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Let’s talk about easy baby food ideas today! If you already have a couple kids I’m sure you’ve got your method down so feel free to skip this blog post – but if you’re a new mom this post is especially for you.
Baby food shouldn’t be complicated (baring any major food restrictions or allergies of course) but somehow we can make it complicated anyway haha.
Buying baby food? The baby food aisle at the grocery store can be overwhelming. There’s a huge variety of brands, including regular and organic options, and the flavor combos are a lot fancier than when we were little. Sweet Potato/Mango/Kale anyone?
Planning to make baby food at home? From baby food mashers to the baby bullet to special baby food cookbooks, there are a lot of baby-food-making products out there!
Maybe you’ve read about BLW (baby-led weaning) and are curious if that’s the way to go.
Or maybe you’re just trying to figure out when to even start feeding your baby solids. Your mom says that you started at four months but your pediatrician says wait until at least six months – meanwhile, the ladies in your mom group say “food before one is just for fun”, so you feel all sorts of confused.
What to do?
First of all, don’t freak out. There’s no “one right way” and if someone says there is they’re wrong. Do what’s right for you and your baby. (And guess what, if you have several babies, they may all be different!)
Here are the basic guidelines though, last time I checked anyway!
Basic Guidelines For Starting Baby Food
Around 6 months is generally a good time to start baby on some solids – but no rush if they’re not interested.
You may also want to wait until your baby is sitting up independently (although, confession, Lucas is eating baby food like a champ and still can’t sit alone quite yet.)
It’s recommended to introduce new foods one at a time so that you’ll realize if there are any allergies. I have not been super good about this to be honest (and haven’t had any problems) but if you have a family history of food allergies you’ll definitely want to be a bit more careful about this.
Easy Baby Food Ideas
When it comes to choosing what to feed your baby, I want to encourage you that it doesn’t need to be complicated! If you want to buy fancy tools or recipe books for baby food, go for it! But just know that you can get along with out all the fancy stuff.
I personally don’t follow one particular method. I buy some baby food, I make some of my own, and I also let baby try feeding himself some of the time. Here are some of my favorite easy baby food ideas.
Homemade baby food
Again, homemade does not need to mean complicated! Bananas and avocados are great to have on hand for baby food and they’re super easy – just mash them up and you’re good to go!
Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are two of my favorites for homemade baby food. Cook them in a crock-pot (or the oven), remove the skins/scoop out the filling and mash it all up! If you want a smoother puree, stick it in your blender or food processor with a little water. (I did this for my first baby – now with Lucas I don’t even worry about that step haha.)
If you cook up a big batch of something you can freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop the cubes out and store them in freezer bags. When you need some just grab a couple cubes and microwave them!
This week I also steamed carrots and spinach and put them through the food processor. Then I froze the mixture in my ice cube trays and I plan to thaw out a cube or two at a time to mix with applesauce.
While I’ve just been using regular ice cube trays, my sister has a tray specifically for freezing baby food. The portion size is a bit bigger and it is much easier to pop the frozen food out.
Store-bought baby food
One of my favorite easy baby food ideas is to buy a big jar of unsweetened applesauce. Why buy the little tiny baby food ones when you can get a big jar cheaper? Like mentioned above, applesauce is a great base for mixing in other foods, or just for serving as is.
When I buy store-bought baby food I usually look for the foods that I don’t want to mess with cooking myself – bonus points if they contain some sort of green vegetable. I generally buy fruit and veggie combos. I don’t buy the straight peas or green beans because those ones taste NASTY haha. (But kudos to you if your baby likes them!)
Baby food pouches are a little more expensive than the little containers but are super convenient to have on hand for when you’re out and about. I like to grab a couple from Aldi whenever I shop there – Caleb and Sofia still love them too and they’re a great way to get them to eat their veggies.
Easy first finger foods
I always start my babies with puffs for their first finger food. They’re probably basically worthless nutrition-wise but you know what, it’s fine. At seven months now Lucas is a BIG fan and has very quickly learned how to get them to his mouth, even though his pincer grip isn’t quite developed yet.
Another super convenient finger food for beginners is veggie straws – they dissolve really quickly so you don’t have to worry about baby choking.
Of course, little tiny chunks of banana, avocado, cooked sweet potato or carrot, etc. work well too – I just don’t always want to deal with the mess haha.
I also love using these little mesh feeders for apple slices. They are the perfect way to let your baby suck and chew on on something without getting any large chunks.
Once your baby is used to some of the beginning foods that dissolve really fast, a ton of other options open up. I’m planning to write another post soon with a big list of easy first finger foods so stay tuned for that. 🙂
Ultimately, the “baby food” stage really only lasts a few months. Before you know it your kiddo will be moving on to more independent eating. Go all out with the fancy purees if you want to, or just keep it super simple. Either way is great.
I hope these easy baby food ideas are helpful. I’d love to hear what you do – share away in the comments!
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