Babies are precious bundles of joy for all parents. After breast milk or formula, little ones need to be introduced to solid foods. It is considered a delightful milestone in their early development. Every parent must ensure their precious offspring receives the best nutrition for good health and proper growth. There are many factory-produced baby foods available on market shelves. Compared to these products, homemade baby food is wholesome and cost-effective. Here, I’ll share the top 5 Home-made Baby Food Ideas for little ones. They are easy to make with fresh ingredients and can be stored for future use.
Table of Contents
1: Mashed Avocado Puree
Home-made Baby Food Ideas have made us experiment with different vegetables and fruits to create tasty, tempting, and easy-to-digest baby food. An avocado possesses healthy nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It can be easily mashed and served as creamy puree.
Instructions:
Choose a ripe avocado. After cutting it, the seed needs to be taken out. Take a spoon to scoop the flesh and place it in a bowl. The scooped avocado can be mashed with a fork, food processor, or blender for smooth consistency. Feed this freshly made puree to your little one and store the leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container. These Home-Made Baby Food Ideas have made life easy.
Optional:
Avocado puree can become more appealing by mixing a small amount of breast milk, formula, or plain yoghurt.
2: Sweet Potato Puree
Sweet potatoes possess a naturally sweet flavour. When steamed or baked, sweet potatoes are easily mashed and blended into a smooth puree. Sweet potatoes provide beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), vitamin C, fibre, and other nutrients.
Instruction:
Among the top 5 Home-made Baby Food Ideas, Sweet potato puree is a favourite of babies worldwide. The process of sweet potato puree making requires fresh and firm sweet potatoes. They need to be Washed, peeled, and cut into cubes. The sweet potato can be steamed or boiled. Once appropriately cooked, the sweet potato can be mashed and fed after it has cooled down. The puree should be immediately stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Optional:
Sweet potato can have a chunkier texture or be blended with water, breast milk, or formula to make a smooth puree.
3: Banana Puree
Banana puree is the most commonly made and eaten among the top 5 Home-made Baby Food Ideas. It does not require a blender, as bananas can be mashed with a fork. This puree is very nutritious. Bananas are naturally sweet and serve as a favourite standalone baby food. Bananas are enriched with potassium, vitamin C, B6, and dietary fibre. Banana puree is easy for babies to digest.
Instruction:
To make a banana puree, ripe bananas are needed. Careful selection is required to exclude any over-ripe bananas. After peeling, it should be cut and placed in a bowl or on a plate. A fork can be used to mash it quickly or blended for smoother consistency for tiny babies. It can only be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for one day.
Optional:
Banana puree can be given different flavours by adding breast milk, formula, or plain yoghurt. For older babies taking solids, mashed ripe avocado can be blended with banana puree.
4: Apple sauce
Homemade applesauce is nutritious. Apples are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Apples are peeled, boiled, crushed, and mashed to make applesauce. A pinch of cinnamon can be added to increase its flavour.
Instruction:
Choose 4 to 5 firm, medium-sized apples and wash them (use the sweet varieties). Applesauce puree is easy to make. Peel, core, and slice apples into small pieces to boil or steam evenly. When tender and soft, mash or blend the apples for a smooth consistency. A pinch of cinnamon adds flavour to the applesauce. Leftover applesauce puree can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Mixing other fruits with applesauce can generate other Home-made Baby Food Ideas.
Optional:
Babies usually like applesauce. If your baby is ready for new flavours. Just add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon to the apple sauce. Parents need to observe babies and consult a paediatrician for any food allergies.
5: Pea Puree
Home-made Baby Food Ideas have given us such treasures as pea puree. It is very nutritious and a good option for introducing solid food to babies. Peas possess proteins and essential vitamins like vitamins A, C, and V.
Instructions:
Pea puree can be made from freshly shelled or frozen peas (use the organic ones if desired). The peas should be rinsed properly. The frozen peas do not need to thaw. Pea puree can be made by boiling and steaming. Cooking by steaming is the best method because it helps retain more ingredients. Steaming can take about 3-5 minutes or until peas are tender. It is seen that frozen peas burn faster. The process of boiling completes in 2-3 minutes. Steamed or boiled peas must be blended or processed for a smooth, creamy mixture.
Optional:
Pea puree needs to be smooth and creamy. This texture is obtained using set-aside cooking water, breast milk, or formula. Other vegetables can be later added to the pea puree.
Conclusion
Homemade Made Baby Food Ideas have many advantages. All parents want to raise their offspring in the best way possible. These Home-Made Baby Food Ideas introduce healthy foods for babies that are nutritious, cost-efficient, and easy to prepare. Always observe your babies and consult a paediatrician for food allergies to keep your babies healthy. Babies should only be introduced to age-appropriate food that meets the baby’s dietary needs.
