Hey there B2B readers! I have to admit that I am one of those working moms, who thought that making baby food took too much time and that I was in the clear because of all of the organic jarred foods that now exist. Boy, was I wrong!! I gave my first born only jarred foods all the way through her first year, thinking I was too busy to make freshly pureed foods. Not that there is anything wrong with jarred foods or pouches, but I was totally wrong with how long it actually takes to prepare pureed food. Having my second child and seeing the allergic reactions he had to certain first foods, I realized that I needed to begin making his food, especially because I would be in control of what he would be in taking.
I searched tons of baby food making sites and also asked my fellow
mommy friends for tips and recipes. All I can say is…I can’t believe I never even attempted making baby food the 1st time around!! It’s soo easy, fresh and delicious. My son will soon be considered a toddler, but going forward I will continue making his food and like they say, “3rd times a charm”! And yes, you heard correctly, I want a 3 babies!!!
I will just share a few tips on making fresh fruit puree. If you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s close by, you can score organic fruits and veggies for very low pricing compared to bigger chains. If not, no worries! I have 3 fruits as I use as my base for the purees and then will add in different fruits so my son can taste the different combinations and flavors. These bases are apples, pears and bananas. Be sure to wash your apples and pears well, but don’t worry about peeling them. There is extra fiber in the skin!
Quarter your fruits, throw them in their pots, fill them with water until the fruit is covered and let them boil. You will know they are done when you can pierce the fruit very easily. Then it’s time to get creative and experiment with different fruit combos.
Depending on how old your baby is, for a smoother puree, add the water from the boiling pot!! The fruits release extra nutrients when they are cooking, so you want to make sure you add that to the puree. If your baby is on the older side, you will want it a little chunkier, so let the water drain more as you are adding it to your blender. In the pictures below, you will see what I mixed with for this batch of purees. While the fruit is boiling, I begin adding masking tape to my 4 oz. Glad containers so I can label them as soon as I finish pureeing. You kind of have to wait to label these so you know you getting enough puree in each container. You will see that I was able to make quite a few tasty treats for my boy!
Here are some of the combos I made: • Pear Pineapple • Apple Banana Strawberry & Apple Banana Blueberry • Apples and Prunes & Pears and Prunes • Pear Raspberry • Banana Blueberry • Pear Banana Strawberry
My son’s favorite thing to eat at breakfast, believe it or not, is Spinach & Banana!! I will also change it up to add strawberries, blueberries or even raspberries…whatever I have leftover. The banana totally hides the spinach flavor!! As soon as he becomes an expert with holding and drinking from a sippy cup, I plan to add vanilla yogurt to this combo so he can an enjoy a real “green smoothie”!
Just a little tip…if you ever get stumped or bored with flavor combinations, go to sites like Earth’s Best and Gerber to see what they are mixing for your inspiration!
Lots of Love!! Sylvia
P.S. What flavors do your babies enjoy?? Let us know, visit our ‘MailBox’ or email at blonde2brunette411@gmail.com.