Home » Misc » Baby feeding recipes

Baby feeding recipes


10 Easy Homemade Baby Food Ideas (No-Cook, Super Fast, Stage 1)

Learn how to make the EASIEST homemade baby food recipes (stage 1) for your little one with these super simple no-cook ideas. Plus: I have the best tips for making them ahead and freezing them so you can batch cook and simplify your days!

Homemade Baby Food

As a mom to three kids, I know firsthand how the urge to make homemade baby food can be both exciting and a little daunting. And if you have a busy schedule or other kids in the house, finding the time to actually do it can seem impossible. But, there are so many healthy foods that you can transform into stage 1 baby food purees with hardly any work or special equipment at all!

TIP: I use a regular blender for all of these recipes, so you don’t need to buy a special baby food maker unless you want to.

Baby Food Recipes for 6, 7, and 8 Month Old Babies

These homemade baby food ideas are designed for younger babies who are still eating thinner purees, but you can of course use them for older babies and toddlers too. Each can be served as is, or you can combine more than one together to create new flavors if you’re feeling creative!

TIP: If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.

Best Way to Make Baby Food

I’ve found that the easiest and most approachable way to make baby food is to simply use a blender. With fresh ingredients and a little water, breastmilk, or formula to thin it as needed, you can easily make your baby meals without investing in equipment you may not use very long.

TIP: You’ll want to start with at least 1 cup of any base ingredient to ensure that there’s enough in the blender to fully blend up.

Tools You Need to Make Homemade Baby Food

To make these baby food recipes you’ll need:

  • Blender (you could also use an immersion blender if yours is very strong)
  • Water, formula, or breastmilk to thin as needed
  • Knife for chopping produce
  • Spoon
  • Bowls
  • Ice cube tray
  • Freezer bags for storage
  • Baby food storage containers

Stage 1 Baby Food

These baby foods are meant for early eaters as they are typically very thin and easy for a baby to move around in their mouths. I follow the recommendations to wait until 6 months to start solids, so I personally don’t worry excessively about this distinction as I like babies to experience some texture in their purees. (The ones you find at the store are low allergenic foods and are meant for 4+ months.)

Stage 2 Baby Food

These baby foods are typically a little bit thicker, sometimes include more than one ingredient, and offer a wider variety of ingredients. Most babies are ready for these sorts of purees around 7-8 months, or once they’ve mastered thinner purees. (Again, since I like to do a combined baby feeding approach with both baby led weaning and purees, I don’t worry too much about following the calendar to decide when to introduce these.)

TIP: As a backup to my homemade baby foods, I love the options from Amara Organic Baby Food  (paid affiliate link) since you simply need to stir it together with breast milk, formula, or water and it’s ready to serve.

And now, for my ten go-to homemade baby food purees that you don’t even need to cook!

1.

Avocado Puree

To make avocado puree for a baby, you just need a fresh avocado, a blender, and some lemon juice if you plan to store it for later. I sometimes even do this with just a fork if the avocado is super soft! It’s a perfect way to introduce a low allergenic food that’s rich in healthy fats.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Avocado Puree here.

2. Bean Puree

Baby’s early foods don’t have to be all one food group and beans are a great food to have in the mix. You can do this easy bean puree with chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, or even white beans, thinning it as needed with water, formula, or breastmilk. This is a great puree to mix with a little sweet potato or butternut squash.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Bean Puree here.

3. Blueberry Puree

Using fresh or frozen blueberries, this easy berry puree is loaded with fresh flavor and antioxidants. It’s delicious on its own or stirred into plain whole milk yogurt or baby oatmeal. (Note that it thickens up as it sits in the fridge, so you’ll need to stir it well to serve.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Blueberry Puree here.

4. Kiwi Puree

With a bright flavor, this puree is great for babies who seem to love flavor—and it’s a fun one to make and store for later. You’ll want to make sure that you choose very ripe and sweet kiwi and taste it before you make the puree to ensure that it’s not too tart. (If it seems tart, you can mix with banana or applesauce.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Kiwi Puree here.

5. Mango Puree

Using fresh or thawed frozen mango, this baby puree blends up in seconds. It’s bright, flavorful, and a great source of immune-boosting vitamins. Taste your mango to be sure that it’s sweet and not too tart. (If it’s tart, you can add Applesauce or ripe Banana Puree.)

TIP: Get the full recipe for Mango Puree here.

6. Peach Puree

Turn fresh or frozen and thawed peach slices into a super smooth Stage 1 baby food with this easy blender method. You’ll want to strain out the skin since it’s hard to blend up smooth, even with a high powered blender, but that’s so easy to do! This baby food recipe is a nice alternative to applesauce.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Peach Puree here.

7. Whipped Peanut Butter

This may not have occurred to you, but whipped peanut butter is a great baby food! This is a perfect way to introduce baby to peanut butter and to offer it safely there after. You just need to stir water into unsweetened creamy peanut butter until it forms a whipped consistency like yogurt. It’s smooth, not too sticky, and packed with protein.

TIP: Get the full scoop on introducing peanuts to baby here.

8. Pineapple Puree

Blend up fresh or frozen pineapple chunks into a tropical baby food puree that’s smooth and creamy. This is yummy on its own or paired with whole milk plain yogurt. Taste your pineapple to ensure that it’s not too tart. (If it’s tart, you can add Applesauce or ripe Banana Puree. )

TIP: Get the full recipe for Pineapple Puree here.

9. Strawberry Puree

Fresh strawberries blend up into a perfectly smooth homemade puree without the need for any additional liquid. You can serve this as is, or mix with applesauce if desired. The flavor of your berries will determine the flavor of your puree, so be sure to taste them for sweetness.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Strawberry Puree here.

10. Banana Puree

Ripe bananas make great homemade baby food with the help of just a blender. This is a super simple baby food to make at home and it’s easy to digest as a Stage 1 baby food. Use ripe bananas with brown spots to ensure that the puree tastes sweet and is easy for baby to digest.

TIP: Get the full recipe for Banana Puree here.

Homemade Baby Food Storage

The easiest way to store homemade baby food is to add fresh purees to an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, simply pop out the cubes and store in labeled freezer bags for up to 3 months. These are a perfect way to make it easy to send homemade baby food to daycare or to simply get ahead for the coming week.

TIP: Find more information about storing baby food—including the best small food storage containers—here.

]

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Baby Food

  • Use at least 1 cup base ingredient to ensure that a blender has enough volume to blend well.
  • Thin any homemade puree with water, formula, or breast milk.
  • Freeze any baby food you won’t use within 3 days in an ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes into freezer storage bags for up to 3 months. Thaw these frozen baby food recipes in an airtight container in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve.
  • Taste all fresh foods for sweetness and to ensure that your puree isn’t too tart. To tame tartness, mix any puree with Banana Puree , Avocado Puree, Applesauce, or Mashed Sweet Potato.
  • If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.
  • Use breastmilk or formula in place of the water if desired.
  • Mix two purees together for more complex flavors.
  • Add texture to any puree by stirring in baby oatmeal or hemp seeds.
  • For more details on each of these, find them here: Avocado Puree; Banana Puree, Bean Puree; Blueberry Puree, Kiwi Puree, Mango Puree, Pineapple Puree, Peanut Butter Puree, Peach Puree, Strawberry Puree

I’d love to hear your feedback on this way of making simple baby food, so please comment below. I so appreciate hearing your experience with my recipes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 42kcal

Servings 4

  • ▢ 1 cup blueberries, diced strawberries, diced peaches (peeled), diced kiwi (peeled), diced pineapple (peeled), diced banana (peeled), diced mango (peeled), diced avocado (peeled), OR beans (rinsed and drained)
  • ▢ water, formula, or breast milk (as needed)

  • Choose one fruit, the avocado, or beans and add to a blender.

  • If making the puree with blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, mango, or beans, add ¼ cup water and blend, adding more water as desired to make a thin, very smooth puree. If making avocado or banana, just blend (without water) until very smooth.

  • Serve or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

  • Vitamix Blender

  • Storage Containers

  • Silicone Ice Cube Tray

  • Use at least 1 cup base ingredient to ensure that a blender has enough volume to blend well.
  • Thin any homemade puree with water, formula, or breast milk.
  • Freeze any baby food you won't use within 3 days in an ice cube tray. Transfer frozen cubes into freezer storage bags for up to 3 months. Thaw these frozen baby food recipes in an airtight container in the fridge overnight before you plan to serve.
  • Taste all fresh foods for sweetness and to ensure that your puree isn't too tart.  To tame tartness, mix any puree with Banana Puree , Avocado Puree, Applesauce, or Mashed Sweet Potato.
  • If you want to add fat or protein to any of these fruit or veggie purees, simply stir in a little whole milk yogurt, coconut cream, or Avocado Puree.
  • Use breastmilk or formula in place of the water if desired.
  • Mix two purees together for more complex flavors.
  • Add texture to any puree by stirring in baby oatmeal or hemp seeds.
  • For more details on each of these, find them here: Avocado Puree; Banana Puree, Bean Puree; Blueberry Puree, Kiwi Puree, Mango Puree, Pineapple Puree, Peanut Butter Puree, Peach Puree, Strawberry Puree

Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 42kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 57mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 40IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

Tips on Freezing and Best Containers

Learn the secrets to storing and freezing homemade baby food for ultimate freshness—AND the best baby food storage containers to use to ensure that you never waste what you make!

Baby Food Storage

Going through the effort to make homemade baby food really only works if you have a good plan for how to store the food to ensure that it stays fresh and that baby has plenty of opportunities to enjoy it. After making a LOT of baby food for my third kiddo to send with him to daycare, I got into a good routine of making and storing baby food—both in the fridge and freezer. Here’s how you can do it too.

TIP: You can find my favorite baby food recipes here.

Homemade Baby Food Storage: In the Fridge

You can store baby food in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3 days. You can use masking tape and a Sharpie to label the containers with the contents and the date if you have a hard time keeping track of when you made something. (It’s definitely helpful to do that!)

Best Baby Food Storage Containers

I have a four favorite baby food storage containers that I use regularly.

1. Wean Green Baby Food Cubes

These are small, incredibly durable, and made from glass. They’re easy to clean and last forever. (Seriously, I’ve been using the same set for 7 years and they’re still as good as new!) $19.99 for a set of 4

2.

Easy Lunchboxes Mini Dippers

These small containers are a perfect size for 1-2 frozen baby food cubes and they’re my go to for packing food for a baby to take to daycare. They also nest nicely when stored in the cabinet. $7.95 for a set of 8

3. Beaba Food Storage Containers

I have two sets of these and I use them regularly for larger amounts of baby food (you could probably fit 4 cubes of frozen food) and for toddler snacks. When assembled, they snap together, so they’re an easy way to stay organized. $14.95 for a set of 6

4. Oxo Tot Baby Food Blocks

This neat system is easy to keep contained in the fridge and is also made from a polypropylene body that is PVC, BPA, and phthalate free. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. $9.99 for a set of 6

Homemade Baby Food Storage: For Freezing

Storing homemade baby food in the freezer allows you to make a bigger batch at once, and then serve it to baby over the course of a few weeks or months. The easiest way is to use an ice cube tray, which has the added benefit of portioning out the baby food nicely.

TIP: Any ice cube tray will do. You can use silicone ice cube trays if you prefer a non-plastic option.

Baby Food Storage Without An Ice Cube Tray

If you don’t have an ice cube tray or you’d just rather not use one, you can place a predetermined amount of baby food into a pint-size freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, press flat, and seal. Place flat in the freezer to freeze. Then you can thaw the entire bag in the fridge overnight, or break off a portion of it to thaw.

How to Store Baby Food in the Freezer Step by Step

  1. Place baby food into each compartment of the ice cube tray, or fill as many as you need to with the amount of baby food you have.
  2. Cover (if your ice cube tray has a cover) and freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight.
  3. Pop out frozen cubes and transfer to freezer storage bags. Label as desired with the type of baby food and the date.
  4. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

TIP: I like to have a bag of sweet fruit purees and more savory vegetable purees to avoid having too many separate bags in the freezer at any given time. Then you can combine them into baby food combinations easily!

How to Thaw Baby Food

To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and serve. 1 cube may be plenty for a baby aged 6-7 months and older babies may enjoy two cubes.

Tips for the Best Baby Food Storage

  • Keep fresh baby food in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
  • Use a regular ice cube tray to freeze, a silicone ice cube tray with a lid, or a small freezer bag with the contents pressed flat.
  • Store frozen baby food in a freezer storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To avoid freezer burn, try to remove as much air as possible from the storage bags.
  • Label your bags with the contents and the date.
  • To thaw baby food, simply remove a cube (or as many as you need) and place into airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • Use leftover baby food to flavor yogurt, baby oatmeal, baby rice cereal, smoothies, or cottage cheese.
  • See some of my favorite Baby Food Pouch recipes here for more ideas on how to serve your baby food!

I’d love to hear your feedback if you have another storage technique or container that you love, so please comment below!

2 year old child's menu with recipes

Menu author: Natalia Dik — pediatrician. She graduated from the Chelyabinsk Medical Academy, clinical internship and residency, specialty pediatrics. She has been working in her specialty since 2007, from 2005-2008 she has been the head of the Allergy Department of the City Clinical Hospital No. 1 of Chelyabinsk, since 2008 she has been a specialist in clinical trials of drugs. She enjoys cooking and practices the Menu of the Week system in her daily life. nine0011

By the age of two, most babies are able to eat many foods and dishes on their own, there is no need to grind food in a blender or knead with a fork. Rejoicing at such changes, some parents want to give the baby to try more new dishes. Some, on the contrary, are afraid to introduce something new, and they are in no hurry to transfer it to the general table. There is some common sense in both approaches. Although the digestive system of a two-year-old baby is already much more mature compared to a one-year-old, nevertheless, it is not yet strong enough. Therefore transition to adult food should be gradual .

The sample menu for week below is suitable not only for feeding a two-year-old child, but also for the whole family.

Do not worry if one of the days the child has not eaten all the dishes you have prepared. Our ideas about how much a two-year-old baby should eat often differ from reality in the direction of overestimation. In addition, children may have their own characteristics and preferences. Everything new is best offered in small portions. Often, babies carefully try unfamiliar or otherwise prepared foods, but if they are offered the same dish next time, they can eat it with pleasure. nine0017

MONDAY

Breakfast: Porridge made of oatmeal with caramel apples
Lunch: Pumpkin soup with chicken+salad “Sunny”
SUPPLE: Smoothies with shepherd
Dinner: Stewed vegetables with freaksheels

Pediatrician's comment:

As with all ages, it is very important to diversify the diet of children, including different types of foods . At the same time, vegetables (fresh and cooked), fruits, cereals, milk and dairy products, vegetable and butter should be on the children's menu daily.

Recommended norm of milk and dairy products - up to 600 ml (of which at least 200 ml are fermented milk products), vegetables 300-400g (of which potatoes - no more than 150g), fruits - 130g, meat (red or poultry) - up to 90g per day , bread - up to 90g (of which black - no more than 30g).

It is advisable to eat fish 2-3 times a week (weekly norm 175g), eggs - no more than 3 times a week. nine0011

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Kindergarten-style scrambled eggs
Lunch: Borsch-mashed potatoes + Potato casserole with vegetables
Snack: Baked apples with cottage cheese
Dinner:

Stewed vegetables

Pediatrician's comment:

Make sure your child drinks enough liquids. The norm is 35 ml/kg of water per day ie with a weight of 12 kg your baby should drink 420 ml. It is desirable that it be clean water. If the child refuses it, you can try to give unsweetened compote, herbal tea, but not store-bought juices.

MEDIUM

Breakfast: Millet porridge with pumpkin in a slow cooker
Lunch: Borscht puree + White cabbage salad with apple
Afternoon snack: Banana smoothie with cookies and nuts
Dinner: Buckwheat porridge + Braised liver

Pediatrician's comment:

In the diet of two-year-old children, there should be no such things as fast food (in addition to hamburgers and french fries, these are various chips and store-bought crackers), smoked meats, semi-finished products (sausages, sausages), canned and pickled foods, mushrooms and seafood. nine0011

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese casserole with apples
Lunch: Soup with fish meatballs + Carrots and dried apricots
SUPPLE: yogurt+milk cake
Boutiker porridge+carcass liver

Pediatrician's comment:

Of course, it is best to prepare baby food from natural products. If, nevertheless, there is a need to purchase finished products (yogurts, curds, etc.) - be sure to read the information about the composition of on the labels, since at present, even in products intended for baby food, you can often find various flavors, thickeners and preservatives.

Manufacturers use many tricks to confuse customers (for example, they write "No preservatives" even if the composition contains citric acid, a powerful preservative).

FRIDAY

breakfast: Sweet pilaf with dried fruits and nuts
lunch: Soup with fish meatballs + Salad “Vitamin”
SUPPORT: yogurt+milk cake
Dinner: Potato cutlets with turkey and raw

Pediatrician's comment:

At the age of two, it is already allowed to introduce a small amount of fried , however, try not to abuse this cooking method, preferring boiling, stewing or baking to it. nine0011

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Cottage cheese casserole with pumpkin in a slow cooker
Lunch: Ratatui soup in a multicooker+beetroot salad with prunes and feta
Polteria: Kisel from cherries
Dinner: Potato cutlets with turkey and raw

Pediatrician's comment:

The diet of children at the age of two remains 5 times a day: three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two intermediate ones. If the break between the main meals is short, then in between it is enough to give an unsweetened fruit (apple, pear) or a vegetable salad (for example, apple + carrot). If the break is long, you can offer the baby a fermented milk product (yogurt, cottage cheese) with bread or cookies.

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Pancakes with carrots
Lunch: Ratatouille soup in a slow cooker + Beetroot salad with prunes and feta
Afternoon snack: Cherry jelly
Fish casserole 10019 Fish casserole1 9000

Pediatrician's comment:

Some experts do not recommend introducing sugar and confectionery into the diet until the age of three , or even for life. If you are already giving your child sweets, remember that the daily intake of sugar for a two-year-old child is up to 50g per day, and the less, the better. nine0059 Chocolate and chocolates should be avoided as they stimulate the nervous system of children, often cause allergies and can cause constipation.

Health to you and your children!

Do you like these recipes?

Author: Anastasija

From 1 to 3 years old

A balanced diet is the key to the health of a baby aged 1 to 3 years. At this age, the menu should be varied, and recipes for a one-year-old child, a 1.5-year-old child and 2-year-old children should include foods such as poultry, eggs, fish, cottage cheese, bread, fruits, and vegetables. Based on all the above products in this section, recipes for a delicious and complete children's menu are proposed. Clear step-by-step instructions and colorful photos in each of the recipes for kids will give you the opportunity to realize many ideas, diversifying baby food with high-quality, beautiful and mouth-watering food. Let your little one take every meal as a fun adventure filled with magical flavors. nine0017

By dateMost popularBy number of likesBy adding to favoritesBy name 12 1 5

with a grandfather for lunch 8,

02 May 2019, 18:03

Steaming in a multicooker

Catalog: from 1 year to 3 years

28423 10 min. 2 0 11

Marina Petrushenko

November 07, 2018, 20:43

Yoghurt "fun for daughter" (fm)

Catalogue: From 1 to 3 years old

18460 25 min. 2 4 5

Prince

16 October 2015, 10:59

Birthday cake for my daughter's birthday

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years old

303422 10 16 16

krisenok

February 10, 2015, 23:470342 1 min. 25 2 5

Evgenia

November 01, 2014, 11:24

Omelet in pepper

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years

2494 2494 1 5 3

Evgenia

October 07, 2014, 00:50

Oatmeal with orange

Catalog: From 1 year to 3 years

909302

2 5 3

Evgenia

October 07, 2014, 00:30

Beetroot with rice and homemade chicken (children's menu, slow cooker)

Catalogue: From 1 to 3 years old

50819 6 7

Tatyana M.

September 12, 2014, 13:58 up to 3 years

31175 4 8

Tatyana M.

September 06, 2014, 11:11

Fish soup with cauliflower and noodles: multi-cooking for children 90 3 years

41071 40 min. nine0342 7 8

Tatyana M.

04 September 2014, 12:22

Pea soup with liver and broccoli (children's menu, multicooker)

Catalog: from 1 year to 3 years old

28538 3 3 6

Tatiana М. 3 10 8

Tatyana M.

August 23, 2014, 11:57

Cottage cheese "hedgehogs" for breakfast and just because

Catalog: From 1 year to 3 years

33957 15 12

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years

60086 20 min. 1 10 12

Elena Tyufekchi

April 27, 2014, 14:01

Soup with perch and cauliflower (children's menu, slow cooker)

Catalog: From 1 year to 3 years

16492 30 min. 2 6 7

Tatyana M.

April 24, 2014, 11:19

Sosic children's white poultry meat

Catalog: from 1 year to 3 years

69603 8

Tatiana М. 2 31 26

0017 Children's steam sausages

Catalog: from 1 year to 3 years old

40577 7 15

Tatyana M.

08 January 2014, 11:31

Soup with spinach, fish meatballs, plums baked with cottage cheese. perfect lunch in 60 min.

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years

23269 23 15

lil-8888

November 08, 2013, 23:25

lunch in 60 min.)

Catalogue: From 1 to 3 years

80821 60 min. 7 13

Persona

October 31, 2013, 23:44

Millet porridge with pumpkin. test-drive

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years old

28768 17 13

GalinaN

October 17, 2013, 20:36

vegetable menu with rice and ragum for children (vegetable ragum cooker)

Catalog: From 1 to 3 years

68008 20 min. 2 4 8

Tatyana M.

July 29, 2013, 20:33

Greek porridge with cream and raspberries

Catalog: from 1 year to 3 years

24628 36 25

Persona

July 08, 2013, 20:27

Semolina porridge (without lumps) with strawberries

Catalogue: From 1 to 3 years old

18249 12 min.

Learn more