Simple Baby Food Recipes for Months 6-12

By Niki · November 27, 2012 · 2 Comments
Baby Food, Pregnancy and Babies, Recipes ·

Life’s complicated enough. Need not be for thy baby food too. I remember getting an email a while back about a blogger’s upcoming book featuring 200 or so baby food recipes. One new food each and every day for over six months… and seriously unrealistic for my babes. Their palates are just not that seasoned by the age of one for a whole catalog of reasons.

I’m the mom who discovered baby poop (from last night’s explosion) on my jeans while at my daughter’s gymnastics class the following morning. On the days when locating clean pants is outside of reason, might there be ready-made baby food awaiting you in the freezer… or minutes away in the produce drawer. Finding ready-to-eat baby food when baby’s hungry is more thrilling than discovering a dollar in the lint trap as you remove your clean pants from the dryer.

Simple

I subscribe to the camp where things are simple. I think we’ve complicated a whole lot of things that don’t need to be. Baby’s hungry? Mash something up and feed baby.

There’s nothing special going on in those mini jars of puree you see in the store aside from extended shelf life and convenience.

Mashing something yourself allows you:

control over the preparation (cooking/serving fresh produce instead of opening something that might have been pureed in a BPA-lined can, dropped in a jar and left on a shelf for a while)

and control over ingredients (pesticide-free, preservative-free, and again, BPA-free).

Baby food preparation short-cuts~

Don’t sweat it. Baby needs mama’s milk. Solids during the first year are largely for practice.

That said, my seven month old mainly eats solids when I have to be gone for a while. He doesn’t eat solid food every day. Sometimes only once a week. Some weeks he tries pureed-something twice a day. There’s no schedule for us, thus no worries when an entire day is skipped.

Look at what the meals for the day are and simmer and/or grind when it makes sense.
If we’re making anything baby can eat, we grind it up for him. Sometimes we freeze it straight up, sometimes he joins us for dinner, and then we freeze the rest. Examples include: carrots, sweet potatoes, avocado, squash/pumpkin, peas….see below

If I’m spending any time in the kitchen waiting (for coffee, baking, boiling, etc.) I’ll get something started if I have a need or produce to boot (like those softening carrots in the drawer).

First foods “recipes” I feed my babes~

First and foremost, seasonal food… it’s autumn so orange harvest foods are all the rage on the baby spoon lately. Eating what’s in season saves money and supports local farms too. My children have both been in puree mode at autumn harvest time, which has made their food extra easy.

Avocado
just peel and mash a bit, comes in its own bowl, is super healthy, no cooking required; we seem to always have a couple on the counter or in the fridge

Sweet potato
nutrient-rich, easy to mash, does require time to cook initially – but low maintenance aside from heating in oven or on stove top. To prepare: Roast rinsed, whole, punctured potatoes at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes, OR boil rinsed, whole potatoes for 30 minutes, until a fork easily pierces through potato. Cool. Peel. Mash.

Carrots
inexpensive hearty root vegetable, simmer (~1/2 inch water) and soften in a few minutes (about 4), mash. Flavor up with cinnamon if you like.

Apples
simmer in (~1/2 inch water) a covered pan and soften in a few minutes (about 4), nice warm treat (homemade applesauce) for entire family, we use as mixer for less-palatable pumpkin or squash

Bananas
no cooking required, easy to mash, we use as mixer for less-palatable veggies

Anything on our dinner plate that baby can try in puree form (vegetables without salt or additives)

Anything accessible, with these exceptions: no grains, honey, nuts, eggs, strawberries, tomatoes, citrus, dairy, corn, beans, soy

Baby food storage option~

ice-cube tray: fill with puree, cover with fitted lid or slide inside large zip-type bag. Once frozen, empty tray into a bag or another sealed container, and label. This frees up your trays for new purees.

• Post to Facebook
• Share on Reddit

• Baby Food
• Pregnancy and Babies
• Recipes

2 Comments

1. 

   Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen says:

   November 30, 2012 at 7:52 am

   I’m pretty sure we have the same philosophy! I didn’t give Riina solids until about 10 months and even now, she still nurses like a champ. It’s so much easier (I’m lazy) and I know it’s good for her! I always just mashed up a little of what we were eating. It’s interesting to see how even in a few months how much her tastes change. Some things she wouldn’t try a few months ago are now her favorite. The one thing she’ll always eat is meat! Crazy girl….

   I’m holding off on grains until 2 (at least). Wish me luck!
   Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen recently posted..Apple Pear Hand Pies (For Ev, Part I)

   Reply
   • 

     Niki says:

     November 30, 2012 at 12:01 pm

     Oooh, I’d love to learn more about the meats your babe is eating. How early did you start? I’ve been reading about meat as an introductory food and want to learn more! GOOD luck on holding off on grains until at least 2. I didn’t make it that long with Edel. Once she started hanging out with more kids while I went to work, convenience ruled, and once she got the taste of of floured stuffs… she became a pickier eater and I wish we’d waited. I have the same grain goal as you this time with Remy. May the force be with us all.

     Reply

Leave a Comment

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website