradually add water until the mix is a consistency that your child can consume---usually at 6 months old this means it is a slightly runny consistency with no chunks that will easily slide off your spoon when tilted instead of falling of in thick globs.  If it becomes to thick after it has been frozen you can always add more water to each individual serving as you go or infant rice to thicken it if it becomes too thin.

Once it reaches the consistency that you are comfortable with for your infant, take out several clean ice trays (we had to buy new ones since we have an ice maker and do not use ice trays--$1.00 for a three pack at the dollar store) and use a spoon to fill the cubes. Once each tray is full, just stack them in the freezer overnight and dump each food group into separate freezer bags the next day. Be sure to label each bag with the food and the date you made the food. Baby food will last up to 3 months in the freezer but only 2 days once thawed in the fridge so be sure to always check the dates.  (Note: After three months in the freezer the food is not considered bad or inedible but the nutrients begin to decline after 3 months of being frozen and at that point is not considered healthy for your baby.)

The system for fruits is the same.  (For Liam we started fruits at 8 months old.) We started with: apples, peaches, mangos, avocados, blueberries, and raspberries.  For all of these EXCEPT the apples and avocados we used the steamer, but we were told that apples do best if boiled after being pealed and cored. Avocados do not need to be cooked they can be put directly into the blender once the seed is removed.  Fruits need much less water once blended since they have more juice in them than vegetables do so start with just adding a few tablespoons of water at a time. 

When you are ready to thaw the cubes of food, I recommend heating up a cup of water in the microwave, then place one or two cubes into a plastic sandwich baggie and set it down into the hot water until it is soft and ready to eat. (Note: Fruit thaws much faster than vegetables.) Now your baby has homemade baby food he/she can enjoy while you can sit back and enjoy knowing you saved money and know exactly what they are eating...or at least for now you do because once they start crawling anything on the floor will be fair game! 
MEMO TO MOM:  Always run the blender with a lid on it...or you will be wearing more baby food than you make.