Healthy Baby Food Recipes

What is homemade baby food?

Homemade baby food is of course meals that you prepare at home for your baby.
You can find loads of articles and recipes about food made at home on Internet and other sources. It is also very probable that you saw some products in stores which are called "homemade". It just means that they contain less ingredients but they are not always as nutritious as the one you make on your own.

Advantages of homemade baby food:

Homemade baby food gives you and your baby a lot of advantages. First of all you are able to control the feeding of your baby. By this I mean that you know what ingredients you put inside. You know where you bought these ingredients and it is an important matter too. Remember that when you start giving your baby solid food, you have to prepare it in a simple way and introduce only about one meal every week. Do not make huge batches of food because some babies tend to have allergies.

How to prepare baby food?

The easiest way of preparing homemade baby food is using food grinder. You can buy hand operated one which is designed for grinding food, or you can use food processor which purees food. Do not make large portions of food. Grind up or process the food you are preparing. If your baby can eat meat, for example chicken and that's your dinner, you can grind up a small piece for your beloved. To give your baby different tastes you can add some apple sauce for example.

Storing baby food:

It is rather common that parents make a lot of homemade baby food and afterwards they freeze it. You can freeze the food you make too. For freezing use ice cube trays. Ice cube trays provide perfect portions. Good to remember! Always clean your hands and all utensils you use for food preparation. If you want to can baby food, be careful that you use safe canning practices. Food safety is matter to care about because babies are much more vulnerable to illnesses when the food you give them is stored improperly.

What not to add to homemade baby food:

Good to know that for babies under the age of one you mustn't add honey to food you make. It is because infants are extremely vulnerable to botulism spores which honey contains. It can not be used even in cooked form. Bare in mind that babies have rather simple tastes so do not add spices or sugar. Even without any additives your baby will enjoy your homemade food. It is good to start giving your baby plain foods, so that in the future he or she will not develop the need for the food that is sweetened o much or over salted

Homemade baby food is cheaper and healthier

It is said by many people that homemade baby food is cheaper to prepare even when it has organic and high quality ingredients. This is of course true! Jars of baby food bought in stores are usually expensive and the worst thing is that you can't say for sure if that food is free from any additives. Sometimes when you are outside and do not have time to prepare your baby homemade food, it is good to have one or two jars of commercial baby food.

It has been proven by scientists that healthy eating habits are developing with your baby's first meals. You are a parent and you want to give your baby the best possible start. In order to achieve this you have to gain knowledge about proper food and introduce your baby natural and fresh food. This will lead to further advantages. It will help your kid to make healthy food choices in the future.

In order to prevent your baby from obesity which is a serious issue that affected more than 1/3 of all babies born in 2005, introduce him or she healthy eating habits. Some researches bring about even worse news. They predict that new generation of children will have shorter life expectancy than their parents.

In this article I will give you some advise about healthy habits and I will also show which food you must avoid in order to provide your baby healthy first months of his or her life.

Healthy habits for your baby

While giving your baby first solid foods you can have some fun together. Try to teach your baby about different fruits and vegetables. You can do it while your baby is eating- explain to him or she what fruit or vegetable is given. It is good to be role model for your baby. Show that you eat meals which you prepared. Your baby will start doing the same because it learns by mimicking. Give to your baby drinking water,. Offer it to each meal.

You already know that your newborn needs a balanced diet so offer different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Don't give up if your baby doesn't want to eat. His or her tastes changes every day. Plan the time for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks. Do not be in hurry while having meals. Try to be relaxed and of course enjoy the time spent with your baby. Make mealtimes a family event. And remember do not force your baby to eat.

0-6 months: During the first 6 months breastfeeding is recommended. Babies grow at different paces and in order to be sure that your baby is ready for solids, you have to consult it with health professional.

After 6 months: Your baby is now becoming more alert to the world surrounding him. He is becoming ready for new tastes. It's time to add some variety to baby's diet

After 8 months: Your happy baby has already tastes fruits, vegetables and baby cereals. Now he is ready to go further. At this age you can try to introduce meat and fish, pasta or noodles.

After 12 months: Hurray! Your baby is now prepared to move on from small chunks of food. Your 12 Month old baby has developed a few favorite foods by now. it may happen that your baby has developed a distaste for thin runny purees.

Good and healthy recipes for each stage are described below. Check them out!

Proper food for Healthy pregnancy

As your baby develops already in your stomach, you have to take care about good nutrition during pregnancy. In order to give your baby enough food, you have to eat 300 more calories per day than before.

Pregnancy can be challenging for many mums. Nausea and vomiting can be a big problem for first few months. Some mums are busy because of the work and find it difficult to eat essential nutrients while they are not in home. Here I give you one easy recipe which can be prepared in a short time and gives your baby essential nutrients.

Pregnancy Recipe

Turkey Sandwich with sweet potato

Easy to prepare, healthy and low-fat. It is a perfect combination of carbohydrates and protein.

What do you need?

2 slices of whole grain bread

3 slices of processed Swiss cheese

3 slices of lean turkey

1 or 2 leaves of lettuce

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 sweet potato

Butter for better taste

First prepare the bread by toasting it. After this put on one piece of bread mustard, cheese, lettuce and turkey. Add the other piece of bread and cut it in half. Take sweet potato and bake it in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes. You can put it in the microwave while doing sandwiches. It will take less time. When potato is ready put a little of butter on it for the better taste. Enjoy your meal.

At about 6 month your baby will be ready to start eating solids. Sometimes this process can start earlier at age of 4 months. But remember to consult your doctor before you introduce solids to baby's diet. Be careful while preparing homemade baby food. You have to be familiar with these rules:

Bare in mind that you mustn't add any salt or sugar to improve the taste of baby food. Fruits for example are sweet and tasty without any additives and thanks to avoiding spices at early stages your baby will develop proper feeding behavior in the future.

Sometimes you will want to prepare more baby food and use it later so you have to know how to store it in a proper way. You can use ice cub trays. Divide into portions and put in ice cubes. Next freeze them.

When you want to feed your baby, simply take out the number of food cubes needed and thaw and then reheat.

Here is a simple recipe for baby food: 4-6 months

Avocado, banana puree. (yogurt can be added)

Avocado and bananas are great first food for your baby.

You will need:

1 or half banana

1 or half sliced avocado

If you baby is over 6 months you can add some natural yogurt

You do not have to cook avocado and banana. Peel avocado, cut "meat" and mash it with a fork. Next peel banana and mash it. Place fruits into food processor. You can add some yogurt. Puree until you get proper texture of food.

Is your baby 6 to 8 months old and is just starting solids at this stage? If yes be sure to start slowly. You have to know that breast feeding or formula continues to be more important at this age.

Give your baby at first one tablespoon portion of food you made to taste. If your baby has just started eating solid foods, it will be rather difficult for him or her eat even half of the portion. Remember that it is a new experience for your baby so don't force baby to eat. When baby gets older you will increase portion sizes.

You can prepare for your baby something with mango. It is not only delicious but also rich in vitamin A and contains good amounts of vitamin B and C. it has also potassium, iron and calcium.

Easy homemade baby recipe:

Mango and apricot puree

You will need:

2 apricots

1 ripe mango

First of all peel mango. Next cut it into cubes. Chop apricots. Put everything in a pan and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes until apricots get soft. Than puree it.

Your baby is developing and needs more food. You can bring on some spices and chopped into pieces vegetables, fruits, cheeses, pasta, rice, yogurt and meat. You can introduce raw fruits. Vegetables and pasta or rice should be soft cooked and mashed with a fork. While giving meat remember to cook and chop into small soft pieces.

At this age your baby can be a picky eater. Do not worry. Probably he or she is just to interested in exploring the surrounding world. Later baby will start showing some preferences for certain food. Don't get frustrated during this period. It is important to observe what your baby likes eating and give him or her this food.

Delicious homemade baby recipe:

Blueberry, banana yogurt.

You will need:

1 or half mashed banana

1 cup plain yogurt

1 or more tablespoon of wheat germ

½ cup blueberry puree (recipe is given below)

When you make blueberry puree mix it with yogurt, mashed banana and wheat germ. You can chunk banana instead of mashing it.

How to make blueberry puree:

Take about ½ cup frozen blueberries and put them in to the microwave for about 20 seconds until you see the juice starts to run.

Your 10 month baby has already chosen favorite tastes. Maybe your baby likes feeding himself and has enough of runny purees? Be patient with your baby. Your baby needs to decide what foods he wants to eat since he will be transitioning in the coming months to the world of adult food.

Baby can become a picky eater and have a varied appetite. One day you will think that you don't have enough food to feed your beloved while the other day you will wonder if baby will ever take another bite. This period is excellent for baby finger foods. Baby finger food should have texture but should be soft enough.

Remember never leave baby unattended with finger foods. Be alert to the risk of chocking.

Baby finger food recipe:

Banana Pancakes

You will need:

1 or 2 ripe bananas (not overly ripe or mushy bananas)

Pancake Batter

How to prepare?

Slice bananas thinly, coat with pancake batter. Lightly fry in pan until golden brown
Serve as baby finger foods for snack or at breakfast time.

Your baby is now 12 months and is showing a will to walk or even talk. Baby is now mowing on to a toddler stage. It is very important part of your baby's life. The world is becoming more exciting place for him or her. It is a time for exploring and discovering surrounding environment. That's why you have to give your little one the best and most nutritious food.

After a year your baby can drink full- fat, whole pasteurized milk. At the age of 2,5 you can start giving your baby semi-skimmed milk. if your baby is not eating well, you can continue giving him or she full-fat milk till 5 years.

At this age you can encourage your baby to try new tastes by offering small portions of different foods. Baby will show you if he likes the food you give. Many babies can be picky eater at this age. Don't worry about this and don't put pressure on your baby too much. Don't loose temper. Instead of this, offer your baby new things to eat, and you will notice after some time that your little one really enjoys eating.

Your baby needs a lot of energy and can't manage for long periods without eating. Toddlers grow rapidly and explore the world and that's why they are using a lot of energy. Give your baby snacks or small sandwiches between meal to keep their energy level up. You can also give some fruits like banana for example.

Toddlers need fiber so show your baby how tasty vegetables and fruits are. Do not feed your baby with wholegrain food. Instead of this you can give pasta or white rice.

In order to keep your baby fit include in his diet plenty of energy foods like rice, cereals, pasta, a lot of fruits and vegetables but small amounts of meet, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese or lentils.

Though your baby can eat a lot of things now, still it is better to avoid:

• Fizzy drinks or drinks for adults


• Sugary and sweet things


• Tea and coffee


• Whole nuts


• Highly salted or with a lot of sugar foods


• Ready made meals and sauces aimed at adults

Recipe for toddler 12-18 months of age

PASTA SALAD

Ingredients for pasta salad:

- 1 chopped fresh broccoli

- ½ zucchini (slice them thin)

- ½ baby carrots

- ½ sliced black olives

- 1 bag of tri- color pasta

- ½ of red onion, slice it very thin

- And olive oil , lemon juice, black pepper

How to prepare pasta salad:

First boil pasta al dente. Next sauté carrots, zucchini, broccoli in olive oil until they are crisp but tender. Afterwards drain and rinse pasta. Take a large bowl and put pasta and vegetables together. For better taste you can add some parmesan cheese but not a lot. And if you want add some lemon juice or black pepper.

Ingredients for pancakes:

- 2 eggs

- 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 Cup of unbleached white flour

- 2 cups of milk

- 2 tablespoon cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -1/4 tsp allspice - 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1 cup of pureed pumpkin or winter squash

- 1 tablespoon vanilla

- 1 tablespoon of baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 tablespoon canola oil

- Brown sugar- not necessary

How to make pumpkin pancakes:

Firstly, in a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, , allspice, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Secondly, heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Serve hot when ready.

(4)6-8 months
Avocado, Apricots, Apples, Bananas, Peaches and Nectarines, Pears, Plums and Pumpkin.

8-10 months
Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapes, Melons, Watermelons, Cantaloupes, Kiwi, Mango and Papaya.

10 months and older
Strawberries, Citrus, Berries and Lychees.

- Apricot Puree
- Baked Apples
- Banana Applesauce Mush
- Pastina and Bananas
- Blueberry Banana Yogurt
- Beef & Noodle Dinner
- Spinach Nuggets
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pasta Salad
- Fast Chicken Soup
- Creamy Rice Pudding
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Banana Pancakes
- Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Nuggets
- Banana-Oatmeal Cereal
- Fruity Gels
- Mango Mush
- Pureed Fruit
- Peachy Chicken
- Fruity Gels
- Fish Chowder
- Lentils and Carrots
- Fruit and Yogurt

Toddler nutrition

It is very common phenomenon that parents start giving their toddlers empty calories, even without realizing it. In order to keep your baby fir, limit sugary drinks, don't allow to eat in front of the TV. Instead of this, give your baby low-fat milk or water and between meals offer healthy snacks, such as fruit or vegetables, low-fat yogurt or string cheese.

It has been shown in recent studies that the more your baby eat and weight before age of 2, the heavier he will be in the future. So bare in mind that eating and activity patterns learned in childhood can last a lifetime. That's why you have to introduce healthy eating habits to your toddler.

Food rules for toddlers:

• First of all remember to give your child the opportunity to decide when he or she is full. Do not force to finish meals.


• Avoid serving fried foods and fatty sauces and meats. Cut back on saturated fats.


• Try to serve food high in nutritious elements, use whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish which are low in mercury like salmon, flounder, cod or tilapia. Give your baby a lot of fruits and vegetables.


• Give your baby 100 percent orange juice but remember to limit it to no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day for children up to age 6


• Cut back on sweets, fast foods, soda and other sugary stuff in order to reduce empty calories.


• Your baby learns by observing you, so eat healthy!

More information about a health baby food and many recpies can be found on wholesomebabyfood.com