Maya Begins Her Solid Food Journey!

We started introducing Maya to solids at around six months. Maybe just a couple weeks before she turned six months. This is my most favorite part of babyhood! I truly love making baby food and feeding my babies. If you have been around Baby Boy Bakery from the start, then you know this entire space started with me sharing my son Ryan’s baby food recipes. There is just something about taking so much care and preparation in making baby food. I truly love it and it has been something I look forward to with each of my three kids.

I will say loud and proud that my kids also enjoy store bought baby food, in jars, and pouches. Though at the start I make everything at home A. because I love it so much and B. to have more control over what foods they try at first. Mostly to help rule out any allergies they may have. It is easier to keep track when making food at home since you can control every element. But my kids also end up eating day old fries or crushed goldfish crackers off our car floor too. So really, I just do my best and in the end they are going to eat what they want. For anyone looking for some baby food inspiration I’d like to think that I’m your girl! Ask any questions here and I’ll answer them. While I’m no professional, this is my third time around the block. I’ve learned a ton along my way and have built a pretty great baby food recipe list.

Simple Steamed Carrot Puree + A Few Helpful Baby Food Tips To Start

What You Need; one pound of carrots, 1 tablespoon UNSALTED butter, 1/2 cup of water.

What You Do

-Start by washing and drying your carrots. Then with a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off each carrot.

-Chop off the ends of each carrot and then dice them.

-I like to use a steam basket, which takes about 2 cups of water simmering with the carrots placed in the steam basket on top. Steam the carrots for about 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. Don’t have a steam basket? No problem! You can roast the carrots at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Either way will work just find! Roasting even gives the carrots nice flavor as it caramelizes the sugars in the carrot!

-Add your cooked carrots into a blender, with 1 tablespoon of UNSALTED butter, and 1/2 cup of water. I like to add a little bit of fat (the butter) because it tastes better and I’ve read that it helps your body absorb the carrots nutrients. Just be sure that the butter is UNSALTED. Babies younger than a year should not have any salt added to their foods since it could strain their kidneys and cause dehydration.

-Blend your carrots until smooth and if you need to add a little more water to achieve the consistency you want, go for it! I like to always start off as smooth as possible and increase the texture each month to get my baby used to thicker foods.

-I always store baby food in freezer safe containers in the freezer. I make baby food every Sunday or Monday and go through it each week. Though frozen baby food lasts in the freezer for up to a month.

-When it is time to eat, I pop out a serving and warm it in the microwave at 30 second intervals until it is piping hot! Then I let it cool before feeding the baby. I like to warm the baby food until it is piping hot to kill off any bacteria that may be present. Also a good rule of thumb is to never reserve, refreeze, or reheat baby food that you’ve already reheated and served.

Also stopping to use your carrots as a microphone to sing into is highly encouraged!

* Something to keep in mind, try introducing one fruit or vegetable at a time. Give your baby a week or so in between each new food. Keep a look out for immediate allergic reactions, but also any abnormal diaper/skin rashes that may develop later. Really keep an eye out for any activity that isn’t normal. I also am very strict about when and where I introduce new foods to baby. I always introduce new foods while at home (never at a restaurant or friends house) and I always have my husband around JUST in case an immediate allergic reaction happens, we can act accordingly.

* Once I’ve ruled out allergies I love getting creative with fruit and veggie pairings. Try any combinations that make sense to you. I love stone fruit with spinach, apple or pear with sweet potatoes. I’ll be sharing more baby food recipes soon, but HERE you can find three great baby food combinations that my kids adore!

I hope that helps and if you have any more questions, leave them below and I’ll be sure to answer!