Homemade Baby Food

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As you all know, I am trying to make more and more of our foods from scratch. Since we have started Lillian on solid foods, that means I’ve been in the kitchen whipping up some delicious homemade baby food. With Henry, I made almost all of his baby food, but there were a few things here and there that we did buy. Since then, there have been reports come out showing there are baby foods, formulas, and toddler snacks containing arsenic, lead, and BPA. According to this study (link here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/794291001), 80 percent of the items tested contained these contaminants!
This is not a post condemning all baby foods/formulas/snacks. I am sure there are good ones on the market, but these findings were pretty shocking. As parents, we want what is best for our kids, and if we are striving for the best, purest foods for ourselves, that should extend to our kids. So I have been making Lillian’s baby food like I did with Henry, but this time, I will be making all of it. Plus, it is so simple to do! Interested in doing some or all of your baby’s food, but not sure where to start? Let me show you how!
For this recipe, I used sweet potatoes since that is what we did for Lillian’s first food. Substitute whatever you would like to use for your baby!

1. I took six organic sweet potatoes, peeled them, and chopped them into these fancy cubes.

   

   

   
   
2. Next, I created my elaborate steaming station. I used a pot with a little over an inch of water and a colander. Just make sure the base of whatever you’re using to steam your potatoes isn’t submerged in the water. I also used a large lid over the top of the colander to help the process move along a little faster.      
3. Bring the water to a simmer.
4. Add the chunks into your colander/steaming basket. Place the lid on and steam until soft and easily smashed.

   

   

   Here, they are nice and soft and ready to blend.

   
   
5. Put the steamed vegetables into a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a little water to help it reach the smooth baby food consistency. Use the water you steamed your vegetables with to add any nutrients lost in the steaming process back into your puree!
6. Once you have your puree to the consistency you like, you can store it in the fridge to use immediately or freeze to use a little at a time. I filled up ice cube trays with mine which ends up being a nice portion size for her at each meal. I store the cubes in a freezer bag and just heat them up or thaw them as needed.

   

   

   
   

Other tips:

• Steaming is not your only option. You can also roast whatever you’re using which really helps bring out the sweetness in the produce.
• Some other vegetables I will be doing are turnips, beets, greens, peas, green beans, parsnips, carrots, and butternut squash. I will be doing fruits such as apple, pears, peaches, and berries. Your options are endless. Whatever you’re eating or have grown at home- give it a try! I know I am definitely excited to use homegrown produce for her foods this summer. You can even do meat purees, but they won’t be as smooth as vegetables or fruits.
• You can gradually increase the chunkiness of the food to prepare your little one for starting finger foods.
• When you have some different foods made, you can mix them for your own unique combinations. Look at the premade foods in stores for inspiration! There are a lot of delicious ideas out there.

Once you have made your simple baby food, come back and share your tips and yummy combinations! Let me know what your little ones think of starting solid food! I’m excited to try some of your ideas. Don’t forget to share and subscribe for updates on what we are doing here on the homestead.