Open wide!
Making baby food, made simple
By Marygrace Taylor
Whipping up fresh, wholesome food for your baby sounds great! That is,
when you’re pregnant and not yet faced with the reality of caring for an infant.
There are lots of good store-bought options, but one thing some overwhelmed new
parents forget: You don’t have to pick one or the other. Why not give the blender a
whirl some days? After all, DIY meals have a lot going for them: They’re super-fresh
and allow you to introduce your baby to a variety of tastes and textures that might
not be available premade (curried spinach or cinnamon sweet potato? Yum!). Plus,
they’re budget-friendly: “I can make several puree portions from a two-dollar, twopound bag of organic carrots, but the same amount of money would only buy me a
couple of jars at the grocery store,” says mom Heidi Lassila of Negaunee, Michigan.
Getting started
Homemade baby food doesn’t come with a label indicating stage 1, 2, or 3—but
determining your baby’s food stage doesn’t have to be difficult. The key? Start small
by offering tiny tastes. If he gobbles it up—wonderful! If not, that’s OK too. Just try
again later. “Your responsibility lies in what you offer your child, when you offer it,
and how you offer it—not whether or not he eats it. That’s up to him,” says Anni
Daulter, author of Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers. She
taught herself to make baby food when her son (now a teenager) was born. She
learned a lot along the way (like the fact that one sweet potato will make a whole lot
of baby food!). Here’s her advice on what to feed, and when:
6 to 7 months: Smooth purees Your baby is ready for solids once he’s able to sit up
independently and when he begins watching you closely while you eat or tries to
grab your food. Some yummy first choices with a sweet taste that appeal to babies:
fresh-pureed apples, pears, sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, or bananas. After your
baby’s comfortable with plain fruits and veggies, you can stir ground-up whole grain
cereal into the purees, too, for added substance and flavor. Older babies can eat
these simple purees, too, though they might prefer more flavor and texture.
8 to 12 months: Textured purees When your baby’s about 8 months old, introduce
textured foods by stirring easy-to-chew solids into your purees. Good options:
quinoa, small pasta shapes, or finely chopped dried fruits, followed by protein-rich
foods like beans or tofu (save meat for 10 or 11 months, as it’s a bit harder to
digest). Experiment by adding different herbs or spices—they’re perfectly fine for
early eaters, and can help to expand your baby’s palate. If he rejects a certain food?
It’s okay! It can take a baby up to 10 tries before he likes something new—and since
solid foods should serve as a supplement to breast milk or formula up until your
baby’s first birthday, he’s still getting the nutrition he needs. “Think of these early
meals as test runs,” Daulter says.
1 year and beyond: Chewable foods Once your baby completes her transition to
solids, you can cover most of her nutritional bases by serving a wide variety of
fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein-rich foods. “Choose from all colors of the
rainbow—think sweet potatoes, green beans, strawberries. That’ll ensure she’s
getting the various vitamins and minerals she needs,” Daulter says. Don’t worry, this
doesn’t mean keeping a daily color chart. Instead, look at your baby’s diet over the
course of several days or a week to see that she’s gotten one or two foods of various
hues.
Two nutrients that deserve special attention: iron, for bone strength, and
calcium, for brain development. Babies and toddlers ages 1 to 3 should get 10
milligrams of iron per day from fortified cereal, cooked beans, molasses, prunes,
spinach, sweet potatoes, or peas. On the calcium front: Help your toddler meet his
500 milligram daily requirement with dairy products, broccoli, kale, hummus, or
fortified soy milk.
Ready to give it a go?

For purees, most fruits or veggies should be baked or steamed until just soft
enough to blend (over-steaming can break down the nutritional value of the
food, says Daulter), but very soft foods like bananas or avocados can be
mashed raw.

Dried whole grains can be ground in a coffee grinder to create a smooth
cereal that can be cooked with water on the stove and stirred into fruit and
veggie purees.

Need to cut down on prep time? Steam extra veggies whenever you make
them for yourself, and set them aside for pureeing later.

Homemade baby food will last for 7 days in the refrigerator or 4 to 6 weeks
in the freezer. (Freeze purees in an ice cube tray for easy portions and
quicker thawing time.)
KIWI Picks
Homemade baby food just got even easier
These baby food makers do most of the work for you, meaning you’ll have
wholesome, inexpensive food ready in no time.
Baby Brezza Steamer and blender in one (from $100, babybrezza.com)
Dr. Brown’s Designed to Nourish System includes immersion blender, masher,
storage pods, and more ($40 for blender, accessories sold separately,
bestbottle.com)
Sage Spoonfuls Immersion blender, food processor, storage cups, and more (from
$100, sagespoonfuls.com)s
Baby Bullet Blender, steamer, storage cups, and more (from $100, babybullet.com)
Try these at home!
Want to give DIY baby food a shot? We’ve picked out two of our favorite recipes
from Daulter’s book for 8- to 12-month-old babies. This is the perfect time to try
some interesting combinations; not only is your baby ready for them, but chances
are you have a little more time to cook. Named for the babies who inspired them,
these meals are tot-tested and –approved.
Baby Tallulah’s Pear, Blueberry, and Raisin Blend
Babies of all ages love sweet pears and blueberries (it’s Daulter’s daughter’s favorite
combo!), but if you try this for babies younger than 8 months, omit the raisins—they
can pose a choking hazard.
2 large Bartlett pears (or Anjou or other green pear)
1 tablespoon raisins
½ cup fresh blueberries
1. Peel and core pears. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. Steam pears and raisins together for 10 minutes, or until pears are soft. Reserve
liquid from the steamer.
3. Combine pears, raisins, and blueberries in a food processor. Puree until raisins
are finely chopped. Add reserved liquid in 1/8-cup scant increments to achieve
desired consistency (smooth for little ones and a bit chunkier once they’re eating
textured foods).
Makes 2 servings
Per serving: calories 164, fat 1 g, protein 1 g, carbohydrates 42 g, dietary fiber 6 g
Baby Kit’s “Protein Plus” Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Tofu Blend
Plant proteins are easier to digest than meat, making them ideal for babies younger
than 10 or 11 months.
1 medium sweet potato or yam
1 ½ cups fresh spinach (about half a bunch)
¾ cup soft tofu
1. Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces. Steam for 20 minutes, or until
soft. Reserve the liquid from the steamer.
2. Add the sweet potato and 1 cup of the reserved liquid to a food processor. Puree
until smooth. Add additional liquid to achieve the desired consistency.
3. Wash the spinach and remove the stems. Wilt the leaves in the steamer for 7
minutes.
4. Add the spinach and tofu to the food processor. Puree until smooth, adding
additional reserved liquid to reach the desired consistency.
Makes 6 servings
Per serving: calories 38, fat 1 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrates 5 g, dietary fiber 1 g
[sidebar]
It’s okay to buy!
Homemade baby food doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. Whether
you’re pressed for time, traveling, or just feel like playing with your baby instead of
cooking, healthy store-bought options abound. Here’s what to look for while you
shop.
Wholesome ingredients The best store-bought baby foods are the ones made only
with ingredients you’d use at home—like fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein. Skip
baby foods with added sugar or modified food starch (both provide extra calories
without any added nutrition), as well as other artificial additives, colors, or
preservatives. When possible, opt for organic baby foods, which are free of synthetic
pesticides. We like Earth’s Best, Plum Organics, and Sprout.
Age-appropriate flavors and textures Just like homemade baby food, storebought options should match your baby’s level of experience with solids. Best for
babies just starting out, Stage 1 foods consist of single ingredient purees (like
carrots or pears) and come in very small portions; stage 2 foods offer a wider range
of flavors and ingredient combinations (like prunes and oatmeal or plums, banana,
and brown rice) in a larger size for more experienced eaters; stage 3 foods add
chunkier textures and bigger portions still (like chicken, beef, or pasta) that are best
for babies over a year old.
The right container It’s all about personal preference: Glass jars are heavier and
have the potential to break, but can be reused for everything from art projects to
votive candle holders to mini storage containers. Pouches are lighter and are
typically made from BPA-free plastic, so they won’t break if dropped and can be
tossed in the recycling bin once empty. Both jars and pouches have screw-top lids,
making it easy to save unfinished food for later.
KIWI Picks
Great options for healthy, store-bought baby food.
Earth’s Best Organic baby food (in jars and pouches) and whole grain cereal for all
feeding stages. (earthsbest.com)
Sprout Created by celebrity chef Tyler Florence, organic baby food in fun, flavorful
combinations. (sproutbabyfood.com)
Ella’s Kitchen Organic options in pouches, from first feeding to toddlerhood.
(ellaskitchen.com)
Gerber Organic SmartNourish The famous baby food company now offers an
organic line for its purees and cereals. (gerber.com)
NuturMe Freeze-dried organic baby food that’s easy to rehydrate with water, milk,
or breastmilk (nuturme.com)
HappyBaby Organic baby food in pouches or frozen cubes, plus DHA-enriched
cereal (happybabyfood.com)