Get your baby on board for a healthy new year with these four homemade purées.
When baby is ready to begin trying semi-solid foods, you may wonder what to start with. While store bought baby foods work well for quick snacks, their processing removes some of the foods’ nutrients and flavor. Instead, feel confident in the foods you are feeding baby with these easy, nutrient-dense homemade purées. You will want to make sure to stick with simple, one- or two-ingredient recipes at first to check for allergic reactions and allow baby to become accustomed to these new textures and flavors. Try one or all of the following and let baby enter the new world of foods and flavors.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups frozen peas
- ½ cup breast milk or formula
Instructions:
1. Cook the frozen peas according to the packaging.
2. Once cooked, add the peas and breast milk into a food processor and blend until creamy.
3. If eating immediately, test the purée's warmth and then spoon small bites for baby to give your new recipe a try.
4. If you want to freeze the leftovers, you can store the purée in an ice cube tray. Cover and freeze until you are ready to feed again. Then warm the ice tray in the microwave for about 20 seconds and you will have another healthy meal ready to go!
Ingredients:
- 1 small banana
- Breast milk or formula, to taste
Instructions:
1. Peel and mash a small banana in a bowl.
2. Add a small amount of breast milk to thin out the mashed banana and to help bring some familiarity to this new food.
Ingredients:
- 1 small avocado
- Breast milk or formula, to taste
Instructions:
1. Mash avocado in a small bowl.
2. Add a small amount of breast milk to thin out the mashed avocado and to help bring some familiarity to this new food.
Ingredients:
- 1 small sweet potato
- Breast milk or formula, to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke a couple holes into the tops.
2. Place on a sheet of foil and bake for 45 minutes or until you can poke a fork easily through.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut them in half, peel away the skin, and place in a food processor until creamy.
4. Add a small amount of breast milk to thin out the mashed sweet potato and to help bring some familiarity to this new food.