Best way to steam baby food

Making Your Own Baby Food

Read time: 7 minutes

What to know about making your own baby food

Advantages to making your own baby food purees
Supplies you need to get started
Cooking methods to make homemade baby food
Baby food puree recipes to get you started

Once your little one is ready to start solids, the next question often asked is: Do I make baby’s food or buy it? The store offers many baby food options, but making at least some of the food at home may allow for even more variety.

With a little bit of planning and use of some of the utensils you likely already have around the house, making homemade baby food doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds.

What are some advantages of making your baby’s pureed food?

Greater control over what you feed your baby: You can use a wider variety of ingredients that are not always available in store-bought baby food. ¹^,¹⁰
Money saver! Did you know the price of 2 to 3 containers of baby food is almost equal to that of 4 to 6 pears, which can create enough pureed food for 10 or more meals for your baby?¹
May help reduce picky eating: Repeatedly offering a greater variety of foods, as well as foods the family eats (with minor changes in textures and ingredients to meet your baby’s needs), may help make your little one a more adventurous eater, even into childhood.²

Read more: Introducing Solids: First Foods & Textures

You might be worried that you need an elaborate kitchen setup and all new kitchen tools to make your baby’s purees, but the good news is that you likely have many of the tools already needed to whip up some homemade baby food!

Here is a list of some of the tools that can be used to make homemade baby food:

Vegetable peeler
Pot for boiling or steaming
Sheet pan for baking
Steamer basket
Blender or food processor
Fork and knife
Food mill
Potato masher
Strainer
Ice cube trays

Let’s get cooking!

Food Prep

Following proper food safety is especially important when cooking for children and especially for baby’s first foods. ³ Babies are more prone to foodborne illness than older children or healthy adults, so always wash your hands, rinse the food items, clean your work area, cook foods to their recommended internal temperatures, and avoid cross-contamination.³

For more specifics on proper food safety protocols, see Food Safety for Babies and Toddlers

What cooking methods should I use when making baby food?

There are many cooking options available for pureeing food for your baby. Each method has pros and cons in terms of ease and retention of nutritional value:

Steaming: A very popular (and easy!) method, steaming allows for minimal nutrient loss and the leftover water can be used as stock for pureeing.⁴
Boiling or Stewing: While also convenient, this cooking method results in greater nutrient loss into the surrounding water. To recoup these nutrients, you can use the cooking water when you make a puree or broth. ⁴
Baking or Roasting: Great for making large quantities in the oven. Baked food items retain a good amount of their nutrients.⁴^,⁵
Microwave Cooking: Super easy but mainly best used for only small quantities. Be aware that microwaving may lead to uneven cooking and hot spots in the food or liquids.⁶
Pressure Cooking: This technique may require additional kitchen equipment but retains much of the foods’ nutrients because this method uses very little water and is fairly quick.⁵
Grilling: Babies and small children can eat grilled foods. When grilling, aim for a low temperature and avoid burning or charring meats.⁷
Sautéing and stir-frying: Another fast and flavorful option!

*Note that the longer you cook a food for and the higher the temperature used in cooking, the more nutrients may be lost. ⁵

What foods should I cook for baby?

Fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats can all be cooked and pureed into baby food. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states there is no specific order that foods should be introduced.⁸

Some foods need to be avoided as they are choking hazards. Read more on Preventing Choking

Here’s how to prepare homemade foods for your baby:

Vegetables

Always cook vegetables before serving to your baby – steaming, roasting, or baking are the best methods. Once cooked, softer vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash need only be mashed with a fork or potato masher.

If the vegetable has a thick skin, like green beans or peas, push the cooked food through a strainer or sieve to remove the tougher parts. You can also just use a very powerful food processor or blender to puree the entire vegetable once cooked!

Try adding herbs such as oregano, rosemary, or dill; or spices such as cumin, ginger, or curry powder.

Try one of these vegetable puree recipes: Avocado and Pea Puree or Root Vegetable Puree

Fruits

Certain fruits, like avocados and bananas; or very ripe pears, mango, and peaches; require no cooking before feeding to your baby. Simply peel then mash them up with a fork or blend quickly.

Other harder fruits, like apples, firmer pears, and underripe nectarines and mangos can be baked or steamed to soften them up for a puree. Simply halve or quarter your fruit of choice, remove the skin, remove the core, pit, or seeds. Place the cut fruit in a shallow baking dish with about 1 inch of water in a 400F degree oven.

Bake for 20-40 minutes, or until fruit is tender, then allow to cool before pureeing in a blender or dicing for finger food.

You can even sprinkle the fruit with ginger, nutmeg, or cinnamon!

Fruit puree recipes to try: Orange Sunny Soup or Beet and Cantaloupe Puree

Grains and Cereals

You can make your own baby cereal at home using whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, or barley.

Finely grind the uncooked grain using a coffee grinder, food processor, or blender. Then cook the powder in water for 15 minutes until you get a thin, soupy consistency. You can also cook the raw grain whole, as you normally would for yourself, and then puree or mash. But this method can sometimes create a pasty consistency.

Try one of these homemade cereal recipes: Whole Ancient Grain Baby Cereal or Strawberry Quinoa Cereal

Meat

Yes, you can even puree meat for your baby using a food mill or blender. Cook the meat to well-done before pureeing (but avoid luncheon, cured, and smoked meats at this stage due to the high salt and additive content).⁹

Try one of these meat based baby food recipes: Avocado and Chopped Chicken or Ginger Carrot, Sweet Potato Mash and Lean Beef

If you have questions on how to make these recipes, or are looking for more ideas, reach out to our team of registered dietitian nutritionists and lactation consultants for free! They’re here to help on our free to live chat from Monday through Friday, from 8am–6pm (ET). Chat now!

Tips for preparing homemade baby food

Avoid adding salt or sugar to baby food

Our little one’s food preferences are formed early in life, so avoiding or severely limiting these strong added flavors before the age of one is important. In fact, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for American recommends no added sugar at all before the age of 2 years.¹²

Additionally, you want your baby to experience and get used to the true flavors of food so that they are more likely to accept them in the future!¹¹

For more on this topic, check out the following articles:

Introducing Solids – Signs of Readiness

Introducing Major Food Allergens to your Infant

Introducing Solids: Baby Led Weaning

How to Cook Homemade Baby Food

Image: Getty

Did you know cooking for your baby is just as easy as cooking for the whole family? There are many ways to heat and thaw homemade baby food. On this page we will tell you all about heating and thawing your homemade baby food cubes.

Cooking Baby Food – What are the best cooking methods for preparing homemade baby food?

When venturing into the world of baby food making, one of the most often asked questions is “How should I cook the foods that I will be making for my baby to maintain the most nutrients and flavor?”

There are several ways that you can cook foods for homemade baby food. This page will discuss the ways of cooking that are best for fruits, veggies and meats.

Cooking Fruits and Veggies for Homemade Baby Food

Baking/Roasting and Steaming are the preferred methods to use when cooking homemade baby food (and your food too!) with boiling in scant amounts of water being the second best method.

Foods such as sweet potato, white potato, carrots, parsnips and squash, peaches and pears are wonderfully flavorful when baked.

** Most pediatric sources recommend cooking fruits for babies who are under 8 months old. Bananas and avocado are an exception. For infants who start solids prior to 6 months old, cooking fruits is a good idea. Cooking fruits breaks them down thus enabling easier digestion in an immature tummy. An older baby will be better able to handle the fibers and sugars of raw fruits than will the baby who is younger and just starting on solids. There are many babies who do quite well with raw fruits from 6 months of age on so use your best judgement and consult your pediatrician about the need to cook fruits. Visit Baking Fruits for Baby for some tasty baked fruit recipes and ideas.

Cooking Meats for Homemade Baby Food

Baking is preferred as the most nutrients are retained. Typically, meat purees are best made with plain water as using the natural juices may make the taste too strong for baby; adding a fruit or veggie puree is a great way to introduce the flavor of meats.

Crock pot or Slow-Cooker to Cook Meat for Baby Food – Using a crock pot or a slow-cooker to make meats for baby is a wonderful way to make a multi food combination meal. You may toss any foods that you want into the crock pot with the meat.

One of our favorite things to do is to take 3 chicken breasts (diced), a few carrots (diced and peeled), a diced onion and some other veggies and toss the whole lot into the pot. Add 4 or 5 cups of water and seasonings of your choice. All you need to do is turn the crock pot or slow-cooker on low and within 6-8 hours you have a nice meal.

If you poach or use a crock-pot (cook meats in liquids) and then throw away the juices, you are tossing out some nutrients as well so be sure to try and add those back into the finished meal!

I have included information regarding cooking in the microwaving due to the fact that many parents prefer to cook their foods this way. I believe that baking and steaming are the best cooking methods for optimal nutrient retention; microwaving food should be a last option whenever possible.

Methods of Cooking for Baby Food

Below is an outline of the different methods of cooking food and how nutritional content is affected. It covers all forms of cooking.

Steaming – This is one of the most preferred methods of cooking. By this method, nutrient loss in minimal. Left over water may be used as stock and for pureeing.

The longer any type of food is exposed to high temperatures and immersed in water, the higher the nutrient loss. (Can you imagine the nutrient loss in commercial baby foods that are cooked at sky-high temperatures to help prolong shelf life?.) Steaming as a cooking method helps foods retain their levels of water soluble vitamins too. Vitamin C is an important water soluble vitamin that helps aid in the absorption of iron. Steaming allows the foods to be surrounded by steam rather than soaked in water.

Boiling and Stewing – The disadvantage; it leads to loss of nutrients (esp. water soluble vitamins (B&C) and minerals). Loss can be limited by using the needed amount of water for cooking/for required time. Left over water could be used as stock and for pureeing.

Baking or Roasting – Baking or Roasting is cooking by dry heat in the oven. The advantage – large quantities of food can be cooked and there is a limited loss of nutrients and the food is easily digestible.

Microwave Cooking – The disadvantages of microwave cooking are that food is cooked in small quantities and some foods may lose nutrients at a very high rate. The flavor and nutritive values of most vegetables are good in comparison with other methods.

You may use a microwave for cooking if you prefer – the main disadvantage to this is that large batches of foods typically cannot be made at one time; many people find that the use of a microwave is unhealthy and potentially dangerous.

The amount of nutrients that are “destroyed” by a microwave varies by the type of food that you are cooking. There are some foods whose nutrients are retained better when microwaved than when steamed or boiled for example. Broccoli is said to be one food that may lose a vast majority of its nutrients when microwaved, more so than any other vegetable. However the study done on broccoli and the microwave is being negated due to the faulty methodology used.

Pressure Cooking – Loss of nutrient is less in this method since only little water is used.

Frying – Do frying only if required. Shallow frying is much better than deep frying. Deep frying at high temperature can produce toxic chemicals such as peroxides, aldehydes, ketones, hydroperoxidases, cyclic monomeres etc. Preferably avoid reusing the fried oil. We prefer to “fry” in a small amount of olive oil – rather like sauteeing.

Grilling – In this method, if the food is burnt with coals and fire, it can cause carcinogenic effect. Babies and small children should not be served grilled foods constantly.

Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON PINTEREST

Baby puree at home: recipes

Baby puree from vegetables and fruits at home: cooking secrets

Vegetable and fruit puree often becomes the first meal of the baby after breast milk or formula, so many mothers prefer to cook it on their own. Although modern manufacturers convince us that baby food is devoid of preservatives and harmful additives, fresh vegetables and fruits are much healthier, especially when it comes to infant nutrition. Yes, and cooking baby puree at home is not so difficult.

Vegetables or fruits?

Let's try to make baby puree for our beloved baby. Despite the fact that pediatricians of the last century recommended starting complementary foods with fruits, it is better to first introduce the child to vegetables - modern doctors and nutritionists have come to this conclusion. Boiled vegetables do not irritate the gastrointestinal tract, are better absorbed, satisfy hunger, do not cause allergies and increased gas formation. In addition, vegetables do not contain fructose, which irritates the pancreas. And one more weighty argument in favor of the fact that it is better to start with vegetables - fruits are tastier, and if the baby tries them first, he will refuse vegetables, because they will seem to him more insipid.

How to prepare baby vegetable puree

What can baby puree be made of? The ideal puree for the first feeding is from cauliflower or zucchini. A little later, you can introduce pumpkin, broccoli, carrots, potatoes and green peas. Before cooking, vegetables are washed well, peeled, cut into pieces and cooked - steamed, in the oven or in the usual way, in water. The first two methods are preferable because oven roasting and steaming preserve the vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and natural color in the vegetables. And most importantly - such vegetables are much tastier. Some nutritionists recommend boiling vegetables with their skins on before peeling them, so choose your own cooking method.

If you do have to cook vegetables in a saucepan, use an enamel pot, add less water and put the vegetables in boiling water. Boil until soft, but do not overcook vegetables and fruits, otherwise they will become tasteless and lose a lot of vitamins. Ready vegetables are chopped with a blender until smooth and slightly diluted with water, vegetable broth, breast milk or mixture to a gruel state, since the child does not yet know how to digest thick food. Small pieces of vegetables in puree sometimes cause the baby to refuse to eat, so the knives in the blender should be well sharpened, and if there is no technique, you can grind the vegetables through a sieve. Salt and spices are usually not added to baby vegetable puree, and if the baby is more than 6 months old, you can put a little butter in the puree.

A few rules for making baby puree at home

Use only fresh vegetables and fruits.
Water for cooking vegetables must be filtered or bottled.
If you are using frozen foods, choose only whole fruits and vegetables as they retain the most nutrients.
All utensils for preparing baby food should be perfectly clean, so if the knife falls on the floor, it should be washed well. Also, the presence of pets in the kitchen during the cooking process is not allowed.
Avoid vegetables and fruits high in nitrates, such as spinach, lettuce, beets, melons, and watermelons, in infants' diets.
Store-bought vegetables are recommended to be soaked in water to remove nitrates: 1-2 hours for this, up to 24 hours for potatoes.
Mix sour-tasting fruits and berries with sweet fruits - for example, blackcurrant goes well with a banana or pear. Sour puree is unlikely to please the baby.
Give your child only fresh food, but yesterday's puree from the refrigerator is better to eat yourself.

DIY fruit puree for children

Children are more likely to eat fruit puree, because fruits are tastier and sweeter. Fruits contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fiber and antioxidants, so they are very useful for a growing body. However, fruits are strong allergens, especially berries, bananas, pomegranates and apricots, so they should be given with caution, watching the child's reaction. The most low-allergenic fruits are apples and pears, so it is better to start complementary foods with them, and then introduce all other fruits. First, the baby is fed with a one-component puree made from only one product, and then you can mix different vegetables and fruits, and not only among themselves. Very tasty combinations of fruits and vegetables, such as apples and zucchini, pumpkins and pears.

Fruits must be of good quality, without damage, ripe and juicy, and the rules for preparing fruits do not differ from the rules for cooking vegetables. Naturally, fruit puree is not sweetened with honey and sugar - the later the child learns the taste of sugar, the stronger his health will be.

Aromatic pumpkin puree

Babies love to eat pumpkin because of its pleasant sweet taste, besides pumpkin is very healthy. It contains a whole storehouse of various vitamins, including vitamin T, which normalizes the metabolism in the body. For pumpkin puree, small pumpkins are suitable, since large fruits are not as tasty and difficult to peel.

Cut the pumpkin in half, and then into small slices, one or two of which (depending on the appetite of the crumbs) cut into cubes. Boil the pumpkin in a double boiler or in water for 20 minutes, while warm, beat with a blender to a smooth puree and dilute if necessary with water or a mixture. Add oil and salt depending on the age of the child.

Gentle Broccoli Puree

One of my favorite homemade baby puree recipes is broccoli. This cabbage is extremely useful because it contains potassium, iron, calcium and other valuable substances. It has much more vitamin C than lemon, and the reason for its nutritional value is its high protein content.

Separate the broccoli into florets, wash thoroughly and steam for 20 minutes. Cabbage cooks faster in water - fresh broccoli will take 7 minutes, and frozen - about 15 minutes. Broccoli puree does not need much water, it should lightly coat the vegetables. After the cabbage becomes soft, chop it in a blender or pass through a sieve. If you're mashing for kids older than a year old, be sure to add butter - the little ones will gobble up broccoli on both cheeks!

How to make baby pear puree at home

Pear is a very delicate, tasty and healthy fruit that rarely causes intolerance. In addition to the high vitamin value, the pear has other beneficial properties - it facilitates digestion and removes toxins from the body.

For baby food, choose green pears to reduce the risk of allergies, which are rare among babies. Peel the fruits from the peel and core with seeds, and then stew the pear in a bowl with a thick bottom in a small amount of water for 15 minutes. Let the pear cool slightly and puree it in a blender with a little of the remaining pear broth. For large kids, fruits can not be boiled, but add half a teaspoon of natural honey to the puree.

Zucchini and apple puree

Little gourmets will love this delicious puree, besides, zucchini is considered the most hypoallergenic vegetables, which, due to their high potassium content, have a beneficial effect on the heart. Apples contain iodine, iron and phosphorus, and due to the high concentration of vitamin C, apples help in the prevention of colds and viral infections.

Wash the zucchini and apples well, de-seed them, cut into pieces and cook in a saucepan for about 20 minutes, considering that the zucchini will cook 5 minutes faster. By the way, apples are steamed for 15 minutes, zucchini - 10 minutes. Next, vegetables and fruits are chopped in a blender, mixed and brought to a boil. For allergic children, this is the best side dish!

Exotic mango

Sometimes you can pamper your baby with exotic fruits - for example, make mango puree. This is a very delicate fruit with an original taste, containing 12 amino acids and improving sleep.

Choose only ripe fruits that are soft and reddish-yellow in color. Peel the mango from a thick skin and a large bone, put the pulp in a blender, add 2 tbsp. l. water and mash it, and then heat it in a saucepan for several minutes. For a baby up to a year old, it is better to give mashed potatoes with heat treatment to facilitate digestion, and older children can be fed raw mangoes.

Carrot and Potato Puree

Make normal potato puree without oil. Peel the carrots, grate them and stew them with butter and vegetable broth - about 1 tsp is required for 200 g of carrots. butter and 150 g of broth. When the carrot becomes very soft, wipe it through a sieve, and then put it on a plate, put mashed potatoes on the second half. Let the child choose whether to mix two types of puree for him or eat separately!

Pumpkin and apple puree

This sweet, sugar-free pumpkin-apple puree, cooked in a double boiler, is suitable for children who are already accustomed to “adult” food and are able to perceive a new unusual dish. It is better to take a pumpkin with a gray or green skin and with bright pulp - such fruits contain more vitamins and other useful substances. Apples are green because they have fewer allergens.

Cut pumpkin and apple flesh without peel or seeds into pieces, place in a steamer and cook for 20 minutes. Grind pumpkin, apples and raisins in a blender or by hand with a pusher if the child has already learned to chew. They say that this puree is very good for skin and hair, and you can check the truth of this statement yourself if you start feeding this dish to your baby.

In autumn, you can take care of preparing vegetables for baby purees. Some vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots and apples, are stored fresh, and zucchini, broccoli, berries are frozen in small portions, because due to frequent freezing and thawing, vegetables lose vitamins and become tasteless. You can roll up fruit and vegetable puree in jars, but this snack should not be given to babies. Remember that the taste of vegetables determines whether the baby will love them in the future, so try to prepare an appetizing and tender puree - for health and good mood!

How and what to cook for children in a double boiler?

Breast milk is valuable for feeding babies from birth. If for some reason breastfeeding does not work out, then the children switch to artificial nutrition.

But all babies, without exception, closer to 6 months (babies later, artificial babies a little earlier), begin to taste almost adult food. At this time, the introduction of the first complementary foods is recommended. These are easy-to-digest, healthy dishes - vegetables, fruits, cereals, sour milk, meat, fish, boiled or steamed.

Modern mothers more and more often use convenient kitchen appliances - a double boiler to prepare first foods.

What is a steamer?

There are many models of electric steamers, but they all share the same design and function.

A steamer is a multi-level construction of bowls (baskets) stacked on top of each other. The lower container serves to fill with water and further steam generation in the structure. The upper basket (there can be from 1 to 3-4) has a perforated bottom, products are placed in it. If the double boiler has several containers, then several dishes can be cooked in it at the same time - the products are laid from the bottom up, depending on the cooking time. The top bowl has a lid.

Depending on the model of the steamer, the appliance may have additional functions:

a timer for delaying the start - it is convenient for mothers when by a certain time, for example, after a walk, there will be cooked food in the steamer;
hole for topping up water;
separate container for herbs and spices;
different cooking programs.

What are the health benefits of steamed food?

Steam cooking allows you to save the maximum amount of vitamins and biologically active substances in the products.

This cooking method:

uses a lower temperature than baking or frying;
part of water-soluble vitamins, minerals does not pass into the broth and is not destroyed, as during cooking;
Meals do not require the mandatory addition of vegetable or animal oils, so cooked foods are easily digestible and help prevent excess weight;
steam dishes do not contain carcinogenic substances that irritate the gastric mucosa, which are formed when the oil is heated to high temperatures, as during frying;
Steamed dishes have an optimal consistency. In addition, they retain the structure of dietary fiber and fiber, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the intestine, stimulation of its peristalsis and prevention of constipation;
this type of cooking allows you to preserve the natural appearance, taste and aroma of food as much as possible. It is steam dishes that contribute to the formation of proper eating behavior in the baby.

What to cook for a child in a steamer?

There are principles of proper nutrition during the introduction of the first complementary foods. This applies to the types of products, and portion sizes, and the time of administration. Here and here you can read some recommendations or ask your pediatrician for advice.

Below are some easy meals for babies as a first meal.

One-component vegetable purees. In the steamer you can easily cook vegetables for one-component puree - cauliflower, zucchini, pumpkin, zucchini. Beat already cooked vegetables in a blender, for a more liquid consistency, add a mixture diluted with water or even breast milk (especially important in the early stages of introducing complementary foods).

Multi-component vegetable purees. Various variations are possible, depending on what is available and what the child likes more - onions, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green peas, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, beets.

Meat dishes. You can steam young veal, rabbit, turkey, chicken breast and then grind. You can chop raw meat, form cutlets or meatballs and steam. You can add cereal flakes (rice, oatmeal, wheat, corn), chopped vegetables to minced meat and form steam cutlets combined in composition.

Fish. Easily and quickly prepared lean sea fish fillet, which is recommended by experts as the first complementary foods. As with meat, minced fish can also be formed into fish meatballs and steamed.

For older children, the range of dishes is limited only by the parental imagination and perception of a particular product.

In the steamer you can cook:

1. Vegetable casserole with cheese. For it you will need: any vegetables, cut into pieces, one egg, grated cheese (about 150 g) and salt. Everything is mixed, placed in a rice container, covered with foil and put in a double boiler for 30 minutes.

Learn more

Fall baby shower foods

Baby feed weaning

How many pellets do you feed a baby turtle

How much do i feed my baby when starting solids

Weaning baby from night feeds

Mama bird feeding baby

Pear sauce baby food

How many ounces to bottle feed a breastfed baby

What foods are constipating for babies

Can you reuse baby food pouches

Malupa baby food