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Baby Food Recipes Your Toddler Will Love
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Brought to you by Heinz Infant
Having a toddler and a baby can often mean trying to cook two different meals for the kids, as well as something for you and your partner and in my case remembering to feed the dogs as well. My girls were less than 2 years apart so there were days when things were crazy!
While I had every intention of making my own baby food, the reality is that life is super busy and that is just not always possible. We were always out and about, and I was (and still am) grateful for the convenience of being able to buy baby food that is nutritious when needed.
I’m quite passionate about not feeding kids junk food and am an avid label reader. It’s great to see that the baby food companies like Heinz are jumping on board and providing quality, nutritious, food that is full of only the ‘good stuff’. They are also ticking all of the boxes by using Australian fruit where possible, Aussie meat, and producing their pouch, jar and canned baby food in Australia.
We’ve been trying out the Heinz range of baby food and it’s great to know that it’s full of only the ‘good stuff’, with nothing artificial added.
How to save time (and your sanity) when feeding a baby and a toddler
One of the ways that I was able to save time was to sometimes feed my toddler the same food as my baby. It made making the toddler food so much easier. It also solved a small part of the jealousy problem that was occurring in my 2 year old, as she wanted to do everything the baby was doing.
Finding food that they could both eat was definitely a big time saver.
Here’s a few of the tips I discovered, and the baby foods that they both loved eating.
Turn the pureed baby food into ice blocks
When you have a baby starting solids it feels like you spend a LOT of time pureeing foods. I found it easier to make big batches and freeze them, and if I was making fruit purees, I would turn half of them into ice blocks that my toddler could enjoy as a healthy treat. These were also excellent for teething. To make the ice blocks I would simply mix half of the pureed fruit with equal amounts of water and freeze in ice block moulds. You can buy these from most department or discount stores.
Sweet Potato – so many ways!
They say that sweet potato is a super food and I would have to agree. Both of my girls loved this when they were babies (still do). This is such an easy food to share with the whole family with very little alteration.
Mashed sweet potato was a hit with the baby, a great side dish for my toddler, and with a few herbs & spices also formed part of our evening dinner too.
Avocado
Avocado is one of the healthiest foods you can feed your baby, and it’s a great snack for a toddler too. They can eat it plain, or on crackers or as a dip with steamed carrots or rice crackers.
Heinz Fruit Pouches
While I try my best to feed my toddler fresh fruit, sometimes the quantity that they eat is really limited. Have you ever seen a toddler eat an apple? It takes them half an hour and they eat about 1/20th of the actual apple! I try to keep a few of the Heinz fruit pouches in my bag (the apple strawberry and passionfruit is our favourite) all of the time, as they are a great fruit snack when we’re on the go, and babies and toddlers can snack on them.
In fact I used to give my toddler the left overs of the baby’s one, as she would always leave a little bit in the bottom! The fact that they are made from fruit, means they are ticking all of the healthy boxes, and I loved that they didn’t have to be kept refrigerated (until they were opened). Great for an emergency snack.
Half eaten baby food - mix it with pasta!
I’m sure that there’s a baby handbook that says “Thou shall not eat the full jar of food … ever!” Don’t put the half eaten jars in the fridge (you’re guaranteed to forge t about them) instead mix them with some pasta, add a bit of cheese on top and you’ve got your toddler’s dinner sorted. Easy! The Heinz Pumpkin , Potato and Beef was always a hit.
Do you have any time saving tips for feeding a baby and a toddler? If you would like to find out more about the Heinz baby food range, all full of the “good stuff” you can visit their website to see a full range of their products http://www.
heinzforbaby.com.au.
8 Easy Instant Pot Baby Food Recipes
Feeding your baby healthy meals has never been easier. Learn how to use a pressure cooker to turn fruits and veggies into nutritious Instant Pot baby food.
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ApplesauceMost babies love apples. And this recipe only contains apples and water (AKA no added sugar!), so it’s safe and healthy for baby to eat. To make, wash and roughly chop six organic apples with the skin on, discarding the core. Add apples and 1/3 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Choose the manual high setting for 6 minutes. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, let the pressure release naturally. Puree the cooked apples with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender.
Psst! Get more tips on making baby food here.
Don’t already have an Instant Pot? Our Test Kitchen recommends the Instant Pot DUO 6-Quart Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker ($100) for its size and versatility. Find out which Instant Pot is right for you with our handy buying guide.
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Carrot MashWhen it’s time to start feeding your baby solid foods, carrots are a great choice. They’re full of vitamins and are easy for baby to digest. To make a quick batch in your Instant Pot, peel a pound of carrots and cut them into thirds so they fit in the pressure cooker. Stack the carrots on top of the Instant Pot trivet and add 1 cup of water. Cook on high for 4 minutes. Perform a manual release of the pressure, drain and puree until smooth with a blender. Yum!
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Zucchini PureeHave a bumper crop of zucchini in the garden? It’s a perfect snack for baby! Start by cutting four to six zucchini into cubes and placing them on top of the Instant Pot trivet or a steamer basket.
($14) Then, add 1 cup of water and close and lock the lid. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Perform a manual release of the pressure, drain and puree until smooth with a blender.
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Sweet Potato Quinoa MashThis fiber-rich recipe combines sweet potatoes (one of our fave stage-1 baby foods) and quinoa for a delicious baby-approved meal. Add to the Instant Pot: 1 cup diced sweet potato, 1/2 cup quinoa and 1/2 cup of water. Lock lid and cook on high for 3 minutes. Perform a manual release of pressure and puree in a blender.
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Green Bean PureeStudies show introducing your baby to a variety of fruits and vegetables will lead to healthier eating habits as they get older. So don’t shy away from those greens! To make green beans in the Instant Pot, trim two pounds of beans and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
Kitchen shears work great for this. Add 2/3 cup of water. Lock the lid and cook on high for 3 minutes. Perform a manual release of pressure and puree in a blender. P.S. If baby is a picky eater, read up on our tips for introducing your little one to solid food.
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Banana Pear PureeMix and match your baby’s favorite flavors in one tasty dish. Start by coring and chopping two pears. Then, add pears and 1/2 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Lock lid and cook on high for 5 minutes. When cooking is done, manually release the steam. Remove pears from the water and add to the blender with a banana. Puree until smooth, adding a little of the reserved pear water to reach your desired consistency. This is the easiest way to ripen bananas quick.
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Broccoli and Pea MashBaby will get plenty of fiber and vitamins from this quick recipe.
Add two cups of broccoli florets and two cups of peas to the Instant Pot with 1/2 cup of water. Lock lid and cook on high for 8 minutes. Manually release the pressure and drain excess liquid into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the vegetables and blend with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth, adding reserved liquid as needed. If you’d rather buy baby food, these are our favorite brands.
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Blueberry PureeDid you know blueberries are a baby superfood? They are rich in nutrients such as magnesium and zinc, plus vitamins A, E, K and B-complex. Prep berries for baby by adding 1 cup of fresh blueberries and 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Lock the lid and cook on high for 4 minutes. Manually release the pressure and remove the blueberries. Blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid if needed. Don’t accidentally make one of these 5 common mistakes with your Instant Pot.
Note: Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Originally Published: June 14, 2019
Erica Young
Erica is a cleaning and home décor expert. She knows exactly how to tidy a filthy kitchen and straighten out a mixed-up pantry! When she's not writing you'll find her organizing a closet, buying more bins she doesn't need or bingeing her latest TV show obsession.
5 Nutritious Baby Food Recipes Every Parent Should Try
We include foods that we find helpful for our readers. If you buy from links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here is our process.
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Spring has finally come. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful at the local farmers' market. While it's easy to grab all the great foods on your first trip of the season, food waste can be a real problem.
Luckily, your leftover fruits and vegetables shouldn't fall off. Why not share your love of spring foods with your little one by making nutritious baby food at the farmer's market? it's the more nutritious of the many store-bought items, and it's a lot easier to make than you think!
“By making your own baby food, you can use fresh, healthy, natural ingredients and introduce your child to a wide range of healthy, delicious foods from an early age,” explains Dr. Sonali Ruder, author of Natural Baby Food. “Also, homemade baby food tastes better than store-bought baby food. It's more versatile and economical!"
Making baby food with fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables from your farmer's market not only ensures you're giving your baby the most nutritious and nutritious ingredients, it also means you know exactly what you're feeding him. You have control that there are no added ingredients such as salt, sugar, or preservatives. Here's another flavor: You don't have to process homemade baby food at high temperatures to keep it stable on the shelves so you don't lose any of those valuable nutrients.
And if you're wondering if you have time to add another task to your growing list, consider this: You can make homemade baby food while you're cooking your weekly meals.
Katherine Doherty, health and nutrition blogger at Family Meals on the Table, says for those who feel intimidated, “You don't have to be a great cook or buy fancy equipment to make baby food yourself. Just start with the basics and basics and you'll see how easy it is!"
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How to start making complete homemade baby food
Before you start, here's a quick tutorial on preparing the product.
Wash fruits and vegetables well. This is a quick step and is especially important when preparing baby food. Thorough washing ensures that all pesticides and/or dirt are removed. The excellent condition of agricultural products is that they are fresh, which means that you need to be careful with cleaning them! Peel once, peel if necessary (e.g. with apples or mangoes).
Cook or sauté foods until they are soft.
This will make the puree lighter while retaining all the nutrients. Cooking is not recommended as some of the ingredients will come out with the cooking water. You can skip this step if you have soft, ripe fruits like bananas or berries.
Send everything to the oven or blender. This is the fun part! You can also use an immersion blender to puree. Divide into individual BPA-free containers and store in the refrigerator for three days or in the freezer for several months. If you decide to freeze homemade baby food, be sure to store it in airtight BPA-free containers to prevent the freezer from burning out and avoid harmful chemicals.
How easy is it? In the beginning, you can start with simple one-ingredient foods like peas or carrots. If you want to experiment with other foods, you can jump right into these five easy homemade baby food recipes using delicious ingredients from your farmer's market!
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1. Puree made of green beans and avocado
End End: 15 minutes
Portion: 1 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup green beans, washed and cut
1 small avocados 1 small avocados 1 , peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons water
Extra: 1 garlic clove
Instructions:
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2. Strawberry-breast puree
End End: 10 minutes
Portion: 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 cup of strawberries, purified
1 small pear, cleaned and chopped
Instructions: Instructions: Instructions:
Remove from heat and let the pear cool. Share on Pinterest
3. Green Pea and Asparagus Puree
Start End: 15 minutes
Portion: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup green peas 3 9002
0002 2-3 tablespoons of waterInstructions:
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4. Mango, carrots and sweet potatoes
End End: 1 hour
Portion: 3 cups
Ingredients:
1 Little sweet potatoes
1 cup of carrot
1 cup mango, peeled
1/4 cup water
Instructions:
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5. Banana, kiwi and banana puree
Start end: 10 minutes
Serve: 1 cup
Ingredients:
peeled
2 kiwis, peeled
Instructions:
The fun of shopping at a farmer's market is the endless possibilities of what you can create with your vehicle. If you've taken care of food waste in the past, you can rest easy knowing that you're not only making the most of the product, but also feeding your baby the best he or she can eat. And if you need another reason, keep in mind that making your own baby food (even a few meals a week) is environmentally friendly and supports local businesses. Everyone wins! If you're worried about whether certain foods are safe for your baby, it's best to leave them until you're sure.
Play with ingredients. If you know your child loves apples but doesn't like pears, change the recipe! Accordingly, always ask your doctor if you are not sure at what age you can safely eat solid foods and new foods. If your baby shows signs of intolerance or an allergic reaction, you should immediately consult a doctor.
I'd love to know what fun recipes you make at home. What are your favorite finds in the baby food market?
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Kaylee is a Registered Dietitian, Live Table food blogger, writer and recipe developer with a passion for making healthy living fun and accessible to everyone. He believes in a non-dietary approach to healthy eating and is committed to helping clients develop a positive relationship with food. When not in the kitchen, Kaylee can be found hanging out with his wife and three British spaniels.
Live a century: Volgograd parents learned how to cook dishes from the kindergarten menu
Volgograd girls now have the opportunity to learn how to cook like cooks in kindergarten.
Public organization "PSPiON" with the support of the Department of Education of the Volgograd Administration launched a series of master classes for mothers of children attending kindergarten.
Last week, the first such master class took place in the popular urban space of the Krasnooktyabrsky district of Volgograd. Kindergarten cooking lessons were taught by chefs from catering operators Vivo Market LLC and Venera LLC.
Photo: Vivo Market LLCIn his welcoming speech, Roman Kovalev, Executive Director of Vivo Market LLC, noted that the children's menu still contains dishes not very popular with children. But he expressed confidence that children can get used to them if mothers start cooking them at home.
– Therefore, today we offer to learn how to cook “controversial” dishes from the kindergarten menu, then try them and make sure that it is not only healthy, but also very tasty. And then continue to apply the acquired new skills already at home, - said Mr.
Kovalev.
At the first master class, 20 mothers from Traktorozavodsky and Krasnooktyabrsky districts of Volgograd, under the guidance of pros from food operators, were prepared strictly according to technological maps.
The women divided into two teams, each of which had to prepare their own set of dishes. Moms from the Krasnooktyabrsky district, who called themselves "Vkusnyashki", mastered the skill of creating cottage cheese casseroles with carrots with milk sauce, potato casseroles with meat, Ryabushka sicheniki with tomato and sour cream sauce.
Photo: Vivo Market LLCThe second team of moms from the Traktorozavodsky district called "Pepperchinki" prepared fish soufflé, vegetable stew, lazy cabbage rolls and cottage cheese pudding with milk sauce.
– I would like to thank the organizers of the event. We learned how they cook in the gardens and tasted all the dishes - it was very tasty. And now I will try to cook the same dishes for my child at home, - Olga Yambikova, mother of a pupil of preschool educational institution No.
273, shared her impressions.
By the way, the parents not only learned how their children are cooked in the gardens, but also got to know the chefs who feed the kids every day.
“Today I was convinced that the cooks in the garden are people with golden hands who cook with care and love for children,” said Irina Kovaleva, a representative of the parent committee.
Photo: Vivo Market LLCRepresentatives of the organizing committee and the participants themselves evaluated the prepared dishes according to all the rules of tasting, checking the dishes for taste, color, smell, texture and compliance with technical and technological maps. The participants also expressed their suggestions for changing the recipes of some dishes. They will be studied by food operator technologists.
– These workshops will allow us to diversify the home diet of kids with dishes from kindergartens. At the master class, parents got acquainted with the menu, learned all the intricacies of preparing these dishes, and now we hope that the parents of preschoolers will become our assistants in compiling a home menu according to the rules of social nutrition, - Alla Porkhun, Deputy Head of Public Relations of the PSPS, summed up the event.
