6 Easy Homemade Baby Food Every Mom Will Love to Prepare

May 17, 2021

You don’t need to be a pro in the kitchen to make healthy homemade baby food. According to the Guardian, a new study reported that homemade baby foods tend to have more vitamins and nutrients than commercial baby foods. During the processing of commercial baby foods, they lose vitamins and minerals.

Another advantage of using homemade baby food is that it saves costs. Moms save money from using fresh ingredients gotten from the local grocery stores to make the food instead of using pre-made purees.

Moms can keep food safe by exercising more control over the ingredients and flavors that they use to make baby foods. It is easy to avoid preservatives, salt, added sugar, and those ingredients that can cause allergic reactions.

If you don’t have time to cook due to a busy schedule or other reasons, try out these homemade baby food recipes. They require zero cooking and take very little time to prepare.

Homemade Foods for 4 to 6 Months Old Babies

Babies younger than 4 to 6 months should still be breastfeeding. Once they cross the 4 months old bridge, moms can start to introduce simple food for them.

Start with single-ingredient food to help you determine if your child has an allergy. When you are familiar with the food your child loves and that is healthy for them, you can try to combine different ingredients. Proper nutrition is key for raising confident, healthy, and happy children.

Some examples of homemade foods for this age group are Avocado Purée and Baby Brown Rice Cereals.

Avocado Puree

All you need is one organic avocado and a blender or fork to mash it. Mashing takes about five minutes and there is no cooking involved. You can add breastmilk, water, or any other formula to the mixture to enrich it.

Avocado Puree is rich in essential nutrients such as Folate, Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin E, and Iron. According to California Avocados, avocados are the perfect first baby food.

Baby Brown Rice Cereal

To prepare this meal you need just half a cup of short-grain brown rice, boiling water, and a blender.

Put the brown rice in a blender or spice grinder for 60 seconds.
Add ½ cup of water in an empty bowl and sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of the finely crushed brown rice.
Stir the mixture continuously for 30 seconds and then occasionally for the next five minutes till it becomes thick and creamy.
Serve a small portion that the baby can eat.

Homemade Foods for 7 to 9 Months Old Babies

Babies that are between the age of 7 to 9 months old can handle thicker purees made with several ingredients; however, carefully introduce them to one new ingredient at a time to test their sensitivity to it.

Once you confirm they are not allergic to your ingredient, you can start combining them into their diet. Meats and other proteins may be added at this age range but you need to consult your pediatrician first. We also recommend that you take into account the material you use to cook your children, as many plastics can eliminate toxic chemicals such as melamine when heating food in the microwave.

Examples of homemade baby foods for 7 to 9 months old babies include Beets and blueberry mash, and Butternut squash and pear purée.

Beets and Blueberry Mash

The ingredients you need to make it are beets and blueberries. Here are the steps to prepare this food.

Wash and peel the beets and cut them into small sizes.
Wash the blueberries.
Use a baby food maker to steam the beets and blueberries for about 15 minutes.
Use a blender to blend the beets and blueberries to make a puree. You can add water or breastmilk to the mixture.
Serve or store in the refrigerator.

Butternut Squash and Pear Purée

The ingredient you need is a medium butternut squash and a ripe pear.

Peel the butternut squash, split into two, remove the seeds, and then chop the rest into tiny pieces.
Steam the chopped butternut squash for about 12 minutes.
Peel, cut, and chop the pear.
Add the pear to the steamer where the butternut squash is and leave it to cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour the steamed butternut squash and pear into a blender and leave it to puree.
Serve.

Homemade Foods for 9 to 12 Months Old Babies

Babies that are 9 to 12 months can eat chunkier purees and mashes. They can also eat or drink dairy products (if they are not allergic to them) such as yogurt and cheese. Finely minced adult foods are perfect to introduce to babies of this age grade.

Examples of homemade foods for this age grade include Baby beef stew and Quinoa banana mash.

Baby Beef Stew

You need the following ingredients to make this dish. They include half-pound beef chunks (boneless), two teaspoons of olive oil, half size of small onions, ten baby carrots, and one medium Yukon gold potato.

Pour the olive oil into a pot and apply medium or high heat.
Put the beef chunks and let sear till each side turns brown (2-3 minutes).
Peel and chop the onions, carrots, and potatoes, then add them into the pot with a cup of water.
Stir the mixture and wait for it to reach a boiling point.
Reduce the heat from high/medium to low, cover the pot and let it cook for the next 75 minutes.
Puree in a food processor till it reaches a smooth and desired texture.
Serve.

Quinoa Banana Mash

The ingredients you need include half a bunch of bananas, a pinch of cinnamon, three tablespoons of cooked quinoa, and one tablespoon of whole milk yogurt.

Put the banana in a bowl and start mashing it.
Once you mash it to a smooth texture, add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Serve.

Babies less than a year old require softer and more nutritional diets. The problem with pre-made ingredients is that it loses nutrients during processing. All you need to create these homemade foods are a blender and some basic cooking supplies.

Start making these homemade baby foods and watch your children grow healthier than their compatriots.