Regardless of whether you have bottle-fed or breastfed your baby, there are a lot of big changes ahead when he or she is ready to start eating solid foods. Many pediatricians recommend trying “mush” foods with a spoon around six months, but some babies are ready to give a few new flavors and textures a try as early as four months.
There are lots of companies that make and sell baby food commercially, even naturally focused companies that only use organic ingredients with no additives or preservatives. But if you can manage to find the time, making your own baby food is also an option so that you know exactly what’s going into your little one’s tummy. While this may sound overwhelming as a new parent, the best homemade baby food recipes are actually very simple with just a couple ingredients and easy if you have a blender or food processor.
Here are some DIY natural baby food recipes to try at home to see if your baby likes them!
Baby Rice Cereal
Many parents and grandparents swear by rice cereal as the first solid food for babies because it’s easy on the digestive system, simple, and filling. This is a very plain and basic recipe that you can make more flavorful by adding fruit purees to it as baby gets more used to solid foods.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup uncooked brown rice
- 4 cups water
DIRECTIONS:
- Place rice into a food processor and blend until it is a fine powder.
- Combine milled rice and water in a pot on the stove and boil.
- Cover and keep on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add water for a thinner texture.
- Allow to cool and serve a portion to baby.
- Pour remainder into storage containers and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to 30 days.
Simple Avocado Puree
Avocado is a great food for babies because it is high in healthy omega-3s, vitamin E, fiber, iron, and potassium. This nutrient-dense food can be eaten raw so that no cooking is required at all. Many babies like the creamy texture, and many parents like that avocado can even be frozen and thawed for later use.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ripe organic avocado
- A bit of breastmilk, formula, or water
DIRECTIONS:
- Mash the avocado with a fork.
- For a smoother texture, you can blend the mashed avocado in a food processor instead.
- Stir in a very small amount of breastmilk, formula, or water until you achieve a good puree texture.
- Serve immediately to baby or divide the mixture into ice cube trays and then wrap them to freeze and then thaw out on a later day.
Carrot with Ginger Baby Food
Another one of the best foods that you can serve your growing baby is carrots, and this is considered a “stage 1” baby food since babies as young as four months can eat it without much risk of a reaction. It’s smooth and creamy because of the carrots, while also soothing for sensitive tummies because of the added ginger.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 tsp. minced ginger
- About 1 cup water, breastmilk, or formula
DIRECTIONS:
- Peel and chop carrots into small pieces.
- Boil water in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Put carrots in a steamer basket over the pan and cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
- Allow the carrots to cool and put them and the ginger in a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth and add small increments of water, breastmilk, or formula into the mix until you get a puree consistency.
- This mixture can be served right away or stored in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a couple months.
In addition to these foods, other great puree-style foods for babies include peas, spinach, mango, bananas, and yogurt. What is your baby’s favorite food? Share with us in the comment section below!