Baby foods can simply be DIY-ed at home and are far easier to make than you must’ve anticipated. So, if you’re on the lookout for some good homemade baby food recipes, then read this article to discover the easiest and most delicious recipes for your little bundle of joy!
1. Purée of bananas
Ingredients:
- One banana
Instructions:
- Peel and mash a small banana with a fork.
- If required, add a little milk to thin the consistency and offer a familiar flavor during the early stages of weaning.
2. Pea puree
Ingredients:
- 3 cups frozen peas
- ½ cup breast milk
Instructions:
- Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the peas, cover, and steam for 15 minutes, or until soft.
- In a blender or food processor, purée the peas and breast milk until smooth. To eliminate any lumps, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Fill an ice cube tray halfway with pea mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours. Frozen cubes should be placed in a resealable plastic bag and kept in the freezer.
- To serve, microwave cubes for about 30 seconds, or until warm but not hot. Stir everything together completely.
3. DIY oatmeal cereal
Cereal is a traditional first-food staple (though you may start with anything), but this oatmeal variation takes it up a notch by replacing rice with fiber-rich oatmeal.
Ingredients:
- Oatmeal
- A pot of boiling water
- Formula or breastmilk (optional)
Instructions:
- In a blender or spice grinder, finely ground the oatmeal.
- 2 tablespoons oatmeal powder dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, whisked till thick and creamy
- Add breastmilk or formula for extra nutrients if desired.
- Until you're ready to use it again, keep the oatmeal powder in an airtight container.
4. Purée of mango and banana
For a quick, fresh snack that's filled with vitamin A, C, and B6, as well as fiber and potassium, you can't top this brilliantly bright, no-cook dish. Bonus: Bananas and mangoes also make an excellent base for an adult smoothie; combine with plain yogurt and ice.
Ingredients:
- Mangoes that are fully ripe
- Bananas that are ripe
Instructions:
- In a food processor, puree chunks of ripe mangoes and bananas until smooth and viola! You’re done!
5. Salad with avocado and eggs
Ingredients:
- Half of an avocado
- Lemon juice
Instructions:
- With a fork, mash 1 hard boiled egg and 1/2 avocado.
- Combine the ingredients with a splash of lemon juice.
- Serve with whole-grain bread or teething crackers.
6. Purée of sweet potatoes
Ingredients:
- 2 sweet potatoes, medium
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit / 200 degrees Celsius / 180 degrees Celsius fan. Scrub the potatoes and puncture them with a fork.
- Roast for about 45 minutes, or until wrinkled and tender, on a baking tray.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, cut them in half, scoop out the meat, and purée until smooth in a food processor. However, if you prefer to thin out the consistency, add a little of your baby's regular milk.
- This approach can also be used to bake ordinary potatoes; potatoes take longer to cook than sweet potatoes, so plan on 45 minutes to an hour.
A point to note is that ordinary potato skin should not be pureed in a blender since the natural starches will be broken down, resulting in a stick texture. Potatoes should be pureed in a baby food grinder or mashed with a fork for somewhat older babies.
7. Pancakes made with Greek yogurt
Ingredients:
- A quarter cup of Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- A half-cup of whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- A couple of teaspoons of water
Instructions:
- Combine the ingredients and pour the batter on a frying pan and cook it on medium flame.