Best Baby Food Combinations

 
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I never knew I could have so much fun with baby food! With my first I knew I wanted to make my own food, but he ended up not really liking purees and really not eating much food until about 8 months old and by then we were mainly giving him pieces of food not purees. Isla is only 6 months and she’s eaten more than Turner did in his first year! Crazy how kids can be so different from one another.

It’s been so fun to play with baby food combos and I PROMISE making your own baby food is not hard at all. Please, please stay away from that old school jarred stuffed that has been on the shelf for who knows how long. Luckily there are a lot of great healthier pre-prepared baby food options out there nowadays, but honestly I encourage you to give making your own food a try. There is a deep sense of satisfaction I derive from providing my babe with healthy homemade food and I want you to feel that way also!

How to Know if Your Baby Is Ready for Food?

While all pediatricians are different, they generally mention that you can start your baby on simple, single vegetable purees at the 4 month check up. That doesn’t mean you need to rush home and that very day start your baby on food. Like many, scratch that, ALL things in motherhood, it’s all about your child’s unique needs and YOU as the mother are the best one to know that. But I will share a little bit about my experience with my two kids.

With Turner, I knew he wasn’t ready for food at 4 months. He showed no interest at all. I tried at around 5 months with sweet potato puree and a variety of other purees and met much resistance. Then we switched to baby led weaning, which really was just baby led food throwing. But the constant exposure to food eventually paid off and around 8 months he started picking things up and actually eating them. We basically skipped purees all together, he never liked them.

Isla starting showing an interest in food early on. She would pay attention to what we were eating and try to grab at food if it was within her range. Be on the lookout for visual interest from your baby around meal time and when you are eating - that’s a good indicator they may be ready for food. Another test to see if your baby is ready is to put a spoon near their mouth and see if they open for it.

Signs Your Baby Might Be Ready for Solid Food

  • Baby is over the age of 4 months

  • Baby can hold head steady while sitting

  • Baby shows visual interest in food when you are eating

  • Baby reaches for your food

  • Baby opens mouth if you put food or a spoon near their face

  • You feel ready to incorporate food into your baby’s routine

I pretty much came home from the 4 month check up and starting making Isla food. I just knew she would be into it - and she was.

 
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Things to Know Before Starting Baby on Food

Always discuss with your pediatrician and follow their recommendations. But generally speaking here are some guidelines:

(NOTE: I’ve found that most doctors recommend starting with a rice cereal. I’m of the belief, that I would rather start my baby on real vegetables and fruit then a rice cereal from a box. But do what you think is best for you and your baby.)

  1. Start with one new food at a time - not mixtures.

  2. Start with a small amount at first - maybe only a teaspoon, and slowly increase the amount.

  3. Don’t use salt or sugar! Cow’s milk is not recommended until your maybe over is the age of one.

  4. Start with finely pureed, more liquid-y texture. Use breastmilk or formula to thin out the mix.

  5. Wash all fruits and vegetables.

  6. Start with vegetables first. Do only one vegetable at a time. That way if your baby has a reaction (like an allergy) you can pinpoint what it is from.

  7. This is my preferred and recommended order of introducing foods: Green vegetables first, then colored vegetables, then fruits (although once I got to fruits I starting mixing them with veggies she had already had), then mixtures, then meat mixed w/ fruit or veggies.

How to Make a Fruit or Vegetable Puree

Alright! Let’s get going!

  • Prep: wash the fruit/veggies with water. Peel, if needed, and chop into small-ish pieces.

  • Steam: Steam your fruit or veggies. Add water to pan and place steamer basket inside. Place your fruits and / or veggies in basket. Place lid on pot. Cook the fruit/veggies until soft and fork tender. I also use frozen veggies for convenience and cook them by placing them in a microwave safe bowl, adding a little water and putting a silicone lid on top (to steam them) and microwaving according to package directions.

  • Puree: place cooked fruit and / or veggies into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (or the consistency you desire), adding liquid (water, breast milk, formula, or bone broth) as needed. I also use my NutriBullet to blend, but the ingredients need to be cooled before using the NutriBullet.

Baby Food Preparation Time Saving Tips

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  • Frozen veggies can be steamed and blended. Some of my favs:

    • Peas

    • Any kind of squash (butternut, kabocha)

    • Green Beans

    • Cauliflower

  • Jarred organic applesauce works great in a pinch! Add it to a fruit / veggie mixture (I love mixing it with sweet potatoes or squash)

  • If you are short on time, by the pre-cut up ingredients at the store, like already diced sweet potato, squash, cut up broccoli, cut up cauliflower, etc. Just know you are paying a slight premium for the work to have been done for you.

  • Mash a ripe banana - boom! Baby food done.

  • Mash an avocado - boom! Baby food done.

  • Some fruits are soft enough you don’t need to even steam them, like peaches, avocados, kiwi, nectarines.

Favorite Foods to Start Feeding a Baby

Personally, I chose to intro spices and seasoning early on. That was my personal preference. Baby-friendly spices are those that are relatively mild. You should not use spices with heat or that are spicy. Spices such as cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and clove, are easy to add to fruit mixes. Savory spices, such as basil, coriander, cumin and turmeric pair well with vegetables and add depth to the food. I believe that spices and seasoning hold nutritional value and that introducing them early on gets your baby’s palette accustomed to flavors. Adding seasoning (all natural spices) is up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

I would start your first foods without any additional spices and on the second or third go around add some in. I add VERY little, just a tiny pinch.

Here is a great article on adding spice to baby food.

Green Veggies:

  • Peas + breastmilk (or formula)

    • Spice: pinch of cumin

  • Zucchini + water or no sodium bone broth

    • Spice: pinch of turmeric

  • Green beans + breastmilk (or formula)

    • Spice: pinch of cumin

Colored Veggies:

  • Carrot + water or no sodium bone broth

    • Spice: pinch of coriander

  • Butternut Squash + no sodium bone broth or water

  • Sweet potato + breastmilk (or formula)

    • Spice: pinch of cinnamon or cloves

  • Cauliflower + no sodium bone broth or water

    • Spice: pinch of cumin

Fruits:

Here I would mix fruit with veggies already introduced. Fruit can be very sweet for a baby so I like to tone it down and sneak in some veggies.

  • Avocado (super easy - just mash it!)

  • Banana (super easy - just mash it!)

  • Apple + Sweet Potato

    • Spice: pinch of cinnamon

  • Avocado + Spinach

    • Spice: pinch of coriander

  • Peach + Cauliflower

    • Spice: pinch of ginger

  • Peach + Butternut Squash

    • Spice: pinch of ginger

Favorite Baby Food Combinations

These can all be easily blended in a food processor or blender.

  • Purple Carrot + Spinach + Breast Milk (or Formula) + tiny squeeze of lemon

  • Zucchini + No Sodium Bone Broth + pinch of Turmeric

  • Beets + Cherry + Breast Milk (or Formula)

  • Apricot + Kohlrabi + pinch of Turmeric + pinch of Cinnamon

  • Corn + Apple + Cauliflower + pinch of Mild Chili Powder

  • Zucchini + Green Bean + No Sodium Bone Broth

  • Pumpkin (from the can is fine!) + Oatmeal (grind the oats for a finer puree) + Breastmilk (or water) + pinch of Cinnamon

  • Butternut Squash + Oatmeal (grind the oats for a finer puree) + Breastmilk (or water) + pinch of turmeric + pinch of cinnamon

  • Butternut Squash + Peas + No Sodium Bone Broth + pinch of Coriander

  • Avocado + Kiwi

  • Prunes (pour boiling water over them to soften) + Peaches

  • Kiwi + Banana

  • Apple + Carrot + Pineapple + pinch of Ginger, Nutmeg, & Cinnamon - think carrot cake baby food!

  • Fruit Chia Seed Pudding: Blend 1/2 cup either: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches into puree. Mix with 1 TBL chia seeds + 1/4 cup breastmilk. Stir or shake. Put in fridge for at least 2-3 hours to thicken.

Baby Food Combinations with Meat

  • Blueberry + Squash + Steamed Chicken

  • Kabocha or Butternut Squash + Steamed Chicken

  • Peas + Steamed Chicken + No Sodium Bone Broth

How to Freeze Baby Food

I freeze baby food in these silicon molds so that I always have food on hand. I stash the frozen cubes in labeled reusable bags. I cook a few things over the weekend and freeze food for the week or prep a puree for Isla as I’m making dinner for the family and freeze it.

If you want to know more about food safety and freezing check out this article.

Michelle Annett