3 Simple Baby Food Recipes

I have been really into homemade baby food since my son Ryan could start solids. Nearly six years ago I set out to blend up what I thought would be delicious + nutritious and did pretty well. I mixed up fruits and veggies that I thought would taste well together and my babe enjoyed it all. Through many trials and errors I've developed some tricks to help make homemade baby food easy. Easy and really fun! I've also created a ton of recipes worth sharing.

My friend Pricilla Vega and I combined forces and put together a baby food making workshop event. On September 29th I'll be teaching baby food recipes where the mamas can get hands on time in the kitchen with me. I am hoping to break that intimidating wall of homemade baby food and send mamas home confident. Plus, the swag the mamas will be able to take home is incredible! Each mama that comes to the event will be able to take home a Baby Brezza - Food Maker and a bunch of other baby feeding items from; Munchkin, EXPZ and Babyganics! If you'd like to join me at or know a mama who would check out all the info here.

Today I wanted to share three really simple baby food recipe ideas. All three are great for 6 months +. Though always consult your pediatrician before giving your baby solids. If you and your baby are just starting, be sure to give one fruit or veggie at a time. This way if your baby has an allergic reaction to something, you'll know right away what it was. Rather than giving them an assortment and having to decipher what gave your baby a reaction or not. Keep in mind that feeding your baby should be fun for the both of you. Keep the stress level down by not having your expectations too high. Your baby could really not be into solids at the moment. Don't take it personally! Try again in a few days. Your babe will let you know when they are ready to start noshing. Another tip, when setting out to make baby food just blend up small amounts at first. This way you can see what your baby is into and you won't end up sitting on a bunch of blended carrots ... only to find out your baby hates carrots. ;) Trial and error guys...it takes time and patience but the end result is awesome!

Also, another note. I am a HUGE fan of packaged baby food. I am not coming from a high and mighty place of "Thou shall only eat homemade baby purees!" No. In fact, if blending up homemade is not for you, then high five! We've been traveling a lot lately and Mila has been all up on Happy Baby, Yummy Spoonfuls and Plum food packets. Your baby has to eat no matter what or how. Anyways, I just wanted to put that out there. I would hate to learn that this post made any mama feel less than in some way or another. I love you all and you are all bad asses.

Sweet Potato + Chicken

Blending up meat is by far one of the most nastiest things I've ever done. My husband actually can't stand it and goes in the other room. BUT, we aren't vegetarians and I want to give my baby some protein so I do it. It really isn't that bad I guess. When making dinner for my husband and I, I usually set aside some chicken or ground turkey for Mila. Here is what I do;

-Cook 1 diced chicken breast through with a 1 tsp olive oil, mini pinch of salt and pepper.

-Dice two sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Add a 1/2 tablespoon of butter. (Cut the butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle through out the potatoes)

-Roast the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Roasting helps caramelize the sugars within the sweet potato making it pretty tasty for baby.

-Once the potatoes and chicken are fully cooked and cooled toss them into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add about 1/4 cup of water to help blend into a smooth puree.

Spinach + Apple + Avocado

Adding fruit to a veggie helps with the overall taste. It also helps ease your baby into that green leafy life. Mixing with a mild fruit like an apple will still give them a taste of spinach, but it takes the edge off. Adding avocado adds a creamy texture and some good fat. I also add a 1 -2 tsps of lemon juice when working with apples and greens for two reasons. 1. The lemon also helps take the edge off intense greens. 2. The lemon helps keep baby food vibrate colored, as fruit especially apples and avocados turn brown quickly. Here is what I do;

-Dice up 1 apple and 1 avocado. I always leave the skin on my apples, though you can peel it if you want. Peel the avocado for sure though ;) haha!

-In a blender place 2 cups of spinach, your apple and avocado. Add 2 tsps of lemon juice. I honestly eye ball this by slicing the lemon in half and squeezing half the lemon into the blender.

-Blend until smooth. There is a lot of juice in apples and spinach so typically this combo blends up nicely with the lemon juice. But don't be afraid to add a little bit of water into the mix to help things along. Just add little bits at a time, because too much will turn your puree into a juice drink.

Blueberries + Peach + Banana

By far this is Mila's favorite right now. At first bite she does this hip trust, butt jump thing that really makes her mama proud. I got this idea from my favorite smoothie place in town. I order this exact smoothie which is ridiculous because I can clearly make it at home. Enter eye roll. Anyways, I always try and make baby food with fresh ingredients at the start. Since I end up freezing it all for storage. (I am weird about twice frozen things) BUT you can totally use frozen fruits if that is easier. Here is what I do;

-Slice 1 banana and 2 peaches.

-In a blender add 1 cup of blueberries, sliced banana and peaches.

-Blend until smooth. Now these fruits tend to blend up pretty well with out the help of water, but you can add some if you need to. I like to use coconut water in small amounts when blending up fruit purees too. Again, that move is totally up to you.

Baby Food Storage

Once the baby food is made you'll want to store it in containers that are microwavable safe (preferably ones that are BPA, PVC, KJU, RTD free. Those last two were made up. ;) You can store your baby food in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I freeze the majority of my baby food and defrost it as I need it. Frozen baby food is good for up to three months. Though I've never had baby food last that long in the freezer. I make it for a few days each Sunday and Wednesday usually. At night I take out what I know Mila will eat the following day and let it thaw in the refrigerator over night. When it is time to eat I warm it through in the micro for 20-30 seconds at a time.

*Freeze serving size quantities. Check with your doctor for how many ounces your baby should be eating.

*Never freeze warm/hot baby food. Let it get to room temp before putting in the freezer.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.