Recpie Ideas

www.wholesomebabyfood.com has saved my life a couple of times. They have great receipes by age/stage and great food ideas and combinations. You can plan a menu for the week, it's great. I hope you like it too!

A few ideas: Pureed cauliflower (this is actually really good- the consistency is a little smoother than mashed potatoes). Basically prepare exactly like mashed potatoes- boil cauliflower until done, drain, and blend with heavy cream, butter, and salt and pepper. My 14 month old and 4 year old LOVE this. Does your baby like eggs? I will cook an omelet with tomatoes, zuchinni, whatever really. Also, I have luck putting diced carrots and peas in pasta. Good luck!

does your little one want to eat finger foods...or is he still willing to eat from a spoon when you feed him?
I made my own baby food for all three of my girls, save up some baby food jars if possible because you will want to make this ahead and freeze it.
The basic idea is this....
Get a small roast with as little fat on it as possible, prepare it in just enough water to cover it, in the oven, as you would a roast for your family (minus the seasonings of course!!)
After it is cooked, cut it into pieces and blend it in the blender...you can get it to whatever consistency you feel like will be most appealing to the little one. Use the water it was cooked in to thin it as you go. Add the freshly cooked vegetables ( If you get the canned ones try for "no salt added" and blend them all up. You can freeze them in baby food jars, or I suppose you could freeze them in ice cube trays and then transfer them to a container after they are solid. Thaw in the microwave (careful of the temperature before you feed him!!!) and he should just gobble it down. SO much tastier than the jarred stuff from the store!!
If you want any more info on how I did it, feel free to message me.
Good luck!!
R. Ann

My little guy gave up baby food quite young also. What I do is give him lots of variety and I dice up everything into very small bite size pieces. He even likes things like cucumber, mango, squash, peas etc. I think the key is variety and small pieces so that he can pick it up for himself. Good luck and have fun trying new things!

I make my own baby food. It's so easy! Do you have a food processor? Try making apples, for example. They're sweet and kids love them. You peel them and cut them in chunks. Microwave covered for three minutes or until soft. Then puree. Six apples make about two ice cube trays, so you freeze the trays for future servings.

I have several books that I follow for suggestions. Feel free to email me if you have more questions! :-) drewalter(at)gmail(dot)com

There are tons of options. My daughter absolutely LOVES avocado and you don't have to cook that at all. Baby-guac is delicious... mash avocados and bananas together. I eat it as a snack. Can't get enough zucchini. I cut it in little cubes and saute it with a little bit of olive oil. She eats it in a flash. Sweet potatoes are really easy. I just cook them in the microwave, sprinkle on a tiny bit of cinnamon and mash them up (I always leave a little small chunks). Applesauce is so easy. Cut the apples in cubes, add a tiny amount of water, cook in the microwave for a few seconds and a little bit of cinnamon and mash. Pears are super, super easy, cut 'em up and mash 'em... no cooking.

So many options. Just have fun!

Avacados!!! They are the best, so healthful, babies and kids love them, and super easy for you. Just slice open and scoop it out with the baby spoon, or let them pick up the pieces with their fingers... they will love them. Organic have the best taste, of course, but Costco's 5 in a bag are the best price.

You had a lot of good responses. The baby food book I really liked was the Super Baby Food book. It tells how to prepare various fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. The book gets into when to introduce certain foods based upon common allergies. My son ate foods that I never would have thought about introducing. I think with small kids it is all about introducing, reintroducing, and introducing again. It is all about exposure. Of course it doesn't hurt to be willing to try new things yourself.

Good luck.

My son really liked to pick things up with his fingers and try to work a spoon by himself. I didn't mash as much as just make sure that things were soft when I gave them to him. Some of his favorites are below.

Vegetables (mostly just cubed after they are cooked): baked sweet potato, baked potato, steamed carrot, steamed broccoli (just the tops), salsa mixed with yogurt, chicken wild rice soup (strained to be really thick), veggies pulled out of soups and stews, pumpkin puree added to pancake batter, black olives (not my choice... he saw them on my plate and wouldn't rest until he tried them... loved them!!! we had to ask for more at the restaurant!)

Fruits (cubed): grapes, strawberries, canned mandarin oranges, canned tropical fruits, steamed apple cubes, banana, peaches (canned or fresh), pears (canned or fresh), cherries

I made all of my daughter's baby food from scratch - and this website helped me IMMENSLEY!! It has great ideas for preparing food for babies up through toddlers. I hope it helps you as much as it did me! There are recipes as well as tips.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

D.
(I am a stay at home mom of a 18 month old)