Baby Food Recipes to Start With

Baby Meals For The Absolute Beginner - 6 Months Old And Up

That is also by far the most expensive alternative.

And there is no guarantee that your baby will like the canned food.

Our oldest son hated canned baby food. Our daughter hated my homemade food. Our youngest son hated everything but breast milk and banana for a looong time.

Now they all eat well, especially our 4-year-old daughter, who refers to salmon as candy...

Well, food should be fun in my view. No matter what age you are, eating should be an enjoyable moment.

Most babies (and parents...) are ready for solid food at some point between 4 and 6 months old. Remember though, that the general recommendation at present is to start with solid food (or actually anything but breast milk) when the baby is 6 months old.

Talk to your baby's health care provider about your specific situation.

First a few general pieces of advice for cooking baby food:

• Use fresh, organic ingredients as much as you can! Organic vegetables are often lower in nitrates.
• No salt ever until your baby is 1 year old.
• Steam vegetables as often as possible. This will preserve the vitamins better that boiling.
• When boiling, use as little water as possible without risking to burn the food. This way you'll keep more of the vitamins in the food.
• Add some oil or butter to the baby recipes, a teaspoon or so per serving, since babies need the fat to grow and develop properly. (I know in some countries this is not recommended for some reason. If so follow the guidelines provided by your baby's health nurse. However, you can read about the health benefits of adding oil or butter to baby food here.)
• The more inexperienced your child is with eating solid food, the soupier the food should be when you serve it. Add a lot of breast milk or formula in the beginning. Reduce the amount when your baby gets more used to eating solid food.
• If you want to save time and cook many portions at once, be sure to cool the food down and freeze it quickly. This way you avoid bacteria growth in the food. Use an ice cube tray for example.
• Always try new baby food recipes before making many portions. Otherwise you might have throw away a lot of food if your baby doesn't like it.

For some more instructions on how make baby food, click here.

Before you start experimenting, you might want to take a quick look at this list of foods to avoid for babies.

And after a while, when your baby is a bit older and more used to baby food, you can try some more "advanced" baby food recipes here.

Baby Food Recipes to Start With

• Potatoes
• Roast Sweet Potato
• Carrots
• Vegetables
• Avocado
• Banana
• Apples or pears
• Apricot mash
• Share your own favorite recipes

Potatoes

• 1 potato
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of oil or butter
• some breast milk or formula

Do like this

• Peel the potato.
• Boil it in pieces in water without salt until tender.
• Puree the potato by using a strainer or a blender or food processor.
• Don't overdo the pureeing. Potatoes transform into something reminding of glue if processed for too long!
• Add the oil
• Add breast milk, formula or possibly some of the water use used for boiling the potato to get the right consistency.

Potatoes have a mild a neutral taste and can easily be used to mix with other vegetables to vary the food. This is a good way to introduce new tastes to your baby if he has gotten used to potatoes.

Roast Sweet Potato

Roasting sweet potato rather than boiling makes it tastier!

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of oil or butter
• some breast milk or formula

Do like this

• Roast sweet potato in it's skin
• Scoop out the flesh (about 1-2 dessert spoons per portion)
• Add the oil or unsalted butter
• Blend with bit of breast or formula milk depending on age of baby.

Carrots

• 3-4 ounces (75-100 gr) of carrots (organic)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of oil or butter
• some breast milk or formula

Do like this

• Peel, wash and cut the carrot in small pieces.
• Steam it or boil it in water without salt until tender.
• Puree the carrot by using a strainer or a blender or food processor. You can also use a garlic press that you only use for baby food.
• Mix with some potato if you want a milder taste.
• Add the oil.
• Add breast milk, formula or possibly some of the water use used for boiling the carrot to get the right consistency.

Note that carrots can make you baby constipated (or help a baby with diarrhea). Mix the carrots with potatoes to reduce this effect.

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes.

Carrots can also contain some nitrates, which can impair the oxygen transportation in the red blood cells in small babies. Wait with carrots until your baby is 6 months old and choose only organic carrots for the use in all baby food recipes!

Vegetables

• 3-4 ounces (75-100 gr)of for example parsnip, sweet potato or celeriac, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus or corn.
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of oil or butter
• some breast milk or formula

Do like this

• Peel, wash and cut the vegetable in small pieces.
• Steam the vegetable or boil it in water without salt until tender.
• Puree the vegetable by using a strainer or a blender or food processor. You can also use a garlic press that you only use for baby food.
• Peas, corn and asparagus can be hard to make completely smooth, due to their peels. You'll have to work a little bit harder! Pressing the puree through a strainer might help.
• Mix with some potato if you want a milder taste.
• Add the oil.
• Add breast milk, formula or possibly some of the water use used for boiling the vegetable to get the right consistency.

Avocado

• 1/2 avocado

Do like this

• Take out the pulp using a small spoon.
• Mash the avocado using a small fork or strain it.

Avocado is great food, containing 25 nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, fiber and unsaturated fats. They are also naturally sodium-free, contain no trans fats and are low in saturated fat.

Banana

• 1/2 banana

Do like this

• Take out the pulp using a small spoon.
• Mash the banana using a small fork or strain it.

Don't let your baby bite the banana peel. Non-organic bananas are grown using loads of pesticides!

Apples or pears

• 1 apple or pear
• (1 star anise)

Do like this

• Wash and peel the fruit.
• Cut it in pieces and take away the core.
• Boil it until soft together with the star anise.
• Puree it. (Take out the star anise first.)

Apricot mash

• 3-4 ounces (75-100 gr) of dried organic apricots

Do like this

• Wash the apricots.
• Leave them to soak in water for a few hours.
• Boil them for a few minutes until soft.
• Puree them.

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