Tips for Making Homemade Baby Food

                          Prep Solutions                                                  Magic Bullet Mini

As with any "first", I had no idea what I was doing, aside from beginning with orange vegetables and moving into the green ones, then eventually on to fruit. I steamed and mashed the rainbow of garden delights using water primarily as my base. I stuck with doing one vegetable or fruit at a time for the first three months.

Then I got a little creative with blending fruits and veggies together.

My rule of thumb was simple. If I liked it, baby would like it. And if I didn't like it but it was healthy, I probably should learn to like it (confession: because the steamer made it so easy to make a puree, I often found myself snacking on my baby's food right along with him!). I started with two categories of either sweet or savory and built on from there.

Here are a few discoveries that I made on the journey of food prep.

Dried Fruit

There are so many organic, zero sugar, just-the-fruit, options out there besides raisins. You only need a small amount to help balance flavor yet still receive the benefit of good nutrients. Dried plums are a staple for adding fiber to a constipated baby in our family. Dried blueberries are also a favorite and have antioxidant benefits.

Organic Canned Veggies or Beans

If I was in a pinch, I kept low-sodium, organic, canned veggies and beans on hand. You can blend them with a yam or squash to make a fuller dish. No, they are not fresh veggies, but it’s better than feeding the baby carbs all day. Organic black beans can be a fun finger food for that baby developing fine motor skills.

Spices, Herbs and Seasoning

Don’t be afraid to season with basic herbs like parsley, rosemary thyme or even pickled vegetables! I regularly added pickled garlic to bland carrots or broccoli. While baby may not eat his root vegetables alone, it does help to broaden the horizon of his pallet to add herbs and seasoning. Cinnamon is a secret spice that, combined with salt, can make most squashes exciting.

Spinach

What a powerful superfood. I added spinach to nearly everything! You don’t need to steam it; simply add to the blender and it should puree just fine. This amazing vitamin-rich green is barely noticeable and offers so much nutrition. I buy a huge case of the baby spinach leaves and use it in a week.

Below are some of my top favorite combinations. Please note, these blends should only be introduced after phasing out any food allergies. Enjoy.

Lena Vogelgesang

Lena likes to define herself by the Seven C’s: Christ, Chris, Children, Comrades, Coffee, Cheese, & Cardio. Due to her love of coffee and cheese, she must also have a relationship with increasing her heart rate. The Lord has given her a wonderful husband in Chris and they have two young boys.

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