Steam peaches for baby food

Peach Baby Puree (4+ Months - Stage 1)

by Michele Olivier on February 16, 2021 (updated Feb 9, 2022)

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5 stars (14 ratings)

This Peach Baby Food Puree recipe is so delicious that you will not want to share it with your baby! Smooth and creamy, this homemade baby puree delivers a rich taste featuring naturally sweetened peaches and flecks of vanilla bean. It’s great for 4 months and up as Stage 1 baby food.

Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Peach Baby Puree

Serve your baby the taste of summer with this homemade peach puree! 🍑

It’s a deliciously flavorful puree that is naturally sweet and full of essential nutrients for a growing baby.

If you want to be extra, you can add a pinch of fresh vanilla bean and nutmeg to turn it into a swoon-worthy baby puree that is so good and appetizing you may not want to share it with your baby. 😉

Is it your first time making homemade baby food? Then I suggest you start this journey by reading my in-depth Guide on how to Make Homemade Baby Food. The detailed guide goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, how to know when baby is ready for solids, how to introduce purees, the best first foods for baby, and more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes!

REASONS TO LOVE THIS PEACH Puree

baby food for 4 months and up
stage 1 baby food
easy to make
healthy – full of nutrients for a growing baby
delicious
homemade
freezer-friendly
smooth and creamy

Ingredients

Peaches: Peaches are the stars of the show! You can use either fresh or frozen peaches in this recipe. Since frozen peaches are easily available year-round, I tend to use those for this recipe.
Vanilla Beans and Nutmeg: If you want to get all fancy, you can use fresh vanilla beans in this recipe. But you can also add in a pinch of cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg for a tastier puree. I added a pinch of fresh vanilla bean and nutmeg into this puree because I was feeling it. I always like to add spices to my baby food purees, but you can omit them if you prefer.

BENEFITS OF Peaches FOR BABY

A good source of vitamin C and A, peaches are a great immune booster.
Contains powerful lutein, which helps with eye health
Have phosphorus, crucial for building healthy bones and teeth
A good source of potassium, an important electrolyte that helps regulate heartbeat
High in antioxidants that help reduce the risk of certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and high cholesterol

Want to learn more about the benefits of peaches for your baby? Then you can read the entire Peach Profile here.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Prep: If you’re using fresh peaches, roughly peel, pit, and chop them.
Cook: Place the peaches into a medium saucepan along with a little water, and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Transfer: Let it cool slightly. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a blender or food processor.
Vanilla Bean: Using the back of a knife or spoon, scrape out all vanilla beans from the vanilla pod. Add them to the peaches.
Blend: Turn on the blender and puree until smooth.
Eat: Serve or freeze for another meal.

WHEN CAN BABY EAT PEACHES?

Babies can have peaches as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here). Before you start your baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready.

HOW TO STORE PEACH PUREE

REFRIGERATOR

You can store the puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

FREEZER

This puree can be frozen for up to 4 months.

Spoon puree into a freezer storage container (this is my favorite freezer storage container). Do not overfill.
Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap, and label with the date and recipe name.
Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely — preferably overnight.
Pop-out the baby food cubes and place them in a ziplock baggie or stasher bag. Don’t forget to relabel the baggie or stager bag for future reference.

Need more information on how to store your baby foods? Head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!

Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name of the puree and the date you made it. Take it from me; by the end of the week, you will completely forget what is in your freezer and how long it’s been there… because you know… mommy brain. 😉

GREAT PEACH STAGE 2 PUREES

While Peach Baby Food is absolutely amazing and heavenly by itself, it’s also super easy to mix and match with other nutrient-dense baby food purees. For a Stage Two puree, give these fun flavor combos a try!

Apples
Carrots
Sweet Potato
Quinoa Baby Cereal
Chicken
Pear
Yogurt
Mango
Broccoli

Be a Foodie Role Model for Baby: This puree is great to eat alongside your baby right from the start. This peach puree is best served with yogurt for a yummy breakfast or snack for both you (I like to add some chopped nuts and granola to mine) and your baby.

Tips

Use a Slotted Spoon: When transferring peaches from the saucepan to the blender, make sure to use a slotted spoon so you don’t add too much water to the puree.
Organic: Peaches are on the EWG Dirty Dozen list, so I recommend using organic peaches if possible. The good news is that organic frozen peaches are generally less than a dollar more per recipe, making this option a little more budget-friendly.

Helpful Tools

Medium Saucepan
Blender or Food Processor
Freezer Tray
Storage Containers for Fridge
Dark Green Baby Spoon
Gray Bowl
Bamboo Baby Spoon
Reusable Pouches

Ingredients

Peaches
Vanilla Bean
Cloves

3 fresh peaches or 1-12 ounce bag frozen peaches, do not thaw frozen peaches – use frozen
1/4 cup of water
1/2 vanilla bean pod (optional)
pinch nutmeg (optional)

Prep: If using fresh peaches, peel and pit the peaches.
Cook: In a medium saucepan, add the peaches and water, cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes (fresh peaches) – 10 minutes (frozen peaches).
Vanilla Bean: Meanwhile, cut the vanilla bean pod in half and then slice open lengthwise. Take the back of your knife or spoon and scrape out all of the vanilla bean, reserve a big pinch.
Add Spices: right before the peaches are done cooking, add in the vanilla and nutmeg (or any other spices you prefer) and stir until incorporated. Cook for 1 more minute.
Transfer: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a blender or food processor, leaving all excess water in the saucepan. You do not want to add any additional liquids or the puree might be too thin.
Blend: starting on low and increasing to high speed, puree the peaches until smooth and creamy.
Eat: serve to baby or freeze for later.

Age: from 4-6 months and up

Yield: 12 ounces

Storage: Fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Adding Spices: you can also add in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie mix or allspice into this puree before blending.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @babyfoode on Instagram and hashtag it #babyfoode!

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5-Minute Peach Puree (With Freezing Tips)

Transform ripe peaches into perfectly smooth Peach Puree that babies, toddlers, and us grown ups will love. Plus: Tips for storing in the fridge and freezer and easy ideas for what to serve it with.

Peach Puree

At any time of the year, this Peach Puree is a great baby food that’s similar to applesauce, but which provides a different flavor experience. We love this as an early puree, but also as a food that everyone in the family enjoys stirred into yogurt and oatmeal.

It’s so easy to make in minutes using fresh or frozen fruit. And you don’t even have to peel the fruit.

TIP: You can make the small batch as directed here, or double or triple it to make enough to share with the family.

Ingredients You Need

To make this simple peach puree baby food, you just need peaches. You can use ripe fresh peaches or thawed frozen ones depending on the time of year and what you may have access to.

If using frozen fruit, thaw completely before you begin the recipe.

TIP: You can add a little cinnamon or ground ginger for additional flavor if you’d like.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a look at the easy process involved in making this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.

Add your peach slices to a blender.
Blend, adding a little water, breastmilk, or formula as needed to thin.
Strain out the skin pieces through a small strainer if desired. (I use one meant for tea.)
Serve or store for later.

TIP: The consistency of your blended peaches will depend on the water content in the fruit, so you may or may not need to add additional liquid.

Straining small pieces of skin is an optional step.

How to Serve Peach Puree to Babies and Toddlers

You can serve this stage 1 baby food to a 6 or 7 month old from a spoon as it’s a very smooth puree.

For older babies and toddlers, you can stir it into whole milk yogurt, oatmeal or Baby Rice Cereal to add more nutrition., or simply serve it like you would applesauce in a small bowl.

TIP: A typical serving for a 6-7 month old may be 1/2-1 frozen bean cube. An older baby may eat 1-2 cubes.

How to Store Baby Food

You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, place spoonfuls into an ice cube tray. Freeze for 4-6 hour or overnight. Transfer to a freezer storage bag, date and label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.

TIP: Find my full guide to baby food storage with tips and the best containers.

Best Tips for Success

To make this peach puree with fresh peaches, choose very soft ripe peaches. You do not need to peel the fruit.
To make this with frozen peaches, thaw peach slices before starting.
You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place spoonfuls into an ice cube tray. Freeze for 4-6 hour or overnight. Transfer to a freezer storage bag, date and label, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serve as is to babies or stir into plain whole milk yogurt or oatmeal.
A typical serving for a 6-7 month old may be 1/2-1 frozen bean cube. An older baby may eat 1-2 cubes.
You can combine this with Raspberry Puree, Banana Puree, whole milk yogurt, Baby Rice Cereal, Baby Oatmeal, or Carrot Puree.
You may also like making a bigger batch of Peach Sauce or Easy Stewed Peaches.
See more of my favorite baby food combinations here.

I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below to share!

This post was first published December 2019.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 10kcal

Servings 6 servings

▢ 1 cup peach slices
▢ 2 tablespoons-¼ cup water, as needed

Place the peaches into a blender.
Blend until smooth, adding a little water, formula, or breastmilk to thin.
Pour puree through a small strainer set over a bowl to strain out any pieces of skin if desired. (I usually skip this step, but you can do it if you want it 100% super smooth.)
Serve immediately or store.

Vitamix Blender
Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Reusable Pouch

To make this with fresh peaches, choose very soft ripe peaches.
To make this with frozen peaches, thaw peach slices before starting.
You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place spoonfuls into an ice cube tray. Freeze for 4-6 hour or overnight. Transfer to a freezer storage bag, date and label, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serve as is to babies or stir into plain whole milk yogurt or oatmeal.
A typical serving for a 6-7 month old may be 1/2-1 frozen bean cube. An older baby may eat 1-2 cubes.
You can make the small batch as directed here, or double or triple it to make enough to share with the family.
Use for older kiddos (or adults) to add flavor to oatmeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, pancakes, or vanilla ice cream.

Calories: 10kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Potassium: 49mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 84IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 1mg

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

simple recipes, for babies, without sterilization, without sugar, with apples

Contents

1 How to prepare peach puree for the winter
- 1.1 The easiest recipe for peach puree for the winter
- 1.2 Peache puree for winter
- 1.3 Winter peach puree without sterilization
- 1. 4 Winter peach puree without sugar
- 1.5 Winter peach puree without cooking
- 1.6 Winter peach puree with vanillin
- 1.7 Peach puree in a slow cooker for the winter
2 Peach puree for the winter for a child
- 2.1 At what age can peach puree be given to babies
- for babies
- 2.4 Peach puree for babies in the microwave
- 2.5 Puree for babies for the winter from peach with sterilization
3 How to store peach puree
4 Conclusion

No one can refute the fact that the most delicious preparations for the winter are those made by oneself. In this case, preparations can be made from any vegetables and fruits. Often, fruits are also chosen that are not as accessible as apples or pears. These fruits include peaches. Peach blanks can be used as a dessert for tea or used as a filling for various pastries. Often this fruit is also chosen for the preparation of baby food. There are many recipes for preparing peach puree for the winter. Many housewives prefer to use the classic cooking option, while others try to make such a delicacy as useful as possible by resorting to recipes without sugar or heat treatment.

How to prepare peach puree for the winter

Making peach puree for the winter at home is not a difficult task, if you follow a number of rules:

choose peaches when they are moderately ripe so that they are not too soft and do not show signs of damage ;
to prepare peach fruit puree, the skin must be peeled, especially if preparing for a child;
if this preparation is prepared as baby food, the addition of sugar should be avoided;
to preserve all the useful qualities of the fruit, it is best to resort to freezing the puree;
to prepare the blank by preservation, it is required to carefully sterilize the jars, and to close them tightly, use screw caps or those that are screwed with a key.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of fruits if you plan to prepare peach puree for children. In this case, only ripe fruits should be selected, but not too soft. The ripeness and quality of a given fruit can be determined by its aroma. The richer it is, the better the fruit.

Important! Damaged peaches, as well as those with dents from impacts, are best not used for harvesting baby food. Of course, spoiled places can be cut off, but it is not a fact that such a fetus will be without damage inside.

The easiest recipe for peach puree for the winter

There are many options for preparing fruit puree. The simplest is the recipe for peach puree for the winter with sugar. It is also considered a classic option, since sugar allows you to save this workpiece for a longer period.

Ingredients:

1 kg pitted peaches;
300 g sugar.

Preparation method.

Prepare the peaches. The fruits are thoroughly washed and the skin is removed from them. Cut in half and remove the bones.
Cut the peeled halves of the peaches into slices, transfer them to a container or a cooking pot. Then it is put on a small fire and boiled for 20-30 minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula.
Remove the saucepan from the heat when the contents are soft enough.
Cooked fruits are crushed with a blender. After that, 300 g of sugar is poured into the resulting mass, mixed thoroughly and put on the stove again. Stirring, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and leave to languish for another 20 minutes.
Prepared peach puree is poured warm into sterilized jars and hermetically sealed with a lid. Turn over and let cool. Then it can be sent to storage.

Tip! If there is no blender at hand, you can use a meat grinder or grind the pulp of the fruit through a sieve.

Peach and apple puree for the winter

Peaches are often combined with other fruits. Peach-apple puree for the winter is tasty and quite nutritious. The texture is soft and the taste is moderate.

Ingredients:

1 kg of peaches;
1 kg apples;
sugar - 600 g.

Method of preparation:

Fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled. You can simply cut off the skin from apples. And the skin is removed from peaches by lowering them into boiling water, and then into chilled water. Such a contrast procedure will allow you to quickly and without damage remove the skin from such delicate fruits.
After peeling, the fruit is cut in half. Apples cut out the middle, hard part with seeds. The pit is removed from the peaches.
Prepared fruit pulp is cut into small cubes and sprinkled with sugar. Leave them for 2 hours until the juice appears.
The pot of fruit is then placed on the gas stove. Stirring, bring to a boil. Remove the resulting foam, reduce the heat and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.
Fruit boiled with sugar is crushed with a blender and put back on the gas. Boil to the desired consistency (usually boil for no more than 20 minutes).
The finished mass is poured into pre-sterilized jars and tightly closed with a lid.

Tip! To make the puree not too sweet, it is advisable to use varieties of apples with sourness.

Applesauce with peaches for storage, for the winter should be placed in a cold and dark place, a cellar is ideal.

Peach puree for the winter without sterilization

If you don't have time to sterilize jars, you can resort to a very simple recipe for freezing peach puree for the winter.

In this recipe, peaches are taken in the desired amount, a little sugar can be added to taste.

When making puree for freezing, prepare the peaches first. They are washed and peeled.

Then cut the fruit into small pieces, removing the seeds along the way. The cut pieces are transferred to a deep container and crushed with a blender.

The finished mass is poured into containers, tightly closed and sent to the freezer. It is convenient to freeze peach puree in ice molds. It is also distributed in shape, covered with cling film (this is necessary so that the crushed fruit does not absorb foreign odors), then placed in the freezer.

Sugar-free peach puree for the winter

To puree this delicate fruit without the use of sugar, special care must be taken to sterilize the storage container. After all, the lack of sugar, if such a delicacy is not properly stored, can cause rapid spoilage.

There are many ways to sterilize jars, the simplest being oven sterilization.

While the jars are undergoing the sterilization process, prepare the puree itself.

To prepare 1.2-1.4 liters of puree you will need:

2 kg of peaches;
water - 120 ml.

Preparation:

Peaches are thoroughly washed and peeled.
First cut the fruit in half, remove the stones. Then the fruit is cut into pieces of arbitrary shape.
Transfer the cut pieces to a saucepan and add water.
Put the pan on the gas. Bring the contents to a boil, reduce the heat and boil for 15 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the fruit contents to cool, then use a blender to grind everything to a puree state.
The resulting mass is boiled again for 5 minutes after boiling.
The finished product is poured into sterilized jars and sealed.

Peach puree for the winter without cooking

Uncooked fruit puree can only be stored in the refrigerator. The main thing in the proper storage of such a workpiece without cooking, as in the previous version, is a well-sterilized container.

Ingredients:

1 kg ripe peaches;
800 g sugar.

Preparation:

Ripe fruits are washed, peeled and pitted.
The peeled pulp is cut into small pieces and ground until smooth.
The resulting puree is transferred to a container, layers alternately with sugar. Let stand without stirring for about 1 hour.
After one hour, mix the dessert thoroughly with a wooden spatula so that the sugar is completely dissolved.
Ready puree can be placed in pre-sterilized jars.

Peach puree for the winter with vanilla

Peach puree is quite a fragrant delicacy in itself, but you can add an even more appetizing and sweet smell to this dessert with the help of vanillin.

For 2.5 liters of puree you will need:

2.5 kg whole peaches;
1 kg of sugar;
100 ml water;
2 g citric acid;
1 g vanillin.

Preparation:

After washing the peaches well, peel them and remove the stones.
After cutting the pulp into small pieces, they are crushed to a puree state and transferred to a cooking container.
Gradually pour sugar into the resulting mass, mix thoroughly.
After adding water, put the container with the contents on the stove, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and, stirring, simmer for 20 minutes.
5 minutes before readiness, add citric acid and vanillin to the puree, mix thoroughly.
Arrange the finished dessert in sterilized jars and seal tightly.

Peach puree in a slow cooker for the winter

Since peach puree is most often used as baby food, the “Baby food” program is usually used to prepare it in a slow cooker. The recipe for peach puree in a slow cooker is very simple and includes the following ingredients:

peaches - 450-500 g;
glucose-fructose syrup - 3 ml;
water - 100 ml.

Preparation:

Peaches are washed, scalded and skinned. Cut into halves, remove the stone, and then rub the pulp on a grater (can be chopped with a blender).
Transfer the resulting mass into a multicooker bowl, pour water and glucose-fructose syrup. Mix thoroughly.
Close the lid and set the program "Baby food", the timer is set for 30 minutes. Start the program with the "Start/Heat" button.
At the end of the time, the finished puree is mixed and poured into sterilized jars. Close tightly.

Peach puree for the winter for a child

Today, although on the shelves of the store you can find various baby food ready-made, including vegetable and fruit purees, it is best to resort to self-preparation. Complementary foods made at home are guaranteed to be healthy, fresh and tasty.

At what age can peach puree be given to babies

Peach puree is ideal as a baby's first food. It should be introduced into the baby's diet no earlier than 6 months. The first time is best to limit yourself to 1 tsp, and then gradually increase the portion to 50 g per day.

Important! If the child's body is prone to an allergic reaction and the baby is breastfed, then such complementary foods should be postponed until a later age.

How to choose fruit for puree

The most important thing in making baby peach puree is the choice of fruit. You should not prepare complementary foods from fruits bought in the winter, they will have practically no useful substances. Whole fruits should also be selected, without signs of deformation.

If you plan to introduce complementary foods in the winter season, then it is better to prepare such a delicacy in the season when these fruits ripen.

What is the difference in the technology of preparing peach puree for babies

If peach puree is prepared for the winter as complementary food for babies. Then, in this case, it is not recommended to use sugar, so as not to cause diathesis in the child.

The correct heat treatment of the dish and the thorough sterilization of the storage container also play a significant role. It takes about 15 minutes for a child to cook fruit puree. And you should store such complementary foods for no more than 2 months.

For preparing peach puree for the winter, it is better for children to choose small jars (0.2-0.5 l). It is desirable to indicate the date of preparation on the lid.

The best and most reliable way to preserve all the nutrients in peach puree for a child is freezing. And this should be done in small portions.

Microwave Peach Puree for Baby

If you don't have enough peaches to prepare for the winter, you can resort to a quick recipe for microwave peach puree.

In this variant, only one fruit will be needed. Cut it in half, remove the pit and place cut side down on a plate. Place the plate of fruit in the microwave and set it to maximum power for about 2 minutes.

Remove the baked fruit from the microwave oven, remove the skin from it, cut into slices and grind with a blender. After cooling, the crushed fruit can be given to the child. If there is any leftover peach puree, you can transfer it to a clean container, close tightly and refrigerate. Keep no more than 2 days.

Winter peach puree for babies with sterilization

To make peach puree for a baby that can be stored for a long time, it is better to use the following option:

Take 6-8 ripe peaches, wash them thoroughly.
Scald and peel the fruit.
Cut the fruit into small pieces, removing the stones along the way.
Transfer the chopped peach pieces to a bowl.
Boil for 10 minutes. Grind with a blender and send to cook again for about 10 minutes, stirring thoroughly.
Transfer the puree to a clean jar.
Then put the jar with the contents into a saucepan (it is better to put a piece of cloth or a towel on the bottom of the saucepan so that the jar does not burst during boiling).
Fill it with hot water up to the neck, water must not get inside. Turn on the gas and bring to a boil, reduce and leave on low heat for 40 minutes.
After this time, the jar with the contents is removed, hermetically sealed with a lid, turned over and wrapped in a warm towel.
Leave as is until completely cooled.

How to properly store peach puree

Regular peach puree containing sugar can be stored for up to 8-10 months in a dark and cool place, cellar is ideal.

Peach puree without sugar is recommended to be stored for up to 3 months, provided that the jars are well sterilized and the product is heat treated.

Purees prepared without boiling should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. And when frozen, such a delicacy will be stored for up to 10 months, after which the product will gradually begin to lose all its useful qualities.

Conclusion

Peach puree for the winter is a very tasty preparation, both in the form of a dessert and as a baby food. The main thing is to follow all the rules for the preparation and sterilization of storage containers, then such a delicacy will delight you with its delicate and rich taste for as long as possible.

Baby food - preparing children with imagination

Do you want your child to eat right? Start with yourself, because a child's taste preferences are laid from childhood. And it is we who instill in children the norms of baby food for life. Let us ask ourselves, what are we preparing for children? Your baby will be happy to eat such healthy products, together with you at the same table. Are you saying it doesn't work? I do not believe!!! Everyone knows that appetite is caused not only by the taste of food, but also by its design. You need to learn how to make the dish interesting, the food should look attractive. Unfortunately, many people think that this is a very long time and do not want to waste their time on it. But it is possible when we0351 cooking for children is a quick and easy way to decorate and liven up a children's dish at the same time.

Get creative when you cook for your kids! And I hope my website will help you make baby food not only tasty and healthy, but also beautiful.

Cooking my favorite children's recipes for children

Baby food at different age periods. Let's form the basic principles.

baby food has its own specifics in different age periods. We all know that the most crucial period in a child's life is early childhood. If you start to disrupt baby food early, then diseases of the digestive system can quickly develop. Therefore, in order to avoid this, it is very important to organize correctly baby food . It is important to properly compose a children's diet, especially for young children. We need to pay a lot of attention to the choice of products from which we prepare children and cooking. Baby food must be built in accordance with the characteristics of the development of the child at each age.

Rapid growth occurs in early childhood, so the body needs a sufficiently large amount of energy and nutrients. But we know that all the organs and systems of the baby have not yet been completely formed, and all its physiological functions are also in the process of formation (for example, in babies under 6 months old, the digestive system is adapted only to mother's milk, and only in the most extreme case to an adapted milk formula ). The child grows, his production of digestive juices increases, and their activity also increases. Food is better digested and absorbed. Therefore, we are gradually starting to prepare the baby for liquid cereals, mashed potatoes, juices, and other products. Later, the child develops a chewing apparatus, he can already be given not only liquid and pureed food. He is already trying to chew more dense food himself, i.e. baby food baby gradually adapts to the "adult" type of food.

1. First, let's briefly describe baby food for children under one year old.

The basic principle of baby food up to a year is to cook everything right before feeding the baby.
For children from 6 months in baby food complementary foods are introduced - this is a dish that we offer the baby instead of one breastfeeding. The first complementary foods are also prepared at first liquid, later semi-liquid, and then made thicker. By the age of one, the child can already eat mashed potatoes of the usual consistency. The first food is vegetable puree. The second food is porridge.

Vegetable and fruit decoctions are introduced in parallel. It's pretty easy to cook them. It is important to choose good products - ripe and always without signs of spoilage vegetables and fruits. Then fruit puree and juices are added to baby food . They usually start with applesauce. Later you can use - pears, peaches, apricots, bananas, etc. Fruits for puree are also washed thoroughly and poured with boiling water, then crushed with a blender. You can also make fruit puree by scraping small portions of the pulp of a fruit, such as an apple, with a spoon.

Later, later types of complementary foods are introduced - meat purees, puree from the liver and other offal, fish puree (close to a year). They are first given to the child in a carefully wiped form - they are boiled until cooked and crushed well with a blender, adding vegetable broth, or breast milk. Later, the degree of grinding of products should be reduced. After a year, the child can already receive steam cutlets, soufflés, meatballs, puddings. Butter is added to milk porridge, and unrefined olive or sunflower oil is added to vegetable puree.
The next stage of baby food is egg yolk. Hard-boiled eggs, carefully separate the yolk from the protein. Then the yolk is placed in a clean (boiled) bowl and thoroughly rubbed with expressed breast milk or an adapted milk formula (if the child is bottle-fed) until a homogeneous homogeneous liquid mass is formed. Next, fermented milk products are introduced - kefir and cottage cheese.
2. Now let's briefly describe baby food for children from 1 to 2 years old.
Babies should continue to prepare pureed meals, but not as finely ground as they were before the age of one. Somewhere up to two years, until their chewing apparatus is sufficiently formed. The first courses can be prepared in the form of mashed soups, as well as ordinary vegetable soups (boiled vegetables from the soup can be well kneaded in a bowl with a fork). Second courses can be quite varied. Kids are already getting meat, poultry, fish in the form of meatballs, meatballs, casseroles, puddings. After a year, the child can receive not only the yolk, but also the protein. Already from eggs we cook for children after a year steam omelettes in a water bath.
The next principle of baby food - up to two years, we cook all the dishes for children for a couple.
After a year, milk porridges are no longer wiped, but only boiled well. Porridge is good to cook with fruits, vegetables and dried fruits. For example, apples, apricots, pumpkins, carrots, zucchini, dried apricots, prunes, raisins. To do this, fresh or stewed vegetables or fruits, cut into pieces or chopped on a grater, are added to the finished porridge. Boil everything together for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Puddings with various cereals, vegetables, cottage cheese, meat, fish, fruits are very useful for children of this age. All pudding products are rubbed and loosened, for which whipped egg whites are added to the finished mass immediately before heat treatment. Cooking pudding in a water bath.
It is very important in baby food of this age to widely include vegetables, as in boiled form they are used to make mashed potatoes, casseroles, puddings, vegetable stew. Use first pureed vegetables, and then finely chopped. So raw vegetables with delicate fiber and fairly well chopped are given to children from the age of one. Kids willingly eat vegetable salads from fresh vegetables seasoned with vegetable oil.
In baby food for children from one year old, you can start to include various sauces. With their help, you can diversify the menu. They give the dishes a pleasant taste, more juicy texture, improve appetite. With the help of sauces, you can cook dishes from the same products that differ from each other, both in appearance and in taste. Sauces can be very different - for meat, fish, vegetable dishes, dishes from cottage cheese, cereals, pasta. For children under two years old, they are prepared with milk, sour cream, fruit and vegetable broths, juices using flour and starch. Depending on the need, tomatoes, onions, garlic, various roots, lemon juice, etc. are added to sauces. Fructose and vanillin are added to milk sauces. Sweet sauces and gravies are prepared in the same way as kissels.
3. Now let's briefly describe baby food for children from 2 to 3 years old.
At this age, it is no longer necessary to boil and steam everything. We are already preparing the children like this: bake everything in the oven, and closer to three years you can fry, but without breading, that is, not in flour and breadcrumbs.
Cutlets and meatballs are prepared from viscous cereals and various boiled vegetables. To do this, finely chopped vegetables need to be combined with a raw egg, mix thoroughly, form cutlets or meatballs and bake them in the oven, you can fry on both sides before baking. Raw vegetables can already be grated on a coarse grater and seasoned with vegetable oil. You can also expand their assortment: include finely grated radish, turnip, cabbage, radish, sweet pepper, etc.
Now a variety of casseroles, puddings can no longer be steamed, but baked in the oven.
In limited quantities, legumes can be given, which go well with fresh herbs. They are very good in pureed soups. From legumes in combination with potatoes, you can cook various casseroles, meatballs, cutlets.
In baby food this age can already include pastries made from shortcrust, biscuit and yeast dough. To prepare the dough, the flour must be sifted to remove random impurities and enrich the flour with oxygen. It is better to add fructose to the dough instead of sugar. Butter is also used for the dough (margarine is not used for up to 3 years). To loosen the dough, quenched soda or yeast is added. Yeast dough is prepared by non-dough and sourdough methods. Prepared products (both from sponge and non-dough dough) are put for some time (15-20 minutes) in a warm place so that they rise, so that they become lush and light.
4. Now let's briefly describe baby food for children from 3 years of age and older.
For children aged 3 to 4-5 years, many dishes still need to be prepared according to the technology adopted for young children, but their menu, of course, already includes fried dishes, you can already bread in flour and breadcrumbs.