Want to start making homemade baby food for your little one, but not sure where to begin? Check out these helpful tips and tricks from other new moms.
Before you get started, make sure you know the signs baby is ready to start eating solid foods and which ones are safe.
DO Start with Avocados
“They’re mild-tasting, easy to make, great for babies and freeze well. Because you don’t have to cook them, I just do one and get about 4-6 meals depending on the size,” says user Najzomax. “[My] little one loves them!”
DO Purée
“Make sure you really purée well. I didn’t and [my baby] refused to eat,” says Najzomax. “Once I blended it some more, she loved it.”
Try this recipe: Homemade Apple Sauce for babies six months and up.
DO Try Different Fruits and Vegetables
“I found the best foods to work with were cauliflower, avocado, sweet potato, pears, apples,” user Tch81 says. “Peas and green beans are very hard to get smooth enough. I roasted carrots and those were also tough to get smooth.”
Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Pudding for babies twelve months and up.
DO Store with Ice Cube Trays
“Use ice cube trays. Mine make approximately 1/2 ounce cubes, so its easy to heat up more or less depending on what I think she will eat,” says Najzomax. “For example, she’ll eat three cubes for breakfast but two cubes for dinner. Every time I try three at dinner, I end up throwing some away.”
Try this recipe: Yellow Squash and Carrot Puree for babies twelve months and up.
DON’T Overdo It
“Only make what you can use in one month,” says Najzomax. “If you make too much you end up throwing it away.”
User Angelfire02 agrees: “Don’t make a ton of anything until you know there are no allergies.”
DO Taste Everything You Make
“Taste everything to make sure it’s okay,” says user BethCT. “I like to taste post-pureeing, pre-freezing.”
Plus, sometimes there are happy side-effects: “This weekend, I made pumpkin and squash. The pumpkin pureed so well and was so yummy that a few ice cubes of it went into risotto for us that night!”
Try this recipe: Butternut Squash Puree for babies nine months and up.
DO Keep Things Fresh
“I add a little lemon juice to my bananas, pears and avocado to keep [them] from turning brown,” says user Angelfire02.
Try this recipe: Roast Pear and Banana Puree for babies twelve months and up.
DON’T Rush It
“Wait seven days before introducing a new food,” says user Tch81. “This way, if baby has an allergic reaction, you’ll know from what.”
Think your baby might have a food allergy? These are some of the symptoms.
Still Have Questions?
Bumpies recommend the following resources for more homemade baby food recipes and tips:
Baby Food Recipes from Weelicious
Homemade-Baby-Food-Recipes.com
Feeding Baby Green by Alan Greene
Do you make your own baby food? What tips would you give other moms who are just starting out?
