Once your newborn reaches the age of four to six months old, you can begin feeding them solid food in the form of puree. But instead of going for commercially-packed baby food, why not make it yourself at home? Plus, homemade baby purees are much healthier, tastier, and more nutritious as there’s no processing involved. If you’re looking for ideas on what foods to combine (after you’ve introduced them individually), keep scrolling for quick and easy homemade baby food recipes that will excite your little one’s developing taste buds. There’s even a pumpkin puree recipe and purees involving meat!
Things You’ll Need To Make Baby Food Recipes And Purees
Before you start, ensure your kitchen is well-equipped with a few essential appliances and tools needed to make delicious and well-mashed purees, such as:
- A blender or food processor
- A knife and peeler for chopping and peeling ingredients
- Baby food containers for proper storage
- Water, formula milk, or breast milk to thin the puree
Best Baby Food Recipes For Newborns Aged 6 To 12 Months Old
Avocado Banana Puree
When it comes to babies’ first solid food, you can’t go wrong with bananas. After all, they’ve got the perfect texture for easy mashing, and the natural sweetness is great even for the pickiest of eaters. Avocados make a good complement, since they’re equally creamy but somewhat bland. Together, this baby food recipe is a delicious meal that will fill up your little one’s tummy while offering generous amounts of fibre, vitamins, and minerals to maintain a healthy weight.
Recipe Ingredients:
Carrot Potato Rice Puree
Another great ingredient to start off their solid food diet? Carrots. Not only are they good for your newborn’s eyesight and immune system, but they’re also rich in vitamin A that’s needed for healthy skin and hair. Meanwhile, rice makes a good pairing as it’s easy to digest and less likely to cause allergies. Potatoes, on the other hand, provide the important nutrients needed for your baby’s growth and brain development.
Recipe Ingredients:
Spinach Avocado Sweet Potato Puree
Want to add vegetables to your baby food recipes? Start with spinach and add other yummy ingredients to the mix! For instance, this powerful combo of superfoods blends avocado and sweet potato. The result is a sweet and creamy puree that’s rich in nutrients like iron, protein, omega 3 and 6, vitamins, fibre, and carbs.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1 cup of steamed sweet potatoes
- 1 medium Hass avocado
- 2 tbsp of hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp of warm water
Zucchini Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin purees are highly popular for their sweet and nutty flavour. To take things up a notch, follow this recipe which combines a small portion of steamed zucchini, potato, and pumpkin. It’s another baby food recipe that’s packed with vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, fibre, and more. All of which will help fortify your baby’s eyesight, growth, and immune system.
Recipe Ingredients:
Bell Pepper Chicken Puree
Rich in immune-boosting vitamins C, A, and E, sweet bell peppers (not the hot, spicy ones) are a popular choice for baby purees. What’s more, their antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds also help detoxify the liver. Make sure you go for the red, orange, or yellow variants, as they lean on the sweeter side. Add chicken for protein and potatoes for a creamy texture. After steaming them, puree everything in a blender or food processor.
Recipe Ingredients:
Green Peas Potato Puree
Don’t underestimate the humble green pea, as it’s an excellent source of vitamins C and E, as well as folate and fibre. These nutrients help improve eye, brain, and bone health in babies. And as far as puree food pairings go, green peas and potatoes make for a fail-proof combo. After cooking them in a pressure cooker, simply blend everything into a smooth paste and finish with a dash of butter for an extra creamy texture.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 small cup of cubed potatoes
- 2 tbsp of green peas
- ¼ tsp of cumin seeds
- ½ cup of water
- 1 tsp of butter
Broccoli Potato Puree
A good time to start introducing broccoli into your baby’s diet is between the eight- and 10-month mark. This is because it could cause gas and indigestion in infants who are too young. That said, it’s a nutritional powerhouse containing multivitamins and minerals like iron and zinc needed for babies’ optimal growth, especially for strong teeth and bones. Just remember that moderation is the key!
Recipe Ingredients:
- 10 florets of broccoli
- 1 small potato
- Water
Beetroot Hummus Puree
For a lovely pink-hued puree, you can use beetroot as the main ingredient in your homemade baby food recipes. Beets contain B-vitamins, folate, and plenty of minerals that also help babies better absorb iron—a mineral they tend to lack in their diet. For this recipe, you’ll need an oven and some aluminium foil to bake the beets before blending them with other ingredients. FYI, this puree also doubles up as a fun sandwich spread for the kids! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized beetroot
- 1 ¾ cups of cooked chickpeas / 1 can of chickpeas
- 3 tbsp of tahini
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of water
- 1 avocado for decor
- 1 tsp of minced fresh rosemary
Beef Combo Puree
Ready to add meat to your baby puree recipes? Here are two minced beef combo suggestions to consider. The first one combines the red meat with potatoes and broccoli, while the second option includes rice, carrots, and tomatoes. Both puree recipes offer rich protein and iron content that will support healthy growth in infants minus the excess weight gain. Fun fact: It’s easier to absorb iron from beef than from plants!
Recipe Ingredients:
- 50 grams of minced beef
- Option 1: ⅓ cup of diced potatoes + ¼ cup of chopped broccoli
- Option 2: 1 tbsp of rice + ¼ cup of carrots + 1 tbsp of tomatoes
- 1 tbsp of chopped leek
- 1 cup of water
These Quick & Easy Baby Food Recipes Are Great For Busy Parents
After introducing single-ingredient purees to your baby, you can start blending various foods together for a more nutrient-dense meal that will aid their growth and development. From pumpkin purees to avocado purees, we hope this list of homemade baby food recipes has inspired you in the kitchen! And since they don’t require too much time, even busy parents will be able to whip them up with the little spare time that they have.
Feeding your little one with ease also means having a well-supported baby high chair at the dining table. Find one worth investing in from our round-up of the best baby high chairs, including important features to look out for!
