These homemade baby food recipes by Childcare is fun, are great once weaning has been established.
Now you can make the puree a little less soft to encourage ‘chewing’. Remember to still keep food in a mushy consistency, but with texture. It’s a great idea to introduce finger foods now, but remember to always keep a close eye on your baby when they are finger feeding to avoid choking.
As your baby grows older,you can change the texture of his food. However, remember to watch your baby carefully as he may not be ready for it! As he becomes accustomed to small, soft lumps, you can go from mashing to finely chopping the food.
You can cook the vegetables in a variety of ways such as gently simmering until soft or you can steam or microwave them. When they are cooked, add a little of the cooking water (as this will contain dissolved vitamins from the fruit or vegetables) or your baby’s usual milk.
Blend or thoroughly mash the cooked foods. If you need to remove any pips or tough fibres, push the food through a sieve using the back of a metal spoon. You can adjust the texture by adding more water or milk until you find a consistency your baby likes.
Cooking times will differ depending on which vegetable you choose. Ensure meat and fish is always cooked well and is in date.
Baby food recipes
Sweet potato, broccoli and basilicious
You’ll need:
1 sweet potato
Fresh basil – 5/6 leaves chopped
Broccoli florets approx 5/6
Steam/boil the vegetables then blend together with a little formula or a small amount of cows milk and the chopped basil.
Chickedy chicken pasta
You’ll need:
2 skinned Chicken breasts
Baby pasta stars
Cows milk
Cheese
Plain flour
Half White onion
Parsley (optional)
Cook chicken in oven until brown and tender approx 25 mins (cut into and check that thoroughly cooked)
Sauté onion in butter and a tiny bit of cows milk- add fresh parsley to flavour if you think your baby will like it!
Make the cheese sauce with a little cheese, milk and plain flour and set aside.
Put the chicken, onion, parsley and cheese sauce into a blender and blast until smooth.
This is your sauce to add to your baby pasta. Baby pasta only takes 5 mins to cook so best cooked fresh, however- it will freeze if you find that easier just mix it all together once pasta is cooked.
Brockibasil cheese please!
You’ll need:
Flour
Milk
Cheese
Broccoli
Fresh basil
Boil/steam the broccoli until tender.
Using milk, flour and cheese make a sauce.
Put sauce, broc and basil into blender and blast until smooth.
Butternut squash with minted peas.
You’ll need:
Butternut squash
Peas
4 Fresh Mint leaves
Boil/steam the squash and the peas until tender.
Blend with a little cows milk or formula and the fresh mint until smooth.
Roasted veg and rice
You’ll need:
Red pepper
Onion
tomato
Baby potatoes
Parsnip
courgette
Par-boil all the veg,(save veg water) then put in oven on roasting tray covered in butter for 25/30 mins until roasted and tender.
Boil the rice (regular rice is fine but you can use baby rice.)
Put all together in blender and blend with either milk or veg water that veggies boiled in.
Freezer storage times:
Vegetables = 6 months
Fruit = 6 months
Puree’s with milk = 4-6 weeks
Fish= 10 weeks
Meat & Chicken= 10 weeks
