HOW TO make yummy baby food
- Prep: wash the fruit/veggies with water. Peel and chop into smaller pieces. Some fruits and veggies don’t need to be peeled because once they’re cooked the peel will come right off.
- Cook: cook the fruit/veggies by steaming, boiling or roasting. You’ll know it’s done when the veggies are soft and tender. You can use a fork to test this. If it goes in really easily, you will know it’s done. Let cool and peel (if you waited to peel).
- Blend: place cooked fruit/veggies into a blender and blend until smooth (or the consistency you desire), adding liquid (water, breast milk or formula) as needed.
Shopping List to Make Yummy Food
- 1 avocado
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 banana
- 2 apples
- 2 pears
- 4 peaches
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 pineapple
- 1 mango
- quinoa
It’s recommended that most fruits and veggies are steamed (or cooked) before serving until baby reaches around 8 months of age. Some foods require cooking (like apples and sweet potatoes), just so they’re soft enough to puree. For softer foods (like a ripe peach or blueberries) steaming/cooking is optional, but helpful for babies 6-8 months of age because cooking makes the food easier to digest and baby will able to absorb more nutrients from the food. A steamer basket makes this all a lot easier too before pureeing.
For any combination recipes, steam each fruit/veggie separately and then make the combos using the measurements. This is helpful because the steam time varies for most fruits and veggies.
Once your fruit/veggies are cooked, it’s time to blend. For this you can use a blender. washie tip: definitely a great idea to add Vitamix to your baby registry.
Easy Apple Pear recipe (6-8 months)
Ingredients
- 1 apple, such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp
- 1 ripe pear, such as Bartlett
Preparation
Peel, quarter, and core the apple and pear. Cut the apple and pear into bite-sized chunks. Place the apple chunks in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Pour in about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Place the pan over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.
Steam the apple for 2 minutes, then add the pear chunks. Continue to steam, stirring occasionally to help cook evenly, until the fruit is very tender, about 10 minutes longer.
Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the steamed fruit to a blender or food processor and let cool. Process the fruit to a very smooth or chunky puree, depending on your baby's age and chewing ability. If needed, add a little water, breast milk, or formula to thin the puree.
Refrigerate the puree in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months. (Storage tip: Spoon into ice-cube trays for single servings that are easy to thaw.)
Makes about 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml).
