Stumped on what to feed your new solid-eater? Look no further. Ruth Yaron, author of Super Baby Food, Third Edition and SuperBabyFood.com, and Maggie Meade, author of The Wholesome Baby Food Guide and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com, share their best recipes.
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By Kylie McConville
Updated
January 30, 2017
Image: Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
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Image:
Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
Baked Pears
Baked pears make great finger food for babies and are wonderful for babies who are being weaned using the Baby Led Weaning method.
Ingredients:
- 6 ripe pears (Bartlett or Anjou)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and halve and then core the pears.
- Place the pears in a shallow baking dish, flesh side up, with about 1 inch of water.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until tender.
- Allow pears to cool then mash or puree if needed, using the leftover baking water to thin if necessary.
Freezes with mixed results. You can freeze the baked pear halves without mashing or pureeing if you prefer.
Quick Tip: For older babies and kids of all ages, serve warm baked pears with a scoop of frozen or regular yogurt. Mash together if needed. Baked pears mix nicely into oatmeal cereal, yogurt or even chicken.
*Excerpted from _The Wholesome Baby Food Guide _and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com
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Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
Butternutty Apples and Oatmeal
Butternut squash and apples are 2 tasty foods of the Fall season. How lucky that these fruits are available just as the weather is cooling and oatmeal begins to be truly appreciated for its hearty warmth once again!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cooked homemade oatmeal cereal
- 1/4 cup cooked butternut squash puree
- 1/4 cup applesauce
Directions:
- Mix and puree or mash all ingredients together and serve slightly warmed.
- Store any leftovers for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. This makes a very yummy and nutritious breakfast for any time of the day.
Quick tip: May be frozen but upon thawing, the oatmeal may be a bit rubbery and/or gritty. Stir and blend vigorously as needed to reconstitute. Consider baking the apples and the butternut squash together in the same pan to save time and really bring out the wonderful flavors.
*Excerpted from The Wholesome Baby Food Guide and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com
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Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
Peary Apples
Both apples and pears contain a great amount of Vitamin A, Folate and even Calcium. Quick Tip: Applesauce may be binding and could cause constipation; the addition of pears makes this yummy recipe friendlier to baby’s bowels. Peeling the skin of apples is a good idea for babies who are just beginning solid foods.
Ingredients:
- 3 apples (Gala, Macintosh or Braeburn) cored and peeled
- 3 pears (Bartlett or Anjou) cored and peeled
Directions:
- Dice apples and pears.
- Simmer apple and pear together in a scant amount of water until tender — approximately 10 minutes.
- Mash or puree as needed.
Freezes well — Puree may be watery upon thawing and some browning may occur.
*Excerpted from The Wholesome Baby Food Guide and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com
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Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
Sweet Baby Butternut
These 2 vegetables when combined will more than adequately cover baby’s needs for vitamins such as Folate, A and C and will also serve up a wealth of minerals such as Calcium and Potassium.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of baked and pureed butternut squash
- 1 cup of baked and pureed sweet potatoes
Directions:
- Combine sweet potatoes and butternut squash in a saucepan and gently heat on low, mixing thoroughly to combine the vegetables. You may also combine the vegetables in a mixing bowl and then heat as desired.
2. Allow to cool prior to serving
Freezes well — While butternut squash alone may thaw to a watery consistency, the addition of sweet potatoes makes thawing more kind to the texture!
*Excerpted from The Wholesome Baby Food Guide and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com
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Maggie Meade, Wholesome Baby Food and WholesomeBabyFood.com
Saucy Avocado
Applesauce and avocado mashed together makes a great spread for toast or bagels and even is tasty when mixed into yogurt!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 of a peeled and pitted avocado
- 1/4 cup applesauce
Directions:
- Mash the avocado half and then mix the mashed avocado with applesauce (homemade or natural) and serve.
Freezes well — This mix may be watery upon thawing and some browning may occur.
*Excerpted from The Wholesome Baby Food Guide and WholesomeBabyFoodGuide.com
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Ruth Yaron, Super Baby Food, Third Edition
Legume Super Porridge
Makes 2 cups of high protein Super Porridge.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup brown rice, organic, whole kernel (or millet or oatmeal)
- 1/8 cup dried lentils
- 2 cups water
- Breast milk or formula (for consistency)
Directions:
- Bring two cups of water to a boil.
- Ground brown rice and lentils in blender to a fine powder.
- Sprinkle the fine powder into the water while stirring with a wire whisk.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Adjust the consistency with some breast milk or formula.
*Excerpted from Super Baby Food, Third Edition
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Ruth Yaron, Super Baby Food, Third Edition
Puréed Cooked Broccoli
Select medium bunches with small, tightly closed green buds.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium bunch of broccoli
Directions:
- Wash thoroughly.
- Cut off 1 inch at the end. Peel the stalks as you would a carrot.
- Cut so that only the florets remain.
- Steam broccoli florets, 8-10 minutes or until tender, reserving the liquid.
- Place pieces in blender with some reserved liquid.
- Purée away!
*Excerpted from Super Baby Food, Third Edition
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Ruth Yaron, Super Baby Food, Third Edition
Puréed Cooked Summer Squash or Zucchini
Select young, small or medium summer squash. They are soft and moist.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium summer squash or zucchini (if you’re making these in bulk, cook as many as you’d like to freeze)
Directions:
- Wash thoroughly. Cut off ends and discard them, and peel off skin.
- Cut into uniform pieces.
- Steam pieces for 5-7 minutes or until tender, reserving the liquid.
- Place pieces in blender and purée away!
- Add a little of the reserved liquid if necessary.
*Excerpted from Super Baby Food, Third Edition
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Ruth Yaron, Super Baby Food, Third Edition
Puréed Cooked Sweet Potato
Wash sweet potatoes by scrubbing gently.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet potato
- Breast milk or formula (for consistency)
Directions:
- Steam whole sweet potato for 30-45 minutes OR
- Place potatoes in a pot of boiling water on the stove, cover and boil for 20-30 minutes until tender.
- Drain boiling water (save a bit of the liquid) and drop potatoes into cold water; the peels will slip right off.
- Cut cooked, peeled potato in half and then half again.
- Place pieces into blender or processor with a bit of the reserved liquid.
- Make sure there are no fibers left in the puree as they are choking hazards (a mixer is sometimes better with a larger potato because the fibers stick to the beaters).
- Add liquid (breast milk or formula) for desired consistency.
*Excerpted from Super Baby Food, Third Edition
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Ruth Yaron, Super Baby Food, Third Edition
Puréed Pears
Select firm, plump pears. Rinse well.
Ingredients:
- 1 firm, plump pear
Directions:
- Place pears in a pot of boiling water for 45 seconds.
- Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl of ice/ice water.
- When pears are cool, remove peels with fingers or a paring knife. Remove all the seeds and cube the remaining fruit.
- Place fruit cubes in blender and purée away!
*Excerpted from Super Baby Food, Third Edition
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