Making my baby's food from scratch was a labor of love and I loved every minute of it. It never felt like a chore because it wasn't time consuming. It gave me some solace outside of holding my baby to do some homemaking instead.
It was actually easy and I didn't need special equipment, all I needed was knowledge about different foods and vitamins.
So I went through a juicing phase in high school and again in early adulthood. After getting too much vitamin A from juicing I lost a patch of hair on my head! Who knew that was a thing, right??
Vitamin balance is very important. There is such thing as too much of a good thing. Babies need a healthy balance of vitamins, calcium, proteins and other things found in good food.
Here are some easy food combinations and the facts about them so you can really feel good about what goes into your baby's belly.
First off on being easy, I used my own Ninja blender. A food processor is fine too. I skinned and boiled things like sweet potato and apple in a regular pot of water or steamed them with a strainer added. There's little baby food steamers and blenders, if that's easier go for it. They are compact so I can see the ease there, but I just never got around to getting one.
What I did use was glass baby food jars. I wanted to be able to freeze and reheat them. They're made sturdy of thick glass, only one broke. They're well worth the buy. I'll even use them again and again since I've become accustomed to homemade apple sauce for my toddler.
As a prerequisite, wash all the fruits & vegetables and skin all tough skins/ remove hard seeds before boiling.
Now for the recipes!
Sweet Potato, Apple and Spinach
Sweet potato is rich in vitamin A, fiber, potassium, B6 and Niacin.
For this reason, I don't pair it with carrot since it's also high in vitamin A.
Apple gives water & sweetness, although babies love sweet potato by itself because it's also lightly sweet. It also has Cyanidin and Epicatechin which are antioxidants.
Spinach offers vitamin K and Betaine.
Spinach will make the blend gritty if there's too much, so only 1/8 cup of raw spinach with 1 cup of raw apple & 1 cup of raw sweet potato is enough for its benefits.
Carrot, Banana and Pineapple
Carrot is what I call "vegetable sweet". It has some bitterness, but when blended tastes sugary.
It's high in vitamin A, we all know that. It also has a notable amount of many other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Here's what it gives to your little one (and you); Lutein an antioxidant, Vitamins K, B6, C and E, magnese, potassium, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, copper and folate.
I know right?! Of all these minerals it gives 3%-4% of each for an adult PER CARROT, so even more for your baby.
Banana goes with most things, I love it. They have fiber and vitamin B6. B6 helps the body better absorb many of the minerals in carrots.
Pineapple gives a good amount of water. It's excellent for vitamin C and magnese. It also has a small percentage of B6.
pineapple goes really well with the other two ingredients, just a few pieces will give the blend a tropical twist!
Blueberry, Raspberry and Banana
When we think of berries we think, "They have lots of antioxidants", but do you know what they are and what they do? Feel good about giving them to your baby, toddlers, kids and to yourself after reading this!
Blueberries have Cyanidin, Delphinidin, Peonidin- all fight cancers and provide UV protection.
Catechin, Malvidin- anti-inflammatory (aka immune boosters).
Raspberries have different antioxidants. Starting with vitamins C and E, then;
Selenium- anti-inflammatory
Lutein & Lycopene- protect against free radicals (aka disease causing "rogue" cell molecules).
Beta Carotene- essentially vitamin A. Converts in the body to retinol (anti aging for mom).
Zeaxanthin- eye tissue support, along with Lutein.
Banana (see in above recipe) fiber and B6. Also has Delphinidin for UV protection and antioxidant, Catechin and Potassium.
Sneak some parsnips into this recipe for more substance and to mellow the sweetness.
Mango, Banana, Blueberry and Carrot
Banana & Blueberry see above.
Mango gives a hearty dose of vitamin C. It also has vitamins A, E, B6. It has a good amount of folate and Proanthocyanins (a group powerhouse of phytonutrient antioxidants).
Carrot see Carrot, Banana & Pineapple recipe for list of nutrients.
Beets, Raspberries & Blackberries
This is a great way to introduce earthy flavors with the palatable sweetness of the beets.
Beets are an excellent source of Folate, but we don't want baby to get too much of this vitamin. Just 1/2 a cup of boiled beets is plenty to blend in with a 1/2 cup of each berry. It also has magnese and potassium.
Raspberries see above recipe.
Blackberries are a great source of fiber. Their antioxidants include;
Vitamin E Tocopherols- protect against Alzheimer's
Cyanidin- reduces risk of cancers and Catechin which is anti tumor.
Epicatechin & Quercetin- helps again strokes and good for allergies
Proanthocyanidins- helps carry oxygen to the blood.
All berries are a powerhouse for your baby! Everyone in the home should have a handful of a variety of berries everyday.
On top of all that, 1 cup of blackberries also has more than 30% of an adult's daily manganese, vitamin C and vitamin K.
Peas and Carrots
Peas, in a 1 cup serving, have around 20% of an adult's daily vitamin K, fiber and thiamin, along with more than 10% vitamin B6, folate, zinc and niacin.
1 cups of peas also has 9 grams of protein.
Carrots see Carrot, Banana & Pineapple recipe for list of nutrients.
Corn, Carrot & Parsnips
Corn is a high carb vegetable, it's good for energy to play and also for filling bellies before a nap. It has a good amount of Lutein for eye health and Beta Cryptoxanthin which protects against free radicals (diseases).
It has double the daily need for Pantothenic Acid which helps the body release stored energy from fats and sugars. The sweetness blends well with these root vegetables.
Carrot see Carrot, Banana & Pineapple recipe for list of nutrients.
Parsnip boiled parsnips don't taste like much on their own, so they're a great way to sneak in a veggie.
High in vitamins C, E & B5 and Choline for blood cells.
Fiber- balanced blood sugar. I like adding 1/2 cup of parsnip ( or anything with high fiber) to a fruit mixture to balance out the sugars both in flavor and nutrients.
Folate- Too much is a bad thing, which is why balancing high folate foods is important.
High in essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, phosphorus and thiamin.
Butternut Squash
This one takes some preparation with the thick skin and seeds. You can add apple to this too.
Squash has a good dose of fiber and vitamin A.
It has B5 and multiple subvitamins of vitamin A which help protect against cancers & disease.
Butternut squash has 15% or more of an adults's daily magnesium, niacin, thiamin and potassium.
Magnesium- helps inflammation & the metabolism.
Niacin- stabilizes blood sugar & helps digestion
Potassium- good for blood pressure
Avocado and Pear
My first thought was to mix this with banana, but they're both heavy and full of fiber. A watery pear or apple is better.
Avocado- One fruit contains around 50% of an adult's Omegas, folate, B5 and fiber! High is vitamin B6 and E, niacin, potassium and zinc. High in riboflavin, copper, lutein and vitamin K (about 50% of daily K)!
Zinc- good for immune system and metabolism.
Vitamin K- Promotes healthy blood clotting and protects developing bones.
Pear- High in fiber and sugar. Most fiber, like apples, is in the skin so pair it with other fibrous items and skin the fruit. (I give the skins to my dogs) Pears have antioxidants and heart health nutrients.
Apple- see above recipes.
Pumpkin and Peaches
Pumpkin takes some preparation too, the unsweetened canned is fine. Good with apple too. Pumpkin puree without sweetener is very bitter, so a high sugar pairing is great to give a balance of seasonal flavors to baby.
Very high in vitamin A, just 1/2 cup of pure pumpkin puree (with a little water if using fresh) and equal parts apple will make a lot of food.
Also has around 15% of the daily adult dose of riboflavin & potassium.
Riboflavin- supports cellular energy & oxygen flow
Peaches- Hello phytonutrients! Just a fancy word for really strong antioxidants. Also has heart health nutrients.
Mashed White Potato, Carrot & Peas
One potato has more than twice the amount of potassium as a banana. They also have B6, niacin, magnesium, folate, phosphorus and fiber.
Carrot & Peas see above
Add water or applesauce to this recipe if it's too think for your little one.
This is also good with bits of chicken to introduce meats.
Homemade Applesauce
This has less sugar than store bought and has a more natural taste of apple too.
it's just apples and water!
Boil 5 skinned apples, I like red delicious since most other types are either sour or really sweet. I cut mine in quarters first so they soften faster. After 10-15 minutes in boiling water, or in a steam strainer, they're ready to blend.
Start with 1/2 cup of purified water and add a couple tablespoons at a time from there if needed.
This makes more than 4 cups of applesauce!
DID YOU KNOW?? All whole foods have paired nutrients within themselves. What helps you absorb one nutrient is built into that same food so you get high vitamins and what you need to absorb them too!
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