BABY PUREES: How to Start

Did your baby just turn 5 months old? Is your baby sitting up? Is your baby reaching for food and utensils, indicating they are interested in real food? Do you want to start feeding your baby but not sure where or how to start? I have great tips to share and would love to help! Here are a few simple steps to get you started with feeding your baby. Enjoy this special milestone as you watch your baby's facial expressions reveal the delicious world of flavors! The first thing I recommend is to decide what puree you want to start with. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Some people start with fruit while others start with meat, or veggies, the choice is up to you. I like to start with all the orange veggies and then I make my way into fruits and grains. I started with sweet potato and after 3 days of my baby eating it, I added in ⅛ tsp of cinnamon to let him start to explore that flavor combined with the sweet potato. That’s where the fun comes in! Let’s use my experience with sweet potato to guide us through the steps

Step #1: Wash, peel and chop the sweet potato into cubes
Step #2: Fill a pot with water and wait for it to boil
Step #3: You can either steam the sweet potato by placing it in a strainer on top of the pot or place the sweet potato directly into the pot of boiling water
Step #4: When you can pierce the sweet potato with a fork, about 15 minutes, remove it from the strainer/water and let it cool
Step #5: Place the sweet potato in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy
Step #6: If the sweet potato is too thick and/or chunky, add 1 tbsp at a time of breastmilk, formula, or water to thin out the consistency
Step #7: Serve immediately to baby or store in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 3-4 days
Step #8: Stick to the same food for a few days before adding in any spices and/or moving on to a different food.

You can always make a big batch and store it in the freezer for a later date. I personally love to do this as it saves me so much time and is a real lifesaver when I don’t have the time to make something fresh that morning or evening. The key to making homemade baby food is to prep, prep, prep. Just be organized and plan ahead because this will allow you to properly prepare so that you can rest assured you’re feeding your baby a nutritious meal!